Spain take on Italy on Wednesday, looking to improve on a mixed record in international friendlies since becoming world champions. Vicente del Bosque’s Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, adding to their 2008 European crown and cementing their status as the best team on the planet. They have impressed in Euro 2012 qualifying, winning every match to top Group I, and comfortably defeated the…
Leo Messi was wearing a dickie bow. Proof, some said with a smile, that he knew he was going to be awarded with a second successive Ballon d’Or – after all, Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta were only in ties. But he didn’t know: amid all the shock, the disgust and the pathetic patriotic paranoia, the man most surprised at Messi’s award was Messi. On his way into the gala,…
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli believes there is only one player in the world who is ‘a little stronger’: Lionel Messi. The Italian was named Golden Boy 2010 for being the best Under-21 player in the world and he now has his sights on the main prize. He clearly fancies himself to be better than Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and City teammate Carlos Tevez despite failing to set the Premier League…
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has refuted talk that his team was humiliated after suffering a 5-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona on Monday night. Goals from Xavi, Pedro, a double from David Villa and a last-gasp effort from Jeffren saw Barcelona inflict the worst defeat of Mourinho’s career in the Portuguese’s first Clasico. Despite admitting that his team’s performance was poor, Mourinho strongly denied that the result…
When Barcelona started 2009/10 season, they were champions of Europe and Spain. They also had won the Copa del Rey. However, at the start of this season, they were only the Spanish champions. This season, it seems that Barcelona have taken another step back. They have scored 14 goals so far, compared to Real’s 22 and have a goal difference of 8 compared to Madrid’s 18. Barcelona are currently only…