Champions and records

With a 3-0 away victory against the team of the moment, Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid made sure that their lead is too big to be overtaken by their archrivals of Barcelona to take their 32nd Spanish league title. This was a welcome victory for the team which has trailed the Catalonians for the last three years, and a great triumph for Jose Mourinho, who has now won the title in four different countries, and continues sealing his position as the world's greatest coach.
Real Madrid is now chasing a new record: if they win their last two matches they will reach an impressive 100 points, something the team has never achieved before (although there are 3 points given for a victory since 1996, and more matches than in the 1950s, this would still not have been reached, so it is amazing).
And while archrivals from Barcelona may be on their way down, their little star, Lionel Messi, became the most scoring player in a season in Europe when scoring three goals against Malaga in their 4-1 victory. With 68 goals (combined in the league, cup and Champions League) Messi has surpassed the legendary Gerd Muller who scored 67 goals in the 1972-73 season.

Bayern Munich-Chelsea! The best final!

Perhaps it is because I live in South America, where almost all European football talk is limited to Barcelona and Real Madrid. Granted, they are amazing sides, but I have been kind of getting tired of all the hype for a while, and was really hoping we would not get another Real Madrid-Barcelona final. We had many of them last year, and now there has gone a bit of inflation into their matches.
After last night's elimination of FC Barcelona, hopes were nevertheless set high by Real Madrid and its fans, that they finally might take the crown as the world's best team from their archrivals.
But they had to get past Bayern Munich, a side that in spite not having the German title in sight any longer, has been strongly focusing its attention on the Champions League, where the final is set to be played at home, in Munich. This seems to have escaped the attention of many overly-focused to-2-Spanish-league-enthusiasts.
Granted Chelsea had a lot of fortune in its defensive victory over Barcelona, but Bayern Munich was clearly fully up to facing Real Madrid. Today's match was splendid, perhaps the best match of this season's Champions League. Real Madrid seemed to have it all in their hands, just like Barcelona against Chelsea, and like Barcelona, they were not unable to keep the lead. Bayern Munich was still dangerous, and when the game went into extra time, both teams seemed very careful. I understood this more about Bayern Munich, but it surprised me more of Real Madrid. Perhaps it shows that Mr. Mourinho did have careful respect for the German side, him being a far superior footballing brain than most of us.
In the end, the penalties may be a lottery, but if you are smart, you increase your chances. Real Madrid seemed to be solely relying on Iker Casillas' brilliance, while I think Manuel Neuer (who is also a very strong goalkeeper!), had more carefully studied the Real Madrid players, and played more on the psyche of the shooters. The pathetic miss by Sergio Ramos was a case in point, where Neuer could be seen as approaching Mr. Ramos before his shot.
I am happy we will see an English-German final of the greatest European football tournament, and I think it will be a great match. I would put my money on Munich though.
And I wish I could be there to see it...

Cry "referee"

Whenever Jose Mourinho (who notwithstanding anything, is still the best coach in the world) loses a match, he blames the referee. Do not mind the other team has played great football, or that some tactical choices have been wrong. No, the referee is to blame! So when it actually happens, it just seem like yet another lame excuse of "cry ref".
And this is what happened today.
Barcelona has lately always been superior to Real Madrid, but today, in the second leg of the Spanish Cup quarterfinal, Real Madrid was clearly the better team. They should not have been down by two at halftime, but many missed chances, a brilliant play by Messi (scored by Pedro), and a lucky shot by Dani Alves, put them undeservedly behind. Still, they rose in the second half, and the most nervous Barcelona side I have seen for ages had their luck and a very friendly referee to thank for making it to the semifinal.
I am not a Real Madrid fan (nor a Barcelona fan either, but they do play great), and they often have had favorable referee calls. But today, the referee was against them, and can be largely blamed for the loss.
Still, the remains the most boring tournament in the world. It is only the quarterfinals, but as the ESPN commentator said, Barcelona will now win the Copa del Rey, and Real Madrid and Barcelona can continue their fight for the league.
Sadly, it is true, and I still think they should just cancel all other matches in the Spanish league or Cup, that do not involve Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Thank you Mourinho

I have always been anti-Madridista, and wished that the team would lose. However, this has not always been easy, as I have had to recognize a team with enormous merits, not only winning titles, but also putting pride in being fair. It has always been a team characterized by many gentlemen who have been involved in the club for whom I can only have the greatest respect: Jorge Valdano, Vicente del Bosque, Raul, Fernando Hierro, Zinedine Zidane, and more recently, Iker Casillas himself, the greatest goalkeeper in the world and a true sporting gentleman.
So with this in mind, I can only be delighted that Real Madrid has decided to lower its standards on fair play and manners to the lowest levels, namely that of José Mourinho. While I have before thought that Mr. Mourinho´s provocative behaviour was part of his competitive mindset and overall strategy, the damage he is currently causing Real Madrid makes one put this into question. This is simply low life idiocy, and incredibly, Real Madrid, a club that should be proud of its traditions, choses to ignore it. If Mr. Mourinho does not win a title, he may leave Real Madrid leaving greater scars to the club than any of the former coaches that have been fired more easily, but were far greater men that Mr. Mourinho.
That said, I am happy that Mr. Mourinho is there, because it makes it so much easier to hate Real Madrid!

The clasico foursome

Four matches between the archrivals of Real Madrid and Barcelona have ended. The first one, the league match (which I did not see because I was barbecuing with friends in Richmond, California), ended 1-1, and with 8-point difference, the league is quite certain to end in Barcelona for the third season in a row.
The final of the Copa del Rey was a 1-0 Real Madrid victory after extra time (I half-watched the match in a bar in Haights, in San Francisco, California). Finally Real Madrid won a title, and to this one must add that it is a title that has eluded them for many years (it was for instance the only title the splendid goalkeeper Iker Casillas had never won). It was in fact a well-deserved victory, and must have given the merengues confidence before the Champions League semifinals, that the entire world was awaiting eagerly.
I watched the first match after (I was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon when it took place). It was a disappointment of a Real Madrid team that did not seem to have confidence after their Copa del Rey victory, too much girly behaviour by the Barca players, and a referee that was good, but whose one mistake proved crucial: Pepe's expulsion. Barcelona won 0-2 in Madrid and the most memorable moment of this match was Lionel Messi's splendid second goal, although many will remember Mourinho's sour face.
Mourinho is surely a provocateur. As if these matches were not always surrounded by tension, he is only too happy to throw gasoline into the fire. In my view, it is part of the football entertainment today, but I am not sure it helps the players; there is simply too much spark in some of the players.
Real Madrid started the second match very well (this one, I watched at home), but as soon as Barcelona gets going with their passing game, the balloon runs out of air. It is characteristic for both the CL matches how superior Barcelona was in possession and in passing, and in spite of the good fight the Madrid side put up, the score was only 0-0 at halftime because of some splendid saves by the world's best goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. Still, 1-1 was enough for Barcelona, who may feel that they got a double revenge: against their archrivals whom they had never eliminated from a European semifinal, and against José Mourinho, who has been provoking them so much, besides coaching Inter when the Italian side eliminated Barcelona in last season's CL.

This foursome will surely go into history, as in a few weeks the ultimate rivalry of these two sides was put to the test. However, it further underlines the enormous problem this is for the "Scottish" Spanish league: it is effectively a two-team league. The rest of the sides are only in it for the spoils of the big ones (both sport-wise and economically). The Spanish league is a bore and it will continue to be, except when these two sides meet, as much as any football fan should love to see them play.

The white shipwreck

Last night seemed like a normal night in Spanish football: Real Madrid would win against Sporting Gijón at home, while Barcelona would have to struggle in a difficult away match in Villarreal to keep the Madrid team at a distance.
However, it wasn't to be: at home in the Barnabeu, Real Madrid lost 0-1 to little Sporting. It was the first time since 2002 (when he was at FC Porto) that a team coached by Mourinho had lost at home in a league match. The Madrid side had overwhelming possession, but didn't create many chances, and they were outright unlucky in some situations. However, Sporting must be praised for their fighting spirit, and in the end the victory was well-deserved.
With this, Barcelona could take an 8-point lead with 8 rounds left, if they won in Villarreal. And there was never really much doubt about the 1-0 victory; Barcelona were the better team, and the league victory now within reach.
All this was good for Valencia as well. After some lousy rounds, they won 2-4 in Getafe, and overtook Villarreal on the importat third place, which qualifies for next season's Champions League.

Osasuna!

The Spanish league has become a general bore: week after week one has to watch Barcelona play like the Harlem Globetrotters and destroy other teams, and Real Madrid trying to keep up. Although these two teams have always dominated in Spain, the difference has never been so marked as now: there are the two teams and all the rest.
So it is very refreshing indeed when one of the teams lose, like happened today to Real Madrid in Pamplona against the small team of Osasuna, who is looking to fight relegation, but is usually very strong at home. It was an intense match, mostly towards the end when Real Madrid's superstars, including their new Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, tried to put pressure on the fighting Osasuna side. However, Real Madrid were poor today, and José Mourinho seemed only to react late with changes. Pressure is growing on the Portuguese super-coach, who could be out if Real Madrid does not take a title for another season (note the average time of Real Madrid coaches since 2002, 9 months!).
It was only Real Madrid's second defeat this season, but there are now seven points up to Barcelona, who at the time looks undefeatable.
Congratulations and thank you to Osasuna! I hope they defeat Barcelona as well!

The genius José Mourinho

I think José Mourinho will go over to history as the greatest coach that ever lived. What he already achieved in FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan far exceed what most coaches achieve (and note, as a true global 21st century football legioneer, he has done it in now four different countries!), but what he is doing in Real Madrid is also impressive.
Real Madrid has been a circus the last years, with a rotating door of coaches, many who seem to have been pressured to use the stars in a lineup that seemed more about individual players than about the team. Understandably, fans have often been annoyed.
Everywhere he has been, Mr. Mourinho focuses on the team. No player is above the team, and he works to get the best out of every player. He has a superb eye for the form of the players and surely give them a lot of space and responsibility, something they also return.
Real Madrid's new players are looking awesome: Mesut Özil and Angel Di Maria (as well as Khedira, although with a lower profile than these two) have all been splendid. They are young, and have benefitted Cristiano Ronaldo from the passes and space that these players give him. Yesterday he scored four goals against Racing Santander, with Mesut Özil as the frequent architect.
Real Madrid has scored 12 goals in its last two home matches. Mourinho is certainly refuting his reputation as a defensive coach, but one must also mention that the team has so far only played "small" teams from La Liga (except for Espanyol). A big test will be in early November when they face Atlético Madrid, but surely the team is looking awesome.
I think Mourinho is on the way to adding more trophies to his and Real Madrid's CV.

Barcelona or Real Madrid

In the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, Sevilla defeated Barcelona 3-1 at home, and there was hope that someone besides Real Madrid would be able to challenge the Catalan giants this season. However, in today's second leg, Sevilla were mere spectators to a spectacular Barcelona side. Xavi and Iniesta, the architects of Spain's World Cup triumph were outstanding, and with three goals Messi is probably confirming that he is quite worthless without the two generals behind him.
Barcelona will be truly exciting to watch this year, because of their style, since the Spanish League is now virtually a two-team affair: nobody but Barcelona and Real Madrid have any chance of winning it, and the only question is whether José Mourinho can do his magic in Real Madrid and make them take the title from Barca.
Real Madrid is looking interesting because of the many changes; of course José Mourinho's entrance on the team, but specially because of the many new starts that have entered the team, such as Angel di Maria, Mesut Özil and Ricardo Carvalho, and whether Mourinho can build up a team using some of the other stars such as Ronaldo, Benzemá, Higuaín, Casillas and Xabi Alonso. The quality is undoubtfully there. It will not be easy for them though if Barcelona plays like they did today, but Mourinho has been known to have a good run with the Catalans.
In any case, it will be exciting, but only for one thing: Barcelona or Real Madrid?

Real Madrid coaches

Much is being said about José Mourinho's new tenure of coach of Real Madrid (he is being officially presented on Monday), and expectations are huge, obviously, when the best coach of the world joins a club whose aim is nothing less than winning everything. Surely this is a great challenge for a man with unlimited ambition, but pressure will also be enormous. Manuel Pellegrini did not do badly as a coach, and seems very bitter at leaving, as he was obviously not allowed to continue building on what he had started.
And this is something that seems to have been rampant in Real Madrid since they fired the coach Vicente del Bosque in 2003 (he had won two Champions League and two league titles since 1999), Real Madrid has had the following list of coaches:

• Carlos Queiroz, 2003-2004 (11 months)
• José Antonio Camacho: 2004 (4 months)
• Mariano García Remón: 2004 (3 months)
• Wanderlei Luxemburgo: 2004-2005 (11 months)
• Juán Ramón López Caro: 2005-2006 (6 months)
• Fabio Capello: 2006-2007 (11 months)
• Bernd Schuster: 2007-2008 (17 months)
• Juande Ramos: 2008-2009 (7 months)
• Manuel Pellegrini: 2009-2010 (11 months)

Nine coaches in seven years, with an average time of 9 months per coach tells of a club that puts too high demands on its coaches in a league that is increasingly competitive, and does not let these coaches build up a team. They are proof of a club that views footballing success as something to be bought.
With the quality of players and the skills of Mourinho, it will surely be interesting to see Real Madrid next season, but the question remains whether the charistmatic, brilliant and controversial Portuguese also will leave as soon as the previous coaches!

Gold, grace and farewells

Inter Milan won their first European title since 1965, and their first Champions League title after a fully deserved 2-0 victory against Bayern Munich at Madrid's Santiago Barnabeu Stadium.Personally, I watched the match in a farm in eastern Venezuela, not wanting to miss what was one of the matches of the year, but expectedly disappointing...
Expectedly disappointing, because Jose Mourinho's Inter played as brilliantly boring with a controlled defensive and amazing attackign power, where the Argentinean Diego Milito shined above all others with his two goals.
Inter have won everything, and are undoubtfully the best team in the world, in spite of the fact that their way of playing is not so entertaining as that of FC Barcelona: Inter closed off from Bayern's superior possession, and when they didn't, Julio Cesar was there with spectacular saves (any more doubt about Brazilian goalkeepers....?).
Besides Milito and Inter's defense, Bayern Munich played a great match where they might have deserved better. But the true victors were the Bayern Munich team and fans: they immediately recognised they had lost to a better team, and I think that seldomly has a team and fans taken a defeat with such grace.
A great team loses with grace, and Bayern Munich is, in that sense, the greatest club in the world.

The most talked about thing about the final was José Mourinho who is, - according to numerous rumours- , apparently to be staying in Madrid, as coach of Real Madrid. His attitude at the match seemed to confirm the rumours, as he amid the celebrations of the victory seemed to be sayign goodbye, although this is all hard to tell because of Mourinho's showmanship.
However, he is undoubtfully the best and most charismatic coach in the world, and if he goes to the Spanish giants, it will surely bound to be interesting.

That said, the night belongs to Inter and to all great Inter and Bayern Munich fans, who all deserved to win!

Champions League knock-out draw

The draw for the Champions League first knock-out round in February 2010 ahs taken place with the following teams set to face one another:

• VfB Stuttgart-FC Barcelona: Surely challenging for the Germans against a Catalan side that is getting into gear.
• Inter-Chelsea: A thrilling match where Jose Mourinho will face his former team, while Carlo Ancelotti will face his former arch-rivals.
• Bayern Munich-Fiorentina: The Germans looked incredible when they destroyed Juventus, and Fiorentina should surely take notice!
• CSKA Moscow-Sevilla: The Spaniards have looked very strong in the first round.
• Olympique Lyon-Real Madrid: Another thrilling encounter that will see Karim Benzema against his former team-mates.
• FC Porto-Arsenal: Both team can win this match that will surely be very close.
• AC Milan-Manchester United: An anticipated encounter between two of the giants of European football.

Who can wait? I can´t...

New and old coaches

Football rumours of coaches are plenty these days, but apparently some things are clear: Sven Göran Eriksson is out of Manchester City and will apparently turn to coach the Mexican national team. Surely pressure will be less than when he coached England!
And finally José Mourinho will be returning to the football world: the arrogant Portuguese is probably the best coach in the world, and an already strong Inter Milan side will be even more frightening with him as coach.

Top-ten reasons for Mourinho leaving Chelsea

And just as I am starting to read football news again, a bomb-shell falls in the world of football news: José Mourinho, undoubtedly one of the best but also controversial coaches in the world, is leaving Chelsea, whom he made double Champions after almost 50 years, FA cup winners and League Cup winners. There has been talk of disagreements between José Mourinho and Chelsea-owner Abramovich, and disappointment at the late performance of the team. However, I have my top-10 reasons for Mourinho leaving Chelsea.

10. “Abramovich never lets me try out his cool mini-sub”

9. José Mourinho still refused to be re-dubbed Josef Mourinovitch…

8. His text-messaging bill was swallowing up his entire salary.

7. “I can always retire to a more quiet life of becoming coach of a national team like the Portuguese.”

6. “I want another striker or I will tell my Mommy…!!!!”

5. “Why does Princess Diana still get all the attention!?”

4. There are plenty of billionaires buying second-rate teams that Mourinho may make champions with just buying players and no coaching.

3. Portuguese haircuts just never caught on in London.

2. It was lonely for him to be the only super-star in the club.

1. God needed a coach for his team, and Mourinho was the most able candidate.

Chelsea-Barcelona

Although Barcelona was completely dominant, they only managed to win a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Chelsea in last night's first leg Champions League match. Supposedly the two best teams in Europe at the moment, Barcelona was nevertheless far superior to a Chelsea side that looked way too defensive, considering that they were playing at home on Stamford Bridge, and considering the firepower they have available in attack.

If it wasn't because Chelsea is otherwise doing so well, it would be a huge disappointment to see them being outplayed in such a way as we saw last night.

But Barcelona continues to play marvelous football. A true joy to watch, and they will be hard to defeat now that they have a foot in the next round. However, never underestimate Mr. Mourinho and Chelsea!

Top 10 coolest football people pf 2005

I have before made a top 10 of coolest football personalities of the year. This category is about people, or groups of people, whom I have found have brought positive attention upon themselves in the World of football:

• 10) Gambia fans: I have to include these on the list due to the stupid stunt the made during the U-17 World Cup in Peru in September: they pretended to have engine problems in a plane, in order to catch a match with their national team. It was stupid, but worthy of a high degree of football fanaticism.

• 9) Liverpool fans: They were great, and deserved the victory they were given this year with their Champions League triumph.

• 8) Real Madrid fans: A lot of people will be smiling, knowing my antipathy towards Real Madrid. However, I feel the fans of this team deserve to be on the list due to the display of fairness they showed when Real Madrid lost 3-0 to Barcelona at home in November. The fans simply clapped of Barcelona, in admiration of the amazing football display they had been witness to. Not many fans in the world would do that.

• 7) Roman Abramovich: The billionaire owner of Chelsea belongs here, because he is a huge football fan. He has done what I would do if I was a billionaire: buy a team, get some great players, the best coach, and try to win everything!

• 6) Diego Maradona: I have long admired Maradona. He is the main reason I started watching football as I was a child in Argentina. Therefore, I was always sad to see how he was going down the drain. But this year it seems Mr. Maradonahas gotten his act together: he hosts a popular TV show and seems fit. This is probably the greatest battle he will ever win!

• 5) Rafa Benitez: The Liverpool coach had made Valencia UEFA and domestic champions in 2004. That was apparently not enough for Valencia's leadership to make him stay. But Mr. Benitez took the offer from Liverpool, and in 2005 they have been one of the best teams of the year, notably with their Champions League triumph in Istambul.

• 4) Jose Mourinho: Mr. Mourinho is arrogant indeed. But he is has a reason to be: he is an amazing coach. At the same time, by his sheer personality, he is taking all the burden off his players, and carrying it all himself. In a world of football, where stars shine shortly, this is very risky, and you have to be a strong personality to do it.
  

• 3) Adrian Mutu: The former Chelsea striker almost ruined his career because of cocaine. I have no doubt he has had to fight his way back to the pitch, but he is indeed back on a strong Juventus side.

• 2) Manchester Fans: My experience with Manchester United fans is very positive, and I have always admired them. This year, they faced the takeover of their team by the media-magnate Mr. Malcolm Glazer. They rightly fear that Mr. Glazer will turn the clud into a money machine, in place of the symbol of the city it is. Although in the end, Mr. Glazer has managed to take over the club, the fans feeble attempts at hindering the takeover were an admirable feat of the fans against the money. At least somebody is trying to show that football belongs to the fans, although this might be a dream long gone...
  

• 1) Rene Temmink: Racism in football continues to be a disgrace. All over the pitches of Europe, racism thrives, as a rotten sympton of sick societies. Although UEFA has made feeble attempts at solving the problem, it just seems to grow. Therefore, it was admirable when a Dutch referee, Mr. Temmink stepped in and stopped a match because of the racist chants by the fans. It is seldom a referee shows such character, and Mr. Temmink is a friend of football, and a decent human being. There seem to be too few of both around in the world these days...

This is my list. I was close to being very arrogant and nominating myself. As usual, I have identified everything with football this year: I ditched a cocktail with a Danish Minister for a football game, and I remember my fight with malaria because of a football game. Although I think people consider me a decent guy, I have concluded that football for me has moved beyond passion, and become an addiction...

Michael Essien to Chelsea

The long speculations are over, and it has finally happened: It has today been confirmed that Michael Essien, the young Ghanaian star of Olympique Lyon, is joining Mourinho's superstars in Chelsea. The price, apparently around 26 Million British Pounds!! More than what was paid for Didier Drogba.

Michael Essien got what he wanted, and I believe Lyon did the right thing, since Mr. Essien could have potentially be a destabilizing factor, having so clearly expressed his desire to leave. But now he will have to show that he is worth all the fuzz. I have no doubt that he is a great player; but he is young, and will come under great pressure to perform well in one of the world's most competitive clubs in one of the world's most competitive leagues.

Chelsea-Barcelona

What a game! The two top teams of Europe in the moment did not disappoint! In a great clash, full of drama, intensity, fight, technique, amazing goalkeeping, controversial refereeing and great goals, Chelsea progressed to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, after defeating Barcelona 4-2.
But it could have gone to either side. In the first game, Chelsea had to scramble to avoid a defeat larger than 1-2. At home in Stanford Bridge, an early 3-0 lead did not shake an ever-attacking Barcelona side. A dubious penalty and an amazing goal put them temporarily into the second round. Barcelona continued attacking in the second half, but a great Cech in the Chelsea goal showed why he is presently the world's best goalkeeper. And then, Chelsea captain John Terry made the goal which gave Chelsea a part in the quarterfinals.
Only bad things in the game were the pretty bad defending and the ungraceful behaviour by both coaches after the end of the match. If football is not for gentlemen, Mr. Mourinho and Mr. Riijkaard must be prime examples. But don't mind them...
It will be a joy to see Chelsea in the next round. But it is also sad to see such a great attacking team as Barcelona out of the tournament. I would have preferred a final between these two teams.
Congratulations to all Chelsea fans (foremost the super-football fanatic Mr. Abramovich).