Here is the FC BARCELONA starting 11 line-up that faced REAL MADRID tonight in "El Clasico" & won 5 - 0. I suspect that many Barça fans who read Spanish Football Sports would appreciate the team photo for their records. Tonight´s victory marks the 5th straight victory over Real Madrid. FC Barcelona Team Photo - vs Real Madrid 29th Nov 2010 L to R top: Abidal, Pedro,Busquets,

Honesty is the best policy so, yes we, David Silva and Sergio Busquets are all pleasantly surprised/shockingly in awe. We did several double takes, click + zooms just to be sure no camera trickery was involved. We can now confidently say Xabi Alonso should come with a warning label. Nagore, we bow down to you.

After Arsenal's season was finished, I decided to wait until after the World Cup was over to begin posting again. This was mostly because there are 500 Arsenal blogs out there and 2 false transfer rumors making the rounds each day. So, now the World Cup is over and what is the big story in ArsenalLand?

If football is more to you than WAGS and boots, then get on over to this article on tactics written on an Arsenal blog. The post states that what has become oblivious from the recent World Cup in South Africa and club football for the past few years is that the use of two holding midfielders in front of the back four is become crucial in the modern game.

Holy fucking shit.

I've been writing Arseblog for over eight years now and I'm not quite sure where to begin this morning. I'll admit, after an hour I was looking at next week's trip to Barcelona as a nice jaunt, some beers in the sun with good company, a trip to my favourite steak sandwich joint and not much more.

For all the wonderment of the World Cup, there will be scandal and not of the FIFA variety (though perhaps that too). No, the players will be involved, and they shall dive. Oh they shall dive: with grace, with flair and with complete lack of self-respect. So below we have compiled the World Cup dive team, just like diving: no rules, just bad taste.

Here is the very latest SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM photo. Found it surfing the Web & thought many of the readers may wish to add it to their collection of images. Spain National Team 2010 L to R Top: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Busquets, Pique, Capdevila & Xavi Alonso L to R Bottom: Silva, Iniesta, Villa, Xavi Hernandez & Puyol

1) Nobody plays "total football" any more, so please stop referring to it unless you are providing helpful historical context. Even if you call it Totaalvoetbal, teams would get slaughtered if they tried it against modern tactical sides.

2) The current Dutch team aren't the "heirs" of anything except perhaps the drills created and overseen by coaches and trainers at Ajax's football academy.

As just about the whole Barcelona team has said at least once (if not three times!) that the Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas should be at the Camp Nou next season, it has come as a shock to me that ONE of them has admitted that Cesc plays for Arsenal, and there is "nothing to be [...]

Barcelona are looking to overturn their 2 goal deficit when they host Inter Milan tomorrow night in the return leg of their semi final Champions League fixture. The Catalans who are looking to make it to their third successive finals appearance in 4 years will however have to do more than the necessary if they are to beat the Nerazzurri.

Can the second set of quarterfinals equal the drama of Friday's games? One match has the making of a classic, the other a mismatch. Time to play.
Argentina vs. Germany
Arguably the world's best intercontinental rivalry, Argentina and Germany meet in the knockout stages for the fourth time in the last seven World Cups.

I'm delighted Spain won the World Cup. As I've often said in the past, along with Argentina, they are the team I most like to watch. And for once there can be no arguments the best team won the championship.

I can understand that people find the behaviour of Barcelona players and management to be despicable.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that he would have loved to see Paul Scholes in a Arsenal shirt, but revealed that he doesn't admire the tackling side of the veteran midfielder.

The Manchester United star has started the season in brilliant form and, while Wenger is a massive fan, he does have issues with the little genius.

The Philadelphia Union are a playoff caliber team. It's true. The league's most valuable player (official or not), two of the most exciting young offensive prospects in MLS, An endless supply of young, talented midfielders, a driven coach, and an assistant coach who made his name as a player development guru.

Vicente Del Bosque put his squad list for Spain's big friendly game against France: Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Diego Lopez (Villarreal). Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona).

After his theatrics at the Emirates and most notably at the Nou Camp, Barcelona's Sergio Busquets has done it again. The Spanish defensive midfielder, once an Arsenal target, used a mixture of diving and play acting against the Gunners over the two-legged tie. Tonight, as Barca faced Inter Milan, he did it again.

FC Barcelona knocked out by Inter despite the victory. Aggregate Barca - 2, Inter - 3

FC Barcelona's dream came of defending their Champions League crown at the home of their rivals came to an end after being knocked out byt Italian Champion Inter Milan. Inter Milan, who were reduced to 10 men for almost an hour following the dismissal of Motta, held firm in defense.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late and his latest claim to fame, to follow on nicely from his disgusting spell of acting to get Inter Milan's Thiago Motta sent off, is to get two yellow cards but not get red carded? Pepe Guardiola wisely subbed his midfielder before anyone noticed.

It still feels like a dream... walking to work early on Monday morning, stopping at each newsstand on the way to look at the newspapers and grin like a fool.

Spain, World Cup Champions.

SPAIN, WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS!

¡Campeones, oé!

Finally, finally, we've conquered not only the 'Quarterfinal Curse', but the World Cup itself.

The Red Bulls are looking for a third DP and this time it is a central midfielder - not a creative playmaker as Hans Backe, the Red Bulls coach hinted.

Rafa Marquez's future at Barcelona is looking a bit murky. He still has two years on his contract but indications are that the doors to his departure have opened up.

Journalist: Xavi Hernandez, I would firstly like to thank you for giving us a few minutes of your valuable time. I would also like to congratulate you on the World Cup triumph. You must obviously be delighted.

Xavi: As you say, it is obvious that I am delighted.

Earlier in the week Spain announced the squad that would be going to Mexico City to play a friendly against, you guessed it, Mexico. This is normal; if a bit odd this soon after the World Cup, but what has caused uproar is that six of Barcelona's Spanish stars have been named to the team. Victor Valdes, defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, midfielders Sergio Busquets and Xavi, as well as forwards Pedro and David Villa will all be going to Mexico even though they are still on vacation and haven't even met with Guardiola this season.

Ah Señor Pep, there's no need to start worrying! It's only January no one's in the mood to start work yet, everyone's still eating chocolates under the sheets and throwing snow balls at one another. So it's time to chill and learn from your two amigos in Italy, Mourinho and Leoooonardo.

Barca players try to loosen up for Tuesday's match.

Barcelona arrived in Milan by coach on Monday after having their flight cancelled due to the volcanic ash in the air. The Blaugrana made the 1,000 kilometre trek over two days and now will prepare in Milan for their showdown with Jose Mourinho's men.

Wesley Sneijder and Inter celebrate after beating Barca (AP)

If one were to say to us that Barcelona would have well over two-thirds possession against and outshot Inter at the San Siro, it was safe to say that they were just a formality away from heading to Madrid. Barcelona woud then suffer the biggest defeat of the Guardiola era at the hands of Inter 3-1.

Inter Milan 3 - 1 Barcelona(0-1) 19' Pedro, (1-1) 29' Sneijder, (2-1) 49' Maicon, (3-1) 60' Milito
They could well point to an arduous 14 hour bus journey. Or even an atrocious display of refereeing from Olegário Benquerença. But the brutal reality of tonights Champions League semi-final is that Barcelona were second best to an inspired Inter Milan.

Ten-men Inter Milan put on a textbook example of how to defend in Barcelona and knocked the defending champions out and sent Inter to their first Champions League Final since 1972.

Once again Jose Mourinho showed why he is the "Special One. His tactics proved decisive as Inter not only overcame the loss of Goran Pandev minutes before kick-off, but also the dismissal of former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta inside the first half-hour.

Inter Milan battled for more than an hour with 10 men to book their place in next month's Champions League final at the expense of holders Barcelona on a triumphant night for the Italian side's coach Jose Mourinho.

The Spanish holders won the semi-final second leg 1-0 but Inter went through 3-2 on aggregate after a pulsating encounter at Barca's Nou Camp stadium to reach their first final of Europe's elite club competition since 1972.

foto Charlie Wild

Aunque ya publique la lista de seleccionados de todos los equipos de la copa mundial, he aquí la lista definitiva de la furia española, que ahora dirige el bigoton Del Bosque.

Quedaron fuera de la lista definitiva de España Santi Cazorla, Dani Güiza, Álvaro Negredo, Marcos Senna, Diego López, David de Gea, y César Azpilicueta.

Stamford Bridge boss eyes up stunning young Nou Camp talent.

Win the Club Shirt Of Your Choice Simply by Speaking Your Mind!

Chelsea will reportedly attempt to sign Barcelona youngster Bojan this summer. Carlo Ancelotti is looking to spend big in order to bring some more young talent to Stamford Bridge and has earmarked a move for the Spanish international.

Or: who will earn a big money move to Bayern Munich and see his career nosedive as a result?

That's Lukas Podolski, the last and technically only recipient of the FIFA Young Player Award at a World Cup. Since the last World Cup back home he's seen his stock drop further than the Lehmann Brothers at club level while still scoring goals galore for country.

Spain have never won a World Cup but this year most of the world think the Spanish will finally win it. Most of their first team play for either Barcelona or Real Madrid, with thirteen of their 23 man squad playing for La Liga's top two clubs. The squad played beautiful football in Euro 2008 and have only lost once since their victory in the final, against the USA at the Confederations Cup.

This is a curiosity, definitely a fact & information for the reader about the current SPAIN 2010 WORLD CUP TEAM. The below photo illustrates 8 players that are part of the current SPANISH NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM: Pique, Valdes, Xavi, Villa, Puyol, Busquets, Iniesta & Pedro. All except goalkeeper Valdes would normally start in the SPAIN starting line-up or get a run during the course of a game.

Spain 0
Switzerland 1

Spain slumped to a shocking defeat at the hands of minnows Switzerland, who produced one of the biggest World Cup shocks ever.

It was Spain's second defeat since winning Euro 2008 and the architects of 'total football' were left terribly frustrated after Switzerland delivered a resolute defensive performance.

The Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has found it hard to conceal his anger at being left on the bench for Spain, while his (future) Barcelona midfield team-mates, Iniesta, and Xavi have made the starting line-up as usual. "I will not say, 'I'm angry or I don't care about not playing'," Fabregas told Sky Sports.

Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 16-Philipp Lahm, 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 20-Jerome Boateng, 15-Piotr Trochowski, 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 10-Lukas Podolski, 8-Mesut Ozil, 11-Miroslav Klose.

Spain: 1-Iker Casillas; 15-Sergio Ramos, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carlos Puyol, 11-Joan Capdevila; 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Xavi, 6-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets; 18-Pedro, 7-David Villa.

The Spanish Football Team starting 11 line up against Holland in the 2010 World Cup Final has been confirmed. It is the same starting 11 as against Germany in the semi-final:Casillas, Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevila, Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Iniesta, Pedro & David Villa.One will expect Fernando Torres to get a run in the latter part of the 2º half when the Dutch defence is a bit more

Or is it a dynasty already? Depends on your definition no European national team has ever won more trophies in a row than Spain's one and two (others have won as many). Of course Italy won back-to-back World Cups in the years before the Euros, so we could be pedantic, but we won't: Spain reign equally.

The talk in the aftermath of yesterday's final of the Netherlands as some kind of evil destroyer of the beautiful game is unfair on a team who were simply trying to play to their strengths. Some of the challenges were over-the-top, but in these cases it is Howard Webb who was to blame for his reluctance to mark his big day by waving red cards around until he saw it was absolutely necessary.

Honesty is the best policy so, yes we, David Silva and Sergio Busquets are all pleasantly surprised/shockingly in awe. We did several double takes, click + zooms just to be sure no camera trickery was involved. We can now confidently say Xabi Alonso should come with a warning label. Nagore, we bow down to you.