For the third time in row Barca failed to win their La Liga match after an international break. They are known to carry their form in La Liga to the UEFA Champions League, and if that happen we will definitely see holders Barca getting knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. Click to continue reading...

As a fan of Barcelona I was thinking the other day about the club's rich history as well as their successes in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona have won the UEFA Champions League three times in their history with two coming in the last four years which is extremely impressive.

It got me thinking; which Champions League winning side was better?

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Seguimos con el análisis de los equipos que hicieron historia. Así, aprovechando la reciente visita del Milán a Madrid (con sorprendente victoria milanista) queremos recordar en Retrofootball el equipo que cambió la manera defender a finales de los años 80.

Un entrenador semi-desconocido por aquel entonces, llamado Arrigo Sacchi, logró formar una "squadra" temible que ahogaba desde la defensa a cualquier rival.

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Nos pregunta un lector del retroblog, Michael, con qué equipo de la actualidad se puede comparar a la Holanda de Cruyff del mundial de Alemania 1974: ¿Barcelona, Arsenal o Manchester?

La Holanda de Cruyff - la llegada del fútbol total

Le hemos hecho la pregunta a nuestros colaboradores.

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Çok büyük bir ihtimalle Bernabeu'dan fark yiyip döneceğiz ama yine de umut olmadan bu oyunun bir zevki kalmıyor. Shevchenko, Rui Costa, Rijkaard,Donadoni,Gullit, Van Basten... Hiç birinin kalibresinde bir oyuncu yok. Takım olarak ise o takımların çok gerisinde bugün ki takım. Tarih tekerrür etsin istiyorum. Click to continue reading...

Bir yıl önce Andy Selva post'u blog'un ilk post'u olarak San Marino'lu halk kahramanına selamlarımızı gönderiyordu. Bu yıl içerisinde Kaka-Ronaldo transferleri, Beşiktaş'ın şampiyonluğu, Barcelona'nın oynadığı futbol ve Rijkaard'ın Türkiye'ye gelişi gibi pek çok tarihi olay yaşadık. Click to continue reading...

Herşeyde olduğu gibi futbol muhabbetlerinde de trend haline gelmiş dilden dile dolaşan sözler vardır. Örneğin Rijkaard'ın gelişiyle sanki yeni icad edilmiş olan "Total Futbol" kavramı, Rinus Michels isminin her ortamda dile getirilmesi, keza söz konusu Alex ise "koşmuyor" fiilimsi'sinin her cümlede kullanılması, ve artık her ağzı olandan duymaktan gına gelen "Futbol asla sadece futbol değildir" özlü sözü gibi pek çok trendin yanında son yıllarda yerel bir trendimiz oldu. Click to continue reading...

In part two of his season preview, Kais Sabir Jesani explores a key tactical problem that has the potential to derail Liverpool in the quest for the Premiership title this year.
Note: This article was intended to have been published before the first game of the season, but unfortunately, this was not possible. Click to continue reading...

Derwall'in Milli Takım'da görev aldığı yıllar. Schuster tipinden anlaşıldığı kadarıyla genç yetenek döneminde. İspanya'daki kariyerine rağmen Alman Milli takımında asla aranan adam olmadı Schuster! Sezon başı Rijkaard imzalamadan önceleri Schuster'in adı geldi-gelecek diye geçiyordu piyasada. Click to continue reading...

One of the most upsetting things about growing older is that people who you have spent your whole life admiring, respecting or loving start to die. When you're a kid, the deaths of people don't effect you quite so much as your little brain can't cope with the emotion and you haven't had long enough to get to know the person involved. Click to continue reading...

Reports are emerging from Spain that Samuel Eto has finally agreed to a 9 million Euro a year deal with Inter. There has been no confirmation from both the clubs but the players agent was recently quoted - that a deal is imminent. The whole saga of Eto - Ibra swap has taken some crazy twists recently. Click to continue reading...

This is something which has gone through my head a thousand times. Is Guardiola that good a coach as he is been featured by media? Surely a guy who has won an unprecedented treble with this FC Barcelona side has to be good, but is he a legend. For me Guardiola at this moment is more of a disciplinary genius than a tactical one. Click to continue reading...

Zico, Sokrates, Matthaus, Bergkamp,Ronaldo,Zidane, Gullit, Rijkaard, Van Basten, Platini, Boniek, Deschamps, Desailly... Sadece saydığımız bu isimlere bakıp bir de Kaka ve İbrahimovic'ten sonra Serie A'da yıldız kalmayacağını düşünürsek son 10 yılda Serie A'nın ne derece imaj kaybına uğradığını anlamış oluruz. Click to continue reading...

Teknik direktör Rijkaard yardımıcısı Neeskens! Hani içten içe bu Haldun Üstünel yine Kewell, Baros misali sağ gösterip sol vurur diyordum ama pek de ihtimal vermiyordum. Meğerse ihtimal vermeliymişim. Bu arada merak ettim yahu Haldun Üstünel Rijkaard'ı nereden aldırdı :) Click to continue reading...

Frank Rijkaard volverá a sentarse en los banquillos un año después de que abandonara su puesto de entrenador del Barcelona. Lo hará en el Galatasaray turco, que si bien en un primer momento mantuvo contactos con otros técnicos como Bernd Schuster o Juande Ramos, la opción del holandés ha terminado siendo considerada la mejor para sacar a los 'leones' de la pequeña crisis que han sufrido en esta pasada temporada.

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No Bernard Schuster, no Juande Ramos, no Ersun Yanal! Turkish Superleague giants Galatasaray have announced today that they have appointed the former Barca coach Rijkaard. To my knowledge, Rijkaard is the first dutch manager appointed to the duty at Galatasaray. I wish him good luck! Also, the club has announced that Johan Neeskens will be his assistant director. Click to continue reading...

It was not Cesc who used Brian Horton as a spittoon. Who was it then? A llama or a paan chewing Indian or mere projection on the part of Hull's assistant manager at losing a bitter match.

Anyways, good news for Cesc. He has been cleared of charges.

We walk you back in time for a look back at a few more infamous spitting episodes.

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Tim Cahill, who's had a brilliant season for Everton, has answered a few questions for The Guardian before taking on Manchester United in this afternoon's FA Cup semi-final.

As far as United fans are concerned, he has given several pleasing answers.

It's the Premiership's public enemy number one that Cahill would list as his favourite player today, after growing up supporting Milan and idolising the likes of Rijkaard and Van Basten.

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What did you miss around the football blogosphere yesterday? Catch up with the top stories from Soccerlens and several other top football blogs below.

Which Is the Most Exciting Title Race in European Football?

As domestic seasons wind down across Europe, there are many thrilling title races to follow, but which is the one most worth watching?

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Así lo ha afirmado el joven canterano del club azulgrana. que anotó los dos goles en la victoria de su equipo frente al Almería de Hugo Sánchez. "Pude aprovechar mi oportunidad, pero lo más importante fue conseguir la victoria y mantener la ventaja en la clasificación. Sé que debo seguir trabajando con la misma mentalidad, [. Click to continue reading...

El Chelsea confirmó, mediante un comunicado en su página web, la contratación de Guus Hiddink como primer entrenador del equipo hasta final de temporada, tras la destitución el pasado lunes del brasileño Luiz Felipe Scolari. Tal y como adelantábamos en el día de ayer, el holandés era el preferido de Abramovich para hacerse con el [. Click to continue reading...

Tras la destitución de Luiz Felipe Scolari, la cual se produjo después de que el Chelsea empatara sin goles ante el Hull en Stamford Bridge, el Chelsea no ha perdido el tiempo y se ha puesto manos a la obra en busca de un nuevo entrenador. Varios técnicos, todos de renombre, sonaron en un primer [. Click to continue reading...

(Summary is not available.) Click to continue reading...

Ya no coge de sorpresa: el Barça ganará esta Liga BBVA. 16 victorias sobre 19 posibles en la primera vuelta, récord de puntos, a ritmo de superar la barrera de los 100 tantos en el campeonato... que nadie se engañe. Este equipo no va a fallar. Perderá algunos puntos propios de la relajación que provoca [. Click to continue reading...

Ya está el Barça con ese miedo que le atonta y le hace ser, en ocasiones, un club menor y propenso al escándalo, la inutilidad y al fracaso institucional y deportivo. Cuando todo va mal, se tiende a la fatalidad, a cortar cabezas y a no dejar madurar los hechos. Cuando se va bien se [...] Click to continue reading...

Una jornada menos para que se produzca lo que todos temen: un tempranero alirón azulgrana. Arrasando están los de Pep en Liga, que ya han pasado por el Everest de la competición como Pedro por su casa. Valencia, Sevilla, Real Madrid y Villareal han mordido el polvo contra el buen hacer de la maquinaria de [. Click to continue reading...

Pep no se fía ni de su sombra. Hace bien. No se cree las palabras que pronunció Schuster y que le han valido la destitución al alemán. Hace muy bien. Guardiola sabe lo que tiene entre manos, sabe que es el club más voluble de toda la Liga BBVA, que el entorno suele cargarse la [...] Click to continue reading...

Frank Rijkaard, quien dirigiera exitosamente al Fútbol Club Barcelona hasta la temporada pasada, ha sido vinculado a varios equipos desde su retiro del cuadro catalán, según una nota publicada hoy por el diario electrónico de España MundoDeportivo.ES.
La nota afirma que Rijkaard fue vinculado al Chelsea y al Manchester City de Inglaterra durante el verano, además del Ajax (para formar parte del cuerpo técnico de Marco Van Basten), la selección de Portugal y México y finalmente al Milán de Italia (club que segura que el holandés sería el entrenador a partir del verano que viene). Click to continue reading...

Today former Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Costacurta was named head coach of Serie B club Mantova. Costacurta got his coaching license immediately after retiring from the game in 2007. Last year he did a little learning experience with Milan as one of Carlo Ancelotti's assistants and this summer he was linked with some jobs (most notably Pisa), but he turned it down because he wanted a place that was closer to his home in Varese.

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Yikes, look at Europe because here come A.C. Milan. As reported in Sports Illustrated, Ronaldinho will be joining the ever-growing contingent of Brazilians at A.C. Milan. Can you imagine Ronaldinho, Pato, Kaka, all together next season with the likes of Pirlo, Gattuso, etc.? Its a scary proposition for Serie A and those in the UEFA Cup. Click to continue reading...

Kuyt scores the 1-0 Oranje took on the vice world champions after having punished the actual title holders earlier on. The expectactions were suddenly high. That defense wasn't so bad after all and Sneijder, Van Gol, van der Vaart and Kuyt could move mountains. It seemed Engelaar was the new Rijkaard and Click to continue reading...

The 2007-08 season was quite an eventful one for Chelsea Football Club. Firings, transfers, on-field tomfoolery, misery this year had it all. As the curtain closes vehemently on the season and Avram's tenure in London it's time to look toward 08-09. My cunning 32-part expose on Chelsea's future begins with a look at the managerial position.

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Frank Rijkaard was the perfect manager for FC Barcelona. Joan Laporta said so. Johan Cruyff said so. His players thought so, all the way to the bitter end.

"Frank speaks so quietly you have to strain to hear him," says Ronaldinho, "and when you do, you realise he's always right.

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Many things have changed in Barcelona since Belleti's goal in Saint Dennis. Last season has been the final evidence that this Barça needs to change. Now it's easy to detail the errors. However, the people who like football can just clap or whistle at the stage. Rijkaard has been fired. It's true that he hasn't managed [. Click to continue reading...

Clasicos, superclasicos and the Ladies FA Cup final in England feature on this week's the good, the bad and the ugly. To get more information about the stories click on the links below to watch the video or read the article. Good A huge week for Real Madrid as they come from behind last weekend to beat [. Click to continue reading...