Brazil found its heir

I grew up listening stories about Pele’s Brazil team from the 60s. For many, that was the best national football team to ever hit the pitch. Ever since 1970 there has been great performances by many nations, but it feels that no one had taken the torch of being that consistent team write its own page in the book of football. That was the case until yesterday when Spain achieved what no other national team had done before winning back-to back- to back tournaments.

What Spain did in the final against Italy was similar to what Barcelona did in 2011 against Manchester United. It was the best tribute to football and a statement that it is possible to play beautifully and win. Ever since Luis Aragones took the team in 2006 and convinced them on their style, on their chances, and on their talent, this team has found an identity worth of every compliment on the book.

On the pitch, this team has its ideas clear and they would lose fighting for them rather than becoming a defensive team for the sake of winning. Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Silva, Mata, Busquets, Alonso, Alba, Pique understand football this way. Asking them to give the ball to their rivals is taking away part of their talent and their in-pitch personality. Just look at Xabi Alonso with Spain and look at his game with Mourinho’s Real Madrid. It’s so easy for him to associate with other players on the national team who can crate game as well as he can. At Real Madrid it’s hard for him to associate because he is the ultimate playmaker. And while Real Madrid has had dominant matches, when it comes to the crucial matches they have a tendency to give the ball away.

But all technicalities aside, you also have to look at the human factor. Luis Aragones made perhaps the most controversial decision made in Spanish football when he decided not to call Raul to the national team. Raul was not only the top scorer of all times for Spain; he was also the face of the team. But Luis understood that the team should not adapt to one player. His vision of the winning team was that in which there were no egos whatsoever. A team where players understood they are needed to support each other on the pitch, from the bench, or from the stands. Luis Aragones was right and he assembled not only a formidable group of good players but also a formidable group human being. These players understand that the team is above any individual achievement. Look at David Villa, he could have forced being in the team despite not being 100% recovered from his injury and yet he chose to call Del Bosque to tell him that he couldn’t perform at a level the competition demanded. Most players would have lobbied to be in the team even if it meant on the bench. Team over egos, that’s the best way to describe them.

The best quote from the tournament came from Iniesta before he knew he was the MVP of the tournament. When asked about the possibilities of achieving the golden ball he said, “I play to be happy. Not for individual recognition”. That’s the spirit of this team and, in my opinion, the true reason behind their success.

As for Italy, I hope they keep doing what they did in this Eurocup. It is refreshing to see a team that plays defensively but also is capable of playing the ball. Pirlo’s game was outstanding throughout the tournament and Xavi shutting him down was one of the main reasons Italy couldn’t win.

Up until today the Brazilian national team from the 60s was the reference of national football. Now new generations will grow up listening stories about how Spain and its little geniuses became the reference of beautiful football winning what no national team had won before. Modern history has been written…in Spanish

Eurocup Final: A match between the best

I said to a friend of mine last Wednesday that I had a feeling Italy would be making it to the final of the Eurocup. I wasn’t thinking about statistical or historical data (Germany has never defeated Italy in official competition) but rather on Italy’s display through the tournament. They may not be the best squad in the tournament but, in my opinion, they have been the best team.

Left behind are the days when Italy was the catenaccio team with its extremely defensive display and lack of offensive football. Prandelli has found a new personality for this team, which still relies on solid defending but also displays a swift transition defense to offence and vice-versa. Italy moves like a unit and rather than giving the ball away, they play it really good thanks to a stellar Pirlo.

Having said all that, Italy is up against the best squad in the tournament. Rather than concentrating on defending or attacking, Spain is the master of possession. If Spain wants to have the ball there is no much their rivals could do. Though this may not guarantee victories, I believe whichever team controls the ball has more chances of winning. Spain has also the psychological advantage of knowing they are the team to beat. Prove of this is how its rivals, even Italy, modify their initial formation when they play against them.

It’s hard to say what will happen this Sunday, as these are, without a doubt, the two best teams of the tournament. Italy needs no only an inspired Pirlo but also a concentrated Ballotelli. He has shown he’s capable of the best (his game against Germany) and the worst (his game against Spain). Spain on the other hand needs to capitalize on the chances they get, which I expect will be not many. May the best team win…

About Chelsea

 At last after 8 years Roman Abramovic has the championship trophy that he wanted so badly. This Champions League title ratifies his investment and gives Chelsea a tangible reason to claim a spot among the “big clubs” of Europe. Just like the Europa League, the winner of this Champions League was the club that not many would have guessed back in December. An impeccable defensive order and a sublime Drogba carried them throughout the tournament allowing them to defeat every team that, on paper at least, was better than Chelsea.

Is there merit in what they did? Absolutely. I won’t be the one to say that they don’t deserve the title. This team walked on the tight rope at all phases of this championship and yet they never gave up. They capitalized in the very few chances they created. There is merit in that. However, I can never support anti-football: the art of not wanting to go for the victory. Inter did it two years ago, Greece did it in the Eurocup 2004 and now Chelsea has done it too. They all have won without attempting to win but rather focusing in not losing.

Chelsea display in the final was horrible in my opinion. It feels more like Bayern lost rather than Chelsea won.  Compare their display to Barcelona last year or compare them to the Real Madrid team that won the 9^th Champions League 10 years ago. It almost a sin to play like Chelsea did. In fact, the real sin is that Chelsea, until the 1-0, did not want to play. Two defensive lines of 4 and 5 players respectively at the grandest stage in European football is something I don’t expect from a team that wants to be crowned “the best”.

Listen to what Mata, Torres, Di Matteo, and other players were saying at the end of the game about how Bayern played better and you can see even they know luck was a huge element in their title win. Again, I think that “never give up” attitude is fantastic but to renounce any effort to go an win the game is not a good thing for a club that wants to enter into that “best clubs of Europe” category.

That football philosophy is valid sure but 8/10 times you will be eliminated by a team that wants to play for the win. If you want proof of this just look where Chelsea ended in the Premier League: in a Europa League place where their game belongs. I’m not saying that defensive football is a bad thing or that it isn’t valid. But being a defensive team doesn’t mean that you have to forget about attacking.

I doubt any good midfielder or striker who’s looking to play in another club would dream about playing for Chelsea, at least Di Matteo’s Chelsea. How could they? No striker wants to spend the whole game alone waiting for a long pass, a bad defense, and luck to score a goal. No midfielder wants to be constantly playing in a center-back role just to get the ball and have nobody to make a pass. Even as a fan, I would rather pay to see Arsenal or Tottenham play before paying to see Chelsea.

The funny thing is that Chelsea deserved this title long ago but won it when they least played for it. However, I will give credit where credit is due. Both, Drogba and Cech, were out of this world. That header from Didier was one of the best headers I’ve seen. They alone won this cup for Chelsea.  The years will pass and this final will be remembered for the wrong reasons. It will be the final that Bayern Munich couldn’t win, or lost to Chelsea.  

Messi and the best of all times debate

Another incredible performance by the Argentinian genius and we still counting. Messi’s display against Bayern Leverkusen was yet another one for his collection of memorable matches. Perhaps what makes this one stand out are the five goals he scored, which is something no player had done in the Champions League under the current format.

It is so often that we see these displays of talent by the Argentinian that sometimes we forget that he’s not the rule but the exception. Stop for a second and think this: Messi is less than 10 goals away from becoming Barcelona’s top scorer ever. Before you digest that think about this as well: he’s only 24 years old.

There have been great players over the years. Players that make you fall in love with football and with their game regardless of the team they belong. For example, Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Kubala, Zidane or Ronaldo Nazario to mention a few. So the question comes up: is Who is the best of all time?

This is a tough question that I think it’s unfair and impossible to answer. Instead of a ranking, I rather think of a football Olympus where only memorable players can enter. Why can’t we rank them? Because every contender for “best of all time” has some handicap that makes it almost impossible to do so.

Pele had the world cups but he never proved himself in European competitions. On the other hand, Cruyff, Kubala, and Di Stefano had the European performances and cups but they couldn’t win a single world cup. Perhaps for this reason Maradona may have a slight lead as he proved both at the European level and the World Cup as well. However, he didn’t win the Champions League.

So it all comes to a point where you have to decide how to compensate, is a world cup more impressive than 5 champions league titles? Is winning every club tournament not as good as winning a world cup? Is a Europa cup with a small team more valuable than a champions league trophy? And what about goal count and individual awards. It’s just too much to makes these comparisons and it change from player to player.

Going back to that ‘Football Olympus’, Messi is already a member of that elite group without a doubt. He’s a player that has a whole generation talking about his game. I do believe that a world cup victory will consolidate him even further as the face of football for generations to come; but what he has achieved at his young age is almost unheard.

With 24 years and 3 champions league, 5 league titles, 1 King’s Cup, 5 Spanish super cup, 2 European Super Cups, 2 Clubs World Cups, an Olympic Golden Medal with Argentine, 3 Ballon d’Or, and many other individual titles, the sky is the limit for this player. He hasn’t let success get to his head and he keeps playing with the same hunger of a kid that wants to prove himself.

So, is Messi the best in history? We may never answer that but he’s definitely, without a doubt, the best at this time in history.

Maradona: Did you see Valdes against Atletico?

Nobody can deny that Diego Maradona was perhaps the greatest player in football history. He was a short chubby genius that only needed a ball to dribble his way on to victory. He did it with Boca, with Barca, Napoli and Argentina. When he had the ball something was about to happen. He was just that good.

But skills on the pitch don’t necessarily translate in understanding and “getting” the game and Diego is a living proof of that. Recently in his “pipe-bomb” style of press conferences, Diego stated that Barcelona was such a great team that even their “bad” goalkeeper looked good on the pitch. I don’t mind his honesty and his direct answers; in fact, I encourage it. But I completely disagree with his remark regarding Valdes.

To assess what Victor does in Barcelona you need to understand that the goalkeeper’s job in this club is far more than just stopping goals. Barcelona’s game starts with the goalie’s short pass, which is something that doesn’t happen in most clubs. Normally, the goalie is required to stop the ball and then send it as far away from the area as possible. While this decreases immediate danger, Guardiola assumes that this moves result in unnecessary gambling of the ball in the midfield.

So how does this affect Victor? He is required to play with his foot in the same way of a defender or midfield. I think it’s fair to say that 99% this goes unnoticed. He gets the ball and makes a short pass to Pique, Puyol, Alves or Abidal. However, that 1% when he gets it wrong he compromises the team severely. (See Real Madrid’s first goal against Barcelona at the Bernabeu last December)

But the question is: does that make it a bad goalie? Not really. He has won the Zamora Trophy four years including the last 3 seasons. His performance in important matches has been stellar to say the least. In the three champions league final he delivered. The list of strikers that have suffered Victor includes: Henry, Drogba, Eto’o, Rooney, Higuain, Benzema, Raul, Robben, Cristiano, Ribery, Klose, Kun Aguero, Neymar, Guiza and many more.

Victor is not the best goalie in the world, he’s the second best in Spain after the eternal Casillas. The mistakes victor makes are few in quantity but have huge consequences for the most part. However, I think he is among the best in the world when it comes to one on one situations. Victor not only stops goals he also helps the team add points. Proof of that is the last match against atletico. Perhaps Maradona should watch that game and then talk.

Simeone: Beyond the Tactic Board

Atletico de Madrid seems to be a whole new team after the arrival of Diego “El Cholo” Siomeone to the bench. For the first time in years the red-and-white team seems to have confidence in their game. Since Simeone took charge of the team, they have allowed only 1 goal in 6 games. It’s hard to think that this is the same team that Gregorio Manzano managed just weeks ago.

But was Manzano that bad of a coach? Look at his 2010 performance with Mallorca and you’ll find the answer. Putting a team with few resources in the Europa League with nothing but good game should be proof of what he can do. So the question is: why didn’t it work with Atletico? Many may point at his tactics but I believe the answer lies way beyond the tactics board.

Tactics play an important role in the game. It represents the personality of the team and what they stand for. For Real Madrid is the ultimate defense-to-offense transition (counter attack). For Barcelona is the dominant passing style. For the Greek national team of 2004 it was all about defending and while many hated that display, it is a valid philosophy. But all of this means nothing if your team doesn’t understand and, more importantly, doesn’t believe in the philosophy. That’s the true job of a coach, managing every player to maximize his talent in order to collaborate to the grand design of the tactics.

This is the main difference between Simeone’s Atletico and Manzano’s. Simeone has made the team believe, which leads to the fans believing. There comes the sacred communion between team and fans that makes things more pleasant. For the first time in years I see Atletico having confidence in their game. Everyone seems to be working as hard as they can and the results are coming.

Simeone is a former Atletico player. He understands how the team operates internally and externally. He knows how to transmit the passion for the team that was lacking for a very long time. This is the same case of Pep Guardiola in Barcelona, and Mauricio Pochettino in Espanyol. Coaches with clear ideas that understand the environment and help their players understand it too.

I’m tired of the phrase “I expect Atletico to do good things next season” because I have said for almost a decade and I’ve always ended up disappointed. However, Simeone is making me believe too. We shall see.

Moral Consequences

If you were to ask fans to mention one thing about the recent “El Clasico” the probable answer would have to be related to Pepe and the stepping on Messi’s hand. The world media has focused their attention on this action. Almost everybody agree that Pepe should be sanctioned by his club and by the committee responsible for fair game. And I say almost everybody because, sadly, there are two organizations that disagree with this: precisely his club and the Spanish referee committee.

Florentino Perez (Real Madrid’s President) has decided to stay in the shadows in this matter and after seven days he hasn’t spoken to anybody outside the club to explain where the team stands in this matter. The reality is that they are ping-poing this subject across the leaders of the team with no one wanting to make a final call. Florentino delegates this to the manager, Mourinho, who has defended the player in public. As a coach he’s responsible for the physical and psychological state of his players; however, as a manager his obligation include dealing with controversies such as this and punish anti-competitive behaviour.

The referee committee says they would not act on the matter since there wasn’t anything written about it in the ref report of the game. Unlike England, where Ballotelli got a four game sanction for a very similar action, Spain has decided to turn a blind eye on the matter. Not even the pressure from all around the world has been enough to make the committee reconsider their positions.

I understand, but fully disagree with both parties. It all comes down to morals and previous decisions taken. Mourinho had an anti competitive behavior in August when he shamelessly poked Barcelona’s second coach, Tito Vilanova in the eye. Neither his club nor the referee committee acted diligently. His club showed full support for him, even showing a tifo that read “Mou, your finger guide us” in reference to the poking incident. The committee settled for an innocent punishment of two games suspension from the supercup tournament only. Meaning that he may never be affected by this decision.

How can they punish Pepe when they turned a blind eye on something as bad, or even worse, from his coach? Judging Pepe by strict standards would be like giving an assassin a death penalty while his assassin partner gets only a community service penalty. Again, I understand the reasoning behind this but it is pathetic to say the least.

Football has evolved from the contact game in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, to a gentlemen’s game. No longer you see in the main European leagues players like Andoni Goikoetxea who intensionally injured Maradona breaking his ankle in the middle of a game. You still get Carvalho tackling knees but the degree of violence is toned down. These players. Pepe, Marcelo (against Fabregas), and Carvalho are a step back to the time where football was warfare.

Take note Spain, the best league is not about having the best players only but having the best system that supports the game. TV rights favour the strong teams economically, which polarizes the league. Referee committees turn a blind eye on crucial matters instead of protecting players and setting example for troublemakers.

It all comes down to morals. Just like its economy, Spain’s morals in these matters are a joke to the rest of Europe, and the world.

Oh, and there is a game today too...

First Impressions

Warming Up: six rounds of La Liga have been played and the sensations cannot be any better for Barça; the team is still a bit rusty from the summer but every game it is a steps in the right direction and the results are proof of that as the team have gotten all the points played. The summer question of Ibrahimovic adaptation to the team has disappeared thanks to the outstanding beginning of the season of the Swedish striker. Five goals in his first five games is a statistic that allows the fans to dream. Whether he can maintain that level or not is another story in which many variables has to be considered such as injuries; fatigue; pressure etc. but at this time nobody doubts of his quality. It is also good to see that Zlatan has not only scored goals but also given assistances as well as participate in the defensive game which is something that many of us could not see happening when he signed with Barça.

All Pieces Feat: Guardiola showed doubters that he had an eye to see talent and the guts to give those players an opportunity to shine. Busquets, Pique, Bojan are examples of this (although Bojan’s presence on the team was Frank Rijkaard’s call) and this season is no different. Even though the squad is short, something Guardiola himself mentioned, he decided that it was not going to be a problem; instead he has transformed this situation into an opportunity and once again has given the chance to future talents such as Jefren Suarez or Pedro Rodrigues; the latter has become officially a member of the first team and has responded with goals to the coach’s confidence. To this day, Pedro has been the only member of the team that has scored in all competitions with a goal in both supercups tournaments and a winning goal against Almeria. Guardiola doesn’t call somebody he has any doubts and that’s why Martin Caceres went to Juventus and why Henrique went to Racing instead of returning to Barça. The merit of this team is not on any single player but on the fact that every member is capable of making the starting eleven at any point.

Margin of Improvement: to say that the team has started very well is one thing but they are far from being perfect or at least as good as last year’s team. Pep knows this and has been working on the control of the game. For instance; against Atletico De Madrid the team won 5-2 but in reality the game was a poor display at many times; once they were winning they did not control the game and it could have cost Barça some more goals. Another area that needs improvement and perhaps a new name is the left wing. Henry is showing that age affects anybody and the 32 year old French man seems as though he will not be able to keep up with the team. At the moment he’s injured for at least ten more days and with a player like Pedro on fire it is not so difficult to think about Henry staying on the bench more frequently. Overall, the team needs a lot of improvement but it is working at a pace which seems to invite fans to another great season and rivals to fear the team. Time will tell.

Maxwell Effect

First transfer of the season: Barça made at last its first move in the summer transfer market signing Brazilian left back Maxwell from Inter Milan for 5 million euros. Maxwell was one of the choices of Guardiola to cover the hole left by Silvinho. This transfer will help Barça both technically and tactically from the very first day. Maxwell is a very offensive player that will create some competition with Abidal for a place in the main team. But the best aspect of this signing is the effect that it will cause on the market. First of all; it is a very strategic signing that didn’t cost Barça too much. In fact, 5 millions euros seems like nothing in today’s market. Second, this signing allows Barça to save money that they were willing to invest for Deportivo’s defender Filipe Luis. Barça put an offer of 9 million euros which Depor’s president considered to be too little. Now Depor ended up losing a good deal and keeping an unhappy player.

Villa will be next: He seems as though he really wants to leave Valencia and want to be in Barça. If he really wants it he will succeed; I’m of the opinion that Villa will break his silence soon and manifest to the media his interest in playing for Barça. Valencia’s president has to look at what happened with Filipe Luis. When a player wants to leave and he doesn’t then he ends up playing very bad; even if his level is equal or better, his mood affects the dynamic of the team. Barça has other options; one of them as attractive as Villa. If Valencia keeps pushing they will end up just like Depor; missing the opportunity of make a good deal and bring money to their account, and keeping an unhappy player. The funny side of this story is that Valencia was asking for 42 millions to Real Madrid for Villa and Barça is willing to leave them 42 millions for the same player and even two players on loan and Llorente [Valencia’s President] still don’t want to negotiate.

Forlan on deck: the second alternative that Barça is considering at this time is Diego Forlan. The two times and current golden boot of Europe has been linked to Barça for years now. Forlan wants to be back at the elite of the world after Manchester United let him go. He is a player that has a lot of resources to score and would adapt to Pep’s offensive style. His signing is probably easier than Villa since they don’t even have to negotiate with Atletico; all Txiki has to do is pay the termination clause of his contract which is 36 million euros. The only negative thing about Forlan is that he currently sits at 30; these things don’t really matter if at the end Barça wins big titles but 30 years still 30 years. Regardless of what happens, Maxwell effect will start to feel soon; hopefully Barça ends up signing players that will lead to the 4th Champion’s League

Final Grades

With the football season officially over for Barça after the 1-1 tie against Deportivo it is time now to think about the players and all the effort that they made. This season was just a dream and something that perhaps none of us will ever live again. Pique was right when he said that perhaps in 15 years we will seat down and truly realize the value of this epic season. In the mean let’s look player to player and see how they did. They will be evaluate on a 10 point scale in which 10 will be the best and 0 the worst


- Victor Valdes: one of the most criticized player of this year; had a very good season. As always he had a number of consecutive games in which everything he did was a mistake but when it came down to the decisive moment such as both games against Real Madrid, Against Chelsea, and in the Champions’ League’s final he was spot on. Grade: 9.0


- Jorquera: unfortunately for the Catalan, he spent a lot of time injured and Pinto’s excellent shape and experience prevent him from playing. He will probably be transferred next season. Grade: N/A


- Jose Manuel Pinto: earned the spot of being the second goalkeeper of the team and shine in the key moments of the King’s Cup in which he was the main goalie. He doesn’t have the consistency of Victor but brings a lot of experience. Grade: 7.1


- Abidal: Eric Abidal came from Lyon with the reputation of being almost unstoppable; however, there was a sector of the French media that warned about his attention’s gap at some points of the season; every year one can see how he can be hit-or-miss. In speed he’s very fast but players such as Robben showed how easy can he be to beat at times. He might stay next year but he needs some serious competition for that left back position. Grade: 7.4


- Dani Alves: the best adquicition for this season. The Brazilian justified every single penny invested on him of the 30+ million euros payed to sevilla for the transfer. Defensively unbeatable; offensively, Messi’s best partner in the field. Alves is a machine that never showed up any sign of tiredness. He’s only bad aspect is that sometimes his temper cannot be controlled but after such a magnificent season everything can be forgettable from this player. Grade: 9.5


- Rafael Marquez: The Mexican player was thought to be in decay but Guardiola did his best to bring the best out of Marquez and the end result was a boss in defence. Rafa was not only a wall in the defence line but also the best player to start any play. His ability to start Barça’s game resulted in many of the goals that this team did this year. Welcome Back Rafa. Grade: 9.3


- Martin Caceres: one of the few disappointments of the season. The Uruguayan was never confident on the pitch. He played greatly last year in Huelva but failed to adapt to Barça’s rhythm. The fact that Barça paid 16 million Euros for his service makes you think that they had high expectation which were not met at all. Martin will probably be transferred on a loan next year. Grade: 3.0


- Gaby Milito: Milito was doing an outstading season last year until he got injured playing the Champions’ League semi-final against Manchester United. He was expected to return sometime in march this year but ended up not playing one single minute. Whether he stays next year or not depends on 2 things: 1- he’s ability to stay healthy, and 2- how fast can he get back on track. Grade: N/A


- Gerard Pique: the homecoming season for the young Catalan defender couldn’t have gone any better. After being let go by Alex Ferguson many thought he wasn’t ready to play in Nou Camp but despite the fact that the beginning of the season was not very good for Gerard he soon proved that he was by far the top rising defender in Europe. His ability to read the rival’s game is outstanding and his touch of the ball and accuracy in the pass make him the ideal Barça defender. Grade: 9.2


- Carles Puyol: what can you say about the captain? He’s the most consistent defender in Barcelona. Rarely did he have any bad game and his defensive skills allowed Guardiola to place him in any position of the defenders’ line. Another great season for the captain. Grade 9.0


- Silvinho: his role on the team is not that of the regular player of frequent substitute but more of the mentor and voice of experience in the team. Guardiola did not trust him very much but when he was called for action he responded such as in the final of the Champions’ League. Many consider him out but do not be surprise if his professionalism, experience, and dedication earn him another year in Nou Camp. Grade: 6.0


- Alexander Hleb: along with Caceres Hleb was the biggest disappointment of the season. It was known that he wasn’t very effective at scoring goals but he was very good in Arsenal when it came down to a one on one situation and dribbling. He never adapted and never understood how to work with Alves on the right wing. Next season, if he stays, he won’t have the adaptation excuse. One his defence, it can be said that he never played in the wings at Arsenal and maybe that’s where Guardiola has it wrong. Perhaps a move to the center field would benefit his game as it happened with Gudjohnssen. Grade: 3.5


- Iniesta: no compliment and positive adjective can describe Andres’ majestic football. He has the vision that makes Xavi the architect of the midfield combined with the one-on-one abilities and dribbling as Messi. Having Andres in your team means to have goal, accuracy, speed, surprise, emotion. Either on the left wing or in the middle Iniesta always delivers. He’s goal against Chelsea will be remember for many years to come. Next year’s golden ball award and FIFA world player has to give Andres some justice and if he doesn’t win it he has to be in the top three. Best of all, he’s made in Barça. Grade: 10


- Keita: “Keita has stolen my heart” with that expression Guardiola referred about the African player. Keita is the official player number 12 of the team; one of the most overlooked roles in a team is that of the player that assumes that he’s not a started but the first man to enter the pitch when the substitutions come. This role was previously held be Iniesta and now Keita has assumed it the perfection. He’s passes are a piece of art and the control he provides to the midfield is something that comes across very useful for the team. His surprise entrance in the area is a resource very useful as well as his long distance shot. Grade: 8.4


- Toure Yaya: when the season started Yaya was not having the role he thought he deserved. Pep gave him a chance and soon there was no turning back. Toure has become the perfect ally for Xavi and Iniesta in a role of body guard. He plays his role of defensive midfield to perfection and has even tone down his attitude a bit when it comes down to protesting a call by referees. In the end due to the absence in defence he had to play as a center back and with the more games he played he became more solid. Just as Keita, his long distance shot is a missile hard to stop and for a player that is almost 2 meters tall his dribbling is another piece of beauty; if you don’t believe this check his goal in the King’s Cup final. Grade: 9.2


- Xavi: the best player of the Eurocup, The best player of the Champions’ League Final and probably the best player of FC Barcelona. When he has the ball it’s like watching a Swiss clock work. His passes make him look as though he has a GPS on his legs; the teams that beat Barça this year did it by shooting down Xavi’s game. His consistency is something not very typical in this game. Grade: 10


- Sergio Busquets: the revelation of the season. Guardiola coach him in the junior division of Barça last year and did not hesitate to call him to the first team at the beginning of the year. He debuted as a started in Nou Camp and soon proved himself to be ready for the main team. He combines the passing skill traditional of any young player made in Barça with some defensive midfielder skills proper of Guardiola himself. He moves in the field like a kid that has been playing for many years in Nou Camp. His only weakness is experience but only time gives you that. in the final of the Champions’ League he went from less to more and soon made a big impact on the game. Grade: 8.9


- Bojan: for an 18 year old player the expectations at Nou Camp are extremely high. He did not have as much action as last year but perhaps that’s a good thing. Guardiola took off the pressure he had last year in order for him to grow up as a player with more confidence. In the King’s Cup he showed his potential scoring a lot of goals. Next season he either assumes a more mature role in the team or Guardiola would have to give him on a loan so he starts to play more. Just for the record, last time fans claimed that a player from the junior team deserved a more decisive role in the main team was with an unknown called Iniesta. Coaches took their time and we all know what happened. Grade: 7.5


- Samuel Eto’o: a year ago this very day Eto’o was on his way out; not because he wasn’t a good striker but his attitude was a big problem. Guardiola wanted to start fresh but due to his high price no team could afford to buy him. He did a wonderful pre season and behave well and the result was 30 goals in La Liga plus the decisive first goal in the Champions’ League Final. Samuel is a much more mature player; his temper has been controlled by Pep and he’s a leader in the locker room. Anxiety prevent him from scoring 40 goals this season but what matters is that the important and crucial ones went in. Grade: 10


- Gudjonhssen: the iceman did not have a very important role on the field as his game is not that of quick pass that characterize the team. He brings more of a physical presence in the middle. His goal against Betis gave Guardiola the first victory at home. This would more likely be the last season of Eidur at Nou Camp. Grade: 6.7


- Thierry Henry: if someone had the disappointment of the year award last season it was Henry. Many thought that he was on his way out but Guardiola made it his challenge to bring back Henry to the level he showed in Arsenal. Henry was much more comfortable this season; he scored 19 goals in La Liga including 2 at the Bernabeu in the 2-6 victory. His dribbling and shot on goal are just pure class. If he earned the disappointment of the year award last season, this season he earned the “Welcome Back to World Class Level” award. Grade: 9.7


- Messi: the next year Golden Ball award and FIFA world player have its name. Leo was without a shadow of a doubt the best player of the year. Every time he had the ball something good happened. He scored a total of 41 goals in all competition which includes the 9 goals he score in the Champions’ League – one in the final – he also scored many victory goals. His dribbling can only be stopped with a yellow card foul. And the best part of his season was that for the first time he did not suffer a single injury. Grade: 10.


- Guardiola: Inexperience, Youth, Controversial Decision. All of these were arguments against the man behind the success. A year ago there was a debate between bringing Mourinho or Guardiola. Laporta gambled and brought the Catalan to be the coach and results soon started to speak for themselves. His working philosophy has become the envy of Europe; he doesn’t give private interviews, he doesn’t allow the media in the training sessions but he makes up for that by giving a lot of press conference and having a very polite relation with media members. Nonetheless when he was angry with the media he let them know so, very respectfully, but with character; for example in the middle of the season the media was talking about who should be the next striker because according to them Eto’o was on his way out; soon enough Guardiola stated “my players deserve respect and support not only from the fans but also from the Catalan press…that’s were you guys fill this with crap; I’m not asking respect for me but for this players that are doing a good job and making this a dream season”. One of the most important aspects is that Pep never gave up his philosophy and from day one he was very clear “we are going to attack”. He prevented his players from assisting to publicity acts two days before any game and also created a working philosophy in the team that went from proper diets to eating together as a team. In his first year he did what no coach in Spain has done; he won the Triple Crown and he did so by trusting in home-made players such as Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Messi, Valdes, and Pique. Grade: 10

Champions To Become Champion

King of Kings: Barça became the champion of the king’s cup for the first time since 1998 last Wednesday in Mestalla; a stadium that oddly enough was the same where they conquered the same title 11 years ago. Barça entered the final with the handicap of having played three decisive games in a row against Madrid, Chelsea, and Villareal; each of those games meant a lot to the team and Pep did not hesitate to put his best men in every single of those games. Athletic, on the other hand, had been preparing the final with up to 2 month un advance; and since they had already saved a spot for the next year’s Liga they weren’t even playing their best men for a couple of weeks so they could be rested for the final. But this Barça is just too good and too tough to beat. Despite the fact that Athletic scored first, Barça was able to remain quite and soon take control of the game which led to a water clear victory over the “lions” of Bilbao. It is fair to say that Athletic put a lot of pressure on Guardiola’s men but Barça never gave up their style; something that caught up my attention was how Pinto never kicked the ball away but rather passed it to his defenders despite the fact that he had 2 rivals near him; even though this was a risky move by Pep it ended up paying as the first two goal started from the goalkeeper which is one of the elemental rules of this team.

La Liga Almost Ready: Even though winning La Liga should have happened last weekend at Nou Camp when Barça was playing Villareal, a tie played out to be the best to happen. It allowed the team not to distract from the King’s Cup final while celebrating La Liga. Sure, it would have been nice to win it at their home stadium accompanied by their people but realistically speaking after the victory against Madrid La Liga has already an owner; it’s just a matter of when they will officially proclaimed. This weekend they can start playing being champions already if Real Madrid do not comes from El Madrigal with three points; the best thing about winning la Liga before playing is that it would allow him to put a lot of bench players in the main team and give a well deserved rest to men like Messi, Eto’o, Xavi, or Pique. If Madrid wins, which is very unlikely seeing how well Villareal is playing, then Barça would only have to tie in their feud against Mallorca. Statistically speaking, they have added at least one point every time they have played in Las Palmas the last 7 years. Once this title of officially given to Barça they would be the first absolute champions of Spain (League & Cup winner) in 11 years.

Thinking in Rome: With the King’s Cup won and La Liga almost done, Pep has his eyes on only in the final of the champions’ League. Winning La Liga this weekend would give him a lot of time to think only in Rome, take the pressure of his men, and don’t let any euphoria enter the locker room. Just to show how serious Guardiola is about this tournament he fined six of his players for showing up one minute late for the training of today. Not even after playing such a beautiful final was Pep to go easy on his player. The message is perfectly clear: the job is not over. Barça is right now in a unique position of completing the hat-trick of titles; something that only four teams have been able to do and none of which are from Spain, Pep knows it and he wants his team to know it as well. Rome is in the horizon but for now let’s enjoy this weekend which will be when Barça claims the title for the 19th time.