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"La Liga? Meh, it's alright I suppose"

Spain is passionate about its football and with good reason, as the country currently has both the European Cup and the World Cup sitting in its display cabinets. These are two of hardest competitions to win in football and it just goes to show the true quality of players that have come from Spain in recent years.

"La Liga? Meh, it's alright I suppose"

Spain is passionate about its football and with good reason, as the country currently has both the European Cup and the World Cup sitting in its display cabinets. These are two of hardest competitions to win in football and it just goes to show the true quality of players that have come from Spain in recent years.

THE Champions League trophy is, barring a miraculous semi-finals comeback by Barcelona or Real Madrid, heading to Germany. The Cup's destination will be settled at Wembley in Das Teutonico, or whatever the match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich is called.

We got invited along by HTC to watch the Big Cup makes its way from holders Chelsea's Stamford Bridge home to Banqueting House in Whitehall, where it will used to serve punch or a novelty table centrepiece.

The German Bundesliga is held up by many as the best league in Europe. With packed stadiums, cheap tickets, locally owned teams and two sides in the Champions League semi-finals, the Bundesliga is flying high.

But Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is throwing more than a little cold water on the notion that the Bundesliga is the best league in Europe by saying that the league has become too easy .

The draw for the Champions League group stages takes place today. There is the potential for a group of death for some clubs, with the Champions of Spain in pot 1, Champions of England in pot 2, champions of Italy in pot 3 and the Champions of Germany in pot 4.

Pot One: Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Porto, AC Milan.

Brendan Rodgers has admitted the chance to manage a footballing "dynasty" like Liverpool was something that he could not turn down.

Speaking to the South Wales Evening Post ahead of his introductory press conference today Rodgers had this to say about taking over at Liverpool:

"For me, the only way I was going to leave Swansea was for a big club, and I mean a big club.

Circus performer Davide Zimmari has been putting on shows with dogs for many years, but recently he took the concept to another level by staging a new twist on the tired format of Barcelona-Real Madrid matches. With dogs wearing the shirts of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta and Xavi, Zimmari staged his own Clasico and the result was remarkably similar to the human version.

The defending World and European Champions have announced that they will play Haiti on June 8 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami as part of their preparations for Confederations Cup in Brazil. Buy Spain v Haiti Tickets

Spain will spend a week in Miami training at Barry University before travelling to Brazil for the 2013 Confederations Cup, a 2014 World Cup tune-up that runs June 15-30.

The press in this country are very confused about David de Gea. One minute they are highlighting every mistake as though he is one of the worst keepers in the league and the next they are claiming he is about to join Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Following stories linking him with a return to Spain, De Gea has claimed he would like to return one day, but wants to stay in Manchester for a long time and win a lot of trophies first.

The 2012-13 Spanish Primera Division (La Liga) season is set to start on August 18, 2012 with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona the favorites. Real Madrid won the title last season with a record setting 100 points and remarkable +89 goal difference.

So, who will win the title this season and which clubs will be relegated?

BY DAN KARELL

Much of the world will watch together as Barcelona and Real Madrid re-kindle the madness that is El Clasico, when the two meet on Tuesday in the second leg of the Copa Del Rey semifinals at the Camp Nou.

Last time around, the teams tied 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Barcelona's Cesc Fabregas' opener being cancelled out by the young Frenchman Raphael Varane, helping save Madrid in the tie.

They may be far apart in the Spanish League standings, but that won't make the latest installment of the Barcelona-Real Madrid derby any less intriguing.

The Spanish giants meet on Wednesday in the week's most high-profile match-up, with Barcelona riding high and Real Madrid enduring controversy amid reported tension in the locker room.

By NICK IUELE

In recent years, La Liga has been a two-horse race between Barcelona and Real Madrid. This term, Barca is right where they were expected to be: at the top and without a loss.

Real Madrid, however, is not and instead it is Radamel Falcao and Atletico Madrid that have moved into second place ahead of their clash with Barcelona.

Barcelona and Real Madrid might be two of the biggest football clubs in the world, but at times they act like petulant children.

According to Catalunya Radio, Barcelona secretly filmed Real Madrid defender's Pepe's during 2010-11's Clasicos, with the goal of recording all his tackles on Barcelona players.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo matched each other blow for blow at the Nou Camp tonight, scoring two goals apiece as Barcelona and Real Madrid battled out an entertaining draw in the first Clásico of the La Liga season.

Heading into the game, Real Madrid trailed Barcelona by eight points, so this was billed as must-win win for the champions.

The two richest clubs in the world, at least from an owner wealth perspective, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are reported ready to trigger Edinson Cavani's €63m release clause at Napoli this summer.

Cavani has been linked with a move to Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past, but according to London newspaper the Daily Star, Man City and PSG are the most likely destinations for the Napoli striker.

By NICK IUELE

A wild weekend in Europe had three of the top five leagues see new leaders.

With Manchester United falling to Norwich 1-0 on an Anthony Pilkington goal and West Bromwich Albion upsetting Chelsea 2-1 thanks to a 50th minute goal from Peter Odemwingie, all Manchester City had to do what take all three points to become the new table-toppers.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas says that Gareth Bale will be at the club next season no matter where Spurs finish in the league this season. This contradicts what Villas-Boas said last week when he claimed that Tottenham would have to finish in top four to keep Bale.

In Tottenham's press conference today, Villas-Boas said:

"The information I have from the club, that was mistakenly written about last week, is that the player is here to remain at the club independent of the objectives of Champions League qualification being met, or not.

Wednesday's King's Cup tie between Barcelona and Real Madrid was typically frenzied, with tempers fraying enough for Lionel Messi to take his grievances out into the parking lot after the game.

Spanish newspaper Marca are among those reporting an alleged incident between the normally-even-tempered Argentinean and Alvaro Arbeloa.