An epic match and the intriguing narrative that follows

I would like to start by saying that I am about as ardent a Barcelona supporter as you will find outside of Catalunya. I am no fair-weather fan who who jumped on the bandwagon when Barcelona signed Ronaldinho and started winning trophies. I became a fan as a small child in the early 90’s when the like of Romario, Stoichkov, Hagi, and Pep Guardiola were shown ever so briefly on Canadian television back then on Soccer Saturday hosted by former Scottish international Graham Leggat. I say all of this so there is no confusion, I do not want my comments to be misconstrued as simply the words of a bitter Barca fan; they are definitely not that. Should you read the entirety of this piece, you will find that I am very fair with respect to both teams. As a spectacle, the 2nd leg was everything you hope for from a football match and was a great advertisement for what football can provide in a way that no other sport can. There was passion, drama, excitement, a villain, and a shocking finale.

Let me first congratulate the Chelsea players on their individual defensive performances, to a man they remained disciplined and focused through both legs of the tie. Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, and Ramires for me deserve to be singled out as stellar performers. Ramires’ chip of Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes was quite stunning, Cech made some extremely crucial saves in both matches and dealt well with anything in his area, Cole ensured that Barcelona achieved little to no success on his side of the field. Many have hailed the fitness of the Chelsea players having conceded over 70% possession in both matches, but I choose not to overstate that and for good reason. When the whole team is camped within 20 yards of your goal while Barcelona knock the ball around, they are simply shifting from side to side and in fact getting quite a bit of rest without the ball. Any open Premier League match would have been more physically taxing. I will address the tactics employed by Chelsea,a bit later on, but I want to state that even before the semi-final, former player and interim manager Roberto Di Matteo deserved to get the job full-time and have this team for a full season regardless of whichever big name manager should come available.

As for Barcelona, they alone are responsible for their crashing out of the competition. Say what you will about Chelsea’s defending (insert hyperbole here), had Barcelona finished even two of the five clear goal scoring chances they had in the 1st leg (Fabregas 2, Sanchez 2, Busquets 1) the 2nd leg would have been irrelevant. Add in another shank in the box from Sergio Busquets and Messi’s penalty miss from the 2nd leg and it becomes clear that they had ample opportunity to wrap up the tie in comfortable fashion. Not to mention that had even one of the seven chances I just listed been finished, it would have forced Chelsea to step out and attack, which would have suited Barcelona quite nicely. Another area in which Barcelona must be criticized is in their lack of defensive discipline. Conceding a goal on the stroke of halftime in both matches in simply unacceptable; particularly in the 2nd leg when they were leading 2-0 in the match and 2-1 in the tie. Right before halftime is the period of the match where, unless you’re losing, you must stay disciplined and not concede. Barcelona failed to do so and it cost them dearly. It is difficult to analyze individual performances when they barely had to play, it was essentially a football version half-court basketball. I suppose the only thing that could be said is that more risks should have been taken and a more shots sent Cech’s way. Far be it for me to question a manager who has led the team I support to so much success in such little time, but his use of young winger Cristian Tello must be questioned. Between his display against Real Madrid and his cameo in the 2nd leg against Chelsea, it is clear that he was the wrong choice. Tello is a player with quite a bit of upside, but at the moment lacks a second dimension to his game that is required when faced with the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea. The difference between Isaac Cuenca and Tello is that the Cuenca can pick a pass with both feet, Tello is unable to do so as yet. Injuries and form be damned, Pedro should have been used instead of Tello. He has his critics but he has proven big for Barcelona in crucial moments and a few different facets to his game that would have served Barcelona better. So in this instance, and there are not many, Pep Guardiola got it wrong. Defensively, Eric Abidal is really missed, and Gerard Pique going off injured was a big blow as he would have been useful as a makeshift centre forward when Barcelona got desperate.

Time to address the regrettably celebrated and sensationalized tactics of Roberto Di Matteo. Even at the peak of Italian ‘Catenaccio’, no team ever played this defensively. John Terry’s foolish red card should not be cited as a reason for Chelsea setting up camp in front of their penalty. Chelsea “parked the bus” from the moment they were drawn against Barcelona after the quarter-final. Much was said about Chelsea not being the team of old and not being able to play with Barcelona, we still don’t know if that is true or not because they never played. Certain media types will defend Chelsea’s tactics and argue that there is no one set right way to play the game. To be fair, that statement is true. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to play the game, Chelsea played the wrong way. The Barcelona “Tiki-taka” style is not the only right way to play, though it is the most beautiful to watch without doubt. This next statement will make me vomit in my mouth a little as I am writing it, but in their win over Barcelona last weekend, Real Madrid showed the right way to go about playing football and managing to beat Barcelona. Another two clear goals missed from Xavi and Tello aside, Madrid defended well in numbers, won battles in midfield, and attacked well as a unit. Other teams are examples of football played the right way yet have different styles. Athletic Bilbao has set Europe alight this season in the Europa League with their compact team defending and sweeping attacks. Borussia Dortmund has won the Bundesliga title for the second year running playing their own brand of positive and effective football. So no there is no one set way that football should be played, but there are ways it should and should not be played. Just like the violent displays by the Netherlands in the World Cup final against Spain or some Real Madrid displays against Barcelona last season, Chelsea playing exaggerated levels of negative football is the wrong way to play the game and should not be praised. It was indeed unfortunate to see a side with the proven quality of Chelsea resort to the negative route instead of playing Barcelona straight up, something they are capable of doing. Could you ever see Sir Alex Ferguson setting up his team so negatively? He has enough pride and respect for the game to go out and play, regardless of the opponent. The question must now be asked, will Chelsea employ the same tactics in the final? Perhaps not against Bayern Munich but if Real Madrid make the final, they just beat Barcelona, so logically the same reasoning must be used as they could not possibly play them straight up either.

Many have been hoping for Barcelona to slip up because many have grown somewhat bored of Barcelona simply steamrolling opponents and collecting trophies. Understandable. What is unfortunate is that the desire to see Barcelona lose has made people very shortsighted and caused them to incorrectly celebrate negative tactics. Imagine for a minute the tables had been turned and it was Barcelona with the one goal lead to defend. If Pep Guardiola had employed the tactics Di Matteo did, he would be condemned “from Boston to Budapest”, to quote John Travolta in Swordfish. Remember that this is a manager who is lambasted for being too defensive should he ever start Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita in the same midfield. If Barcelona played the way Chelsea did, the utterly professional and unbiased to a fault British media *sarcasm* would label Barcelona as cowards, claim a lack of confidence, and insinuate all manners of tomfoolery about a Barcelona downfall. This is where I take issue with the media’s reporting about the events of this semi-final, those who are paid to speak about the game with authority should know better. Aside from the matches themselves, it is the media’s analysis of all that transpires that most influences the public’s point of view. This is why Chelsea’s tactics should not be celebrated, what is it saying to football fans everywhere? Are we claiming it is ok to employ negative tactics out of fear for your opponent? This is the message being sent to young kids everywhere, it is ok to play in fear of your opponent and be negative to accomplish your goal. Anyone who believes that to be ok should have serious look at themselves. From a young age kids are taught by their coaches and parents to not be scared, to have confidence, to play positively, etc. The same Chelsea players who have their own children will have told them to go out and play with confidence, get your foot on the ball and play; so how can they then on Europe’s biggest stage go out and play so negatively? I do however believe that less can issue can be taken Chelsea than can be taken with the media. Chelsea did what they felt was their only way to win, Di Matteo did what he felt he needed to do to ensure he gets his interim tag dropped. The problem is that the media should have highlighted that. The distinction should have been made between Chelsea doing what they felt was required and it being negative football that should not be glorified. Other teams playing against sides not named Barcelona are torn apart in the media every week when they play negative or ugly football, so why was it ok this time? The answer is simple, professional writers let their desire as fans to see Barcelona lose cloud their ability to analyze the situation as a whole and offer unbiased reporting.

The Score’s Footy Blog Editor Richard Whittall wrote a very interesting piece stating, “It’s not enough for Barca to lose because their players have aged or have had a dip in form--Guardiola’s tactical system must be defeated so that football can progress.” Even as a Barcelona fan who wants to see this team win forever, I know Whittall’s claim to be true. Where more distinction is needed is in how Barcelona’s tactical system needs to be beaten. Do not be fooled, Chelsea did not beat Barcelona’s tactical system, they won a tie over two matches in which all manners of good fortune that eluded Barcelona and fell to them. Even the way in which Real Madrid defeated Barcelona cannot be said to have completely provided to answer to Barcelona’s tactical question, though they are the only team so far to have taken a giant step in that direction. In order for football to truly progress and evolve, one of two things must happen. Barcelona need to be overtaken by a side who play complete football with dimension that decisively negate the Barcelona way, or Barcelona themselves need to add a new dimension to their game and take the level of play even higher.

I will finish by restating that I would like to take nothing away from the individual performance of every Chelsea player, they defended like titans. The club, as well as the fans, should be very, very happy. It is a day, and win, that will go down as one of the greatest in club history. But I advise caution for football writers and pundits, be careful of glorifying the wrong aspects of the game simply because of your bias as a fan of the game. Draw a line in the sand, separate you the fan from you the professional.

Who really IS the best ever? Well...there's 5 of them!

 
On December 11th 2000, FIFA dropped the ball in a manner that only FIFA could and shamelessly named both Pele and Diego Maradona as Co-Players of the Century. Ever since we’ve all taken part in, and been subject to, an absolute litany of banality about who the true greatest is and why one is better than the other. Until recently I still took part in this debate and as most who have debated this long enough, my answer has changed a few times. In attempting to break down the different criteria for what makes up the greatest footballer to ever grace Earth, Uranus, and Saturn, What I came to realize was that not one of those included in the discussion was at the top of each category. So, in my pseudo-utopian mind of smiles, sunshine, and unicorns, I’ve decided that there is not one single greatest player ever, there are 5 who share that distinction and all for different reasons. There will of course be those that disagree with this classification, the debate will inevitably continue for the foreseeable future.
         Well then, here we go. In chronological order of playing careers, here are the 5 greatest footballers of all-time:

“The Original”
PELE: Football’s flagship, the sport’s first global icon, the man who if there was a World Football Hall of Fame would be the inaugural inductee. While I do not give as much weight to his reported 1280* career goals, embellished or not, being anywhere in that range during any era is a remarkable tally. The asterix is because that number contains goals from non-competitive club matches including international tours with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and a few games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil. For me, what speaks most to how dominating Pele was in his time is that if he played in today’s game, though he would not be as outstanding, would still be what is considered a world class player. To have that said about any player after 35 years of player evolution is extraordinary. The first legend is always going to be in the discussion for greatest ever no matter how much time passes. Edson Arantes do Nascimento better known as Pele will always be a figure sitting on football’s Mount Olympus.

“The Natural”
DIEGO MARADONA: Quite simply the most naturally gifted footballer ever. Period. Not in any way blessed with special physical attributes other than great hair, the game just came so unbelievably easy to him. Playing in the generation just before the financial “Great Leap Forward”, a time where passion and love for the game was paramount to fans and players alike, no player evoked as much raw emotion as Maradona. He was a one man opera. A deity in his own time. The best way to sum up Maradona is the song sung for him by Napoli supporters and even his own teammates at the time: "O mamma mamma mamma, o mamma mamma mamma, sai perché mi batte il corazon? Ho visto Maradona, ho visto Maradona, eh, mammà, innamorato son" which loosely translates to “mama do you know why my heart is beating? I’ve seen Maradona and I’m in love”. Let me reiterate that his own teammates would sing this! Despite his shortcomings as a man, a professional, and a public figure, anyone who saw him play will never forget what they were blessed to witness.
Oh, not to mention that he’s the only player to have a pseudo religion created in his name. Iglesia Maradoniana has a 10 commandments and everything, that has got to count for something.


“The Maestro”
ZINEDINE ZIDANE: Far and away the most graceful player we’ve ever seen. Poetry could be written about the grace at which Zidane painted football pitches throughout his career. Boasting the most well-rounded resume on this list with a World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, a series of League and Cup trophies, and 31 different individual awards including a Ballon D’or and three FIFA World Player of the Year Awards. He was the attacking midfielder for all-time, the number 10 of number 10s. He made every player that played alongside him better for having done it and was the central figure is every trophy for club and country during his career. He played his best on the biggest stage, scoring winning goals in World Cup and Champions League finals. Zinedine Zidane was football’s Beethoven, the ball his baton, his teammates were his orchestra, and we were his privileged audience. A Maestro for the ages.

“The Creator”
RONALDINHO: A close 2nd to Maradona as the most naturally gifted player ever, lacking only the fluidity of “El Pibe”, he is the most creative and innovative player of all-time. In essentially just four years on top of the world, 2003-2007, he won 5 club trophies including a Champions League, as well as 10 individual accolades highlighted by two FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Though he is well past his prime now, at his best he created and improvised on the pitch constantly while maintaining the level of consistency and efficiency to dominate opposition and be the best in the world. His career is will best be defined by his 2005-06 season where he arguably played at the single highest level of football ever seen. There was no player at the time in the same stratosphere as Ronaldinho and nobody who entertained more. Every match was an circus and he was the Ringmaster. Spellbinding technique, the ruthless efficiency of 29 goals and 21 assists, applauded of the pitch by Real Madrid fans in the Santiago Bernabeu (an honour only previously bestowed on Maradona), and a Champions League crown. I firmly believe that had Ronaldinho circa 2006-06 played in the current edition of Barcelona, he would fairly easily score 40-50 goals while putting on more of a show than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.

“The Fulfilled Prodigy”
LIONEL MESSI: 24 years old. 235 career goals. 34 individual awards. 18 club trophies. An Olympic Gold Medal. Messi is the very definition of efficiency in world sport. Playing in an era where his not yet having won a World Cup is a fruitless argument against him, he is simply too young and has too much of his career left for people to feel comfortable calling him the best ever. He is already Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer and is continuously obliterating ever record in his path. He can potentially beat La Liga’s single season goal record this year and as soon as next year hold the Champions League goal record. In theory, he is still three or four years away from his prime, if he can manage to improve at all on the simply stunning performances of the last three years, he will surely break every record available to him. By no means a flashy player, he’s not full of stepovers not does he do many flicks or tricks (unless chipping the keeper). He is as diminutive a figure as it gets, yet he is the crown jewel of the sporting world. The world is very fortunate to witness Messi play, lucky for us all is that barring injury he will be around to entertain for at least another decade. The fact that at 24 years of age he on the precipice of being called the best ever only enhances his legend. When we look back on his career, he will in all likelihood be the first players viewed as the single greatest ever beyond any doubt.

Honorable Mentions
There is a second crop of great players (Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff, George Best) but two specific honorable mentions need to be highlighted:

“El Fenomeno”
RONALDO: His was a career tragically plagued by injury. Ronaldo at 20 years old scored 34 league goals in La Liga for Barcelona; a record that stood for 16 years until Messi broke it this season. Making only 24 appearances in a three year stretch through the prime of his career due to two serious knee injuries robbed him of a career that was on pace to be very, very special. After his return in 2002, he won a World Cup and though noticeably overweight for the remainder of his career, he still maintained a strike rate better than a goal every two matches. One of only three players to be a 3-time World Player of the Year winner (Zidane, Messi), as well as the youngest to do it (20 years old), he remains to date the most incredible balance of power, pace, technique, and natural scoring ability. His nickname, “El Fenomeno” is spot on; he was simply phenomenal. Unfortunately, we will forever look back on his career with the question “What if?”.

“The Poster Boy”
CRISTIANO RONALDO: He is the poster boy for the modern footballer. Tall, good looking, physically impressive, and extremely talented. What’s worse is that he knows it. A Ballon D’or and FIFA World Player of the year winner in 2008, Cristiano lethally mixes flashy skills with the goal scoring efficiency better than anyone in history not named Messi. The sole reason why he is not included in the list of greatest ever is because he is playing in the time of Messi. To be on the list you have to be the best in your generation, and while relatively close, there is no mistaking that Messi is the best. Had he played in any other era, he would have golden idols erected in his image. Much like the great players who fell victim to playing in the same era as Michael Jordan, Cristiano is victim to the prodigious magic that is Lionel Messi.

         Without affording the Player of the Century award any validity whatsoever, had FIFA grown a pair and named a singular winner, it would by no means have ended the debate for the greatest ever but it would have at least, as in other sports, given someone that distinction for the time being. There are two lessons to learn from all of this, first it that to date it is futile to try and declare one single greatest footballer. Second, when in doubt, blame FIFA.

That's right EPL, you're no longer on top

       

          For years, the consensus has been that the EPL is the strongest league in Europe. I never agreed with that notion but before this season there was at least a solid argument that could be made; the same can no longer be said. It was also widely accepted that the quality of the Serie A was steadily declining. Again, before this season there was a formidable case to be made. This 2011-2012 season has thus far seen a swift change of circumstances both in England and Italy.

          At the beginning of the season I had stated that the quality of the EPL had declined, I would like to thank all 20 teams in England top flight for proving me right *tips cap*. The counter argument so far has, and will continue to be, that the race for the EPL title is more open and has more contenders than it has in a long time. To be fair, that statement is true; the race is wide open with both Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham (sorry Liverpool) all seen as real title hopefuls (though it will probably be Manchester City). However, there are reasons for why the race is close, I’ll explain. The main reason why the title race is close is very simple, the best (Manchester United and Chelsea) have for different reasons seen a decline in squad quality while Tottenham and Manchester City have improved over the last 2 seasons (the only teams in the EPL that can say that). Arsenal is where they always are, close but not quite there. I digress; the quality at the top is not the real problem, it’s the mid-table sides. The top 5 will remain formidable opponents in whatever competition in which they compete, but what about everyone else? Perennial top 10 finishers over the past decade, ie. Everton, Aston Villa, Bolton, Blackburn, etc. have all severely been on the decline, with Villa, Bolton and Blackburn being particularly bad this season. The bottom of the league is, and always will, be poor; but the problem is that the number of truly poor sides is rapidly growing. We have reached a point where come season’s end, anywhere from 7-9 teams could still be mathematically fighting relegation going into the final few weeks. That’s unacceptable! Blame the number of foreigners, blame the youth systems, blame the money, blame Sepp Blatter (secretly everything is his fault), but something needs to be done, and it needs to happen fast.

          At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Serie A is undertaking a much-appreciated upswing. For years, let’s say since 2004, the on-field product in Italy has just not been very good. The match-fixing scandal rocked the Serie A in 2005-06 causing the on-field product to suffer further. We saw hints of it last year, but this season has really confirmed that the Serie A is back and in my opinion better than ever, at least from an entertainment standpoint. Catenaccio is dead and buried, and most people are thankful for that. This new Serie A has ample attacking football, adventurous formations, quality young talent, and the Inter Milan monopoly of the last 5 years is over. There are now, just as in England, 5 legitimate title contenders in AC Milan, Lazio, Juventus, Napoli, and Udinese. It must be said, however, there are 5 contenders for different reason than in England. In direct contrast with the EPL, 4 of the 5 contenders for the title (Inter Milan being the exception) have seen steady improvement in recent years and look to continue doing so. Now Napoli may lose its stars and regress, Udinese may lose Antonio Di Natale to old age soon and see a slight dip, but for now they look great. Napoli’s dominance over Manchester City in both group stage meetings in this year’s Champions League underlines what’s happening in both leagues; Napoli having well-beaten Manchester City both times.

Juventus are thankfully back among the best in Serie A and look to only be getting better in a hurry. As in England, the real reason for the change in fortunes comes from those outside the top 5. Roma, who are pretenders to the top 5, are under a new foreign influence with Luis Enrique at the helm (for now) and if his system works, Roma will as soon as next season push for the title. Inter Milan will rebuild and be back strong for next season as well. Cagliari, Fiorentina, Palermo, Catania, etc. have gotten better and solidify a very competitive top 10 in Serie A.

          Serie A will be losing one of its Champions League spots to the Bundesliga starting the 2012-13 season. I’m not going to say its undeserved because over the past 7 or 8 years, it is well-deserved, just expect the argument from the Italian FA to get that spot back to be in full swing by next season. The Serie A is on the rise again and as one of the top 4 leagues in the world, it should have the maximum amount of Champions League spots. I’m not going to argue that just based on this season that the EPL should lose one of its Champions League places because to be fair they have been the most consistent with at least 3 teams in the final 16 over the past 5 years. All I’m saying is that it can no longer be said, at least rationally, that the EPL is the best league in Europe. I’m also not going to try and argue that the Serie A is now the best beacause for me its La Liga; despite the Barcelona/Real Madrid super-dominance, still boasts the most footballing quality top to bottom. I just want people to open their eyes and stop thinking that just because the EPL is what you see most on your TV every week that it’s the best. In the same vein, people need to stop stereotyping the Serie A as boring, overly tactical and defense because its no longer anywhere close to that. The scope of European football is changing; I just hope you’re all paying attention because it will be good. 

Monsoon magic in San Mamés

For anyone who really watches La Liga, you should not be surprised at the quality that Athletic have in their squad. They are a very talented, fast, fit, intense and tough team that deserve recognition. The centerpiece is obviously, and deservedly so, big Fernando Llorente. However, they have a core of other players that make them contenders in any match they play. Young starlet Iker Muniain, who plays like a young Andres Iniesta (also likely to be brought in to take his place) is an incredible talent. Javi Martinez is already a main part of the Spanish National program, then there is Susaeta, Herrera, Iturraspe, and the immense Fernando Amorebieta (a name you WILL be hearing much more of as next summer's transfer season comes). Athletic pushed Barcelona unlike any other opponent to date and it provided an early season epic in La Liga.

The torrential downpour provided a great backdrop for what was to come. Any match between these sides can never be classified as boring, but you couldn’t expect a match like this. Both teams battled to the end, nobody backed out of a tackle, every ball was challenged. Both sides had standouts; Llorente, Herrera, Muniain and Amorebieta were great for Athletic, Messi, Mascherano, Abidal, and Iniesta equally so for Barcelona. The water logged pitch caused the standard weather-induced blunders that do nothing but add to the entertainment. The first goals for both sides were extremely classy finishes; first Herrera ended Victor Valdez’s record clean sheet streak at 897 minutes witch a beautiful curling effort from just inside the box, it was soon followed by Fabregas nodding home a beautiful cross from Eric Abidal. The dramatic finish was set in motion with a Pique own-goal that put Athletic up 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Barcelona pressured until the very end and were rewarded with the equalizer, Messi’s first away goal of the season (also his first ever goal in San Mamés) just as the match approached 90 minutes; a defensive lapse from an Athletic defense that had been spectacular all evening.

It must be said, though, the real achievement in this match was the technical level of these two sides despite the weather doing its best to impede proceedings. The ball flew around the pitch for 90 mins, players on both sides showed immaculate touches and interplay. I mention this because it is what sets La Liga apart from any other league in the world. Nowhere else will you see two teams excel technically across the board while battling the elements to the degree that Barcelona and Athletic did. This was a classic match not just for La Liga but for all of Europe.

2-2 final

Sucks for you if you missed it because you were watching Tottenham and Fulham…

Present Day F.C. Barcelona: The Best in History

The current edition of F.C. Barcelona is the greatest football side ever assembled! The following is my supporting argument.

Since I'm a 100% biased Barcelona supporter, most automatically dismiss my notion for them being the best side ever as fanaticism without fact. However, as a lover of the game and a football purist, I would be insulting the game I love were I to make such a bold statement without providing a thorough argument as to why. There are only a few sides in the history of the game where you can make a legitimate case for them being the best side in history.

The first is the Real Madrid team in the 1950s featuring Di Stefano, Puskas and Gento, which won five successive European Cups, and eight Spanish Primera titles. Numbers like those in the modern era are more or less impossible to achieve. The overall level of play has risen substantially, and there is vast parity in football now, particularly on European Cup competition. Nonetheless, this Real Madrid side is considered the first real dynasty of world football and therefore considered to be one of the greatest ever.

Next up is the Ajax team of the 1970s which boasted the likes of Cruyff, Van Dijk, Rep and Neeskens. They won three European Cups and five Eredivisie titles, highlighted by their treble-winning year of 1972 where they won the European Cup, Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup. This great team, though statistically impressive, will be most remembered for introducing the world to Total Football. The style of football they played brought the world to its feet by showing how all 10 outfield players could be involved in attack.

The third team on this list is Liverpool of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Featuring current club manager Kenny Dalglish, they won four European Cups, two UEFA Cups and 6 of 11 English League titles between 1972 and1990. Not as attractive to watch as the other sides being compared, though extremely efficient. The domination over such a long period solidified their place as one of the great sides for all time.

The first of what can truly be considered the modern era of football is the A.C. Milan team of the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were the first team to field a laundry list of stars, featuring Baresi, Maldini, Gullitt, Van Basten and Rijkaard among others. They won three European Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, four Italian Super Cups and four Serie A titles with probably the most balanced side ever at that point in history. The incredible balance between an almost impenetrable defense and high-powered attack made them the only back-to-back European Champions in the modern era to date.

Finally we come to Barcelona of present, simply the greatest the world has ever seen. Beginning with the Champions League-winning team centered around two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho to the present squad built around two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi. They have won three Champions League titles, five Spanish Primera titles), a Spanish Cup, four Spanish Super Cups, a European Super Cup and a FIFA World Club Cup title. They are the only side to ever win all six trophies available to them in one year (2008-2009) and have all three players shortlisted for FIFA World Player of the Year (FIFA Ballon D’or) coming from the same team. They play a brand of football never seen before; it is the blueprint of Ajax Total Football taken to new heights. During this time they have switched managers from Frank Rijkaard to Pep Guardiola. They have also changed regimes on the pitch as well from the Ronaldinho-Deco-Eto’o trio to Messi-Xavi-Iniesta. They are setting Spanish League and European records for points, winning streaks, and goals scored. Lionel Messi is also well on his way to breaking all individual record for club, league and Europe for goals and awards. They are flat out the best we’ve ever seen, not to say they can never be surpassed, but it will take some doing.

You may disagree, as I guarantee many will. You can put forward an argument for another team, but it won’t make you any less wrong.

Ronaldo: 'El Fenómeno' retires

 For my inaugural post, I would like to share a piece that I wrote back on February 14, 2010. Most know it as Valentine's Day but for me I will forever remember it as the day my hero retired. He is my favorite player ever and quite simply the best striker of all-time. Ladies and gentlemen, RONALDO!


Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima has decided to call time on his infamous and legendary career. 'El Fenómeno' games which means he averaged around 1.46 goals per game. Considering a world class striker is consider efficient when averaging 1 goal ever 2 games, a strike rate such as Ronaldo possessed is unheard of. He won 2 Ballon D'or awards, 3 FIFA World Player of the Year awards and 2 World Cups. With a talent such as his, it is no secret why his career saw him spend time at Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, 4 of the biggest clubs in the world.

He began his professional career in 1993 at just 16 years old with Brazilian club Cruzeiro where he managed to score and astonishing 44 goals in one season. This prodigious showing earned him a spot on Brazil's World Cup winning team in 1994. While he didn't see any action in United States, just the fact that at 17 he was brought into the team spoke volumes about his talent and future.

After returning from the World Cup in the United States, Ronaldo's European exploits began, signing for Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 1994. In his first season, he scored 35 goals in 36 games, which he followed up by netting 19 goals in 21 games the following season.

His displays at PSV put the football world on notice that something special had arrived. It was Spanish club Barcelona that snatched him up in 1996 for a then world record fee. His performances at Barcelona were the stuff of legend; his power, pace, skill and efficiency was nothing short of breathtaking. Notching 47 goals in 49 games in one of the top leagues in the world took Ronaldo from level of prodigious talent to best in the world. In 1996, at just 20 years old, he became the youngest player to win the Ballon D'or and be named FIFA World Player of the Year, a record unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

Spending only one year at Barcelona, Ronaldo moved to Italian club Inter Milan who paid another world record fee for his signature. In the 1997-98 Season, he scored 34 goals in 47 games, earning his second straight Ballon D'or and FIFA World Player of the Year award. However, his time at Inter Milan will be most remembered for the injuries that began to derail his great career. In November 1999, he severely ruptured a tendon in his right knee. He was out of action for 2 years with the exception of 7 minutes in which he had made his initial comeback for inter Milan only to re-injure the same knee in what is possibly the most memorable and replayed injury in football history. The world watched in agony as the best player in the world went down for a second time. The image of him screaming in pain and crying is something for all who witnessed it will have etched in their memories forever. In retrospect, though he went on to further accomplishments, this was for all intents and purposes the beginning of the end for Ronaldo. He made his full return during the 2001-02 Season where he scored 7 goals in 16 games before heading to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

The 2002 World Cup in many ways can be seen as Ronaldo's crowning achievement. After being out two years, many doubted his ability to reach the extraordinary heights of years past. There was something noticeably different about Ronaldo now; he had put on weight during his time out injured. He clearly did not have the same pace and physically dynamic player he once did, but he showed he was still explosive and a player whose technical ability coupled with goal scoring efficiency was still unmatched. He scored 8 goals in the 2002 World Cup, including 2 in the final, earning him the Golden Boot and leading Brazil to a 5th World Cup victory. It was entirely down to his performance during the World Cup that earned him his third FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Ronaldo was Back! This was confirmed by his big money signing by Real Madrid where he joined the 'GALACTICOS' movement that saw Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane respectively join Madrid in the 2 season prior. At this time, he made headlines off the pitch as he became a UN Ambassador. In his first season, he scored 30 goals in 44 games, including a memorable Champions League hat-trick against in Old Trafford against Manchester United. Ronaldo spent 5 seasons at Real Madrid scoring 104 goals in 177 games, a strike rate of 1.70 goals per game. His weight gain during this time became a matter of public scrutiny and became apparent that it was having an effect on his level of play.

Despite dwindling performances and obvious weight issues, he was just too important to leave off the Brazil squad that went to the 2006 World Cup. The Brazilians ultimately disappointed but Ronaldo scored 3 goals to take him 1 past German legend Gerd Müller as all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 15 goals.

During the January transfer window of the 2006-07 Season, Ronaldo was sold to Italian giants AC Milan. During his 2 season back in Italy he scored 9 goals in 20 games. In February 2008, he had another knee injury, this time he ruptured the kneecap ligament in his left knee. With this latest injury, he was released by AC Milan at the end of that season.

The last stop in his career was a move back to Brazil to play for Corinthians in 2009. He scored 35 goals in 69 games despite now being glaringly overweight for a professional football player. This current season has been marred by continuous niggling injuries and has prompted Ronaldo to say "I can't take it anymore, I wanted to carry on, but I can't ... The time is up".

Today, February 14 2011 marks the end of something truly special. Players like Ronaldo come along once in a lifetime, those who were fortunate enough to see him play must feel privileged to have done so. He was the perfect striker, possessing power, pace, skill and efficiency the like of which had never been seen and have yet to be equalled. There are players who have scored more goals and won more awards, but there is no doubt having watch Ronaldo throughout his career that he IS the best striker of all-time. 'El Fenómeno' Ronaldo was indeed that, a Phenomenon. He is my favorite player and a personal hero. There is only one way to end the legendary tale that is Ronaldo; it can be summed up in one word, GOALLLLL!