Barcelona´s Messi named World Player of the Year

December 22, 2009

Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi was crowned World Player of the Year by world football’s ruling body FIFA on Monday.

Messi, whose goals this year helped Barcelona win the Champions League final and World Club Cup final, thus succeeds Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s top player, as voted by national team captains and coaches.

Messi has played a huge role in the recent success of Spanish giants Barcelona, who have won a total of six trophies in the past season including the Champions League title and the World Club Cup trophy last week.

The Argentine forward’s talents were given the ultimate thumbs-up earlier this month when he was voted the winner of the Ballon d’Or for the European Footballer of the Year.

On Monday Messi, 22, had been in contention with Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, both from Spain, Brazilian striker Kaka of Real Madrid, the winner in 2007, and last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo also won both trophies last season.

While Ronaldo won the Ferenc Puskas award for goal of the season while playing with former club Manchester United, one of Messi’s goals was among the highlights.

Messi profile

Despite his diminutive stature Messi, who stands 1.69 metres or five feet seven inches tall, rose above United’s defence in the Champions League final in Rome to head the second of Barcelona’s goals in their 2-0 victory.

The Argentine is also known for his superb dribbling and fast, mazy runs that leave opposition defences in tatters, and on Monday he was just as quick to share out the plaudits.

“I want to thank my teammates, notably those who are present here tonight, without whom none of my achievements would have been possible,” said Messi.

“2009 has been a wonderful year for Barcelona and also for me.”

Messi’s goal against United in last season’s final was his ninth of the 2009 Champions League campaign and left him as the competition’s top scorer.

Last week Messi also proved decisive in the World Club Cup final. He scored Barcelona’s second goal in the 2-1 victory over South American champions Estudiantes of Argentina.

In 2009 Barcelona also won the league title, the King’s (Spanish) Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP)

Tags: Andres Iniesta, Argentina, Argentine, Barcelona, body fifa, champions league final, club manchester united, cristiano ronaldo, cup trophy, five feet seven, footballer of the year, league campaign, lionel messi, MADRID, plaudits, real madrid, ronaldo, South American, Spain, Switzerland, tatters, team captains, wonderful year, world football, world player of the year, ZURICH, zurich switzerland

Life’s tough at Man United-Foster

November 16, 2009

Ben Foster started in goal for England for the second successive time on Saturday, against Brazil (0-1 loss). But at his club Manchester United, he’s only third choice.

“My situation at United is very disheartening,” Foster said. “But I can’t go to the manager and say Edwin (Van der Sar) is not doing his job because he is. It’s a weird situation, but we’ll see how it works out.”

“I was surprised to play against Brazil, but I trained well and obviously the national coach thought so to. I know I’ll have to play each week if I want to play at the World Cup. But I won’t say I want to leave this winter.”

Although he started the season as first choice following Van der Sar’s finger injury, a couple of high-profile mistakes, coupled with the veteran Dutchman’s return to action have forced Foster out of the side.

Paul Haring

Tags: ben foster, brazil, club manchester united, dutchman, edwin van der sar, England, finger injury, first choice, job, man united, national coach, s finger, third choice, van der sar, veteran, weird situation, World Cup

Busby influence lingers for Solskjaer

September 5, 2009

Manchester United would not be the force they are in the game today were it not for the role of the late Matt Busby, former striker and current reserve coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer acknowledged Saturday.

United will continue commemorating the centenary of the legendary manager’s birth on Sunday when Solskjaer takes a team up to Motherwell for a meeting at Fir Park.

Busby’s spirit was forged from the tough environment of his Lanarkshire origins and Solsjkaer is aware that the man who led United to their first European Cup in 1968 after surviving the Munich Air Crash of a decade earlier has left an indelible mark.

“When I first came to the club I got to know all about its history and, through that, Sir Matt,” said Solskjaer.

“I know exactly what he means to Manchester United.

“I have spoken to his son, Sandy, on a number of occasions, which helps to learn more about the man who built the club.

“Manchester United owes a lot to him.

“It was Sir Matt who had the drive and vision to take the club into Europe when no-one else would.”

Solskjaer, of course, made his own imprint on the European stage in netting the last-gasp winner in the 1999 Champions League final which saw United come from behind to beat Bayern Munich.

Not only that, but the final was the day of what would have been Busby’s 90th birthday.

“Of course, I will never forget May 26, 1999,” said the Norwegian.

“To score the winning goal in the European Cup final on what would have been Matt’s 90th birthday was extraordinary.

“It just brought me even closer to the club and, of course, to Sandy.”

Now it falls to Solskjaer to bring through emerging talent and he will send out a young team against Motherwell, as he looks to build on the legacy of youth which Busby began with his Busby Babes half a century ago.

“Sir Matt always believed in giving youth a chance. That was his big legacy and one that Sir Alex (Ferguson) followed.

“I am so honoured to now be playing a part in that myself.

“Young players at Manchester United know if they are good enough they will get a chance.

Proceeds from the game will go towards the Sir Matt Busby Scholarship, a programme to provide people in the Lanarkshire community with free coaching education.

MANCHESTER (AFP)

Tags: 90th birthday, air crash, alex ferguson, Bayern, bayern munich, busby babes, champions league final, club manchester united, emerging talent, Europe, european stage, Ferguson, Fir Park, Gunnar Solskjaer, half a century, indelible mark, kn, lanarkshire, last gasp, Manchester, matt busby, motherwell, Munich, ole gunnar solskjaer, Sandy, Sir Alex, sir alex ferguson, Sir Matt, striker

Beckham hoping to add experience to England

March 21, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Former England captain David Beckham believes he can add experience to England at next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

Speaking to Saturday’s Gazzetta dello Sport, the former England captain explained that his sights are set firmly on the global football showpiece in Africa as well as Milan’s quest to return to next season’s Champions League.

Milan spent a year in purgatory in the UEFA Cup this season after finishing fifth in Serie A last time out and failing to qualify for Europe’s premier competition.

But most important for him is the World Cup and Beckham believes he still has a lot to offer.

"My experience for one because it’s a young team," he said. "For me it would be enough just to be useful to the team and to keep working with (Fabio) Capello, who has changed our mentality. We needed that."

At club level Beckham would love to see out his career next season with a Champions League final against his former club Manchester United, although he admitted he would find it difficult playing against the team he supported as a boy.

"It would be a problem but if next season there was a Milan-Manchester final I would want to win, even if I support United," he said.

"This season I would like to see Manchester play Barcelona. My former colleagues would win because right now United are too good for everyone.

"Even if Liverpool with (Steven) Gerrard, one of the best in the world, are dangerous."

Beckham will stay at Milan until the end of the season before returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy for the rest of the 2009 Major League Soccer season.

After that he will return to Italy for the 2009-10 Serie A campaign having reached agreement with Galaxy earlier this month over his protracted transfer to the Italians.

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, Africa, Barcelona, captain david, captain David Beckham, champions league, club manchester united, David Beckham, England, england captain, English Premier League, Europe, Fabio, fabio capello, gazzetta dello sport, italians, Italy, last time, Liverpool, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, Major League Soccer, Manchester, mentality, Milan, purgatory, ROME, Serie A, showpiece, soccer season, South Africa, Steven, Steven Gerrard, UEFA Cup

Back to grim reality for City

January 17, 2009

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) – Manchester City fans may be dreaming of signing Kaka but the nine points and seven places that separate them from Wigan tells them everything about the current reality for Mark Hughes’ team.

City have lost five of their 10 Premier League games at Eastlands and last weekend’s postponed game at Portsmouth means they have not played in a fortnight since they suffered an embarrassing 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.

AC Milan revealed on Thursday they had received a ‘colossal’ bid from City for Brazilian superstar Kaka and were considering the world-record offer.

Milan acknowledged for the first time the bid on their official TV channel, claiming City had bid 150 million euros (197.5 million dollars) for the former World Player of the Year and offered him a salary of 15 million euros (19.8 million dollars) a season.

Wayne Bridge, who is the only arrival since the transfer window opened, will finally make his debut but City supporters’ thoughts will be dominated once again by the possibility of new players arriving before the transfer deadline.

But Hughes insists there is no chance of his players being distracted by potential arrivals.

He said: "You can’t worry about players that aren’t here. The players that we have here are good players.

"We’re missing a number of players through injury, the likes of Michael Johnson, Valeri Bojinov and Martin Petrov, then we will improve the situation.

"Ideally we could do with some players to come in and supplement the talent that we already have here but we still feel that before the window closes we’ll be able to bring good players here and that still stands true.

"We’ve got half the window to go. The little bit of impatience is because you want the players in early so you can work with them and integrate them into the team as quickly as possible."

The Welshman was at Old Trafford to see Wigan perform admirably in a 1-0 defeat to his old club Manchester United in midweek.

And Hughes is full of admiration for the job that his old team-mate Steve Bruce has done at the JJB Stadium.

He added: "You can understand the run of form that they’re on is there for all to see because they’re working hard for each other.

"They’re consistent and credit to them. They get on with their business quietly, they’ve picked up results and they’re on a good run of form.

"Maybe if they continue in the same vein until the end of the season then they’ll have aspirations of Europe. I’m sure Steve won’t want to talk about that but that may well be a possibility."

Hughes will be without Stephen Ireland due to suspension and Dietmar Hamann is set to undergo surgery on a toe injury suffered in training.

But Robinho could return from an ankle injury and Shaun Wright-Phillips may feature after a hamstring problem.

Bruce’s side have moved into a comfortable position in the top half of the table but the admiring glances at their players have now turned into firm interest.

Emile Heskey, Amr Zaki, Antonio Valencia have all been linked with moves and the Latics have now turned down a ten million pound bid from Tottenham for Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios.

But his fellow midfielder Lee Cattermole admits that keeping hold of Palacios is vital to Wigan sustaining their good form.

He said: "I definitely hope Wilson stays. We want to keep hold of our best players and finish as high up the league as we can.

"If we start letting people like him go, we are going to suffer unless we go and replace them straight away.

"It’s in our interest to keep him. Wilson is a very good player ~ in fact, we have a team full of a very good players.

"If everyone stays and we keep working hard, this team will finish well up there in the table, I’m certain of that."

Written by: AFP