Messi quietly stealing the limelight from Ronaldo

January 18, 2010

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has not not been shy in trumpeting his intention to win back the FIFA World Player of the Year award, but current holder Lionel Messi appears to have other ideas.

The monstrously-gifted Argentine has consistently stolen the limelight from the most expensive player in football history with a string of sublime performances for Barcelona in the first half of the season.

Ronaldo has not scored in three matches since Real’s 6-0 demolition of Zaragoza in mid-December, while Messi has netted five in his last two to go joint top of the La Liga scoring chart on 14, double Ronaldo’s tally.

The 22-year-old Messi, who was instrumental in Barca’s unprecedented haul of six trophies in 2009, netted his 100th and 101st goals for Barca against Sevilla on Saturday in his 188th appearance.

That made him the youngest player to reach the century mark for the Catalan club and took his tally for the season to 21 in 27 matches in all competitions.

“We don’t need to prove anything to anyone, not even to ourselves,” Messi, a product of Barca’s youth programme, said in an interview with the club’s TV channel on Sunday.

“We have the same mentality as last year, we want to carry on winning things and I believe we have demonstrated this.”

He said he was not letting the success go to his head.

“The truth is that, right now, as with all the important things that have happened to me, I don’t attach too much importance to them or I don’t notice them.

“I am taking it calmly, in a normal way and with a desire to achieve more.”

The contrast between the gifted pair, as players and personalities, could hardly be greater.

The diminutive Messi resembles a shy schoolboy, with a soft Argentine accent and modest demeanour, while Armani model Ronaldo, 24, oozes confidence and is fond of tearing off his shirt to display his bulging musculature.

With a low centre of gravity and tricky skills, Messi scampers around the pitch, bouncing off defenders, while Ronaldo is more like a racehorse, galloping past opponents and peppering his game with showy stepovers and flicks.

“I have the ambition to be the best,” the Portuguese told Marca sports daily last month.

“By God’s grace I have already won the trophy for the best player in the world and I hope to win it again, either this year or next, but I will win it again.”

Ronaldo has been hampered by an ankle injury this term but his season has failed to spark into life since his return and Real slipped five points behind leaders Barca after slumping to a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Silverware is key to winning the World Player award and with Real already out of the King’s Cup and lagging in the league he will need a spectacular performance in the second half of the season if he is to eclipse Messi.

The World Cup in South Africa and the Champions League final at Real’s Bernabeu stadium in May would be the ideal stages for him to prove he is worth the 94 million euros ($136 million).

PHOTO: Ronaldo and Messi shake hands before the start of the 2009 Champions League final in Rome. REUTERS/Albert Gea

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Guardiola hails record-breaking Messi

January 17, 2010

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola praised Lionel Messi after the Argentina superstar became the youngest player to score a hundred goals for the Catalan club.

The FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or 2009 winner reached the milestone after scoring his side’s third goal as Barcelona clinched a 4-0 victory over Sevilla.

When asked about Messi after the conclusion of the match, Guardiola said, “I congratulate him. It’s outrageous to have done what he has at his age.

“It only depends on him to break all possible records. He has some very, very high numbers.

“What we like most is that his ambition has no limit. I feel that he wants more.

“He is a wonderful example to the future generations.”

Tags: ambition, Argentina, ballon, Barcelona, catalan, coach, conclusion, FIFA, fifa world player, fifa world player of the year, future generations, lionel messi, match, milestone, pep guardiola, SEVILLA, Superstar, victory, world player of the year

Zidane: I dream of managing Real Madrid

January 14, 2010

France legend Zinedine Zidane has revealed that he would one day like to manage Real Madrid, and has also praised the impact of the club’s current star, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Zidane, now working as an advisor to Real president Florentino Perez, admitted in an interview with Iznews in China that he has enjoyed life back at the Bernabeu since re-joining the club seven months ago.

“It is a great pleasure to work alongside Florentino Perez, who wants to make another team make history,” Zidane said. “Right now, I am learning and Florentino has given me great freedom to learn all the aspects of Madrid. My dream, some day, is to be manager of the club.”

The 1998 World Cup winner hailed the impact of world record signing, a tag the Frenchman garnered himself after moving from Juventus to Real for €78 million in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“He fascinates me as a player and it surprises me that he adapted to the Spanish League so quickly,” Zidane said.

“I feel that is a special player, because with his belief, he has infected the rest of the team. It is almost inconceivable all that Cristiano has achieved already, at his age.”

Zidane, widely considered the best player of his generation, was also happy to heap praise on Real’s bitter rivals Barcelona, and the current FIFA World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi.

“I really like Iniesta, for his collective sense of play,” the Frenchman added. “But Messi is special, there is only one. When he gets the ball, everyone knows what is sure to happen: that the ball will finish in the opponent’s goal.”

Former playmaker Zidane played a pivotal role in France’s World Cup victory in 1998, scoring two goals as Les Bleus beat Brazil 3-0 in the final.

But ‘Zizou’ believes that 2008 European Championship winners Spain will be the team to beat at this year’s finals in South Africa.

“I have always thought that they will be the champions” Zidane added.

“I love how they play. It reminds me of France in Euro 2000, who came out champions. It will be difficult to stop them and it will be great if they come up against Portugal or Brazil in the second round.

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Marta wins fourth consecutive FIFA award

December 22, 2009

Brazilian women’s football star Marta won the FIFA world player of the year award for the fourth consecutive year here on Monday.

Marta, who plays professionally for Los Angeles Sol, thus becomes the record winner of the honour awarded by football’s world ruling body.

American Mia Hamm won the inaugural women’s award in 2001, winning again in 2002.

Germany’s Birgit Prinz then picked up the award three years in a row from 2003-2005.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP)

Tags: Birgit Prinz, brazilian women, fifa world player, fifa world player of the year award, fourth consecutive year, Germany, inaugural women, Los Angeles, Marta, mia hamm, Sol, Switzerland, ZURICH, zurich switzerland

Messi hits back at Argentina critics

December 21, 2009

Barcelona star Lionel Messi, the favourite to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Monday, has hit back at critics in his native Argentina who are angered over his failure to translate his club form to the international stage.

The Argentine media have suggested the striker does not show the same enthusiasm when he plays for the national team as when he hits the pitch for the Catalan side, which he joined at the age of 13 as a youth team player.

“It really gets me when they say I do not feel the Albiceleste. Nothing hurts me more than when they say I am not Argentine,” he said in an interview with daily El Pais, using the Spanish name for the Argentine national team.

“It does not bother me when they call me ‘the Catalan’ but it really bugs me that they think I am not Argentine,” the 22-year-old added.

Messi clinched an extra-time winner as Barcelona beat Estudiantes 2-1 Saturday to win the Club World Cup final, the European champions’ sixth trophy of the year.

Minutes after he hit the winner for Barcelona, fans took to the streets in the Argentine province of La Plata where Estudiantes is based to protest against the player, Argentine daily newspaper Clarin reported.

The fans left insulting graffiti against Messi on walls throughout the province and chanted “Messi is no Argentine”, it said.

Messi told El Pais that the Club World Cup win was one of his best moments of the year.

“It is much better than an individual prize because it is a collective prize that makes many people happy,” he said.

Messi was awarded the Ballon d’Or award for the European player of the year earlier this month, winning the prize by the biggest percentage of votes since it was created in 1956.

He joined Barcelona from Newell’s Old Boys which is based in Rosario, Argentina in 2000.

In September the player signed a two-year contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2016. The deal increased his buy-out clause to 250 million euros from 150 million euros.

MADRID (AFP)

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Real and Barca sweep FIFA world player nominees

December 8, 2009

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have swept the list of five nominees for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Barcelona are represented by Spanish midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi along with Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi, the strong favourite for the award to be handed out on December 21.

Real Madrid are present thanks to the inclusion of Brazilian Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal international who won the award last year when in Manchester United colours.

The quintet have emerged from an initial 23-strong shortlist with voting restricted to the coaches and captains of national selections.

PARIS (AFP)

Tags: Andres Iniesta, Argentine, Barcelona, fifa world player, fifa world player of the year, fifa world player of the year award, giants, inclusion, kaka, Lionel, lionel messi, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, midfielders, national selections, PARIS, playmaker, portugal, quintet, Real, real madrid, ronaldo, shortlist, united colours, world player of the year, xavi

Rooney aims to succeed Ronaldo as the world´s best

October 10, 2009

Wayne Rooney will start his bid to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player on the planet when England face Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Rooney spent the last three years playing second fiddle to Ronaldo at Manchester United as the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year became the driving force behind his side’s success.

But, following Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid, Rooney is now the main man for United as well as England.

England coach Fabio Capello had already decided to build his team around Rooney and now United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has restored him to his favoured central striking position.

Rooney would never publicly complain about being shunted to the flanks to allow Portugal winger Ronaldo a free role – after all he regards his former team-mate as the world’s best player – yet there is no doubt he is happier and more productive in the thick of the action.

England have certainly benefitted and Rooney knows he has a golden opportunity to establish himself as the world’s best in South Africa next year.

“You want to be the best,” he said. “Of course it motivates you, but it’s not something I would go on about or keep talking about. Players are different, but of course that’s what you want to be.

“Ronaldo is definitely the best player at the moment. It’s clear for everyone. He scores goals. I’ve watched his first few games for Madrid and he seems to have improved again. He’s passing the ball a lot more as well!

“When he was at United, people said ‘he doesn’t run back, he doesn’t do this,’ but look at what he did going forward.

“But we as a team had to realise that if he was as good as that going forward, we had to make up for it by going back. That’s what happened and in the last three years we were very successful doing it.”

Rooney has already scored eight times for club and country this season and the 23-year-old’s form and fitness will be key to England’s hopes of winning the World Cup.

Capello’s team have already qualified with two matches still to play after eight successive wins and can finish the campaign with 10 victories from 10 matches if they defeat Ukraine and then Belarus at Wembley on Wednesday.

Rooney has more motivation than most to make a major impact in South Africa after his miserable experiences at his last two international tournaments.

In 2004, Rooney looked set to be the sensation of the European Championships after superb displays against Switerland and Croatia. But he was forced off with an injury early in the quarter-final against Portugal and England crashed out on penalties.

Two years later, Rooney only just made England’s World Cup squad after a broken foot, but he was never fully fit in Germany.

He was sent off in the quarter-finals against Portugal for a stamp on Ronaldo and once again England lost on penalties.

Comparisons have been made between Rooney and Diego Maradona, who was sent off for Argentina in the 1982 World Cup and then inspired his country’s victorious campaign in the 1986 tournament.

“It was a straight red card. I’ve got no argument about that but I just try to forget about it now and move on and I’ve got a chance to put it right in the next tournament,” Rooney said.

“I didn’t really get any stick, Ronaldo took a lot of it and I’m pleased with that. I could have taken more stick.

“Everyone has said how well we’ve played in the qualifying games and it’s a good chance for us to take that into the tournament and hopefully go further than we have in recent tournaments.”

With Ukraine battling Croatia for a play-off place, Capello is likely to start with a strong team in Dnipropetrovsk out of respect for his two group rivals.

His main decision will be whether to bring David James back in for Robert Green as the Portsmouth goalkeeper returns to the fold after missing five matches through injury.

DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine (AFP)

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Rooney aims to succeed Ronaldo as the world´s best

October 10, 2009

Wayne Rooney will start his bid to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player on the planet when England face Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.