Il nipote di Vycpalek

Certo che la musica è sempre la stessa per i perdenti. La colpa è sempre di qualcuno quando sono gli altri a vincere. Solo gli onesti, quelli veri, vivono la consapevolezza del senso di umilt� col dubbio legittimo che forse qualcosa mancava in se stessi. Click to continue reading...

The following list of elite midfield players in the world will exclude the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka since they sometimes play as forwards or as support strikers depending on the strategy deployed by their team. Kaka has previously played as a second striker during his spell with Milan while both Messi and Ronaldo have played in various attacking positions for their club (mostly on the wing though).

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Aston Villa 1 (Platt) Bradford City 0. Old Second Division. 1988. This was the first football match I ever watched and I instantly fell in love with Villa's goal scoring hero, a fish shaped man called David Platt. I later came to realise he wasn't that good but the point is that, at the time, I thought he was a footballing god.

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A number of players can stake a claim for being part of the best team in the world at this early period of the European domestic leagues. However, very few players standout the way those listed below have in terms of their contribution to their team, their role as leaders, and certainly their crucial involvement in their respective clubs.

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Roy Hodgson on managing levels of expectation at Fulham and his position as a potential successor to Fabio Capello.
'It's always been a crowning glory to be asked to coach your national team'. Click to continue reading...

That's when Robin van Persie says he will be back, and just in case it's my chimney he selects then there will be a great big cushion in the grate to make sure he gets a soft landing!

I will miss our Robin, big time! For so many season's he has had a niggle here or there, but finally this year it seemed as if the boy wonder was going to send us all a bit crazy.

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It is hard to see England overcome Brazil even if they were at full strength with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, and Glen Johnson given how the Brazilians moved with ease around the pitch. Meanwhile, the English attack was barely able to make a dent.

Fabio Capello probably knows by now that Brazil is the team to beat.

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Van Persie was stretchered off against Italy.

Going into the international break this weekend, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. It's the feeling that many football fans have before every international week; the feeling of impending disaster as we wait to see who the victims of these meaningless matches are.

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Wayne Rooney was England captain during their 1-0 defeat to Brazil yesterday, something he never thought would happen.

With captain and vice-captain, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, both out injured, Fabio Capello trusted Rooney with� the responsibility.

"I remember the best players in the world Pele, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Platini were captains, no?

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As an Arsenal fan, this is disastrous news.

RVP is feared to have torn his ankle ligaments as he went down after a heavy challenge from Giorgio Chiellini in the Italy vs Netherlands friendly. He is undergoing an ankle scan in the Netherlands to ascertain the exact damage.

Wenger must be going out of his mind.

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The makeshift England side assembled by Capello were defeated by Brazil in an international friendly in Qatar. Nilmar's headed goal on the 47th minute helped Brazil stroll to a comfortable 1-0 victory over England. Click to continue reading...

Dunga si scaglia contro la Roma. Insomma, una grana in più per la gi� tormentata stagione che stanno vivendo i giallorossi di Claudio Ranieri. Il Ct del Brasile, alla vigilia di uno scoppiettante test amichevole che i verdeoro disputeranno contro l'Inghilterra di Capello, s'infuria con la societ� capitolina per non aver avuto a disposizione Juan (nella foto): "Il caso di Juan verr� sottoposto all'attenzione della Fifa, perché la Roma non ce lo ha messo a disposizione. Click to continue reading...

What on earth could have caused Francesco Totti's wife Ilary to have such a reaction?

Click through to find out. (And no, it's not seeing her hubby in a mullet.)

We've seen Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho and others of their ilk get the Italian TV show Chiambretti Night treatment, and this time around it was Ilary's turn.

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What on earth could have caused Francesco Totti's wife Ilary to have such a reaction?

Click through to find out. (And no, it's not seeing her hubby in a mullet.)

We've seen Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho and others of their ilk get the Italian TV show Chiambretti Night treatment, and this time around it was Ilary's turn.

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Sabato giornata ricca di amichevoli internazionali. Tante le sfide affascinanti in programma, tra le quali quella tra il Brasile di Dunga e l'Inghilterra di Fabio Capello. Ma non meno appassionante, anche se si stratta solo di un "friendly match", è il match tra la Spagna e l'Argentina del focoso Dieguito Maradona. Click to continue reading...

Prior to England's friendly against Brazil on Saturday I have been thinking about one possible tactical option available to Fabio Capello as he plans England's World Cup strategy.

There is no doubt that Capello has done a great job of taking an underachieving group of players and turning them into an effective team.

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Brazilian journalist Fernando Duarte (a future guest on the Soccerlens Podcast, once we can track him down) interviewed Brazil and Real Madrid star Kaka in Doha this week, ahead of Brazil's friendly against England.

The full interview can be read on the Guardian here are a few excerpts:

Kaka on.

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ESPN has taken more than their fair share of stick for their football/soccer coverage, and for good reason. They're American (despite dubbing themselves The Global Leader) and, by and large, they do American sports well. Others: not so much.

But they've gone off-script with their latest venture, the Soccer Power Index, designed to render World Cup 2010 moot.

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Glen Johnson has pulled out of the England squad to face Brazil on Saturday in Doha after picking up a slight injury in Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Birmingham City at Anfield on Monday night.
The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes of the Premier League game before joining up with his England team-mates, where he underwent a routine recovery session while the rest of the squad trained at London Colney. Click to continue reading...

In August 1992, on the opening day of the inaugural Premier League season, 22 teams took to pitches up and down the country with just 11 players born outside the British Isles named in the starting line-ups. 17 seasons later and with the foreign invasion showing no signs of slowing down, English born players have become a minority in their own top flight.

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Well, not much storm, really, just plenty of lull.

Unless I can wrangle this old electric word box past customs tomorrow night, WFRF? will be offline for a week. Somehow, despite debt collectors camping on my front lawn rattling their tin cups at me, I'm flying out to North Africa on Wednesday for seven days on the coast.

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Q. What exactly happened here?

A. Darren Fletcher won the ball and Ashley Cole jumped up into the air. Martin Atkinson promptly scurried across and awarded Chelsea the 'foul'. The rest, as they say, is the rest of this post.

Q. Was Sir Alex wrong in criticizing the referee?

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'sorry? (...) yeah shut the **** up.'

That wasn't really what I was expecting to be honest. Despite notable absences from the Sunderland side, and to a certain extent a lack of bite in our midfield today's game was one that we won't be forgetting for a while. It's safe to say that it was somewhat of an aggressive affair with both sides putting boots where perhaps they shouldn't have been and this incision found its way into the general scheme of play.

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Önceki senelerde kendi ülkelerinde kendi alt yapı çarklarında yetiştirdikleri futbolcuları başta Türk milli takımı olmak üzere diğer ülke takımlarına kaptıran Almanlar son yıllarda gerek Futbol Federasyon'u gerekse de Alman hükümetinin başarılı baskı politikası ile pek çok futbolcuyu Alman Milli takımına kazandırlar. Click to continue reading...

At look at the winners and losers of another weekend of Premier League action.

Winners
Chelsea
Chelsea is the best team in Europe at the moment. That doesn't mean that they will win the Champions League or the Premier League, it simply means that they are playing better than anyone in Europe at the moment.

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At look at the winners and losers of another weekend of Premier League action.

Winners
Chelsea
Chelsea is the best team in Europe at the moment. That doesn't mean that they will win the Champions League or the Premier League, it simply means that they are playing better than anyone in Europe at the moment.

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You can imagine the disappointment of United fans after the derby defeat to Liverpool but I am pretty sure the Carling Cup game against Barnsley put a smile on their faces. First team players Owen, Obertan, Evans and Brown proved they've got plenty to offer in team's quest for trophies, but it is the youngsters that impressed me the most.

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Michael Owen has scored three goals in five starts for Manchester United, twelve appearances in total, as he starts to settle in to his new team.

Fabio Capello recently described Owen as his "tormentor" as he struggled with the decision to include him in the England squad or not.

Owen is more than aware of the press fascination that follows him although believes he should be judged on his performances, not just goals alone.

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You may be wondering why the name at the top is neither Daryl nor Rob. I'll introduce myself, I'm Matilda, I also write for Bolton Offside. Both Rob and Daryl will still be writing here, I'm just a little addendum.

Milan chief executive, Adriano Galliani, has come out with the wonderfully self contradictory statement:

"It's practically certain at 100 per cent, the only thing missing is the signatures, but the agreement is complete.

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La sconfitta contro il Livorno ha lasciato tutti disorientati e anche molto amareggiati. I fischi dei tifosi fanno male, i musi sono davvero lunghi a Trigoria. E' un momento difficile in casa della Roma, distante quattro lunghezze dal quarto posto Champions (via spareggio) ma ben undici dall'Inter capolista. Click to continue reading...

The Englishman playing abroad, hoping to do enough to catch Capello's eye in World Cup year, David Beckham right ? Well, not necessarily.

Jermaine Pennant joined La Liga side Real Zaragoza during the summer and believes that his current form could well earn him a place on England's plane to South Africa in the summer.

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Joe Cole is back. In his first Premier League start since January following cruciate knee ligament injury, the pint-sized midfielder produced a mesmerizing attacking display brimming with pace and invention. At the heart of Chelsea's attacking play from the get go, Cole seamlessly linked midfield and attack from the ‘hole' behind Anelka and Drogba inspiring the Blues to a resounding five-nil drubbing of Blackburn.

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Meet England's new Assistant Head Coach
Guardian Headline: "Ice hockey is crazy because it's a mix between boxing and other sports. The referee has to stop the game all the time because each incident leads to a boxing match."
Fabio Capello: Okay, John Terry, when the opposing forward gets too close and, como se dice, slashes you with a low stick near, your ah, the ah, loose parts, you will throw off your gloves and skate up to him, and stop, and spray him with ice. Click to continue reading...

Capello should tap this man for ideas

Capello on how other sports can influence football and how he is going to use them to prepare the England team for the World Cup.

"It's important to understand the psychology of all these sports and they've helped me to improve my own style," said Capello.

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The Great Serie A Game posts continue with Roma-Juve 2003/2004. The 2003/2004 season was an interesting one. Milan, fresh from a Champions League victory and with some new young Brazilian player named Kaka, were dominating Serie A. While Marcello Lippi's Juve looked to be favorites to combat the Rossoneri to the Scudetto, it was not the case.

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