FOOTY FAIR

Any Given Sunday: Three Wise Men

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

Many men claim to be at the top of the food chain when it comes to the Premier League, but currently there are three managers that have an undeniable wisdom when it comes to the league and what it takes to be successful.

These are the three wise men of British football.

Jose Mourinho

You can’t make any list about almost any topic and not include the Special One. What he has accomplished in the Premier League and with Chelsea will stand the tests of time, and without a doubt he will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time.

The only title he hasn’t won with Chelsea is the Champions League, and I believe that he will not find rest or be able to move on until he is able to bring that trophy to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea won it with Di Matteo, but Mourinho knows that more than the trophy is the legacy. Winning the domestic title and cups are important, but winning that title could be the crowning achievement of his illustrious time in charge of Chelsea.

Arsene Wenger

The Frenchman has been at Arsenal since 1996 and it is hard to picture Arsenal without Wenger. He has become such a huge part of the club. Considering the lack of success of the last ten years it is impressive that he has been able to remain in charge of the London club. Many others have come and gone with far better records, but Wenger remains the man leading the Gunners.

His knowledge of the Premier League is substantial, and his ability to use analytics is well documented. He was one of the first to bring analytics and metrics to how he put a team together and how he decided to spend money in the transfer market.

It isn’t a surprise that since Chelsea and Manchester City grew into prominence his Arsenal has never been able to win the domestic title. I don’t think Wenger has lost his step, but the rules of engagement changed and he wasn’t able to adapt to them.

His approached is more sustainable for club and owners but not sure if this Premier League dinosaur will survive possible extinction.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Nearly two years since he decided to retire and leave Manchester United. In that span United hired two new managers in Moyes and van Gaal. Two years without a title, one of them without Champions League football, and what we have is a very different United from the one Sir Alex Ferguson had us used to.

I don’t think the demise or at least downfall of United can’t be completely related to the departure of Ferguson. I think his presence and knowledge of the game and league helped United even in season’s where the team was not as strong.

On paper, United currently have one of the strongest teams but they still have failed to produce. All this does is give more credits and glory to the greatest United manager in history, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Any Given Sunday: Can Pogba Be The Next Galactico?

2015-03-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Much have been said and even more has been written about Paul Pogba’s future at Juventus and where can the young French international end up this summer once the transfer market opens.

I am not a betting man but if I was I would go all in on the fact that this will be the last season of Pogba at Juventus.

He has clearly become too big for Serie A and too good to play for Juventus in a league that doesn’t grant him the recognition he would be receiving if he was playing in the Premier League or La Liga.

This is something that the player and his agent have realize and perhaps most of the football world, with the exceptions being Serie A followers and Juventus fans, but they will only see what they want to see.

Now if we look at where he might end up I can only see one possible outcome, and that is Real Madrid.

The departure of Xabi Alonso, and the lack of solutions for that part of the midfield make Paul Pogba the perfect fit for Real Madrid as they will look at retool for the 2015-16 campaign.

His addition to Real Madrid would improve the team more than the additions of Bale and James Rodriguez in the past. He might not be a goal scorer or an attacking midfielder, but for a man with such a scrawny body he fills up that midfield like a giant.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and James will gain from his addition to the team. They will be able to gain more balls up field and not have to track back in order to get a quality pass. Real Madrid will gain fluidity and quality in the decision making and setting up the correct tempos of the game.

Paul Pogba will become the 2015 Galactico.

Any Given Sunday: Sunday Warriors

2015-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I get up every Sunday morning around 5:30 to go play football with a group of guys. Every Sunday it is pretty much the same group, give or take one or two of the guys that can’t make it due to other commitments in their lives.

I started playing with these guys about five months ago, but they had all been playing for years, so in the beginning it was a bit difficult to break in and find my place. Now, the dynamic is different, I feel like I am one of the guys, well, in part I am.

The skill and ages varies from horrible to the very good, and from the middle aged to the too old to be on the field. That blend of ages and ability adds to the experience of playing the game we all love.

I quickly realized that while most are competitive and play to win, the vast majority really comes out for three other reasons. Stay in shape; hang out with friends, and having fun. That is obvious when an argument breaks out because of a disputed foul or a ball that has gone out of bounds. The guys arguing the play are always the same ones, and funny enough are always the less skilled ones as well but the most competitive.

In the end the majority is able to bring serenity to the situation and the game is able to continue like if a real referee had called the play and asked the players to go on with their game.

When a nice pass is made or a great goal is scored, we all feel like we perhaps had the skill that could have opened the door to a professional contract, had we been given the right opportunities in our youth. We are nothing more than hopeless romantics in love with the beautiful game, because deep inside I think we all know that while pretty good for a Sunday kickabout we could never in our best day played at a professional level. We are just not that good, neither now or never.

Dreaming is not forbidden so for as long as I continue to play I will continue to imagine that the pass I made was in the Champions League final and that the goal was the winning goal in a World Cup final. That is the beauty of the game, it allows us to dream while playing it, and enjoy every minute we are on the field.

In the end we are all winners, after all, we have sacrificed our Sunday morning and the possibility to sleep in to go and play a game of football. Perhaps sacrifice is the wrong word, since everyone there is there willingly and wouldn’t think twice about coming even earlier to get an extra 30 minutes on the field.

Most of us are Sunday warriors, but during that one hour on the field, we are what we had always dreamed we would be, footballers.

Any Given Sunday: Headers Causing Headaches

2015-03-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

As a young child playing football my mom use to tell me not to head the ball that I could get hurt, maybe even get a brain tumor. I always took that as a bunch of crap, just a mom worried that her son would get hurt playing a game.

Now as an adult and as we learn more about brain trauma and with my own young son playing football, I realize that while her advice was outlandish in terms of what she believed it could be the results of me using my head to play the ball, it also had some basis in truth.

So much has been made of brain damage and injuries in athletes but not much has been said about how these injuries could be happening to young players playing football. Most people associate these injuries to more physical sports like hockey or NFL but not the beautiful game.

Dr Ann McKee a neuropathologist from Boston University who has done extensive work on NFL head injuries believes that children that play football and head the ball on a consistent basis are at risk of developing a brain injury.

"I think there are dangers to the adolescent brain being exposed to these injuries," she told BBC World Service.

"Before the brain is fully developed, before the neck and musculature is mature I think these kids are at risk."

While I never gave this issue a serious thought I am starting to look at it with a different outlook, one of a concerned parent. I can see how heading a football could cause damage to a child brain, no different than any other head trauma. I don’t think most children playing the sport do it enough or on a consistent basis to cause any serious trauma but I am not a doctor, and it only takes one bad hit to have some long lasting ill effects on the individual.

In 2002, Jeff Astle, former England and West Brom striker died at the age of 59 from a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is an illness normally linked to boxers. While I don’t believe this was 100% caused by headers, I do believe that they could have had an impact in the development of the condition; it would be foolish to dismiss it.

My concern is that until a child is fully developed or at least has become an adolescent, preventing headers on a consistent basis should be encouraged. Heading the ball on a consistent basis from an early age could have serious consequences later in their lives.

Will I change my view on headers or on how my son plays the game, probably not, since I don’t think he does it enough to really be an issue, so I rather work with him on teaching him how to do it properly than preventing him from it.

I will for sure be more aware of it and pay much closer attention to it, than what I have done until now.

Any Given Sunday: Is Winning the Title Enough for Benfica

2015-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Jesus is in charge of Benfica in the last year of his contract and has the possibility of doing what hasn’t been done since 1983-84, which is winning back to back domestic league titles. Will that be enough to make this season a successful one?

Following two seasons that saw Benfica reach the Europa League final, and win all four domestic titles (2013-14 season), is winning the domestic league for two years in a row enough to make it a successful season for Benfica and Jesus?

This is the question that I have been debating in my head as we go into the second half of the season. At first glance and when you look at what was achieved last year the first reaction is to say no. This isn’t enough at all, rather the minimum fans should expect. After I reflected on what has been Benfica’s performances in the last couple of years and with Jesus and the fact that Benfica hasn’t won a domestic title in back to back years since the early 80’s I am tempted to say yes, it is enough.

Winning the domestic title is the main goal for Benfica going into any season, therefore if you achieve it, you had a successful season. Doing it so in back to back season’s since the early 80’s adds to that factor and makes it even more special. All other competitions are secondary. I am not saying that they are not valuable, all I am saying is that winning the league is the main objective, so reaching the main objective while failing the secondary objectives is not a failure in my books.

The only way Benfica can grow in the future and surpass Porto is by continue to win the domestic title. You can’t fight with Porto for domestic supremacy by winning the Liga Cup or the Portuguese Cup and failing to win the title. In addition to that, winning back to back titles would put Porto in a position that they have only experienced once in the last 30 years, of not winning a title at least every other year.

Taking this title would mean a lot for Benfica, their fans and their quest to regain control of the domestic league. While other failures this season have hurt the club, winning the domestic title back to back would be an end to what would be considered by many a successful season.

Any Given Sunday: Football on Demand

2015-02-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Turn on the TV on a Saturday morning in North America and you have the pick of the litter with multiple Premier League matches, La Liga and Bundesliga games. As they progresses you can almost watch any single match from around the world in one of the many sports channels available to us.

Same is true during the week when it comes to Champions League games, Europa League, mid-week league matches, cup or Euro/World Cup qualification matches. Football has gone from a Sunday family outing to a 24/7 business for TV stations. A very lucrative business that the ratings show to be on the rise and as long as people tune in more stations will be paying through the nose to obtain those so desirable TV rights.

We have moved for some time now to all football channels showing nothing but games and highlights, feeding the monster that is football fans worldwide, but what should the next step be in this evolution? Team channels are already a reality, with most big name clubs from Europe having their own channels offering games, interviews, special content on gameday, and even matches of their younger squads or other sports played by the clubs either be basketball, futsal or any other. This evolution is reaching its climax, so it will be only a matter of time before the next step is needed in this evolution of football consumption.

Fans demand more and more, the need to interact with their audience is an evolutionary need for any sport if they are to survive the evolution of television watching. Could VOD be the next logical step to be taken between leagues, federations, organizations and TV broadcasters?

The main difference between sports and other TV shows is that sports fans want to watch sports live, not on tape delay. A movie or a TV show can be watched at any time, but sporting events need to be watched live for the audience to have the full enjoyment of the experience. VOD could still work under these premises.

Imagine UEFA selling the Champions League rights to a broadcaster; for the sake of the argument let’s use ESPN. So now ESPN has the rights for the United States for all Champions League games. ESPN could still show one of the matches on their channel for content purposes, since these days everything comes down to content. They could make all matches available on a ESPN Champions League VOD subscription. Charging fans a fee for this extra channel or even offering for free if you are subscriber of all of their channels. This would allow the viewer to pick any of the games being broadcasted at that time instead of being forced to watch one on the main channel.

Games could then be available for 2 weeks on VOD until the following set matches’ takes place. Adding to the VOD options could be the post-game interviews and media scrums as well, iconic matches from the past between the teams facing each other now. The content could be endless in a partnership between UEFA, Premier League or any other league and a massive TV station.

Allowing for that VOD to be available on mobile devices would be the next logical step, but with more and more specialization of TV stations and the creation of options that allow the viewer’s more and more avenues to watch their favorite team, this could be a solution that while at a price could be the end of illegal online streaming.

If every single match is available on demand for you to view in HD on any TV of your home or any of your mobile devices why bother with a crappy stream and the ever annoying pop up ads.

Any Given Sunday: Football Made Me Do It

2015-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you screwed up royally during Valentine’s Day and it was all because you either forgot to it was Valentine’s or because you were watching your favorite football team and neglected your better half.

Well, what is done is done and there is no time machine available, not even one that happens to split duties with a hot tub.

So, it is the day after Valentine’s Day and here is your chance to make things slightly better before you end up a single dude with one of two things in your hands, the TV remote being one of them.

Time to forget the morning Sunday Premier League games on TV or your weekly Sunday League Game with your single buddies or even the afternoon tape delay game that you missed the previous day since you couldn’t fit that into your incredible busy schedule.

Here are three things you can do to try to fix the damage you have done to your relationship.

Breakfast in Bed

Don’t try to cook and watch your game on TV at the sametime, you are bound to burn the food and burn your relationship when she walks in the kitchen and sees that you made a mess of the kitchen and there is nothing worth eating to show for, all because you couldn’t stay away from the game for 30 minutes. What is wrong with you?

Get up early, pretend Manchester United is playing City at Old Trafford. 7am start, it wouldn’t even faze you, so get that mindset going and go out and buy some really nice breakfast at a breakfast joint, not at McDonalds you cheap ass. Add a flower to it, perhaps something on a neighbors garden, at that time of the morning they won’t notice, just make sure it is not your next door neighbor.

Surprise her in bed with the breakfast, and whatever you do don’t turn on the TV, pretend you lost the remote or that the TV is not working. Let her be in charge, as we all known that they always are.

Take Out The Garbage

Her idea of take out the garbage was probably dumping you on the side of the curb, but that is exactly what you are trying to avoid.

So after she is done with her meal, clean it all up and take out all the garbage. Not only you are cleaning after the meal, you are also saving time for when latter in the week you forget to take out the garbage and she gives you shit for it. Killing two birds with one stone, is what you are aiming for with this one.

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can also vacuum the rugs so she doesn’t have to do any actual work, and just maybe you are on the road to redemption.

Forget The Remote Control

Forget about touching the remote control. You need to be ready to endure 2 hours of chick flicks starting Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler followed by 8 hours of Nurse Jackie. It is what it is brother, you screwed up and now it is time to pay the price.

Get some good pain killers, and sit down for what can only be compared to water boarding in Guantanamo Bay.

This will be the most difficult task to endure, but it will be the one that will put you over the hump and back in her good books. Let the pain and suffering be a lesson so next year you don’t make the same mistakes. Who am I kidding?

Any Given Sunday: I Think Therefore I Play

2015-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I decided to get Andrea Pirlo’s book during the holidays, I know it had some great quotes and some incredible one liners, but I was wondering how good the book would really be. How much of Pirlo was on that paper and how much of the title was nothing more than an intelligent play on words.

What I quickly discovered as I went through the pages of the book is that it almost felt like Pirlo was speaking to me through those pages. It felt real, and the experience of reading it was close to the experience of having him in my living room reading to me. If I closed my eyes for a second I could imagine him reading it out loud as I was reading it to myself.

That was a sure sign that sitting down to read this book was a great decision on my part. I am always very skeptical of buying and reading player books, but this one was a real jam.

The title more than a funny and clever catch phrase it is a true representation of Pirlo and how he plays the game. If he was a North American athlete commentators would say that he plays the game the right way. He is a true thinker, he just doesn’t play it, he analysis it and thinks the game as he plays it. \

He is a master of the game only because he has never stopped studying it and that comes across in his book. He is also self-aware of the persona he has created. He looks like someone who seems to be serious all the time and never indulge himself in a light hearted moment, he shares in his book how aware he is of that and how he uses it to his own advantage.

As he talks about the clubs he represented, coaches he has played for or would like to play for, he comes across as a very loyal, funny and intelligent person. He is an extension of the coach on the field, and to think he was so close to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid at one point of his career. How much would that have changed him we will never know, but it is fun to wonder how he would have done playing for either of those teams.

He also spends a large amount of time talking about his relationships with his teammates at the club and national team. For someone who comes across as introverted, he opens up in the book and gives us a glimpse of what it was like to be around him outside the practice grounds. He is a rebel in disguise and someone whose outward persona hides a joker and a prankster.

His book is a true reflection of what he is calm, quiet and harsh exterior, but a soft, intelligent and funny interior. This is Pirlo in a book format, in its simplest form.

Any Given Sunday: January Transfer Gem of 2014

2015-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Most of the big name transfers happen during the summer months when the teams are getting ready to attack their new seasons. During the winter transfer market, teams are almost always looking at rental players or stop gaps to help them deal with injuries and absences.

Not common but quality players have been transferred during the January transfer window that have a long lasting impact on the team that he is moving to. When I look back at 2014 January transfer market one player comes up above all others that had an impact and will continue to have an impact with his new team, his name is Matic.

On January 31st 2011, Chelsea paid £21M and Matic for David Luiz, in a deal that saw the Brazilian center back leave the Lisbon giants to join the London club. At that time Matic was nothing more than a throw in, although he was valued at £5M, nobody believed that he was indeed worth that much.

During his first season he didn't see a lot of playing time, sitting on the bench and being used as the backup to Javi Garcia, but once the Spaniard moved to Manchester City, Matic had a chance to grab a spot on the starting eleven and show that he indeed was worth 5 million and much more.

Converted from an attacking midfielder to a box to box defensive midfielder by Jorge Jesus, Matic was able to rebuild himself as one of the premiere players in Europe in that defensive midfield role. It was too long before half of Europe had their eyes on the Serbian international. The team that always seems to have the lead on his signing was Chelsea. His former club, now coached by Mourinho, seems to have a real appreciation for the qualities of the midfielder.

It would be a very difficult pill to swallow, to pay premium money for a player you once own and threw it away in a deal only a few years earlier. How do you explain that to your fans? For Mourinho it was easy, he wasn't there when they let Matic go, so it wasn't his fault that the people before him didn't see the talent that it was now obvious to all that watched any of his games during the Europa League and domestic league campaigns.

Chelsea had to sign him and Mourinho would do anything to have him back in blue and indeed they did. On 15 January 2014, Matic rejoined Chelsea for a fee of £21 million. A steep price considering he had been evaluated in 5 million three years earlier when he did the opposite move, but well worth the price considering his recent form and what he has done since joining Chelsea.

He has become alongside Mikel a main staple in Chelsea’s midfield and has given the consistency that Mourinho expects from his midfielders. He has been crucial for them, and has become the motor of this team. A great deal in the January transfer market for Chelsea that while may have been hard to sell to the owner has proved to be exactly what the doctor had ordered.

Any Given Sunday: CR7? It Doesn’t Matter Who You Are

2015-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

It looks like somebody has smelled what The Rock is cooking, and her name is no other than Irina Shayk.

Following the reports that the famous model has called it quits on her relationship with three time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, Glamour magazine is reporting that the main reason, or perhaps the only reason for the breakup is no other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

The two of them met on set of Hercules, and it looks like Irina truly enjoyed what “The Rock” was cooking. No word on her appreciation for “The Rock’s” strudel but from what it appears it seems to have been enough to sweep her away from one of the most well-known footballers on the planet.

Dwayne Johnson is 42 years old and has swapped his time in a wrestling ring for time in front of the Hollywood cameras, and their connection on camera during the movie Hercules was perhaps more than just great acting from two people that have other attributes worth watching and are not making a move to win an Oscar anytime soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo is not a man used to losing and I am sure he won’t be crying the blues for too long. A man like him is probably in possession of a black book with thousands of phone numbers of woman willing to play sidekick in his bedroom escapades. So, fellas, don’t feel too bad for him, he will manage to land on his feet.

The only sad part of this story is that the footballing world has lost one of the most gorgeous WAGS of all time in Irina Shayk. That is an epic loss, but all eyes are now on who will be the one replacing her.

Any Given Sunday: The Nowhere Men

2015-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I enjoy a good book as much as the next guy, so when late last year I sat down to read Michael Calvin’s The Nowhere Men and wasn't sure what to expect from it.

The idea surrounding the book was interesting, a book about scouts in England and their work, careers and how the spot talent on the field. That premises had me interested enough that I purchased the book online since I couldn't find it in any of my local bookstores. Here it is a book about football where the main characters are the unknown heroes of the game. A book that dealt with an almost secret society that gets very little to no attention from media or fans. It looked like an interesting read, and I was soon to find out that indeed it was.
The book concentrates more on the actual scouts than it does on the biggest players spotted by those same scouts and that is what made the book so captivating. If I wanted to know about Sterling or Wilshire I would buy a book about them, I wanted to know more about how do you go about spotting talent.

The book was a gold find for anyone interested in knowing what really goes on outside the white lines when it comes to talent. From how scouts look at players, what they look for, what makes a player more desirable than others and more important their lives and what they have to sacrifice for the game they love so much.

My thoughts on scouts before reading this book were very romantic. I though how cool it is to be paid to watch games and spot talented players. I use to tell myself that I could do it. I watch enough and know enough about the game to identify a talented player when I see one. Oh boy, couldn’t be more wrong on all accounts.

The job is not nearly as lucrative, easy or fashionable as I imagined. The pay is as close to pro bono as you can get without being pro bono. Besides the free tickets to the games and some swag these guys are the low end of the pyramid in their respective clubs. They are disposable commodities and are not even viewed as assets by their employers.

Like that isn’t enough to want to change your career path than you have to deal with parents that think their kid is the next Messi, and target the scouts like bees flock to honey.

Without wanting to ruin the book experience for you, I will say that scouts are the most undervalued and underpaid members of the football class. Michael Calvin is able to really transport you to their world and give you an inside glimpse of what it takes to be a professional scout for not only a lower club in England’s League two but also in the Premier League.

These guys do it for the same reason we as kids played football, for the love of the game, not for a big payout.

Any Given Sunday: Ibrahimovic Spreads His Wings

2015-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a true maverick of the game, the Sweden international and PSG striker lives by his own set of rules that is obvious, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that he has decided to part ways with Nike to launch his own sports brand.

You read it right, Ibrahimovic will no longer be sponsored by Nike and will be moving forward with the creation of his own sports brand and line. The PSG star has signed an agreement with Dressman, a Norwegian textile company that has an established brand in the Scandinavian countries.

Ibrahimovic was sponsored by Nike for 8 years and his contract came to an end in December of 2014, opening the door for him to expand his empire and venture out into a new business opportunity.

“I am delighted to start this relationship with Dressman. The company culture and winning mentality fit perfectly with me. Dressman is a people’s brand and that helped us come to an agreement.” Commented Ibrahimovic.

Nike was paying Ibrahimovic around 2 Million US a year. In some matches this past December, Zlatan wore Adidas and even went as far as painting the Nike swoosh in black so it wouldn’t be visible. It was rumored that Adidas was going to make a big push to sign the Sweden international, but he opted for moving forward with his own brand and honoring the agreement he had with Dressman.

This is a new move when it comes to high profile footballers. Some have branched out to other businesses, like cologne, watches and clothing line, but those have always been in partnership with existing sports brands that are already intertwined with the athlete. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo has a clothing line that is produced and distributed by Nike, who is also his sponsor.

Ibrahimovic is trying to trail blaze a new path in sportswear and he has identified the void in the market place for an athlete owned brand, instead of letting an established brand use his image to sell their own product. This is a very interesting idea and it will have a rippled effect in the football world.

While Ibrahimovic may be the first to go down this road, he won’t be the last.

Any Given Sunday: 4 Events That Marked 2014

2015-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

As we start a new year and leave behind the old one, it is perhaps time to look back at what were some of the events that marked world football in 2014.

As I started to think of the four events that I will remember for years to come that took place in 2014 it wasn’t hard to pick my favorite four. Having said that I am sure everyone will have their own, depending on what team they follow and what league they watch, so I have decided to go as broad as possible and leave my own bias coach seat and make a more all-inclusive list.

Here is my list of four events that marked 2014.

Brazil 1-7 Germany (World Cup)

If this game doesn’t go down in history as one of the biggest upsets and crushing defeats in World Cup history and in the history of the game of football I am not sure which one will.

For as good as the Germans had been up to that point in the tournament, nobody could have foreseen the hosts losing the semi-final game to Germany, but more so in the way in which they lost. They didn’t just lose the game; they were humiliated in front of their fans and families.

I don’t think anybody will ever forget this game and how surreal it was; even as I watched I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a defining moment of the World Cup, and one of the most shocking moments in world football, not only of 2014 but of the history of the game.

Suarez Bites Chiellini

Suarez has a history of biting and doing things that would not cross a normal persons mind, but when he bit Chiellini during the World Cup match between Uruguay and Italy, he took his insanity to a whole new level.

For years to come people may have forgotten about who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup but nobody will forget the Suarez for the incident between him and Chiellini. That bite has travelled around the world at least twice, and has marked the legacy of Suarez as a footballer.

Regardless of what he achieves as a player that bite will be what he will always be remembered for. This is sad, but true.

Atletico Madrid wins La Liga

In a league that has two heavy contenders every year fighting to be the top dog, to see Atletico Madrid win the title was refreshing. While the winning of the La Liga title by Atletico Madrid is not earth shattering it is one of the highlights of the 2014 football season. The added fact that they reached the Champions League final is another great added bonus to an incredible season that I am sure while some won’t remember, Atletico Madrid fans will not soon forget.

Indian Super League gets underway

As the game of football grows around the world it was only a matter of time before one of the highest populated nations and starving fans of football would get their own professional league. India in 2014 saw the start of the Indian Super League and most fans hope that this is just the beginning.

Using MLS as a baseline and a model, the ISL is moving into 2015 with a strong solid starting point. Franchises have been able to attract famous footballers, most of them in the decline of their careers but they are still household names that will bring media and popular attention to a league looking at taking their first steps.

It will be some time before the league can grow in competitiveness and quality but everything needs to have a starting point, and this would be it. 2014 is the birth year, and we will see where this league will go in years to come.

Any Given Sunday: Suarez New Year’s Resolutions

2014-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

As we look forward to the new year of 2015, it is the time of the year for people to put behind them the old year of 2014 and make new resolutions for the upcoming 2015.

Nobody is looking more forward to 2015 than Suarez. The Barcelona forward is looking at putting some of the mistakes and incidents of 2014 behind him as he gets ready to welcome 2015 with open arms.

Most of us do around this time start to put together a list or at least come up with ideas to what we will be looking at improving in our lives or ourselves in the New Year that approaches. The New Year’s resolutions are often something that we tend to hold on to earlier in the year but forget about it as the time moves on.

Suarez is probably aware of this and he knows that unless he puts it in writing there is no resolution that can survive the test of time. As I put myself in his shoes for a minute and thinking of what could possible resolutions he could have for this New Year, these three come to mind.

Portuguese Cuisine

He tasted Serbian and lately Italian, so the next logical tasting experiencing as to be Portuguese. As he looks at expanding his horizons he will look at 2015 as the year that he will sink his teeth into some Portuguese delight. There are plenty to choose from in Spain, and he might not even have to travel too far to find something fresh and tasty.

Visit to the Orthodontist

Much has been made of Suarez bite but nobody has mentioned his over bite. He looks like a Uruguay version of Jar Jar Binks, or a poor man’s Ronaldinho if you will. He needs to get those choppers checked out and something put in place to fix that. He doesn’t bite people, instead folks run into his teeth on a regular basis, and that alone can be fixed with a visit to the doctor.

Joining Jenny Craig

So much as made up of Suarez gaining some weight prior to his start of the season with Barcelona, but let’s face it, Italian food is full of carbs and he feasted on it this summer. With that in mind we all know that the number 1 resolution in the world is losing weight. Who wouldn’t like to drop a few pounds, especially after the holidays, and Suarez is no different. I just think to do it alone it will be very difficult so he will need help. Jenny Craig could be the necessary help he needs to shed some pounds and get back into shape as he kicks off 2015.

If he will keep or even make these resolutions we will never know, but one thing is sure, he will be someone that I will follow closely in 2015, not just for the possible incidents that he may headline but also for the quality he brings on the field.

Any Given Sunday: CR7’s List to Santa Claus

2014-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Only four days away from Christmas and as the time runs out so does the chance for everyone to get their gift list sent to Santa Claus in time for the holiday season.

The big man needs some time to check the lists, see if the requester was naughty or nice and then have all the gifts ready in time for delivery during Christmas Eve.

Children of all ages around the world prepare their lists very carefully, and nowadays with email, you can afford to wait until the last possible minute to send them in. Children are not the only ones making lists and sending them to Santa Claus, adults do it as well. We might not physically type them or write them, but in our mind we all have a secret wish list that we would like to send to Santa Claus, and wake up on December 25th to find some of those items under our tree.

As we look forward to December 25th I can’t stop from wondering what items would be on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Santa Claus list. For the man who has everything and has won almost everything it must be hard to put a list together and even harder for Santa Claus to be able to get him what he wants.

After much deliberation, on my part, I think I have narrow down the three items that Cristiano Ronaldo would put on a wish list to Santa Claus if he was to sit down and send him one.

3rd Ballon d’Or

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to reach Messi and even surpass him, I don’t think anything else drives him, motivates him, as much as his desire to one day is known as the best there was. Winning a 3rd Ballon d’Or, which would give him back to back wins, would be a step in the right direction. This might be the one item on his list that he will indeed get; I would be shocked if he doesn’t.

Win Major Tournament with Portugal

He has won everything a player can win at the club level and individually. The only thing missing from his curriculum is a title with his country. He lost a Euro Cup final at home against Greece and since then he has only been able to reach the Semifinals of major tournaments. Winning a trophy with Portugal would help him elevate his status as the greatest Portuguese player of all time as well as one of the greatest of all time.

Win the Treble with Real Madrid

He has come close, last year winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey but letting the title escape to the city rivals Atletico Madrid. This year Cristiano Ronaldo would love nothing more than lead Real Madrid to a treble victory and break every single record that he can during that campaign and once and for all put to rest any claims that lives in the shadow of Messi.

I am not sure how busy Santa Claus is, but these wishes have some probability of coming true for him, at least two of them. Maybe this will end up being a Merry Christmas for Cristiano Ronaldo after all.

Any Given Sunday: Parma Needs to Pay up… Sucka!!!!

2014-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I know that it sounds like I channeled my inner Booker T on this one, a bit of a wrestling reference for those that enjoy that kind of sports and entertainment, but I am sure that is exactly how it sounded to Parma when the Italian FA deducted points for failing to pay player wages.

Last month the Italian FA charged the Serie A club for not paying player wages dating back to November of 2013. A decision has been made now to fine the club President and director 5,000 euros each and deducting one point from the team.

As far as the point goes, it hurts the club since they are dead last in the league, but I wonder how able to pay these fines will these two gentlemen be. They can’t pay the salaries and you expect them to pay fines? Unless they start collecting money at the door of the stadium during home games, I can see this fine having very little effect on how they conduct business. The fine should have been larger and the money from the fine should have been used by the Italian FA to pay some of the salaries owed, not to line the treasury of the league.

Reports suggest that Parma is on the brink of being bought by a Russian-Cypriot conglomerate, making it the third Serie A club to have foreign owners.

This could be the lifeline that Parma needs. A quick injection of capital would help normalize the financial situation of the club and perhaps instill some level of confidence and hope in the players. Being last is no fluke and when your salaries are not paid on time how motivated are you to give 110% on the field every weekend. Perhaps as motivated as the guys running the club are to pay the salaries of the players.

Any Given Sunday: Educating Young Athletes

2014-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes in the world of professional football we forget how important a proper education is, and as parents it should be our job to educate our children in understanding that a proper education is the base for a prosper future.

Sure, sometimes it is hard to say that with a straight face when you are looking at young kids that have so much talent that it would be hard for them not to make it to the professional level, but many things can happen from the time they are 8 until the time they are pro, and without an education behind them they could find themselves out of options and living a nightmare instead of the dream they had hoped for.

A footballer’s career is normally short in nature, most professional players retire by the age of 35 or 36, and while big stars earn enough to live a comfortable life for the rest of their days not all are so lucky. The vast majority earn enough to live a good life while playing but surely not enough to sit back and enjoy retirement. This is where having an education comes in play. Having a plan B for your plan A is the best way to ensure your future and the future of your family.

Many players put their education on hold or leave it behind all together, and for those that make it to the big time there are always those that due to injury or lack of opportunity find themselves two steps two short of their dream and now they don’t even have a career or anything to hold on to. This is why I have always stressed that is not good to put all eggs in one basket, but rather spread them around.

An education is priceless, and that should be all young athletes are focusing on, the athletic side of their lives should be secondary in their priority list. Easier said than done, I realize that but this is the correct approach to have.

This past month of November, Sergio Ramos, the Spanish international and Real Madrid defender, proved that an education is something that even a professional footballer as famous as he is, relishes. He had dropped out of high school to continue his professional career and it was two credits short of graduation. He needed to complete Biology and Ecology in order to be able to graduate and complete his high school diploma.

This last February he enrolled in school in order to complete these two courses and finally get his high school diploma. He has done it; he completed the tests last month and is able to graduate high school. Like the old saying goes, better late than never.

Sergio Ramos didn’t need to do it, but he felt that was important to do it, and I would have to agree with him. Not only was important for him personally but it is also a great message to send to any young fans that look up to him as they get started in the game of football.

Any Given Sunday: European Failure of Biblical Proportions

2014-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have all had a few days to stew over the fact that Benfica has crashed out of European football. It isn't really a surprise that they have not qualified out of the Champions League group stage what is a surprise is that they won’t even be playing Europa League come 2015.

This can only be considered a failure. There is no other way of describing what we all witnessed on Wednesday in Russia. The issue is not really losing that one game away against Zenit, the issue is how this team has been built and how they play.

One can say that this team doesn't have the talent to compete in Europe. I am not sure that is an accurate statement, more so when you look at rivals Sporting with a far more humble budget and doing much better in the Champions League. The issue is not of now or this season, this is something that has been an issue with this team since Jorge Jesus has taken over the helm.

The squad lost talented players like Garay , Matic, Rodrigo and Oblak but there is enough talent on this team to at least be competitive during group stage games and at the bare minimum qualify for the Europa League. That i am 100% sure off. The issue here is not so much talent but how the team is setup on the field. I don’t think this failure is abnormal, not when in the time since Jorge Jesus has become the coach the team has only once moved passed the group stages of the Champions League. You can argue that they made it so one semi-final of the Europa League and two back to back finals, to which i would argue with the fact that Europa League is like the Portuguese League while Champions is like Premier League.

Jesus has had some incredible squads, and to only make it pass the group stages of Champions League once is something alarming. He is a great coach, but he has only one way of play, and that way while able to work domestically is not designed to be efficient against strong European opponents.

Benfica plays a very unbalanced style that more often than not sees the team pull on one end to uncovered the other. The bed covers are too small for a body that is too big.

The issue is in the midfield. The obsession to play with only two midfield players has seen the team out numbered in one of the most important areas of the field. Two wingers that don’t defend and very rarely track back to help the midfield in defensive postions compounds the issue. In past seasons this was not as obvious because the talent of players like Matic, Javi Garcia, Fejsa, Ruben Amorin was able to disguised it. Also a strong Witsel and after an even stronger Enzo Perez gave the muscle and lungs to a midfield that was always outnumbered against every single opponent it faced. This year a very different Enzo and a Samaris that is nowhere near the players he was brought in to replace have shown how weak this system really is against experienced and strong European sides.

You would think that by now Jesus would have figured that he needs to have two methods of play, one for the domestic competitions and one for the European competitions. At home Benfica can be an attacking force that seeks to score goals and win the games by dominating from start to finish. In Europe you have to be more methodical and play a possession game and counter attack with speed.

The issue perhaps is that this team under Jorge Jesus has never been able to hold possession without using it to move forward looking to attack. This team is unable to hold the ball, circulate and control the game. Doesn't have cerebral players to do it, it has players that want to attack and move forward, moving laterally for them would be like asking them not to drink water when thirsty.

In this last year of Jesus contract, Luis Filipe Vieira has to ask himself a question. If all we need to be is competitive domestically and fail in Champions League, then do I really need to spend as much as I do? I think they can afford to invest in their youth, remain competitive domestically, decrease their expenses and salaries and still make the odd run in Europa League.

If the objective is to make a push in European football and invest heavily in the team to produce not only domestically but also in Europe, than he needs to invest on a different coach with other pedigree.

Any Given Sunday: Holy Smokes Batman

2014-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

The most awkward legal battle broke out this week. This is something that you would almost expect to see in a movie theatre near you starting Christian Bale.

Valencia CF is being sued by DC Comics. Yes you have read it right; DC Comics is taking legal action against Valencia CF of the Spanish La Liga over their bat logo. If this isn’t one of the most absurd and at the same time incredible stories that you have read in the last couple of weeks I am not sure what is. Well, maybe the Cruzeiro Lingerie Line comes close to it, but to me this one takes the cake.

Valencia CF is looking at registering their bat logo that appears on top of their crest, and when the news hit the noses of the DC Comics lawyers, well they ran to the phones faster than a Usain Bolt at the Summer Olympics.

DC Comics is threatening Valencia CF with legal action if they indeed go ahead with their attempt to trademark the bat logo. Their reason is that in the future, Valencia’s bat and DC Comics bat could be confused with each other since both bats look similar. Of course they look similar, they are both bats. I wonder if DC Comics is worried that Batman will confuse the two bat signals and instead of showing up Gotham City to help an unsuspected citizen, he will instead arrive at La Mestalla to help Andre Gomes with his defensive coverage of midfield.

The complaint was file with OHIM, a European entity that controls and licenses the use of logos and branding. OHIM hasn't revealed a deadline for a conclusion of the process but at this time it doesn’t look like either part will reach a consensus.

The issue is that Valencia CF uses the bat in their crest since the 1920’s, while the DC Comics Batman logo wasn't created until 1939, but DC Comics have trademarked their logo while Valencia CF until now had never done it.

Somewhere, somehow, the Joker is having a laugh at the bats expense.

Any Given Sunday: Secret Society of Italian Football

2014-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Most of us have experienced or know someone who suffers from baldness, but it looks like one group of people have not only found the solution to this problem they have been able to reverse the effects of aging and losing their hair, former Italian footballers.

This could be the biggest revolution in the game of football since the addition of the goal line technology. Many players around the world have suffered the effects of male baldness, from as recently as Rooney to as far back Gazza, players have struggle to keep their wonderful hair going into the later stages of their career and into retirement. One group has clearly found the solution to this problem and they are no other than former Italian footballers.

They have been able to keep this new discovery quiet and amongst themselves, and not even all former Italian footballers have been privy to this information. I am sure Baresi would love to be given some idea of what he needs to do to follow the footsteps of some of his former teammates at the Italian national team.

Former players like Salvatore Schillaci, a hero for Italy at the 1990 World Cup or the even more famous former Juventus coach and currently Italy’s coach, Conte. These two men are only the tip of this iceberg; since they have a higher profile than some others their new spontaneous growth of hair has somehow gone unnoticed by mainstream media, but not by me. It is a scientific or perhaps a genetic conundrum how some of these players and more specific these two have been able to get better hair as they have got older while most of us see this process happening in reverse.

Could it be the food? Perhaps pasta, pizza or tomato sauces have a special ingredient that provides them with a rebirth of hair at a later stage in their life. Can’t be, otherwise all others would be following suit, and the fact is that this genetic improvement hasn’t been available to all and only a selected few. Could this be the start of a new secret Italian order that could have links as far back as the Templars? Perhaps in some of their travels a group of Italian international players discovered a rare relic that allows them to grow hair as they get older instead of losing it?

It is my believe that Conte is at the head of this secret organization, and that has allowed him to not only win domestic titles after domestic titles but also land the national team job. His hair as far as I have been able to gather has not improved his coaching skills but it has added to his incredible sex appeal and overall metrosexual look. It seems to me that whatever they have discovered is somehow linked to Paolo Maldini. It is very strange and mind boggling that the new hair is completely different in style and texture from their previous hair and it comes more in line with Maldini’s hair. Have they found a way to clone Maldini’s hair? This could be a huge leap in scientific knowledge.

For now the exact process or explanation has been kept out of reach of the public and other footballers, and they have been able to keep mainstream media in the dark, which shows how strong and powerful these man are. A new world order is upon us, and it will be one with incredible gorgeous and wavy hair.

Any Given Sunday: Big Coach for the Small Time

2014-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

There are some great coaches with impressive credentials looking for a coaching job, but no name has received more media coverage than David Moyes. The former Everton and Manchester United coach has been unemployed for 10 months since being sacked at United after what can only be considered a disastrous campaign.

During his 10 month absence he had been very quiet about any future jobs and opportunities but recently he made it clear to the media that he feels ready to return to action. While the return may happen very soon, it won’t be a return to a league that he is very familiar with. It looks like the front running team in the race to land David Moyes is indeed Real Sociedad.

This week the president of the club confirmed to Spanish media outlets that the Scot is one of four names that are possible candidates for the coaching position at Real Sociedad.

David Moyes is a good manager, the spell at United proved perhaps one thing, that he is a good manager of small teams, and right now in Spanish football, not many teams are any smaller than Real Sociedad. They are sitting second from the bottom and in a fight to stay in the first level of Spanish football. Under normal circumstances I would believe that this fit could have very positive results for both club and manager, but considering the current position in the standing of the club and the failure that was Moyes experience with United, this is a recipe that is bound to fail.

I don’t see any upside in Moyes taking the job. If he is successful and is able to keep them in the first division of Spanish football, it will prove some pundits that he is the perfect man, for a small team looking at achieving maintenance in a very competitive league. If he fails, he will start to be looked at as damaged goods, and the ability of landing a better job with a more prominent club will become almost a pipe dream.

I understand both sides. From a club perspective, Moyes does have experience and the ability to get the most out of average players that are playing for an average club. His personality and name alone will bring some fans in, and perhaps reinvigorate the troops. From his perspective he is probably looking for a coaching job outside of the Premier League to get his feet wet again without having to deal with the day to day scrutiny that he would if he was to coach in England right now. These are the positives and pros; I just don’t see the benefits outweighing the negatives.

Moyes should perhaps wait until Christmas, by then someone will end up being sacked in the Premier League, opening the door for a return to a more familiar place and a chance to perhaps show that he is indeed a good general, as long as the army is small and fighting small battles.

Any Given Sunday: Football's Single Club Legend

2014-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

In today’s modern age of football a lot can be said about players that spend a complete career at one club and when you take the time to think of some of those names most people would say Ryan Giggs and Paolo Maldini.

Two great players with incredible careers at Manchester United and AC Milan respectively and up until this past week Ryan Giggs was also the record holder for most wins with one club with 589, from 1990 to 2014. There is a name in football that normally goes forgotten when talking about players that have made their mark at a single club, that name is Rogerio Ceni.

This past week the 41 year old Brazilian goalkeeper, who has played for 22 years for his beloved Sao Paulo, broke Ryan Giggs record when Sao Paulo beat Goais 3-0 to earn him his 590th win of his career. All 590 wins have been while playing for Sao Paulo, which is an incredible achievement, by an incredible player.

It has taken Ceni 1173 games to reach this incredible milestone, while it only took Giggs 963 games, but that does not diminish the incredible achievement of holding the most wins by a player at a single club.

Ceni has plans to retire this upcoming December and put an end to an incredible career that saw him win the 2002 World Cup with Brazil in Japan/South Korea, score 123 club goals from either the penalty spot or free kick and helped Sao Paulo win two Copa Libertadores and one FIFA World Club Cup in 2005. Ceni has an illustrious career and is without a doubt one of the true iron man of the footballing world, but the fact that he spent his whole career at Sao Paulo in Brazil may have hurt his exposure to a more media driven world outside of Brazil.

One would argue that for a player of his quality and curriculum he is a virtual unknown outside of Brazil, and that while not damaging his legacy has hurt his exposure and the ability of him being better recognized for his achievements.

I am sure as he approaches his retirement he does it without a single regret in having represented the club he has always loved and supported, and that being an icon for Sao Paulo and having had the career he has had is enough for him. He doesn’t need any other accolades; his legacy at Sao Paulo makes him an immortal in the eyes of the club’s faithful.

Any Given Sunday: Your Kid is Not Messi

2014-10-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

I think most parents dream or see their child as the next greatest player of whatever sport they are into at any point of their early lives. For most if not almost all of them those expectations are almost as farfetched as expecting your grade 2 son to be the next Nobel Prize winner for medicine. Not to say that it can’t happen, but the chances are very slim, better odds of winning the lottery or getting hit by lightning.

Most kids play sports first and foremost because it is fun, followed by the friendships that they build and ultimately because they have a desire to compete against others and try to outperform them. At an early age that desire is driven by the self-awareness that comes from the parent’s response to their success and failures, later in their lives the desire is more natural and becomes more of a self-driven aspect of their young lives and not anymore the desire to impress or gain their parents approval.

Some kids have natural ability for football, like some have it for art, science or video games; the important aspect is understand their interests and foster them in a positive way, to allow them to explore them, learn them and develops them at their own rate. During that process there will be peaks and valleys, the path is not linear and it is not as straight as an arrow, but the main thing is not to compare your child with others either to place him in a higher or lower level of that of his peers.

I remember looking at my son at the age of 5 doing things on the field with the football while most of his peers were not able to kick the ball more than once without losing control. This doesn’t mean he was the next Messi, neither did we treated him as such. All we did was continue to foster his interest in the sport and allow him to experience it at his own speed and ability. When I saw him falling behind his peers at a later age I wonder where did I went wrong, like it was my fault that for some reason a kid that looked to be ahead of the group was now trailing it. Somehow I felt like I was guilty of doing something wrong and the main cause for his regression. I was failing to understand that his development is made up of regression and progression, and nothing that he does is my failure, it is only part of him learning and growing up playing a sport that he loves.

Suddenly I realized that it wasn’t about me, but rather about him and all I can do to ensure he succeeds is to give him all the support and tools that he needs, as far as he goes is 100% up to him. I will measure the success or failure not of his endeavor but rather of my involvement on how our relationship is 20 years from now and how his love of the game still remains as he starts his own family. That will be my only evaluation of his “career” in sports, his evaluation will be up to him, he has to be the one accessing his own achievements as he looks back on them.

He said something to me this week that brought a lot of this to the forefront. After struggling to score or even head a ball during a game, he had a fear of heading the ball; he had two headers in a single game that didn’t turn into goals by pure exceptional goalkeeping from the opposing team. After the game he said that he really wants to score a header, because he wants me to be proud of him. I then realized that he plays for two very simple and primal reasons, the love of the game, and the admiration of his father. I obviously told him that I am always proud of him, and seeing his progression to a point where he finally is almost scoring is something that makes me proud for sure, but more than proud I am happy and pleased for him. I understand the work he has put in, and to see it come to fruition is an immense pleasure, the same pleasure a parent feels when his child speaks for the first time.

Your child may never speak in front of 20,000 people, or even give a public speech on behalf of a world leader, but that feeling you had when they say their first words should be what you will remember for the rest of your life. Same with this, regardless of what my son will become that header will always be the moment of his football “career” that I will always remember has his crowning glory.

Any Given Sunday: Mesut Özil Arsenal’s Stepchild

2014-10-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

Mesut Özil move from Real Madrid to Arsenal last season surprised many football observers, not because he doesn’t have quality to play in the Premier League but rather by seeing as the club that was able to sign him away from Madrid was Arsenal.

Arsenal and more so Arsene Wenger, came out looking like a genius when he was able to land the German midfielder and pull him away from Madrid. It was obvious that Özil was looking for a change but nobody was expecting Arsenal to be his destination. The move seem to have resulted when he first join the squad, his ability, creativity and experience had an immediate impact on an Arsenal side that was looking at rebuilding and could perhaps use Özil as their center piece . Players like Giroud could only gain from having someone like that playing behind him, which was a huge upgrade from the previous season.

Nothing lasts forever and the Özil honeymoon at Arsenal is over. Following his latest injury many Arsenal fans and pundits were quick to dismiss his impact on the team and even going as far as saying that his injury was a blessing for Arsenal. I still can’t wrap my head around that nugget of knowledge. How losing your best player or at the very least your most talented player a positive?

What has changed in the last 8 months that has Özil, a proven winner with club and country, surplus with an Arsenal team that hasn’t won a league title in 10 years? That is the question that people should be asking themselves and those that have don’t seem to be finding the right answers.

I have seen people say that he is not motivated, that his work ethic has declined, that his game doesn’t fit the speed and pace of the Premier League. If I was British my answer to those comments would be ballcocks! In my humble opinion Özil is still the same player that signed with Arsenal last season and that helped Germany win the World Cup this summer, he is just not being played in a position where the team and player can get the most out of his natural ability. Is like asking a marathon runner to compete in a sprint and expect him to win it. He will finish the race but he won’t win it or even finish in the top spots.

The issue I see with his performance has only to do with where he is playing on the field. More often than not Özil has been asked to play on a wide position of midfield. Sure he can do it, but that is not his bread and butter. He needs to have the ball, space and the ability to move forward in a more central place of the field. He is like a quarterback playing wide receiver right now, and if Arsenal is to get the most of this incredible talented player Wenger needs to find a spot for him in the middle of the field. He needs to be the team’s offensive coordinator, and not be pushed to a side midfield role where his ability, craft and knowledge have little to no impact in the game.

The continued effort to push him to a wide position has probably affected him, which is understandable. He is playing out of his comfort zone. When you see rumors of his impendent move to the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich it shouldn’t surprise anybody. I understand Wenger’s dilemma, but he should realize by now that he is underutilizing what is perhaps the best and most talented player in the Arsenal squad, and while the attempt to move him to a more wide position may have been a good strategy, the plan did not work, and you now risk losing your best player.

When you have a player of this quality, you shouldn’t try to fit him in a position that you don’t have solutions for and hope he can still be productive. You insert him where he can be the most productive and then all other pieces come after, taking the spots that are available to them.

He is a star and he deserves to be treated as such, maybe not fair to some, but the reality of those who know how to manage big egos and get the most out of them.

Any Given Sunday: Catalonia Independence a Football Quagmire

2014-10-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

The possibility of Barcelona being forced to depart from La Liga has been put forward as a real possibility according to the league president Javier Tebas.

The Spanish FA president was clear in the comments he made this past week that if Catalonia is to become an independent country both Barcelona and Espanyol will be ineligible to play in La Liga.

This is not a fairy tale or a Wes Craven novel depending on which side of the fence you are, this is a real possibility with some incredibly serious consequences not only for the league but also for the national team. November 9th a referendum will be held to determine if Catalonia will indeed become independent from Spain. Similar referendum happened in Scotland a few weeks ago but without the same impact in terms of the football teams in that country, since their league and FA is independent from the English FA.

According to the existing regulations teams that are not part of Spain can’t play in La Liga which makes absolute sense, so if that is to stay in place these two clubs would have to find another league to play in, most likely Catalonia would have to form a domestic league. Having said that, depending on how the voting goes on November 9th, a change to the rule could be made that would contemplate the addition of Catalonia based teams to the La Liga competition, but for a change to be made it would have to be approved in parliament first and the federation would have to also vote on it and ensure the integrity of the game and league would not be affected by the change.

If anyone had asked me 5 years ago if there was a good chance for Catalonia to become independent I would say yes, currently I am not so sure the vote for independence will win. I believe it will be close, but I don’t believe it will prevail. If it does then there is a serious sports situation on the hands of politicians and federation officials. On one hand I am sure Catalonia will want to have its own national team competing internationally, but on the other hand they will probably want their clubs like Barcelona and Espanyol to still play in La Liga. I don’t think they can have their cake and eat it too.

How strange would it be for them to compete at the international level as an independent nation, while their domestic clubs for all intents and purposes play in a foreign league? I don’t think this happens anywhere else in Europe, and perhaps not even the world, with one possible exception being MLS in North America that has teams from Canada and USA in it.

I would like to see Barcelona, Espanyol or any other Catalan club continue to play in La Liga. Their removal from the competition will weaken the league, and it will make it less interesting and viable than what currently is. Even if you are a Real Madrid fan, you must be hoping for this not to happen. A Spanish league without Barcelona diminishes anything Real Madrid or any other club would achieve, and it would be a huge disservice to the fans and the sport.