::: FistedAway welcomes a guest post from Elliott,
editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

The path from the cusp of destruction to redemption has been a long one for Liverpool FC fans. Bad apple Americans owners. The departure of Rafael Benitez. The exodus of star players like Xabi Alonso.

::: FistedAway welcomes a guest post from Elliott,
editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::

The path from the cusp of destruction to redemption has been a long one for Liverpool FC fans. Bad apple Americans owners. The departure of Rafael Benitez. The exodus of star players like Xabi Alonso.

The explanation is simple: Granada's Borja Gomez De Jong'd Malaga's Diego Buonanotte in the first half of Monday's 2-1 win. Gomez was shown a yellow card for his high kick and somewhere, Xabi Alonso felt an intense pain in his chest. Even if he didn't know why, he knew why.

Video right this way.

Images taken September 2011 in Madrid.

After seeing the latest pics of Xabi Alonso and wifey Nagore shopping at D&G in Madrid, we got to thinking: have we ever seen Ane Alonso?

Okay, we have. Once. But have we ever seen Ane Alonso as a toddler?

We thought not, which is why we're donating a hi-res version of her to your desktop files and Tumblr accounts now, Kickettes.

Awards are for the vain folk that feel the need to be rewarded for greatness. An award, usually a piece of precious metal, is handed to an individual, usually a sentient homo sapiens, based on that individual's contributions to a particular endeavor. Subjectivity underlines the entire process. Humans clasp at the material to the detriment of the abstract.

Real Madrid came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Barcelona, but that was not enough as Barcelona progressed to the Copa del Rey semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate.

Real Madrid will rue their missed chances, especially in the first twenty minutes when they had more than enough chances to win this match.

Gareth Barry has acknowledged that Liverpool fans remain among the most influential supporters in English football but the Manchester City playmaker has also criticized them for verbally abusing him a few years ago.

Barry was touted as a replacement for Xabi Alonso and while the England international was even on the verge of signing for Rafa Benitez, he moved away from the protracted transfer proposition due to the impatience of Reds faithful.

I don't think they come lower than Pepe. Even animals have a sense of fair play. This man if you can call him that should be banned from the sport for life. Leo Messi goes down after colliding with Callejon and while he's down, Pepe strolls casually over and deliberately plants his studs on Messi's hand.

18.01.2012 - Real Madrid recibe a Barcelona en el Santiago Bernabeu por los cuartos de final de la Copa del Rey (2012). El partido se inicia a las 22,00 hs (hora de Madrid – GMT+1).En España puede verse en directo a través de los canales CANAL+ 1 y CANAL+ 1 HD. La cadena de Qatar Al Jazeera Sports transmite en directo (sólo para sus abonados) a través de cinco canales: AL JAZEERA SPORTS +2, +4, +9, +10 y el de alta definición HD 2.

Yes, you're looking at the sticky note belonging to Jose Mourinho from Saturday's match between Real Madrid and Mallorca. Granted, his handwriting looks a little like your 7-year-old sister's when she's penning a poem about Prince Charming in a pink cape, but who cares?

El equipo ideal del año fue monopolizado por los españoles, que situaron a seis jugadores entre los 11 seleccionados. El llamado "once mundial" quedó compuesto por Iker Casillas en el arco; Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Nemanja Vidic y Sergio Ramos en defensa; Andrés Iniesta, Xabi Alonso y Xavi en el centro del campo; Messi, Wayne Rooney y Cristiano Ronaldo en ataque.

SPANISH FOOTBALL was recognized by FIFA yesterday in more ways than one for 2011. Here is the official list of the "IDEAL 11 TEAM" for 2011. FIFA World XI FC BARCELONA has 5 players ( Alves, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta & Messi) with REAL MADRID having 4 players chosen ( Casillas, Ramos, Xabi Alonso & Cristiano Ronaldo).

Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Nemanja Vidic, Dani Alves
Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi.

"Rooney and Vida In FIFA World XI" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

At this point only World Cup success eludes him. But Leo Messi has done enough to earn himself a place in the pantheon of the greats. He was awarded the trophy by O Fenomeno looking none the worse for wear for someone recently recovering from dengue fever.

Messi beat out Cristiano Ronaldo, the Liga's top scorer last season, and his Barca team mate Xavi.

Lionel Messi won the FIFA Balon d'OR for the second consecutive time after the inception of the award last year. With this victory he has won the FIFA World Player of Year and Balon d'Or for the third consecutive time. It was a no btainer from the time the three man shortlist was announced.

Las clasificaciones siempre van a dar de que hablar, generan polemica, hasta las que hace la FIFA.
Por eso aquí están los 11 mejores jugadores del año según el máximo mandato en el futbol mundial. Fueron anunciados en la gala del dia de hoy.
Los futbolistas del Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso e Iker Casillas, no viajaron a Zúrich porque mañana enfrentan al Málaga por la Copa del Rey.

09.01.2012 - De final anunciado, la celebración y entrega del Premio Balón de Oro (2011) coronó a Lionel Messi como el mejor jugador del mundo (por tercera vez consecutiva).
Con 55 goles en 57 partidos y 5 títulos con Barcelona (Liga de España , Champions League , Mundial de Clubes, Supercopa de España y Supercopa de Europa, el año de Messi volvió a romper récords y felicitaciones.

Lionel Messi was voted World Player of the Year for the third year in a row with Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi a distant second and third respectively. Barcelona's Pep Guardiola won the manager of the year awrd having guided Barcelona to a unique double of La Liga and Champions League titles, Sir Alex ferguson who received an award for services to football was second and Jose Mourinho third in the Manager's list.

As if Lionel Messi needed any more evidence to prove that he is greatest player in the world.

Messi captured the Ballon d'Or for the third consecutive year, beating out Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi to add yet another item to his trophy case. The 24-year-old Barcelona maestro received 47.

The debate whether or not he's the greatest ever may never be resolved, but he is certainly well on his way to being the most decorated. The gentleman from Rosario won his third consecutive Ballon d'Or at the ripe old age of 24.

And he did it showing up in purple velvet.

Congrats (and Happy Belated B-day to the most Gingerific man in La Liga) you crazy kids! Image Credit: Vanitatis.com.

While the global footy community is full of hot and heavy, high profile relationships, not all of them are as wonderful and easy going for us to cover as Xabi and Nagore's is.

Twitter tributes to Ablett

Former Liverpool stars Xabi Alonso and Glenn Hysen have led the tributes on Twitter to Gary Ablett who sadly passed away on Sunday night after a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2012-01-02 13:03:07 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

The Italians have elected their "Best XI Team" for 2011 via the Sports paper "Gazzetta Dello Sport". Below is a neat diagram that shows it all with names/Clubs. As you can see its packed with players (coach) from SPANISH FOOTBALL Clubs. Question that comes to my mind: Schweinsteiger better than Xabi Alonso?

Joe Cole was the flagship signing of the ill-fated Roy Hodgson era, and he was a Rafa signing that Hodgson inherited. For me, like Bellamy, Cole was not given chances to impress at Anfield. It was also unfortunate that he got sent off in his very first game for Liverpool against Arsenal.

By Amy Eustace

"People just don't know how good Lucas is," prophesised Rafael Benitez, three years ago to the month. It was December 2008, and Liverpool had found themselves in a somewhat unfamiliar position by recent standards. Top of the table, ahead of the pack and with just one defeat for the first half of the season away to Spurs, the only problem was a smattering of frustrating draws.

Video: 10 great goals from the halfway line Xabi Alonso, David Beckham, Rivaldo and more

Videos of 10 great long range goals

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-12-14 13:15:30 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie has reiterated his claims that Charlie Adam can be as good - if not better - than Xabi Alonso.
The Spanish international became a cult hero during his five-years at Anfield, although left for Real Madrid under a cloud in 2009 after falling out with manager Rafael Benitez.

Earlier in the season, former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie argued that Charlie Adam has the potential to be as good as Xabi Alonso, an opinion that was met with derision by many Liverpool fans. Now, Gillespie has gone one further, stating that he believes Adam can be even better than the Spanish midfield maestro.

Real Madrid players have lamented their 3-1 loss to arch rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu last night with defender Sergio Ramos saying that losing to the Catalans is always more hurtful.

Speaking to the press after the loss, Ramos was also quick to offer his congratulatory remarks to Barca.

FC Barcelona got the league back on track with a thrilling 1-3 comeback win at Santiago Bernebeu. The match started with a disaster as far as Barca were concerened. We went a goal down in the very first minute following a horrendous mistake by Valdes. But this match was about whether Barca's grit and they dig deep and produced a brilliant comeback.

szólj hozzá: Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona

There are fewer joys in the world than the spectacle of seeing Barca coming to the Santiago Bernabeu and beat the crap out of Jose Mourinho's brownshirts. Which they proceeded to do summarily in the first edition of this year's El Clasico.

Real is considered favorites to win La Liga and the Champions League this season but they need to solve the riddle that Barca poses them.

Finalmente la fecha marcada en el calendario llega de nuevo para el enfrentamiento esperado entre el Real Madrid y el F.C. Barcelona. Regresa este apasionante duelo luego de aquel póker de clásicos en abril y de los duelos de la Supercopa de España en agosto, donde las mayores alegrías fueron culés con el pase a la final de la Champions League que posteriormente ganaron, la consecución de la Liga y la misma Supercopa, en cambio los merengues si bien pudieron vencer en tiempo extra en la Copa del Rey y terminar la racha de seis partidos sin lograrlo, quedaron aún mermados por la continuidad de la hegemonía culé un año más.

Xabi Alonso strokes his beard whilst mulling over his team's chances of winning this weekend's El Clasico.

It's going to be a big, contentious weekend of footy, we can feel it.

Short on time or interest to catch all the action as it happens? Yeah, we can feel that too.

There is a solve, though, that we've never explored before.

Here we go again! Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona in El Clasico (Photo: AP Photo)

The biggest matchup in European football takes place this Saturday when FC Barcelona travel to the Bernebeau to take on Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Real Madrid v Barcelona is live on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, December 10 at 4PM ET.

Images: © obs/AXE Unilever Germany.

Spiked egg nog may boast 'Have A Drunkenly Forgettable Merry Christmas', but nothing says 'Happy Horny Holidays!' quite like Sarah Brandner in a bubble bath.

We're not sure what holidays everyone here celebrates (but are open to hearing more!), but most of our staff grew up believing that Santa was real and Grandma couldn't ever make our favourite homemade cookies because she got run over by a reindeer.

So finally we've gotten this game out of the way. After Madrid's Burger King Boys (Getafe) knocked the wind off the sails of Barcelona, opening up a SIX (6!) point lead between us and them, the trolling from Cule trash talkers seems to have gone on overdrive (check out the last few posts at RMFB) – pushing the pre-clasico fever a couple of days too early.

So finally we've gotten this game out of the way. After Madrid's Burger King Boys (Getafe) knocked the wind off the sails of Barcelona, opening up a SIX (6!) point lead between us and them, the trolling from Cule trash talkers seems to have gone on overdrive (check out the last few posts at RMFB) – pushing the pre-clasico fever a couple of days too early.

Barcelona recovered from the quickest El Clasico goal in history to end Real Madrid's 15-match winning run and land a big blow in the La Liga title race.

Madrid entered the match as favourites based on their 15-match unbeaten run and they got off to a perfect start when Karim Benzema cashed in on a Victor Valdes error after just 23 seconds.

Lucas out for the rest of the season

LUCAS LEIVA won't be playing again this season for Liverpool after the club announced he had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury would now need an operation. When the Brazilian midfielder was stretchered off 20 minutes from the end of the Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea it was feared afterwards that his lay-off would be lengthy.

Xabi Alonso has revealed that Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo has still not returned to training ahead of Saturday's crucial La Liga clash with Sporting Gijon.

Ronaldo picked up an ankle injury following a strong challenge by Luis Perea during last weekend's ill-tempered derby win over city rivals Atletico Madrid.