Monthly Archives: January 2014

Can Messi still win his 5th Ballon D’or?

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Even by his own very high standards, you will hear critics claim Lionel Messi had a relatively disappointing 2013. The only trophy Barcelona claimed was the La Liga title, and Messi scored a meer 45 goals, a paltry amount compared to previous years. But this is the magic of Messi; he misses large parts of the season and still scores more goals than any other striker could only dream of.

The Argentines importance to Barcelona can be seen when he is out of the team. The Spanish champions were pulled apart by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals, losing 7-0 on aggregate. Messi was barely fit enough for the first leg and was not even risked for the leg at Camp Nou. The Catalan giant’s only league defeat this season game when Messi was on the sidelines, but he has spent the majority of 2013 clutching at his hamstring.

But he still smashed record after record; the first player to score against the other 19 La Liga teams in succession and not to mention the first to score four Champions League hat-tricks. Messi may only have the one medal in his cabinet for 2013 compared to fellow nominee Franck Ribery’s 5, but so does Daniel Van Buyten and Claudio Pizarro. It is all well gaining team success, but the Ballon d’Or is for individual glory.

You almost get a buzz from watching Messi play, he is capable of easily making something out of absolutely nothing. It is all good and well rolling off statistic and statistic about, but when you see him on the field, the way he commands the football is near to perfection. His goal against Athletico Bilbao sums him up, rounding four players with ease before lashing the ball past the keeper.

And how can you forget Messi single-handedly (and single-leggedly due to his hamstring injury) dragging Barcelona past AC Milan, overhauling a 2-0 lead.

Ronaldo deserves more than one Ballon d’Or; a player of that skill, technique and calibre would be the greatest in nearly any other generation. It would be fitting to see the Madrid man lift his second, so he can gain the same recognition as his counterpart. But it does not work like that; Messi will always have the edge over him, be in through style, trophies or goals.

Bayern Munich ranked best club of 2013

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According to the research collected by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, Bayern Munich were the best football club in 2013. The IFFHS’s list placed Real Madrid as the best Spanish team in second place, with Athletico Madrid and Barcelona in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Chelsea are placed in third, with the only other English club Tottenham down in ninth.

The current European champions Bayern top the table with a score of 370 points, a massive 80 points ahead on Madrid in second place. It is the first time in IFFHS history that a German outfit have topped the leader board and Pep Guardiola’s men have accumulated the second highest score of all time, only beaten by the great Juventus team of 1993, who amassed 372.

Although Madrid won no silverware during the year, they were Champions League semi-finalists, runenrs up in the Copa del Rey and finished second in La Liga. Los Blancos sit just above Europa League winners Chelsea (273), who’s cup win helped propel them up the IFFHS table. Paris Saint Germain, Basel and Benfica make up the rest of the European teams in the top 10, with Althletico Mineiro the only South American representative on the list.

Top ten clubs of 2013:

.1 . Bayern Munich (Germany ) 370

.2 . Real Madrid ( Spain ) 290

.3 . Chelsea (England ) 273

.4 . Atletico Madrid ( Spain ) 251

.5 . Barcelona ( Spain ) 247

.6 . Paris Saint- Germain (France ) 240

.7 . 1893 Basel ( Switzerland ) 239

.8 . Atletico Mineiro ( Brazil ) 238

. 9 . Tottenham Hotspur (England ) 238

10. Benfica (Portugal ) 232

Madrid chase Mata as Di Maria exit looms

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Reports in Spain suggest that Juan Mata has been offered to Real Madrid and Barcelona during the last week, which may lead to the departure of out of favour winger Angel Di Maria . Some reports claim that Di Maria is no longer part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans at the Bernabeu and this relationship with the fans is in tatters after his controversial gesture after being substituted on Monday night’s game after being booed off by Real fans for his poor display.

 

Mata, 25,  has found himself in a similar sort of position at Chelsea with manager Jose Mourinho opening the door for his possible exit from Stamford Bridge. The player seems to have come to terms with the fact that he will not play many minutes in the next six months and has started to look for a new club to try prove himself before the 2014 World Cup.

 

The main issue blocking Mata’s return is the Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. It is widely believed that Perez does not want the Spaniard back at the club, due to the acrimonious circumstances in which Mata left in the first place, after Madrid nurtured him in his youth and made him the player he is today. Perez thinks that Mata does not fit the Real Madrid mould and believes that taking Di Maria out of Carlo Ancelottis squad would be counterproductive and affect the depth of the squad especially with the injury prone start to Gareth Bales first four months at the Spanish club.

 

But the man who will have the final say is Ancelotti himself, as he needs to decide if he is prepared to give the Argentine another lifeline even though Di Maria hasn’t exactly made it easy for his manager in his first 6 months at the club. Ancelotti is said to be a big fan of Mata, whom he considers the ideal player for the team if Di Maria stays or leaves, but what it may come down to is the amount of money that Real can sell the Argentinian for. Reports suggest French clubs Paris Saint Germain and Monaco are willing to pay up to £40m for Di Maria’s services, but the decision of letting him go will be put on hold until Ancelotti can find a worthy replacement.