FOOTY BLAZE

Wunderteam: One of the greatest team in football history

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 10:26:00 +0000

Hugo Meisl and his Wunderteam

Football has not always been kind to some of the legendary International teams. The free-flowing Brazilian side of 1982, the Total Football inspired Dutch side of 1974, and the Magnificient Hungarian side fo 1954 are some of the prime examples. All these teams have revolutionized football in many ways and have mesmerized the fans and critics alike. Unlike the names mentioned above who have made their presence felt in modern football, the Austrian side of the 1934 World Cup remains relatively unknown.

The early 1930s saw Austria emerging as a powerhouse in European football. Inspired by the ideas of legendary English coach Jimmy Hogan and under the watchful gaze of Hugo Meisl, Austria developed one of the first super-teams in the history of the sport. At the focal point of the Austrian team was the 'Mozart of Football' himself, Matthias Sindelar.

Playing Style

Hugo Meisl structured his 'Wunderteam' based on the technically gifted Rangers side of the 1900s that toured his home nation. With the help of his friend Hogan, the Austrian developed his team based on the quick passing game introduced by the Englishman. The new revolutionary formation saw Austria lining up in a 2-3-5 formation with the front five interchanging positions between them.

Rudi Hiden, one of the greatest pre-war goalkeepers, guarded the Austrian posts while Josef Smistik pulled the strings in midfield. One of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Smistik's quickness, vision, and ability to pick a player made him an integral part of the Wunderteam midfield.

The star act belonged to Mattias Sindelar. One of the greatest ever to play the game, Der Papierene's fantastic technical and creative ability made him a nightmare for his opposition. Along with a supporting cast of Josef Bican, Antonn Schall, Johann Horvath, and Karl Zischek, the Austrians ruled central Europe during the early 1930s.

Rise of the Wunderteam

The emergence of the Wunderteam coincided with the formation of the Mitropa Cup - the first major international European club competition - and the Central Europe International Cup. The competitiveness and the exposure helped Austria develop their squad into football superstars.

During the late 1920s, Austria had some of the best individual talents in World Football. Despite the world-class talents at their disposal, the Wunderteam was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. The much robust Joseph Uridil lacked the technical ability to play the way Meisl wanted his side to play. The country's best forward Matthias Sindelar was cast aside for 'The Tank" following confrontations with Austrian coach. The Wunderteam finally started to shape up after the retirement of Uridil in 1930, and the reintroduction of Sindelar.

On the 16th of May 1931, Hugo Meisl fielded the Wunderteam for the very first time against unbeaten Scotland. The result was never in doubt, Meisl's Wunderteam struck five past the hapless Scotts, announcing their arrival. The win was the first of a 14 match unbeaten streak - including a successful Central European International Cup campaign - for the Austrians.

The almost two-year-long run would end at the feet of the mighty English. Despite losing 4-3 at Stamford Bridge, Meisl's team would garner applause from the English press for their style of play. It would take another 20 years before the Mighty Magyars hand a thrashing defeat to the English.

1934 FIFA World Cup and the demise of the Wunderteam

Hugo Meisl and his team entered the 1934 FIFA World Cup as one of the favorites to win the tournament. Despite being a little past their peak, Austria edged past France and Hungary before facing host Italy in the semifinals of the competition. In a match that showed clear signs of Benito Mussolini's influence on the officials, Austria controversially lost by one goal. The winner scored by Enrique Guaita showed clear evidence of a foul committed on Austrian goalkeeper Peter Platzer during the build-up. The Azzurri's went on to win the World Cup while Meisl's men finished fourth. The Italians would play spoilsport one more time in the 1936 Olympics, edging Austria for the gold in the finals.

Sadly, 1934 would remain the only World Cup that saw the Wunderteam. The death of Hugo Meisl in 1937 put the first nail in the coffin before the Nazi invasion in 1938 resulted in the Austrian football team forced into playing along with the Germans. The death of Matthias Sindelar on the 23rd of January 1939 struck the final nail in the coffin. Just 36, at the time of his death, Sindelar died in his apartment under mysterious circumstances.

In all their glory, Meisl and his Austrian side have a single Central European International Cup in their trophy cabinet. Despite their lack of success, Austria's Wunderteam deserves mentioning in the same breath as the 82 Brazilians, 74 Dutch, and the 54 Hungarians.

10 leading goalscores in Bundeslig history: 1-5

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 19:56:00 +0000

The next five contains some familiar names in German football. It also contains one of the greatest goalscorers ever to grace a football ground.

5.Manfred Burgsmuller -213 goals

One of the most underrated strikers in German football history

One of the most unknown and underrated strikers in the history of Bundesliga. Manfred Burgsmuller started his career in 1968 in the lower league with Rot-Weiss Essen after coming through its youth academy. The striker made his Bundesliga the following season after RWE secured promotion to Germany's top-tier.

With limited chances on offer, the striker spent just three seasons with the club before moving down a division to join Bayer Uerdingen in 1971. Burgsmuller spent three seasons in the lower division with Uerdingen before catching the eye of his former employers and moving back into the Bundesliga in 1974. Two seasons with his boyhood club was once again followed by a move down a level to join Uerdingen before joining Borussia Dortmund during the 1976/77 season.

It was during his time at BVB that Burgsmaller cemented himself as a Bundesliga legend. The striker spent eight seasons at Westfalenstadion, scoring the chunk of his goals, but never managed to win any silverware. In 1983 Burgsmaller made the move to FC Nurnberg before moving down a division to join Rot Weiss Oberhausen the next year.

After finishing as top scorer in the 2.Bundesliga, Burgsmuller made the move back to Bundesliga in 1985, this time joining Werder Bremen. The striker made a triumphant return to Bundesliga as he finally lifted the Bundesliga in 1988 at the age of 38 before finally retiring from the game in 1990.

Despite his goalscoring prowess, Burgsmuller was unlucky to have played in the same era as one of Germany's strikers. The striker made just three appearances for the national team between 1975 and 78 and never made an appearance in a major competition.

In 22 years as a professional player, Burgsmuller scored an incredible 213 goals 447 appearances.

4. Jupp Heynckes - 220 goals

The treble-winning manager is one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of Bundesliga.

Yes, one of Germany's greatest ever manager's once terrorised Bundesliga defenders. The German started his professional football career way back in 1964 with Borussia Monchengladbach after coming through its youth academy.

The young striker had an immediate impact on Die Borussen as he helped the club into the Bundesliga after scoring an incredible 23 goals in his first full season. The striker continued with his goalscoring form for his boyhood club for three more seasons before leaving Monchengladbach in 1967 to join Hannover 96. Three goal-laden seasons with the Die Roten was followed by a move back to his beloved Monchengladbach.

It was during his second spell at the club that Heynckes enjoyed the most success. The striker played a crucial role as Monchengladbach won their first-ever Bundesliga title in 1971. Heynckes was once again at the forefront as Monchengladbach became the first German side to play in the finals of the UEFA Cup and win the same.

Jupp Heynckes was an integral part of Monchengladbach during their golden years as they dominated German football. The striker spent 15 years as a professional footballer before retiring from the game in 1978.

The striker had an equally glittering career with his national side. Heynckes was part of West Germany's World Cup-winning squad of 1974 as well as the European Championship winning squad of 1972. He scored an incredible 14 goals in 39 appearances for the national side in nine years with the national side.

Jupp Heynckes remains the third-highest German goalscorer and the fourth-highest in the history of Bundesliga with 220 goals in 369 league appearances. He was also part of 4 Bundesliga winning sides, 1 DFB Pokal and 1 UEFA Cup-winning side.

3. Robert Lewandowski - 227 goals

Goals Goals Goals

The greatest foreign goalscorer in the history of Bundesliga and the only active player amongst the top five goalscorers in Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski started his career in his native country of Poland with third division side Znicz Pruszkow in 2006.

A goal-laden debut season saw Pruszkow moving up to the second division and Lewandowski gaining a move to Polish against Lech Poznan. A prolific goalscorer with the Polish side, Lewandoski scored an incredible 41 goals in 82 appearances in two seasons with the club before making the move across the border to join German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Robert Lewandowski made his Bundesliga debut as an unknown player in 2010 with Dortmund. After struggling to find the net in his first season, Lewandoski took on the mantle of scoring as he helped Borussia Dortmund to their first-ever double in the German league. The polish striker spent four seasons at the Ruhr-region club, becoming one of the most sought after strikers around the world and helping Dortmund to their first Champions League final in 16 years, before moving across to arch-rivals Bayern Munich on a free in 2014.

At Munich, Lewandoski established himself as one of the world's best. The Polish striker scored an incredible 230 goals in just 275 appearances as he helped the Bavarian giants to the Bundesliga title in each of five seasons at the club. The Pole was on course to win his first European Golden shoe before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic put a stop to his goal-scoring spree.

A prolific goalscorer for his country, Robert Lewandoski is the highest goalscorer for his nation. Currently at 61 goals, Lewandoski is amongst the active leading goalscorers in international football.

A career that has spanned over 14 years now, Lewandoski has already established himself as one of the greatest strikers of his generation. The striker has scored an incredible 227 goals in just 313 appearances. During his time in Germany, the Pole has won an incredible seven Bundesliga titles, 3 DFB Pokals and 4 DFL Super Cups in just nine seasons.

If anyone is likely to beat Gerd Muller's record in the near future, it is going to be Robert Lewandoski.

2. Klaus Fischer - 268 goals

A man for the theatrics

Known more for his acrobatic skills rather the number of goals he scored, Klaus Fischer is the only player in the Bundesliga to be ranked in the top 5 of both leading goalscorer and appearance maker.
The striker started his professional career with 1860 Munchen in 1968 after coming through SC Zwiesel youth academy.

After struggling to find the net in his debut Bundesliga season, Fischer scored an impressive 21 goals before making the move to the Ruhr region to sign for German giants Schalke. Fischer's career almost ended before it had begun after being involved in the bribery scandal that rocked the Bundesliga in the 1971-72 season. After serving a one-year ban, Fischer returned back to his goalscoring duties and immediately helped the Die Knappen to the DFB Pokal.

Klaus Fischer spent 11 seasons at the Parkstadion but failed to deliver a league to Schalke despite being one of leading goalscorers in the country. The striker finally left the Gelsenkirchen side to join Cologne in 1981. Three seasons at Cologne saw Fischer adding another DFB Pokal before moving to VFL Bochum in 1984. The striker went on to spent four seasons at Bochum before finally retiring in 1988.

Despite having been ineligible for the national side for over 5 years due to the bribery scandal, Fischer scored an incredible 32 goals in 45 appearances for West Germany. He was also part of the side that finished runners-up to Paolo Rossi's Italy in the 1982 World Cup.

Klaus Fischer ended his career after scoring an incredible 268 goals in 535 appearances. Fischer also remains FC Schalke's all-time leading goalscorer. Despite being the second-highest goalscorer in Bundesliga, Fischer never managed to win the league title and only finished as the league top goalscorer on just one occasion.

1.Gerd Muller - 365 goals

Der Bomber

One of the greatest ever to play the game of football, Gerd 'Der Bomber' Muller incidentally started his career in 1963 way down in the seventh tier of German football with TSV Nordlingen. After scoring a staggering 47 goals in 28 matches in his first full season as a professional, Muller made the move to a then lesser-known second division club named Bayern Munich.

The transfer of Gerd Muller still remains one of the biggest transfers ever done by the Bavarian club. The striker along with Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier laid the foundation that helped Bayern Munich turn into the most successful club in the history of German football. Muller instantly helped Bayern back into the Bundesliga after scoring another staggering 33 goals in 26 matches.

Return back to Bundesliga was followed by a third-place finish and the DFB Pokal in 1965. Muller spent 15 seasons with the Bavarian giants and scored less than 20 goals on just three occasions. The striker terrorized the defenders as Bayern Munich dominated the mid-1960s and 1970s.

Muller won his first Bundesliga in 1969, four years after making his Bundesliga debut. The striker would go onto win three more during four seasons as Germany and Bayern Munich dominated International and European football.

Der Bomber finally left the club in 1979 to join the North American Soccer League side Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He played three seasons with the American side before retiring from the game in 1981.

Part of West Germany's golden generation, Muller won both the FIFA World Cup and the European Championship in the 1974 and 1972 respectively. He still remains Germany's second-highest leading goalscorer with an impressive 68 goals from just 62 appearances.

In a career spanning almost 18 seasons, Muller won 3 European Cups, 4 Bundesliga's, 3 DFB Pokal's, 1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 Second division title, all with his beloved Bayern Munich. Gerd Muller also scored an impressive 365 goals in 427 appearances and was named the leagues' top scorer on seven occasions. He was also the recipient of the 1970 Ballon d'Or.

10 leading goalscorers in the history of bundesliga: 5-10

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:52:00 +0000

Torjägerkanone

Since its inception in 1963, Bundesliga has been one of the most-watched and followed leagues in the world. Despite being dominated by Bayern Munich for decades, the German league has always had a fairytale story down the years. Currently, Bundesliga is the most entertaining league in the world with an average of just under three goals per match.

Here we take a look at the top 10 goalscorers in the Bundesliga.

10. Klaus Allofs - 177 goals

One of the best players in the history of Fortuna Dusseldorf

One of Fortuna Dusseldorf's greatest ever, Klaus Allofs started his professional career with his hometown club of Fortuna Dusseldorf in 1975. Playing during one of the most successful eras of the club, Allofs helped Fortuna to two DFB Pokal trophies as well as to a runners-up title in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup before joining FC Cologne in 1981.

Klaus continued his goalscoring touch with Cologne as he became the first player in the history of Bundesliga to win the topscorer with two different teams. During his six seasons at the club, the striker helped Cologne reach the finals of the 1985-86 UEFA Cup and added one DFB Pokal title.

The forward moved to France after his FC Cologne stint, joining French giants Marseille in 1987. Two seasons with Les Phoceens was followed by a move to Bordeaux in 1989 after winning the Ligue1 and Coupe de France with Marseille.

A season with Bordeaux was followed by a move back to his homeland to join Werder Bremen. Way past his best and at the old age of 34, Allofs spent three season river islanders before retiring in 1993. It was during his time in Bremen that the forward finally won his first and only Bundesliga title. He ended his career after winning the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup with Werder Bremen.

Klaus Allofs made 56 appearances for his country scoring 17 goals. He was part of the 1980 European Championship winning squad of Germany as well as the famous 1986 German team that lost to Diego Maradona's Argentina.

A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Klauss Allofs scored an incredible 177 goals in 424 Bundesliga matches.

9. Dieter Muller - 177 goals

FC Cologne second-highest goalscorer

The most successful period in the history of FC Cologne coincided with the rise of Dieter Muller. The striker made his professional debut in 1973 with Kickers Offenbach after coming through their youth system.

Despite making just two appearances, Dieter Muller found himself moving to Cologne the following season. It was at Cologne that Dieter Muller made himself a household name in the German Bundesliga. The Cologne legend spent eight seasons at the Rhine-based club helping them win their second Bundesliga title as well as two DFB Pokals. During his eight seasons at Cologne, Muller finished as the top scorer of the Bundesliga on two occasions, incredibly scoring six goals in 73 minutes on one occasion in a single league match.

1981-82 season saw Muller moving to Stuttgart before moving outside his country to join Bordeaux in 1982. At France, Muller won two more league title this time with Girondins Bordeaux before moving to Switzerland to join Grasshopper Club Zurich in 1985. A season at Switzerland was followed by a move back to his homeland to join FC Saarbrucken in 1986. A move back to his boyhood club Kickers Offenbach followed the next season before retiring from the game in 1989.

Muller's international career though was a very brief one. The striker made just 12 appearances but scored an impressive 9 goals, representing West Germany in 1976 European Championship.

A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Dieter Muller scored an impressive 177 goals in 303 Bundesliga appearances.

8. Stefan Kuntz - 179 goals

A European Championship winner with Germany

A product of Borussia Neunkirchen youth Academy, Stefan Kuntz made his professional debut in 1980 and spent three seasons with his boyhood club before making his Bundesliga debut in 1983 with VFL Bochum.

At Bochum, Kuntz established himself as one of the best young prospects in German football. Three seasons at Bochum and a Bundesliga top scorer award later, Kuntz decided to move to Bayer 05 Uerdingen. The striker was once again on the move after three seasons, this time moving to FC Kaiserlaturen in 1989.

It was at the South-west German side that Kuntz tasted his first and only Bundesliga title as well as his first and only DFB Pokal title. Kuntz spent six seasons with Kaiserlautern before moving to Turkey to join Besiktas in 1995.

A brief one-year stint at Turkey was followed by a return to Bundesliga with Arminia Bielefeld. Two seasons with Bielefeld was followed by a return to Bochum before retiring from the game for the first time in 1999. Kuntz, however, reversed his decision and returned to action in 2002 with lower league side SV Furpach before finally retiring from the game in 2005 after playing a season with FC Palatia Limbach.

A European Championship winner with Germany in 1996, Stefan Kuntz made 25 appearances for his national side scoring 6 times before ending his brief but championship winning four years.

Stefan Kuntz ended his Bundesliga career after scoring 179 goals in the Bundesliga in 449 appearances. He also won two Bundesliga topscorer award, one each with VFL Bochum and FC Kaiserlautern.

7. Ulf Kirsten - 181 goals

A Spy for East Germany, a legend at Bayer Leverkusen

A title winner with East Germany and a title winner with the reunified Germany, Ulf Kirsten was arguably one of the best players ever to have been born on the Eastern side of Germany. A product of East Germany's most popular club Dynamo Dresden, Ulf Kirsten made his professional debut in 1983 in the East German league with Dynamo Dresden.

Working as a footballer and as a secret agent or a 'Stasi' under codename Knut Kruger, Ulf Kirsten enjoyed huge success in the East German league winning the now-defunct DDE Oberliga twice and the FDGB Pokal twice. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 made drastic changes to the footballing in Germany and saw the striker moving to the Bay Arena to join Bayer Leverkusen in 1990, becoming one of the first East German players to do so.

An instant hit at the Bay Arena, Kirsten spent the rest of his professional career with the Die Werkself. A gifted striker, Kirsten finished as a top scorer in the Bundesliga on three occasions for Leverkusen. Despite his goalscoring prowess, Bayer Leverkusen managed to win just one DFB Pokal while he was playing with them.

The East-German born striker made over 100 caps for Germany (49 with East Germany and 51 with West Germany) and was the first player to reach a total of 100 caps while playing for two different nations. Kirsten spent 10 years with the reunified German side between 1990 and 2000 but failed to win any silverware. The striker also scored an impressive 34 goals (14 for East Germany) during his 100 international matches.

Ulf Kirsten spent thirteen seasons with Bayer Leverkusen before retiring in 2003. During his thirteen seasons, he was part of the 'Eternal Bridesmaids' squad that saw Bayer Leverkusen finishing runners up in 4 Bundesliga seasons, 1 DFB Pokal, 1 DFB- Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League. A prolific scorer throughout his career, Kirsten scored an impressive 181 goals in 350 Bundesliga appearances.

6. Claudio Pizzaro - 197 goals

One of the two players in this list who are still active

The current grand old man of the Bundesliga, Claudio Pizzaro started his footballing career way back in 1996 with Peruvian side Deportivo Pesquero after coming through the youth academy of Cantolao. Pizzaro's goalscoring talent was quickly taken note by Peruvian giants Alianza Lima and joined the club in 1997, one year after making his debut.

The striker continued his goalscoring touch to his new club and helped them finish second in the Peruvian Primera Division and Torneo Apertura while winning the Torneo Clausura. The young striker soon found himself on a plane to Bremen in 1999 after three seasons in the Peruvian League.

The Peruvian born made his Bundesliga debut in 2000 for Werder Bremen. A change in the continent never had much effect on the young striker as Pizzaro quickly hit the ground running. Two seasons with Bremen was followed by a big-money move to German giants Bayern Munich. It was the first of his two spells with the Bavarian against. During his first spell with the German giants, Pizzaro won three Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals and the Intercontinental Cup before moving the Premier League to join Chelsea in 2007.

A failed move to Chelsea was followed by a return back to Werder Bremen the following season. Four seasons back at Bremen saw the was followed by a second spell at Bayern Munich. It was during the second spell at Bayern, that Pizzaro enjoyed his most success. The Peruvian won three Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokals, 1 DFL Supercup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League.

Three seasons at Bayern was followed by a third return to Werder Bremen in 2015. Two seasons at Bremen was followed by a move to Cologne in 2017 before returning to Werder Bremen for the fourth time in 2018 following Cologne's relegation, where he still plays.

Claudio Pizzaro enjoyed a long career with his national side after having made his debut in 1999. He played 82 times for his national side and scored 20 times while also representing the nation in four Copa America.

The Peruvian striker holds various records in the Bundesliga. Claudio Pizzaro is the oldest to score in the Bundesliga as well as the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga. He is also Werder Bremen's all-time leading goalscorer and the second-highest goalscoring foreigner in the history of Bundesliga.

Claudio Pizarro has scored an impressive 197 goals in 479 Bundesliga matches. The Peruvian will be hoping to add three more to his tally before retiring from the game.

15 leading goalscorers in La Liga: 1-5

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 13:26:00 +0000

The next set of five players include two of the greatest players to have ever played this great game.

5. Raul - 228 goals

One of the most important figures in the history of Real Madrid

Once in a generation player, the man who brought the Champions League back to Real Madrid. Raul Gonzalez Blanco or simply Raul holds a god-like stature at Madrid. Considered one of the most important players in the history of Real Madrid, Raul joined the Real Madrid academy at the age of 13 after moving to La Fabrica after Atletico Madrid shut down their youth system.

Coming through the youth system, Raul made his professional debut for Real Madrid C in 94-95 season before becoming Real Madrid's then youngest player ever play for the senior team at the age of 17 years and 124 days later in the season. Raul quickly established himself as a key player symbolically meant the passing of the torch from Emilio Butragueno to the young Spaniard.

The striker was responsible for the legions of new sets of fans and the overall globalisation of the Real Madrid brand. Raul quickly established himself as a starter for the club after making his debut. After breaking the La Liga dominance of Barcelona and the dream team in 1994-95, Raul led Madrid to period of dominance between 1996 and 2003 where they won 3 La Liga titles, 3 Spanish Super Cups, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 Intercontinental Cup and 3 UEFA Champions League titles.

Raul spent 17 seasons at Madrid with his favourite side, leading the club for seven years, before finally passing the torch to Cristiano Ronaldo and moving to the Bundesliga to join Schalke in 2010. Two seasons at the Ruhr region and two titles later, DFB Pokal and DFL Super Cup, Raul moved to Qatar to join Al Sadd. Another two titles and another two seasons later the legendary striker moved to MLS signing for New York Cosmos before retiring from the game in 2015.

The Madrid-born striker was in a way arrived a bit too early when talking about his international career. He scored a then-national record of 44 goals in 102 matches but saw his beloved nation winning the Euro Cup and the World Cup three years after he made his final appearance.

A player of legendary status, Raul broke numerous records and was the benchmark for many of the upcoming strikers today. He won 6 La Liga's and won the Pichichi on two occasions. One of the players in the original Galactico era, Raul scored an incredible 228 goals 550 league appearance.

4. Hugo Sanchez - 234 goals

The Mexican goal-machine

Widely regarded as the greatest Mexican player of all-time, Hugo Sanchez was goalscoring machine. Having started his career in hometown club of UNAM, Sanchez made his debut in 1976 after three years in the academy. A prolific goalscorer in his early stages, Sanchez played a crucial role for the Mexican side as they won league titles and two continental titles.

The goalscoring prowess of the young Mexican drew the attention of Europe's elite, eventually signing for Atletico Madrid in 1981. After struggling in his initial season, Sanchez quickly established himself as one of the best striker's in Spain. A Copa del Rey and a Pichichi trophy in the 1984/85 seasons prompted cross-rivals Real Madrid to sign the striker from arch-rivals.

Part of the now-famous 'La Quinta del Buitre' or 'Vulture's Cohort' along with Emilio Butragueno, Manuel Sanchis, Martin Vazquez, Miguel and Miguel Pardeza, Los Blancos dominated the Spanish league from the mid-1980s winning 5 straight La Liga's, Copa del Rey and 3 Spanish Super Cups.

Sanchez left the Los Blancos in 1992 returning to his homeland to join Club America before making his final appearance in the La Liga with Rayo Vallecano during the 93/94 season. Stints with Atlante, Linz, Dallas Burn and Celaya followed before retiring from the game in 1997.

A prolific goalscorer wherever he went, Sanchez scored close to five hundred goals in his entire career. In his 11 seasons in Spain, Sanchez scored an incredible 234 goals in 347 matches, winning the Pichichi on five occasions.

3. Telmo Zarra - 251 goals

The man before Lionel Mess

The man who held many of the goalscoring records in Spain, the man who many believe is Athletico Bilbao's greatest ever to wear the jersey. Telmo Zarraonandia Montoya or simply Telmo Zarra started his career in his hometown with local side Erandio in 1939 before joining Athletico Bilbao the next year.

It was at the Basque county that Zarra famously made a name for himself. Leading the Bilbao attack, Zarra terrorised the opposition defence. The Spaniard played an incredible 15 seasons with Los Leones, winning a record 6 Pichichi trophies, 5 Copa del Rey titles, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 1 La Liga title. Zarra left the club in 1955 and continued playing in the second division with Indautxu and Barakaldo before retiring from the game in 1957.

His goalscoring record stood for almost 60 years before two-generational players outscored him. An almost perfect record of 20 goals in 20 international matches, 81 Copa del Rey goals, most goals in Copa del Rey and the goalscoring record lists go on.

A goalscorer par excellence, Telmo Zarra scored an incredible 251 goals in just 278 appearances. Despite his goalscoring heroics, Bilbao never managed to bring back their success during the pre-Second World War era.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 311 goals

The most efficient goalscorer in the history of La Liga

Goals, records and titles go hand in hand for the great Portuguese. A player whose brilliance is often marred by the presence of his contemporary and the first player in this list, Lionel Messi. There are no words to describe how great a player, a goalscorer and a brand Cristiano Ronaldo is.

Starting his career with the famed Sporting CP academy, Ronaldo made his debut at the age of 18 for the Portuguese giants in 2002. A year in Primeira Liga was followed by a big-money move to Manchester United after impressing Sir Alex Ferguson during a friendly match with Manchester United.

Given the task of wearing the famed Number 7 jersey of Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo burst onto the world of football under the watchful tutelage of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. After initial struggles, Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the English Premier League till he became the world's most expensive player and move to Real Madrid in 2009.

Already a Champions League winner and a Balon d'Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo terrorised La Liga defences. Cristiano Ronaldo created nightmares for La Liga defenders as the Portuguese helped Real Madrid break the Barcelona stronghold over the Spanish league. Countless goalscoring records, record-breaking El-Classico views, globalisation of the La Liga and many more occurred following the arrival of the great Portuguese.

Despite all the accolades, Cristiano Ronaldo remained second-fiddle to his great counterpart, Lionel Messi, in the domestic league winning just two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups during his nine seasons at Madrid. The European stage though was a different case with the forward winning four Champions League titles including three straight ones. Individual accolades include five Balon d'Ors. Cristiano Ronaldo abruptly ended his La Liga sojourn, joining Serie A giants Juventus in 2018 following an impressive World Cup.

Equally good at the international level, Ronaldo remains the active leading goalscorer in international football. He is also the second in the all-time list behind Ali Daei. The forward also guided his nation to their first-ever international trophy in 2018., the Euro Cup in France.

A winger-turned striker, Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the greatest ever to grace the field. Good with both his feet, Ronaldo is very likely to remain as La Liga's most efficient goalscorer. The Portuguese scored a staggering 25+ goals in each of his campaigns in Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his Spanish career after winning three Pichichi trophies and scoring an impressive 311 goals in just 292 appearances, an average of more than 1 goal each match.

1. Lionel Messi - 438 goals

The Greatest player of this generation

A list of La Liga goalscorers is sure to be unfilled without the addition of the maestro. One of the most gifted players of all-time, Lionel Messi is the active and leading goalscorer in the history of the La Liga. Being in an internet friendly world, there isn't much that is not recorded about the Argentine magician that the world doesn't know about.

Starting his career at the famed La Masia, Lionel Messi made his debut for the reserve side in 2003 before making his first-team appearance in 2004. It took a while for the young Messi to establish himself in the star-studded first team but soon became an integral part of the team. Under the wing of Brazilian magician Ronaldinho, Messi learned his trade before taking over from the World Cup winner following the arrival of Pep Guardiola.

With Guardiola at the helm, Lionel Messi dominated the world of football winning numerous trophies as well as breaking countless records. The Luis Enrique era brought in one of the most feared attacking trio the world has ever seen with likes of Luis Suarez and Neymar joining Lionel Messi. Following the departure of Neymar to PSG, La Pulga has been on a level rarely reached by any football player.

A goalscorer, a playmaker, a leader, a motivator and whatnot, Lionel Messi has been Barcelona and vice versa, The Argentine has won an impressive 34 trophies with his club including a jaw-dropping 10 La Liga titles, 6 Copa del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Champions Leagues, 3 UEFA Super Cups and 3 FIFA Club World Cups.

Lionel Messi though has been one of the most unluckiest players on earth when taking the international stage into account. Three straight finals defeat between 2014 and 2016 further dented his hopes of ending the Albiceleste's wretched trophy-less run and ending his own wait for an international trophy.

A winner of 6 Balon d'Or trophies, Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest ever player to play in the La Liga. Born with a wand of a left foot, Lionel Messi has scored an incredible 438 goals in 474 La Liga appearances. The Argentine magician is unlikely to slow down any soon with Barcelona still searching for another man to take the mantle of their superstar.

Also Read: Top 15 leading goalscorers in La Liga: 6-10

15 leading goalscorers in La Liga: 6-10

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 18:23:00 +0000

The next set of players have defined their generation through some impeccable goalscoring. The names like Alfredo di Stefano, Edmundo Suarez, Cesar Rodriguez and Quini have inspired generations of new La Liga stars

10. Edmundo Suarez - 195 goals

An iconic figure in the history of Valencia

An idol at Valencia, Edmundo Suarez established himself as one of the best goalscorers of his generation. Starting his career at the Basque country, Edmundo Suarez initially played in various amateur clubs before signing up for Athletico Bilbao in 1935. Despite turning professional with Bilbao, Edmundo Suarez made just one appearance for the Basque County before the Spanish Civil War cancelled the league.

The war proved to be a boon for the striker as he made the move to Valencia in 1939 after impressing with 'Recover of Levate' team - a team made of players who fought in Levante during the war. In eleven seasons that he spent at the Mestalla, Mundo - as he was nicknamed- scored 10+ goals in nine seasons, breaking the 20-goal mark on five occasions. His goalscoring exploits landed him the Pichichi on two occasions.

Mundo, who was mostly employed as a striker, netted an impressive 195 league goals in 231 appearances and helped the Los Che to their first three league titles, Spanish super cup and two Copa del Rey titles. The Barakaldo-born striker formed a devastating attacking lineup with Epi, Amadeo, Asensi and Gorotiza.

The striker ended his playing days at the Mestalla in 1950 before retiring from the game in 1951 after spending a season on loan at Alcoyano. Mundo sadly passed away at the age of 62 in 1978.

9. Pahino - 210 goals

The man who paved way for the entry of Alfredo di Stefano

A forgotten figure at Real Madrid and a legend at Celta Vigo, Pahino contributions have often been forgotten. Manuel Fernandez, also known as Pahino, started his career in Iberian peninsula at Celta Vigo in 1943. Despite having a terrible debut season, scoring just four goals and suffering relegation, Pahino led Celta Vigo to their highest ever finish in La Liga till date and to the finals of the Copa del Rey, scoring not less than 15 league goals, in his five seasons at the club.

Pahino's goalscoring exploits caught the eye of his hometown club Real Madrid, securing a move to the capital of Spain in 1948. Often forgotten about his exploits at the Bernabeu, Pahino scored 19 or more league goals during each of his five seasons at Madrid, winning the Pichichi for the second time. The striker though etched himself into the history of Real Madrid as the man who paved way for the arrival of Alfredo di Stefano.

Good with both his feet, Pahino spend his last few seasons in La Liga with Deportivo La Coruna, joining the club in 1953. Four seasons with Deportivo was followed by a return to Segunda division to join Granada before retiring from the game in 1957.

Deployed mainly as a striker, Pahino spent 12 seasons in La Liga and scored an impressive 210 goals in 278 appearances. The legendary striker sadly passed away a couple of years back in 2012 at the age of 89.

8. Quini - 219 goals

The last player to win the Pichichi in alternative seasons with two different teams

Enrique Castro Gonzalez or simply known as Quini won an impressive seven Pichichi trophy during his career with five of them coming in the La Liga. In a career spanning 19 years, the talented striker represented just two clubs during his entire professional career.

The Spaniard span the majority of his career in the coastal city of Gijon with Sporting Gijon, making his professional debut in 1968 after moving from Amateur club Ensidesa. The striker was the go-to man for Sporting from Day 1 as they struggled to maintain their position in the La Liga.

After nearly 12 seasons at the club, Sporting were forced to sell their most prized asset to Barcelona after being relegated from the first division despite Quini scoring 25 goals and winning the Pichichi. Quini enjoyed his most successful period at the Catalonian capital, winning the Copa del Rey twice, Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup once before returning to his beloved Gijon and retiring in 1987.

One of the greatest strikers to have ever played for Spain, Quini represented the nation for 12 years, including appearances in two World Cup and two Euro Cups. Quini ended his career after scoring an impressive 219 goals in 448 appearances in the La Liga.

7. Cesar Rodriguez - 223 goals

One of Barcelona's greatest

A Barcelona man through and through, Cesar Rodriguez Alvarez is arguably one of the greatest to have worn the boots for FC Barcelona. Despite joining the Catalan giants in 1939 at the age of 19, Cesar had to wait for three years to make his debut after military service forced him to move to Granada and play for the local side Granda FC for two seasons.

Cesar finally made his debut in 1942 and helped his side win their first post-war La Liga title. Four more league titles along with three Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups were added during long 13 seasons with the club.

The striker finally left the Catalan side in 1955 joining Cultural Leonesa before retiring in 1960 at the age of 40 after spells with Perpignan and Elche.

Regarded as one of the greatest in his generation, Cesar Rodriguez scored an incredible 223 goals in 253 top-flight matches. Despite his goalscoring prowess, Cesar could only manage one Pichichi trophy in his entire career.

6. Alfredo di Stefano - 227 goals

One of the greatest ever to play the game

A name that is synonymous with the history of Real Madrid and Spanish football. A name that has etched himself into the El Classico rivalry without ever being part of the rivalry while at its best. Alfredo di Stefano is one of the greatest to have ever graced the football ground and definitely part of one of the greatest ever transfer stories in the history of the game.

Having started his career in his native country of Argentina with River Plate, Di Stefano made himself a star at Columbian side Millonarios. Forming a destructive trio with Perdenera and Nestor Rossi, Di Stefano and the Millonarios won three league titles and one domestic cup.

A friendly tournament organised by Real Madrid as a part of their 50th anniversary changed the course of the history of their club. Then Madrid president Santiago Bernabeu, having been impressed by di Stefano, quickly made the arrangements to buy the striker after despite Barcelona having struck a deal with his previous owners and last FIFA affiliated club River Plate. After a long legal battle, Di Stefano finally started his career in Spain after agreeing on playing alternative seasons for Real Madrid and Barcelona. A poor start to his career in Spain saw the Blaugrana selling their rights to the Madrid club. What transpired next helped Real Madrid to become the team that is today.

Called 'Saeta rubia' or the 'Blond Arrow', instantly showed his class at Madrid. The striker was a phenomenal figure in the Los Blancos team of the 1950s and mid60s. In a period of complete domination, Real Madrid won eight league title, five straight European titles, two Latin Cups, an Intercontinental Cup and a Copa del Rey.

A Balon d'Or winner, di Stefano finished as top scorer on five occasions and scored an impressive 227 goals in 329 matches. Named as one amongst Pepe's FIFA 100, di Stefano has numerous individual accolades to his name.

A great managerial career further enhanced his reputation in the game. The legendary figure sadly passed away at the age of 88 in 2014.

15 leading goalscorers in La Liga: 11-15

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 03:29:00 +0000

Pichichi Trophy

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the first names that come to our minds when talking about La Liga goalscorers. The two legends dominated the Spanish defences for a decade before Cristiano Ronaldo left Spain for Italy.
But who comes third after the two legends? Check out this list to find out the 15 leading goalscorers in La Liga

15. Karim Benzema - 162 goals

One of the two currently active players in this list

One of the two active leading goalscorers currently plating in the La Liga, Karim Benzema came through the Lyon youth academy before making his debut for the Les Gones in 2005. Struggling to break into a star-studded Lyon team, Benzema had to wait for three seasons before being given the responsibility of leading the Les Gones attack.

Under the tutelage of Alain Perrin, Benzema became the club's leading goal scorer as he led the club to their seventh and till date last Ligue1 title. Karim Benzema spent one more season at the French club before moving to Real Madrid in 2009. In the four years at his boyhood club, Benzema won four straight Ligue1 titles, 1 Coupe de France and 1 Trophee de Champions.

Benzema arrived in Madrid as one of the second generation of galactic signing by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. At Madrid, Benzema was overshadowed by the other Galactico signing Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman often played as the selfless frontman for Ronaldo to score the goals.

The striker was a key cog of Real Madrid's three straight Champions League winning side as the Madrid giants dominated the Champions League last decade. The Frenchman was finally given the responsibility of leading the Madrid attack following the shock transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018.

The Lyon-born player is currently in his eleventh season at Santiago Bernabeu. During his career with the Madrid giants, the Frenchman has won 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Reys, 2 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Champions League, 3 UEFA Super Cups and 4 FIFA Club World Cups. His stint in the national team has been far from pleasing after the striker was involved in blackmailing scandal with French teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema last played for France in 2014.

Karim Benzema currently stands fifteenth in all-time leading goalscorers in La Liga and the fifth non-Spanish player leading goalscorer. In 338 La Liga appearances, the striker has scored an impressive 162 goals.

15. Samuel Eto'o -168 goals

Greatest African footballer to play in La Liga

The only African player in this list, it comes as a surprise to many that Samuel Eto'o started his career in Spain with Real Madrid. The Cameroonian made his debut in 1999 with Los Blancos but failed to break into a star-studded Real Madrid first team. The African spent two seasons away on loan, before finally moving to RCD Mallorca in 2000 after spending a season earlier on loan at the island-club.

It was at the Balearic island that the La Liga first witnessed the attacking prowess of Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroonian burst onto the scene as he became the club's all-time leading La Liga scorer in just five seasons with the club. Samuel Eto'o left the club in 2004 to join Catalan giants Barcelona after helping Mallorca win their first and only Copa del Rey title.

At Barcelona, Eto'o transformed into the world-class striker that we know today. The Cameroonian formed the Blaugrana's first fearsome trio of the decade with Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry. Eto'o spent five seasons at the Catalan capital winning 3 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 Champions League titles as well as the Pichichi before moving to Inter Milan in 2009 as part of transfer deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The striker sadly would never in the Spanish league again after leaving its shores.

At Milan, Eto'o became the first player to win back-to-back trebles with two different clubs after Inter Milan lifted the Champions League, Serie A and the Coppa Italia titles. The striker though would spend just one more season with the Nerazzurri before moving to Russain to join Anzhi Makhachkala.

Eto'o spent two seasons at Russia before moving to Premier League side Chelsea in 2013. A year with the London side was followed by moves to Everton, Sampdoria, Antalyaspor, Konyaspor and finally Qatar SC before retiring from the game in 2019.

In his distinguished 22-year long career, Eto'o won 2 African Cup of Nations, 1 Olympic Gold Medal and 4 African Player of the Year. He represented Cameroon in four World Cups and six African Cup of Nations. He remains his national side's leading goalscorer and most appearance maker.

The striker spent almost a decade at Spain and scored an impressive 168 goals in 280 appearances.

14. Guillermo Gorostiza - 178

One of the members of the first La Liga winning team.

One of the earliest prolific goalscorers in Spanish football, Guillermo Gorostiza enjoyed a 22-year long career. The Santutzi born player started his career in 1927 with Arenas Getxco after coming through Zugazarte youth academy. The striker spent one more season in the lower leagues with Racing Ferrol before moving to Athletic Bilbao in 1929.

Gorostiza quickly left his mark in the La Liga as the Basque county club won four league title in six years. The striker also topped the top goalscorer chart on two occasions. Along with the league titles, the Spaniard also won four straight Copa del Rey titles with the club.

The striker left Bilbao after nearly 11 seasons to join a young Valencia team in 1940. With Gorostiza leading the attack, Valencia won their first two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey. Gorostiza joined lower league club Barakaldo CF after leaving the Mestalla in 1946. A season with Barakaldo was followed by his first retirement in 1947 before twice coming out retirement to play for CD Logrones and Juventia Trubia before finally retiring in 1951.

Guillermo Gorostiza was part of six La Liga winning teams during his 22-year long career. He was also part of the first team to win the title in 1929. During his 17-year long association with La Liga, the striker scored an impressive 178 goals in 256 appearances.

The striker tragically died in 1966 in Bilbao at the age of 57.

13. Juan Arza - 182 goals

Sevilla legend

One of the greatest ever strikers in the history of Sevilla FC, Juan Arza started his career in his hometown club of CD Izarra before moving up the leagues to join Malaga in 1942. Malaga, who were playing in the second division at the time, suffered relegation at the end of the 1942-43 seasons causing them to part ways with a number of their special talents, including Juan Arza.

Arza joined Sevilla after the Malaga debacle and quickly established himself at the Andalusian club. With a young and hungry Juan Arza leading the attack, Sevilla won their first and only La Liga title. Arza went not to win a Copa del Rey title as well as the Pichchi trophy in 16-season at Sevilla before moving to Atletico Almeria in 1959 and retiring from the game a year later.

The striker spent 16-seasons in La Liga scoring an impressive 283 goals in 349 top-flight appearances. Azra sadly passed away in 2011 at the age of 88.

12. David Villa - 185 goals

One of the greatest strikers in the history of Spanish football

A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, David Villa started his career in Sporting Gijon after coming through their academy. The striker made his debut in 2000 with the reserve side of Gijon before breaking into the first-team and taking up the mantle of the leading scorer of the club.

The goalscoring prowess of the young striker quickly garnered attention around the country. It didn't take long for Villa to make his La Liga debut as Real Zaragoza came calling first for the young Spanish striker. Los Manos signed up young Villa in 2003 after spending two years in the Segunda division.

The young David Villa quickly made the transition to playing at the highest level of Spanish football as he scored more than fifteen goals in his only two seasons with the club. Two seasons with Zaragoza along with a Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey title was followed by a big-money move to Valencia in 2005.

It was at the Mestalla that David Villa established himself as one of the best strikers in Spanish football. The Spanish striker formed a formidable partnership with former Real Madrid striker Raul Morientes but could only guide the Los Ches to one Copa del Rey title. After five seasons as finishing as Valencia's top scorer and minimal success, Villa made the decision to move to the Catalan capital and join Barcelona.

At Barcelona, Villa enjoyed a trophy-laden three seasons. The Spaniard formed an impressive partnership with Lionel Messi as Barcelona won the treble during his first season at the club. A La Liga title, a Spanish Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup titles were also added to his growing title showcase before finally leaving the Catalan capital to move to the Spanish capital of Madrid to join Atletico Madrid in 2013.

David Villa spent just one season at Madrid, winning the La Liga title, before moving to the United States of America to join MLS outfit New York City FC. The Langreo-born striker spent four seasons with the American outfit winning the MLS MVP once before finishing his career in Japan with Vissel Kobe.

Part of one of the greatest ever international teams to grace the game, David Villa played an integral role in winning his country's first World Cup and second Euro Cup. He ended his career as the leading goalscorer in Spanish national team.

During his eleven seasons in La Liga, David Villa scored 185 goals in 352 appearances.

11. Santillana - 186 goals

Carlos Alonso Gonzalez

Part one of the greatest dynasties that ruled Spanish football. Nicknamed 'Santillana', Carlos Alonso Gonzalez started his career with Racing Santander in 1970 before moving to Real Madrid at the age of 19 the next year. The striker was part of two different Real Madrid teams that dominated the La Liga during the 1970s and 1980s.

Santillana played seventeen seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid before finally retiring from the game in 1988. During his illustrious career, the striker was lucky to have been part of two decade-defining Real Madrid teams of the 1970s and 1980s. Santillana ended his career after winning an incredible 9 La Liga titles, 4 Copa del Reys and 2 UEFA Cups.

The Spaniard scored an incredible 186 goals in 446 appearances. Despite being one of the leading goalscorers in La Liga history, Santillana never managed to win a Pichichi trophy.

Top 15 Leading goalscorers in Serie A: 1-5

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:08:00 +0000

Four of the five leading goalscorers in Italian football comes from an era that was dominated by tough-tackling defence. In this list one name, Franceso Totti, towers over the rest due to the respect he commanded from his teammates and the opposition.
Here are the top 5 leading goalscorers in Italian football.

5. Jose Altafini - 216 goals

One of the key member in AC Milan's first European Cup-winning campaign

The striker is one of the very few players who have represented two different nations in the World Cup. Jose Altafini started his career in Brazil with Palmeiras in 1956 before moving to Europe to join AC Milan in 1958.

Nicknamed 'Mazzola', Altafini enjoyed a hugely successful career in Milan. Regarded as one of the greatest ever to don the jersey for the Rossoneri, Mazzola played a huge role in bringing the European Cup to Milan for the very first time. The striker's tally of 14 Champions League goals in a single campaign was unbroken for more than 50 years before Cristiano Ronaldo broke it a couple of years back. Altafini spent seven seasons in Milan, winning two league titles and a European Cup before moving to Napoli in 1965 following disagreements with some of his teammates.

The Brazilian-born striker formed a devastating partnership with Italian striker Omar Sivori but could never guide the Naples team to their first league title despite playing seven years at the Southern Italian club. Altafini left the Gli Azzurri in 1972 after failing to win any major silverware with the club.

A long way past his prime, a 34-year old Altafini joined Juventus in 1972 and helped the Turin giants to two Serie A titles before moving to Canada in 1976 for a brief spell with National Soccer League side Toronto Italia. The striker returned to Europe the same year, joining Swiss club Chiasso. Altafini would move one more last move, joining Swiss side Mendrisiostar, before retiring from the game in 1980 at the age of 42.

Born in Brazil, Altafini was part of the famous 1958 World Cup-winning side of Brazil that introduced the 'Samba' style of football. The striker would never play for the Latin American side, joining the Italian national team in 1961.

A prolific striker throughout his career, Jose 'Mazzola' Altafini scored an incredible 216 goals in 459 Serie A appearances. The striker was inducted into AC Milan hall of fame in 2019 and is widely considered as one the greatest ever to play in the Italian league.

4. Giuseppe Meazza - 216 goals

One of the greatest ever to don the jersey for the Nerazzurri

Many believe he is the greatest-ever player to play for Italy despite playing his last game over 50 years ago. Giuseppe Meazza played most of his career at Milan, he started his journey with Internazionale in 1927.

A prolific striker throughout his career, Meazza finished as the top scorer in the Serie A for three seasons and helped the Nerazzurri to three Serie A titles and one Coppa Italia before moving to the other Milan club in 1940.

The Milan-born striker spent two more seasons at his hometown with AC Milan before moving to Turing to join Juventus in 1942. Meazza would just spend one season at Turin before a brief stint with Varese in 1944 and Atalanta in 1945 before finally ending his career with his boyhood club Internazionale in 1947.

Meazza was part of two World Cup-winning Italian sides and remains the second-highest goalscorer for his nation. He still remains the fastest player ever to reach 100 goals in the Serie A. Meazza scored an impressive 216 goals in 367 Serie A appearances.

The striker sadly passed away in 1979 at the age of 68. Meazza was inducted into the Italian Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Inter Milan Hall of Fame in 2019. The San Siro is famously named in honour of Giuseppe Meazza.

3. Gunnar Nordahl - 225 goals

The most efficient striker in the history of Serie A

One of the greatest strikers ever to play the game, Gunnar Nordahl is arguably the best player to come out of Sweden (Yes, there are players that were off the same calibre of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or more than that). Gunnar Nordahl started his career in his home country with Hornefors IF in 1937 and played for the Swedish side before moving to Degerfors IF in 1940. Four seasons with Degerfors was followed by five seasons with IFK Norrkoping before Nordahl made his entry into Serie A with Italian giants AC Milan.

Nordahl impact on AC Milan was instantaneous, the Rossoneri won the Serie A title in the second season after the arrival of the Swede. The striker would go on to add one title for the Rossoneri before moving. The Hornefors-born striker spent seven seasons at Milan, finishing as the top scorer of the Serie A on five occasions (a record he still holds today) and helping the Milan giants to two titles.

The striker ended his Milan career in 1956, joining AS Roma. Nordahl spent two seasons at the Eternal City before retiring from the game in 1958. Nicknamed 'Cannoniere', Nordahl is the leading non-Italian goalscorer in the Serie A and is one of the most efficient goalscorers of all time.

During his nine seasons in Italy, Nordahl scored an impressive 225 goals in just 291 appearances. The striker sadly passed away at the age of 73 in 1997. He was honoured by AC Milan and inducted into their hall of fame.

2. Francesco Totti - 250 goals

The Gladiator

One of the most loyal players to have ever graced the game, Francesco Totti spent his entire professional career at his hometown club AS Roma. Nicknamed 'The Golden Boy' or 'Er Bimbo de Oro' at the start of his career, Totti came up through the AS Roma youth system before making his debut in 1993 at the age of 16.

The Italian became the captain of the team in 1998 at the age of 22, a position he would hold till the end of his career. Totti formed a formidable partnership with Gabriel Batistuta as AS Roma won their third Serie A title ending an 18-year long wait for the league, the striker though would never win the league again in his career.

Totti spent 25-years with the Giallorossi winning just one league title, 2 Coppa Italia and 2 Supercoppa Italiana. Despite the lack of success at AS Roma and constant transfer rumour linking him with a move to Real Madrid, Francesco Totti remained loyal to the club he loved and stayed.

The Romanista finally retired from the game in 2017 after playing three decades for the Giallorossi. Totti's loyalty to Roma earned him many nicknames like 'The Gladiator' and 'The Captain' during his long career.

During his career with Roma, Totti won the European Golden Shoe once and was named in FIFA 100 by Pele. Francesco Totti holds several records at Roma including the highest goalscorer and the highest appearance maker. "

Francesco Totti's crowning moment though would forever remain the 2006 FIFA World Cup he won with the national team.

In 618 appearances in the Serie A, Francesco Totti scored an impressive 250 goals. The Italian is the leading goalscorer for a single club in Serie A.

1. Silvio Piola - 274 goals

The only player in Serie A history to be the leading goalscorer for three different clubs

The greatest goalscorer in the history of Serie A, Silvio Piola started his career in 1929 with yesteryear powerhouses Pro Vercelli. The striker spent five seasons at the North-west Italian club before moving to the capital city of Rome to join Lazio.

It is at Lazio that Piola showcased his goalscoring prowess. The Robbio-born striker terrorised the defenders for almost a decade as he won the Serie A top scorer award on two occasions. A lack of success saw Piola making a move to Turin to join Torino, but the move failed to produce any results which ultimately led the striker to join cross-town rivals Juventus in 1945.

Piola would go onto spent seven seasons with the Bianconeri, twice falling short on the elusive Serie A title, before moving to Novarro in 1947. The Italian would spend seven more seasons as a professional, playing for Novarro before retiring from the game in 1954.

During his 25-year long career, Piola scored 274 goals in 537 appearances but sadly never lifted the Scudetto. The striker though still remains the top-scorer in the Serie A for three different clubs (Lazio, Novaro, Pro Vercelli). Despite being trophyless in his club career, Piola was one of the key figures for Italy as the European side won the 1938 FIFA World Cup.

Silvio Piola was honoured by the Italian football federation by inducting him into the Italian Hall of Fame in 2011. The striker sadly passed away at the age of 83 in 1996.

Also Read: Top 15 leading goalscorers in Serie A: 6-11

Top 15 Leading goalscorers in the Seria A: 6-11

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 13:25:00 +0000

The next set of five players contains many familiar names with four of them playing in this Millenium.

11. Alberto Gilardino - 188 goals

One of the youngest members in Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad

An Italian journeyman striker, Alberto Gilardino started his career Piacenza in 2000 after coming through its youth academy. The striker made his debut in 2000 and spent a season with the club before moving to North Eastern Italy to join Hellas Verona.

At Verona, Gilardino enhanced his reputation as one of the best young talents in the country. The striker played two seasons for the Gialloblu before moving to Parma. It did not take long for Gilardino to get back on the road as a move after an offer AC Milan saw the striker moving to the Rossoneri in 2002.

It was during his time at Milan, that the striker enjoyed his trophy-laden stretch in his career. Gilardino won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup with Milan as well as the World Cup with the Italian national team.

Gilardino was on the road three seasons after joining Milan, completing a move to Florence to join ACF Fiorentina in 2008. It was in Florence that the striker spent the most and scored the most during his career. Four seasons at Florence was followed by a season at Bologna and Genoa.

In 2014, Gilardino became one of the first high profile names to join the Chinese Super League after completing a move to Guangzhou Evergrande. Six months later the striker was on the plane again, joining Fiorentina on loan for six months. Stints at Palermo, Empoli, Pescara and Spezia followed before Gilardino called it a day in 2018.

During his 18-year long career, the striker represented eleven different Italian clubs. The striker scored 188 goals across his career in 502 appearances.

10. Alessandro del Piero - 188 goals

Pinturicchio

One of the most loyal players to have graced the game, Alessandro del Piero spent most of his professional career at Turin with the Bianconeri. The talented striker made his debut in 1992 in the second division of the Italian league with Padova after coming through their youth systems before moving to Turin in 1993.

A legendary figure at Turin, Del Piero went onto spent nineteen seasons with the Old Lady of Turin before being released at the end of the 2011-12 season. Del Piero won all but the UEFA Cup during his time at Turin. In what will forever we remembered by the faithful of Juve, Del Piero was one of the four superstars to stay with the Bianconeri after the Turin giants were relegated to the second division following the Calicopoli scandal.

In a Juventus career that transcended three decades, Del Piero won 8 Serie A titles, 1 Serie B title, 1 Coppa Italia, 4 Supercoppa Italiana, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He remains Juventus leading appearance maker for Juventus in all-competitions and all-time leading scorer for Juventus.

The striker ended his stay in Turin in 2012 and joined Australian side Sydney FC. Two seasons with the A-League side was followed by a season in the newly formed Indian Super League Delhi Dynamos before retiring from the game in 2014.

Del Piero was named in the FIFA 100 and he was also inducted into the Sydney FC Hall of Fame in 2015, Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and Juventus Greatest XI of all-time in 2017. The 2006 World Cup victory though arguably will remain the greatest moment in Del Piero's career.

In his 23-year long professional career, Del Piero scored 188 goals in 478 Serie A appearances.

9. Giuseppe Signori - 188 goals

One of the greatest goalscorers in the history of Lazio

The only player in this list who has played in all four divisions of the Italian league, Giuseppe Signori started his career in Seria D with Leffe in 1984 after being released by the Inter Milan academy after being deemed too small.

The way up to the Serie A was long and hard for Signori. The striker spent two seasons at Leffe before moving up a division to join Piacenza. It took three more seasons in the Northern Italian club, including a season on loan at Trento, for Signori to make his Serie B debut. A move to Foggia in 1989 paved way for his Seria A debut in 1991 after seven years in lower leagues of Italian football.

A season in the top flight with Foggia was enough for Signori to secure a move to Lazio. The striker spent 6 seasons at the Italian capital winning the Serie A Top scorer award on three occasions before moving to Sampdoria.

A season with Sampdoria was followed by six seasons with Bologna, where he won the Intertoto Cup, before moving to Greece in 2004 top join Iraklis. A season with Greek side was followed by a move to Hungary to join Sopron in 2005 before retiring from the game in 2006.

Giuseppe Signori scored an impressive 188 goals in 314 appearances despite not playing the first seven years of his career in the Serie A.

8.Kurt Hamrin - 190 goals

One of the greatest players in the history of Swedish football

A part of Sweden's famous side that reached the 1958 World Cup final. Kurt Hamrin came made his professional debut in 1952 for AIK after coming through the academy of the Swedish club. The winger would spend three seasons at his boyhood club before moving to Italy to join Juventus in 1956.

The Swedish winger though would only spent one season at Turin. After making his debut in the 1956 season, Hamrin was loaned out Padova the next season before being sold to Fiorentina in 1958. It was with the La Viola that the Swedish winger etched his name in Italian football history.

Kurt Hamrin would spend the next nine seasons at the Artemio Franchi stadium, winning two Italian Cups and the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ever to play for La Viola, Hamrin would end his Fiorentina career in 1967 to join Italian giants AC Milan.

Two seasons at Milan reaped a Seria A, European Cup and his second UEFA Cup Winner's Cup for Hamrin. Despite the success, the Swede would move to Napoli at the end of 1968-69 season to join Napoli. Two seasons down at Naples was followed by a move back to his homeland to join IFK Stockholm before retiring from the game in 1972.

Kurt Hamrin was inducted into La Viola's Hall of Fame. Despite playing mostly as a winger, Hamrin scored an impressive 190 goals in 400 Serie A appearances.

7. Roberto Baggio -205 goals

The Divine Ponytail

The man who terrorised Italian defences during the 1990s. Nicknamed 'The Divine Ponytail' or the Baggio made his debut in 1983 at the age of 15 for Serie C1 side Vicenza. He spent three seasons with Vicenza before joining Fiorentina in 1985.

Baggio though had to wait till 1986 to make his debut after rupturing his ligaments during his last season with Vicenza. The versatile attacker spent five seasons as a La Viola player before moving to Juventus in 1990.

At Turin, Baggio formed a formidable partnership with Fabrizio Ravenelli and Gianluca Vialli as the Bianconeri broke the Milan domination and won the double in 1995. Baggio spent five seasons at Turin winning 1 Seria A, 1 Coppa Italia and 1 UEFA Cup before moving to the other Italian giants
AC Milan.

The striker spent two seasons with Rossenri, winning the Serie A once before moving to Bologna. A season with Bologna was followed by a move to his favourite childhood club Inter Milan. The move proved to be futile as Baggio struggled with injuries and lack of form which finally led the Nerazzurri to sell the star to Brescia in 2000.

Roberto Baggio spent four seasons at Brescia before retiring from the game in 2004. In the last 50 years, La Leonessa have managed to save itself from relegation in the Serie A only four times and each of the time they had Baggio leading the attack. The attacking player is widely considered to be the greatest ever to play for them and In honour of his service, the No. 10 was retired by the Leonessa.

Baggio had a 22-year long professional career during which he represented seven different Italian clubs. He was named in the FIFA 100 by the football federation as well as honoured AC Milan and inducted into their Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

The attacker scored an incredible 205 goals in 492 appearances in the Serie A during his time. Despite being one of the greatest ever to play the game of football, Roberto Baggio sadly is remembered for his infamous penalty miss against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final.

6. Antonio Di Natale - 209 goals

One of the greatest ever to play for Udinese

One of the most recent entrants into the list of Top 10 goalscorers in the Seria A. Antonio Di Natale started his career at Empoli in 1996 in the second division of the Italian league. The striker was loaned out three times - Iperzola, Varese and Viareggio - before establishing himself as a starter for Gli Azzuri.

Di Natale made his Serie A debut in 2002 after Empoli secured promotion to the Premier League. The Italian striker made the move to Udinese two seasons later Empoli suffered relegation. The Naples-born player started his Le Zebrette career slowly finding the net just 26 times in the league during his first three seasons.

One of the late bloomers in football, Di Natale sprang into life after turning 30. The striker scored an impressive 163 goals in the league during the next eight seasons. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored more goals between 2009 and 2011.

The Italian retired from the game in 2016 after nearly 20 years in the game. Antonio Di Natale scored an impressive 209 goals in 445 appearances in the top division of Italian football. He was twice awarded the Serie A top scorer award and is currently the highest goalscorer in the Serie A for Udinese.

Also Read: Top 15 Leading goalscorers in the Seria A: 1-5

15 Leading goalscorers in the Serie A: 12-15

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 12:06:00 +0000

Scudetto is given to the winner of the Serie A

The Italian league has always been considered one of the toughest leagues in the world. Known for their defensive playing styles, the teams from Italy have won a total of 12 Europeans Cups since their inception.
Despite the defence-oriented style of play in the Italian league, some of the World' greatest have made their mark on the Italian soil like Maradona, Del Pierro, Totti and so on. After years of being under the radar, Serie A has once again proving its self to be the breeding ground of the world's best after the exposure given to the league following the arrival of one Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus.

Here is the list of leading goalscorers in the history of the Seria A.

15. Giuseppe Savoldi - 168 goals

The first player to break the million mark in transfer fee

The Bergamo-born striker spent his entire professional career in Italy. Savoldi started his career at his hometown club of Atalanta and had two different spells with the La Dea. The striker made his debut in 1965 and spent three years with La Dea before joining the more popular Bologna in 1968.
It was with the Rossoblu that Savoldi became a household name in Italian football.

Giuseppe Savoldi spent seven seasons in (Geography of Bologna) as he led the Bologna's attacking line. The striker went onto to win his one and only Serie A Top Scorer award during his time while also winning the Coppa Italia twice.

In 1975, Savoldi cemented himself in the history of football after becoming the first player to break the 1 million transfer fee mark after making the move down south to join Napoli for a then world-record transfer fee of 1.2 million. The striker would go on to win his third Coppa Italia at Naples before returning to Bologna in 1979.

Three seasons with the Rossoblu was followed by a return back to his first club Atalanta before retiring in 1983. Savoldi also played four times for the national side. During his 18 years as a professional Savoldi scored 168 goals in 405 Seria A appearances.

14. Amedeo Amadei - 174 goals

A part of Roma's first title-winning team

One of those talented strikers who lost quite a few years of their career due to the Second World War, Amedeo Amadei started his career at the Eternal City in 1936. The talented striker made his debut in 1937 at the age of 15 years 280 days, a Serie A record which is still standing. Amadei though left AS Roma in 1938 to join Atalanta before returning to the capital city a season later.

During his second spell, Amadei helped AS Roma get their first-ever Seria A title in 1942. The striker went onto spent nine seasons at the Stadio Nazionale del PNF before moving to Inter Milan in 1948. Two seasons at Milan was followed by a move down south to Naples to join Napoli.

Amedeo spent six seasons at Napoli before finally retiring from the game in 1956. The striker ended his 20-year professional career with 174 goals in 423 top-flight appearances and securing one Seria A title. Till date, he remains the youngest ever to score in the Italian league.

Amadei was honoured by the Giallorossi in 2012 by inducting him into the AS Roma Hall of Fame and the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2018. The striker sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 92.

13. Giampiero Boniperti

President, striker and Serie A winner for Juventus.

One of the greatest ever to have worn the famous colours of the Bianconeri, Giampiero Boniperti spent his entire career with the Old Lady of Turin. Boniperti started his career just after the Second World War in 1946. The striker went onto spent the next fifteen years of his career at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino before retiring in 1961.

During his 15-years as a professional, Boniperti won five Serie A titles and two Copa Italia's. He was also awarded top-scorer in the 1947-48 season. He was named in the FIFA 100 and was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of fame in 2012.

Giampiero Boniperti scored 178 goals in 443 Serie A appearances during his career.

12. Gabriel Batistuta

One of the greatest ever to play for Argentina

One of the greatest strikers in the history of the game, Batistuta made his entry into Seria A in 1991. After coming through the New Old Boys Academy and making his debut in 1988, Batistuta spent a year each in Newell's Old Boys, River Plate and Boca Juniors before joining La Viola in 1991.

A living legend for Fiorentina, Batistuta spent nine seasons at the Artemio Franchi Stadium winning the Supercoppa Italiana, Coppa Italia and the Seria B titles. He also bagged the Serie A top scorer award in the 1994-95 season.

A wish for silverware saw the Argentine moving to AS Roma at the start of the Millenium. At the Stadio Olimpico, Batistuta formed a devastating partnership with Francesco Totti as AS Roma won their third and till date last Scudetto. The striker also won the Suppercoppa Italiana in 2001 during his time in the Eternal City.

Batistuta spent three seasons at Rome before moving to Al-Arabi on a free at the end of the 2002-03 season after spending the second half of the season on loan at Inter Milan. The Argentine retired two seasons later in 2005 after a seventeen-year long career.

For long Batistuta held Argentina's all-time goal scorer tag before Lionel Messi overtook him. Part of the last Argentine team to win a silverware, the striker won the Copa America and the FIFA Confederations Cup with the Albiceleste. He was also the top scorer at the Copa's on two occasions while also winning the Silver Shoe at the 98 World Cup and the top-scorer at the 92 Confederations Cup.

He was named in FIFA 100 and was also inducted into AS Roma Hall of Fame in 2015 as well as the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013. He still remains ACF Fiorentina's all-time leading goal scorer and was inducted into La Viola's Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also inducted into Argentina's Team of all-time by the AFA.

Batigol ended his Italian career after having 184 goals in 318 appearances.

Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Divison English Football: 1-5

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 06:19:00 +0000

The next five have each carved an individual path with their goalscoring prowess. Be it the Newcastle legend Shearer who continues to be Premier League all-time leading goal scorer or Everton legend Dixie Dean, who is the only person ever to score 60 league goals in England.

Alan Shearer - 283 goals

All-time leading Premier League goalscorer

The all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League, Alan Shearer incidentally played five seasons in the First Division before prior to the Premier League. Shearer started his career in 1988 with Southampton after coming through its youth system. The striker made the move to Blackburn Rovers in 1992 for a British record fee after rejecting offers from Manchester United.
At Blackburn, Shearer formed a formidable partnership with Chris Sutton as Blackburn became only the second team to win the Premier League. After four seasons with the Riversiders, Shearer was the subject of a world-record transfer fee to his hometown club Newcastle United.
At the Tyneside, Shearer became a goalscoring phenomenon as Newcastle enjoyed their best run since the 1920s. Despite his heroics, Shearer failed to bring the title back to St James Park as the Magpies finished runners-up on two occasions.
Shearer finally retired from the game in 2006 after nearly 19 years in the game. A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Shearer scored 283 goals in 559 appearances and won a single Premier League title with Blackburn. Shearer still remains the leading goalscorer in the Premier League with 260 goals in 431 appearances.

Gordon Hodgson - 287 goals

One of Liverpool's most prolific goalscorer

One of the very few to have been a professional player in both cricket and football, George Hodgson started his career at the Merseyside with Liverpool. The South African- born striker made his debut in 1925 but was a few shares late of the Reds early glory years of the 1920s. A selfless forward, Hodgson was fantastic in link-up play. He could play with either of his foot and was a good header of the ball.
The striker spent eleven seasons at Merseyside before moving to Birmingham to join Aston Villa in 1936. Hodgson spent just a season with the Villains before moving to Leeds United in 1937. The striker spent two seasons with the Peacocks before the Second World War suspended the league.
Hodgson retired in 1939 after scoring 287 goals in 456 top-flight appearances. The striker remains Liverpool's second-highest league goalscorer. Sadly, Hodgson died in 1951 at the age of 47.

Dixie Dean - 310 goals

One of England's greatest ever strikers

The owner of one of the most towering records in English football, Dixie Dean incidentally started his career in the Third Division with Tranmere Rover in 1927. A lifelong Everton fan, Dean made the move to the Toffees two years after making his professional debut.
It was at Merseyside that Dean turned into the prolific goalscorer. The Birkenhead born-lad scored an incredible 60 goals at the age of just 21 in only his third season in the First Division. The striker went on to score close to 350 goals before moving back to Third Division to join Notts County in 1937.
Dean spent a season at Notts County before moving to Sligo Rovers and to Hurst before retiring from the game in 1939.
Dixie Dean scored an incredible 310 goals in 362 top-flight appearances and won two First Division titles with Everton.

Steve Bloomer - 314 goals

One of Derby County's finest

One of the earliest goal-machines in English football, Steve Bloomer held the record for the highest goalscoring player in English football for over 50 years. The striker started his career with Derby County in 1891.
Derby County's leading goalscorer for 14 consecutive seasons, Steve Bloomer spent 14 seasons with the Rams during his first spell before moving to Middlesbrough and returning for a second spell in 1910. The prolific striker ended his career four seasons later after guiding his beloved Rams back into the First Division.
A World War Prisoner, Bloomer had been imprisoned in Germany along with a few other English players after the First World War broke out. Steve Bloomer scored 314 goals in 536 top-flight appearances.

Jimmy Greaves - 357 goals

One of the greatest players to play for the England national team Tottenham Hotspur

For long the holder of the highest goalscorer tag in Europe's top 5 leagues before two aliens overtook his record, Jimmy Greaves started his career at Chelsea in 1957. The striker spent four seasons at Stamford Bridge before moving abroad to join AC Milan in 1961.
On his return, Greaves joined his boyhood sides' arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. With Greaves upfront, Spurs enjoyed one of their best-ever runs in their history. Greaves spent nine seasons at White Hart Lane before moving another London club West Ham United before moving spending a five-year hiatus from the game due to alcoholism.
Jimmy Greaves would return to the field in 1976 for non-league side Barnet before ending his career at the end of the 1979-80 season with Woodford Town. The striker scored an incredible 357 goals in 516 appearances.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 6-10

Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 6-10

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 10:14:00 +0000

The next five contains a set of yesteryear players who never enjoyed the trophy-laden careers of some of the best to ever play the game.

10. Hughie Gallacher - 246 goals

One of the greatest ever to play at the Tyneside

One of the most prolific Scottish strikers of all-time, Gallacher spent most of his formative days in Scotland with the Scottish league before joining Newcastle United in 1925. At Tyneside, the young Gallacher quickly became a fan-favourite after ending 1925-26 season as the top scorer of the club despite arriving at St James Park midway through the season.
The centre forward was the pivotal figure the following season as the Magpies won their fourth and, till date, last First Division title. Gallacher spent three more seasons at Tyneside before moving further down to join West London side, Chelsea. Despite the lack of success with the Blues the striker still managed to 72 league goals.
Ill discipline and poor vein of form saw Gallacher getting transferred to Derby County. In two seasons with the Rams, the striker came close to winning their first-ever league title but saw the campaign ending with Sheffield Wednesday holding the prestigious trophy. Seasons with Notts County and Grimsby Town soon followed before returning to the Tyneside to join Gateshead. Gallacher ended his career in 1939 following the onset of the Second World War.
Despite playing the early years of his career in Scotland, Hughie Gallacher scored an impressive 246 goals in 355 league appearances. He is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of Newcastle United and is widely considered to be one of the greatest ever strikers to play for the Magpies. He sadly died in 1957 at the age of 54.

9. Joe Bradford - 248 goals

One of the greatest ever to play for Birmingham City

Another great Midlands striker, Joe Bradford spent his entire professional career with Birmingham City. Bradford started his career in 1920 with the Blues despite having done trials at Derby and Villa.
It proved to be the right decision as Birmingham returned to the First Division after winning the Second Division.
The striker took over the goalscoring responsibilities from an ageing Harry Hampton the next season as he finished joint topscorer. Bradford finished as the club's top scorer in twelve of his fifteen seasons at the club. The Peggs Green-born striker spent fifteen seasons with the Blues before moving to Bristol City in 1935 and ending his career with the Robins the next year.
During his sixteen years as a professional, Joe Bradford scored an incredible 248 top division goals in 410 appearances. He is the leading goalscorer in Birmingham City's history.

8. Nat Lofthouse - 255 goals

Bolton's finest

Arguably the greatest ever player to play for Bolton Wanderers, Nat Lofthouse started his professional career with Trotters just after the Second World War in 1946. Right from the first day till his final day, Nat Lofthouse led the Bolton attack. The striker finished as the clubs' leading goalscorer in twelve of the fifteen seasons he played with the club. He remains one of England's most prolific goalscorers ever after scoring an impressive 30 goals in 33 matches.
Despite his goalscoring heroics, Bolton never managed to win a league title with the club almost always finishing in the bottom half of the table. Nat Lofthouse retired from the game in 1960 following an ankle injury.
In his fifteen seasons, Nat Lofthouse scored 255 goals in 452 top-flight appearances. He is the leading goal scorer in the history of Bolton Wanderers. The striker sadly passed away in 2011, aged 85.

6. Charlie Buchan - 257 goals

One of Sunderland's greatest ever players

A World War hero, a prolific striker and a journalist Charlie Buchan has been involved with football during his entire lifetime. Buchan started his career with Woolwich Arsenal but made his professional debut with Sunderland in 1911. The striker had two spells at Rover Park on either side of the First World War.
During his first spell, Buchan was the leading scorer of the club in two of the four seasons prior to the First World War as Sunderland won their fifth First Division title. Buchan remained the top scorer for the next five seasons before moving to Arsenal in 1925. Buchan was way past his prime at Arsenal and looked a pale shadow of the prolific striker he used to be at Sunderland. He spent three seasons at Highbury before retiring in 1928.
Charlie Buchan scored an incredible 257 top-flight goals in 482 appearances and won a single First Division title with Sunderland. The striker sadly passed away in 1960 at the age of 68.

6. David Jack - 257 goals

One of the key players that helped Arsenal win their First ever League title

The first player to break the world record transfer fee twice, David Jack started his career in Portsmouth in 1919 before breaking the world transfer record to sign for Bolton in 1920. David Jack formed a formidable partnership with Joe Smith, scoring more than 300 goals between them in eight seasons.
Jack joined Arsenal at the end of the 1927-28 season, breaking the world-record fee for the first time as he became the first player in history to cost over £10000. With Herbert Chapman at the helm, David Jack prospered at Highbury as the Gunners won their first three First Division titles. Jack finally retired in 1934 after winning three First Division titles with the Gunners.
David Jack scored an impressive 257 goals in 476 top-flight appearances.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 11-16

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 1-5

Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English football: 16- 11

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 13:58:00 +0000

The next five includes a Manchester United and a Liverpool legend.

16. Harry Hampton - 219 goals

The second-highest goalscorer in the history of Villains

A World War I veteran and a prolific goalscorer, Harry Hampton is one of Aston Villa's greatest. The Wellington-born lad started his career with non-league local side Lilleshell Iron Works followed by a move Wellington Town before securing his professional contract with Aston Villa and moving to the Villains in 1904.
Hampton led the attacking line for the Claret and Blues for most of his time at the club. Playing as the centre forward, 'Happy' as he was nicknamed finished as the top scorer of the division on one occasion. Following the suspension of the league on the outbreak of the First World War, the striker served was on the frontlines at the famous Battle of the Somme.
The striker though never returned to his old self after the first World War and soon found himself transferred to Second Division side Birmingham (now known as Birmingham City) in 1920. Hampton helped the Blues secure the Second Division title in his second season but couldn't rediscover his touch after returning back to the top division. The striker was then transferred to Newport County at the end of the season before returning to Wellington Town and ending his career there in 1925.
Harry Hampton scored an impressive 219 goals in 357 top division appearances and won the First Division title with Aston Villa once. The striker remains Aston Villa leading league goalscorer, a goal ahead of the great Billy Walker.

15. David Herd - 222 goals

A member of Manchester United's first European Cup-winning team

The former Scotland international started his career in Third Division side Stockport County in 1951. Herd's goalscoring prowess quickly garnered the attention of First Division giants Arsenal and signed for the Gunners in 1954. After struggling to get into the first-team in the first two seasons, Herd finished as the club's top scorer in the next four seasons.
A lack of success at Highbury ultimately led Herd to make a move to Sir Matt Busby's Manchester United. At United, Herd was often overshadowed by the United Trinity of Best, Charlton and Law but still managed to make a name for himself. He was also part of Manchester United's first European winning squad but played just once for the Red Devils.
Herd moved away from Old Trafford at the end of the 1967-68 season to join Stoke City. Two seasons with the Potters was followed by a move to Waterford before retiring in 1971.
The striker scored an impressive 222 top division goals in 412 appearances and won two First Division titles with Manchester United. Herd remains the 13th and 15th highest goalscorer for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. Herd sadly died in 2016 at the age of 82.

14. Ian Rush - 232 goals

The Ghost

The greatest goalscorer in the history of Liverpool FC, Ian Rush played football in four different decades. Rush started his career in the Third Division with Chester City in 1978 before securing a move to Liverpool in 1980.
The Welsh-born striker enjoyed two trophy-laden spells at Liverpool. He was at the forefront of the Reds attack as Liverpool dominated the 1980s. It took Rush one-year to score his first league goal and since scored an impressive 138 goals across five seasons as Liverpool won four First Division titles. Rush moved to Juventus in 1986 for a British record fee of £3.2 million but soon found himself homesick and returned to Liverpool the following year for a British record incoming transfer fee of £2.7 million.
The second spell at Merseyside was far less impressive than his first as Liverpool won just once in his eight seasons since. With the emergence of Robbie Fowler, the Welshman found himself more on the sidelines and finally decided to move to Leeds United at the end of 1995-96 season. A less than spectacular impressive season at Elland Road was followed by another one at St James Park before Rush decided to move down a division to join Sheffield United.
Move to Wrexham in the following season also proved futile before ending his career in 2000 with National Soccer League Sydney Olympic.
A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Ian Rush scored an impressive 232 goals in 515 appearances. The Welshman remains the leading goalscorer in Liverpool history with close to three hundred fifty goals and won five First Division titles with the Reds.

13. George Camsell - 233 goals

Camsell scored an eye-catching 59 goals in a season

It was rather a stroke of luck that helped George Camsell become one of the leading goalscorers in English football. The Framwellgater Moor born lad, who played worked as a miner and played football for local side Durham City, had caught the eye of Middlesbrough after scoring a whopping 21 goals in 20 matches.
The striker joined the Boroughs in 1925 for a cheap fee of £500. After initially struggling for game time and poor stretch of form, Camsell broke the shack holds in 1926 after regular striker Jimmy McClelland suffered an injury. The striker scored in twelve consecutive games in that season as he ended with a tally of 59 league goals as the Smoggies clinched promotion to the First Division.
Camsell scored 30+ goals in six times during his first ten seasons as he led Boro from the front. The striker went onto spend 14 seasons with the Boro before calling it a day in 1939.
George Camsell scored an impressive 233 goals in 337 appearances. The striker is the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of Middlesbrough football club. He also holds the second-highest record for the most goals scored in a season in England. The striker sadly passed away at the age of 63 in 1966.

12. George Brown - 240 goals

One of the greatest ever to play for the Terriers

You know a striker is good if he is coined the term Bomber. George Brown spent most of his career with the Terriers. He started his career in 1921 and was one of the key figures in Huddersfield Town as they won their three straight First Division titles, the only three in the history of the Terriers. Brown spent eight seasons in Yorkshire club before moving to Birmingham to join Aston Villa in 1929. The striker spent five seasons with the Villains before moving to Leeds United 1934. A season with Leeds was followed by another year-long stint with Leeds United before finally retiring in 1938 after spending two seasons with Darlington.
George Brown scored an incredible 240 goals in 366 appearances and won three First Division titles. He is also the leading goalscorer in the history of Huddersfield Town. The striker sadly passed away at the age of 44 in 1948.

11. Joe Smith - 243 goals

Bolton's second-highest leading goalscorer

Another great striker in the early 19th century, Joe Smith started his career at Crewe Alexandra but never managed to make an appearance for the Railwaymen. He joined Bolton Wanderers in 1908 and was arguably their greatest player during the early 19th century.
Joe Smith was the team's top scorer on six occasions prior as he scored led Bolton attacking line during the 1910s and 20s. The striker spent 19 seasons with the Trotters before moving Stockport County in 1927.
The Dudley-born striker spent two seasons with Manchester-based club before spending two seasons as the player-manager of non-league side Darwen.
Joe Smith spent 23 seasons as a football player on either side of the First World War. The striker scored 243 goals in 410 top division appearances and finished his career as Bolton's leading goalscorer, a record which was later overtaken by Nat Lofthouse.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goals scorers in First Division English Football: 22-17

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 16-11

Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English football : 22- 17

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:10:00 +0000

The next set of players in the list contains two of whom have played in the Premier League. Here is the next set of players.

21. Wayne Rooney - 208 goals

White Pele

Arguably the most recognisable names on this list, Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old. The Merseyside born lad made his league debut in 2002 for boyhood club Everton and scored an impressive 15 goals in two seasons before completing, then world-record fee for a teenager, a move to Manchester United.
At the Theatre of Dreams, Rooney formed an impressive partnership with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo as the Red Devils dominated the late 2000s. Rooney took on the goalscoring responsibilities once his Portuguese counterpart left for Real Madrid in 2009. The forward went onto spent eight more seasons at the Theatre of Dreams as he became the Red Devils all-time leading scorer.
Wayne Rooney ended his stay Manchester in 2017 to return back to his boyhood club Everton after winning five Premier League titles with the record English champions. On his return, the striker scored ten goals before moving to MLS side DC United the following season.
The only active player in this list, Wayne Rooney currently plays with Championship side Derby County after moving back to his homeland at the start of the year.
Wayne Rooney has currently 208 goals in 491 appearances - the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League - and the highest goalscorer for the England national side and Manchester United.

21. Ronnie Alan - 208 goals

One of West Brom's greatest ever

One of the greatest ever players to play for the Baggies, Ronnie Alan joined the West Midlands side 1950 for a club-record fee of £20,000 from then non-league side Port Vale. Alan, who started his career as a wide player, standing at 5ft 8inch tall revolutionised the concept of target man as he formed a deadly partnership with Johnny Nicholls.

Alan stayed at the Hawthorns for ten seasons and was their top scorer on five occasions before being sold to Third Division side Crystal Palace in 1961. The striker would never again play top division football after his move despite playing for four more years with the Eagles.

In his ten seasons in the top division, Ronnie Alan scored 208 goals in 415 first division appearances. The forward sadly passed away in 2001 at the age of 72.

20. Sir Geoff Hurst - 210 goals

The man who brought the World Cup back home

The hero for England during the 1966 World Cup Final, Geoff Hurst was arguably one of the most prolific scorers in the history of English football. The striker started his professional career in 1959 with boyhood club West Ham United.
After struggling to get into the starting lineup in his first two seasons, Hurst became a regular in the first-team. With Ron Greenwood at the helm and stern backbone of Hurst, Moore and Peters, the Hammers enjoyed one of their most successful periods.
Geoff Hurst spent 13 seasons with the Hammers scoring an impressive 180 goals in 411 league appearances before moving to Stoker City in 1972. At Stoke, the striker spent four seasons scoring 30 league goals in 108 appearances before moving West Brom. A season with the Baggies was followed by moves to Cork City and Seattle Sounders before calling it a day in 1976.
The England and West Ham legend spent sixteen seasons in the First Division scoring 210 goals in 519 appearances.

19. Dave Halliday - 211 goals

A goalscoring machine

A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Dave Halliday started his career in Scotland in 1920 with Queen Park before moving to St Mirren. A move to Dundee increased his stature in the Scottish league as he dominated the defenders for four seasons.
Halliday made the move down south to join First Division side, Sunderland, in 1925. The striker continued from where he left off in Scotland as he scored a whopping 100 goals in 101 league appearances. He further added 56 more league goals in 65 appearances before moving to Arsenal in 1929. At London, Halliday found himself more on the reserve side as he made just 15 appearances for the Gunners despite scoring eight times.
The striker made the move to Manchester City the next season after struggling for first-team action at Highbury. The Scott added 47 more league goals to his tally in 76 appearances before leaving the Cityzens to join Clapton Orient (now called Leyton Orient) in 1935. Halliday ended his career two years later with non-league side Yeovil and Petters United (now called Yeovil Town).
During his 8 seasons in the First Division, Halliday scored an incredible 211 goals in 257 appearances.

17. Tony Cottee - 214 goals

Cottee played in all four tiers of English football

The first player in this list to have played in both the Premier League and the First Division. Cottee started his career in East London with West Ham United in 1982 in the First Division. The striker spent six seasons at Upton Park scoring 92 goals in 212 top-flight appearances before moving to Everton.
It was in Everton that Cottee was part of both the Premier League and the First Division. He spent four seasons in the First Division and two seasons in the Premier League before making his return to West Ham in 1994. The striker spent three more seasons at Upton Park on his return before moving to Malaysia.
Cottee once again made his move back to Premier League this time joining Leicester City in 1997. He spent three more seasons in the Premier League with the Foxes scoring 27 goals in 85 matches before moving to Norwich. In his last year, Cottee made an appearance in all four division of the English League (Leicester City - Premier League, Norwich City - First Division, Milwall - Second Division, Barnet - Third Division) before retiring in 2001.
Tony Cottee made 514 league appearances across eighteen season and scored 214 goals.

17. Billy Walker - 214 goals

One of the greatest player to ever don the famous jersey of the Clarets and Blues

Arguably the greatest player in the history of Aston Villa, Billy Walker played all his career for the famous Claret and Blues. The striker joined the Villains in 1914 but didn't see much action due to the onset of the First World War.
Billy Walker made his professional debut in 1919 and quickly became an integral part of the first team. The striker spent the rest of his playing days at Villa Park till he hung up his boots in 1933. During his 14-year long career, Walker scored 214 league goals in 478 appearances. He still remains Aston Villa's all-time leading goalscorer. He is also the only player to have scored a hat-trick of penalties in a single match.
The striker passed away sadly in 1964 at the age of 67.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division football: 26-23

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division football: 16-11

Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English football : 26-23

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 18:50:00 +0000

The Golden Boot is given to Premier Leagues highest goal scorer in the season.

When you think about the highest goalscorers in England, there is only one name that towers above all the others-Alan Shearer. The Newcastle legend dominated defenders during his time as he became Premier League highest-ever goal scorer. The fact that the second-highest goalscorer remains a good 52 goals below speaks volumes about his record.

This prompted me to take a look at the highest goalscorers in England since its emergence way back in 1888. So is Shearer the highest ever goalscorer in England? Here I have piled a list of 26 of the highest goalscoring players ever in the history of English Football.

26. Denis Law - 201 goals

Denis Law was part one of the greatest attacking trios in English football

The Manchester United legend started his career in 1956 in the Second Division under legendary manager Bill Shankly in Huddersfield Town. The Scott played four seasons in the Second Division with the Terriers before earning a move to First Division side Manchester City in 1960.
The striker scored an impressive 21 goals during his one and half seasons with the Cityzens before completing a British record transfer fee to Italian giants Torino in 1961. Following a problem-filled season in Turin, Law was back in England this time joining City's rivals Manchester United beating his own British transfer fee.
At Old Trafford, Law formed an impressive partnership with Northern Ireland born George Best and England born Sir Bobby Charlton which later came to be known as the Unity Trinity. The first player to be coined the name 'King' in Old Trafford, Denis went onto spent eleven seasons with Red Devils, winning two First Division titles and scoring an impressive 171 goals in 309 appearances.
Law left Manchester United in 1973 to rejoin his former side and city rivals Manchester City. In what to proved to be his final year as a professional Denis Law scored 9 goals for the Cityzens. In a cruel twist of destiny, in his final league match, Denis Law scored his final goal against former employers Manchester United.
In 18 years as a professional, the striker scored an impressive 201 top division goals in 377 league matches

26. Harry Johnson - 201 goals

A man who still remains as the record goalscorer for two different clubs.

The man who holds the adorns the Top Scorer charts for two different clubs. Harry Johnson started his professional career with Sheffield United in 1916. Johnson made his debut for the Blades at the age of 17, after numerous players were sent on War duty.
Four years of the young star's career was robbed after the league was suspended due to the First World War. Johnson dominated defences during the 1920s as he scored over two hundred goals for the Blades. The striker left the club in 1931 to join Mansfield Town after eleven years scoring 201 league goals in 313 appearances.
Harry Johnson never played in the First Division again but still managed to score over a hundred goals for Mansfield Town despite playing there for just three years.
Harry Johnson still remains the highest goal scorer for both Sheffield United and Mansfield Town. The striker sadly passed away in 1981 at the age of 82.

25. Vic Watson - 203 goals

One of the greatest bit of transfer business that West Ham United ever did in their history

Another striker who gave nightmares to defenders during the 1920s till the mid-1930s, Vic Watson started his footballing career with Wellingborough Town. The striker arrived in East London to join West Ham United for a very cheap fee of £50 following the Hammers entry into the Football League.
Watson signing proved to be a shrewd piece of business as the Hammers gained promotion to the First Division just three seasons later. With the striker at the peak of his powers, West Ham managed to avoid relegation for nine seasons before eventually going down at the end of the 1931-32 season, in what proved to Watson last ever season in the First Division.
The Girton-born forward went onto spent three more seasons with the Hammers in the second division before joining Southampton in 1935 where he hung up his boots at the end of the season.
During his nine seasons in the First Division, Vic Watson scored an impressive 203 goals in 295 appearances. The striker till date remains West Ham's leading goal scorer with 326 goals. Vic Watson sadly passed away in 1988 at the age of 90.

24. Arthur Chandler - 204 goals

The most lethal striker in the history of Leicester City

To all those guys who thought Jaime Vardy was Leicester City's best-ever goal-scoring machine, Your Wrong. It belongs to another man named Arthur Chandler who spent thirteen seasons with the Foxes.
The striker started his professional career late at the age of 24 with Queens Park Rangers. He joined the Foxes at the age of 27 in 1923. Chandler sparked into life at Filbert street scoring a whopping 62 goals in his first two seasons as Leicester earned promotion to the First Division.
The striker continued his form into the First Division scoring more than 26 goals in his first five seasons in the top division. Chandler spent five more seasons with the Foxes before moving to Notts County in 1935 and ending his career there.
Arthur Chandler spent thirteen seasons at Filbert Street and scored an impressive 204 top division goals in 309 appearances. The striker still remains Leicester City's leading scorer with 273 goals. He is also the highest English top division goalscorer never to receive an international call-up for the national side. Chandler died in 1984 at the age of 88.

23. Bobby Gurney - 205 goals

A player who arrived a bit too late at Roker Park

The Silksworth-born lad played for just one club in his entire professional career, Sunderland. Bobby Gurney arrived at Roker Park long after the Black Cats period of domination during the early stages of the league.
Spotted by Sunderland legend Charlie Buchan while playing with the non-league side Bishop Auckland, Bobby Gurney arrived at the Roker Park in 1925 and made his debut a year later. Under the tutelage of Dave Halliday, the striker grew into one of the best goal-scorers during the 1920s and took over from the Scott after he left for Arsenal four years later.
Gurney spent 14 seasons in the Tyneside with Sunderland as a player before injuries and the Second World War cut short the striker's career. The striker finally won his first and only First Division title in 1936.
Bobby Gurney made 348 top division appearances and scored 205 times. He still remains Sunderland's highest goalscorer with 228 goals.

Also Read: Top 26 leading goal scorers in First Division English Football: 22-17

Note: The historical aspect of the list has slight problems with many contradictions on the number of goals scored by some of the older players. I have made the list after referring to a few websites to check the authenticity of the number of goals scored.

Manchester City v Manchester United: Match Preview, Team News, Probable Line-ups, Venue & Where to watch details

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 11:11:00 +0000

This Sunday at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, the Premier League will witness the first Manchester Derby of the season as both the teams clash against each other in what could be a turning point for Manchester United in its search to regain some lost yards in this season's title race.

The battle of the tactical masterminds (Source: Football 365)

Both the clubs come into this fixture on the back of winning form with the Blue side of Manchester still being unbeaten in the league while the Red side has once again overseen a late comeback to defeat the Old Lady of Turin.

The last time the two Mancunian club met, Manchester United produced a stunning second half display to turn around a 2-0 deficit at halftime to win the match 3-2.

Manchester City v Manchester United: Kick-off Information

Date: 11th November, 2018.
Time: 17:30 (local time), 22:00 (IST)
Venue: Etihad Stadium

Manchester City v Manchester United: Team News

The unavailablity of the Belgian will be a huge loss for Manchester City (Source: Sportsmole)

Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and Chilean Claudio Bravo have been ruled out due to injury while Ilkay Gundogan will face a late fitness test to ensure his participation.

Manchester United have no new injuries to worry about, while Romelu Lukaku will undergo a late fitness test. Antonio Valencia will still remain in the sidelines.

Manchester City v Manchester United: Probable Lineups

Manchester City: Ederson, Mendy, Stones, Laporte, Walker, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Fernandiho, Sane, Sterling, Aguero

Manchester United: De Gea, Shaw, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Herrera, Pogba, Matic, Mata, Rashford, Martial

Inter Milan v Barcelona: Match Preview, Team News, Probable Line-up | UEFA Champions League

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 07:12:00 +0000

Barcelona will travel to Milan as they face Italian Italian giants for the second time without their talisman Lionel Messi. A point for the Blaugrana will mean that they will qualify to the knockout stages of the Championship with 2 matches remaining while 3 points guarantee them first place in the group.

(Source: EyeWitness Football)

Inter Milan, on the other hand, knows nothing less than a point will mean the match against Tottenham will be more likely to have a knockout match manner at the Wembley if Tottenham wins both of their next matches.

Inter Milan v Barcelona: Kickoff Information

Date: 6th November 2018
Time: 21:00 (local time), 01:30 (IST)
Venue: San Siro, Milan
Live Stream: Sony liv

Inter Milan v Barcelona: Team News

Inter Milan will be without defender Dalbert, midfielders Robert Gilardino and Joao Mario.

Barcelona is expected to be without Lionel Messi who despite returning to training early and being named on the travelling squad is still yet to recover completely from his hand injury.
Samuel Umtiti, Thomas Vermaelen and Sergi Samper are still out injured for the La Liga leaders.

Inter Milan v Barcelona: Probable Line-up

Inter Milan: Handanovic, Vrsaljko, Skirniar, De Vrij, Asamoagh, Brozovic, Vecino, Politano, Nainggolan, Perisic, Icardi

Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alba, Pique, Lenglet, Roberto, Busquets, Arthur, Rakitic, Rafinha, Suarez, Coutinho

ISL 2018-19, Kerala Blaster v Bengaluru FC: Match Preview, Team News, Predicted Line-up

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 03:10:00 +0000

The first leg of the most awaited match in Hero Indian Super League is upon us with Kerala Blasters hosting South Indian rivals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday. The match will not be just restricted to the pitch with both rival groups, Manjappada and West Block Blues, likely to take the match to the galleries.
The visitors are in a rich vein of form with 3 victories in their 4 matches and sitting pretty at 4th position with 3 games in hand. The hosts, on the other hand, remain unbeaten in the league though they are yet to record a victory in the league since their opening day victory over ATK.
A win for the team in yellow will see them leapfrog above Bengaluru FC while a win for the Blues will see occupying the first position.

Source: Manjappada Official Twitter Handle

Kerala Blasters vs Bengaluru FC: Kick-off Information

Date: 5th November 2018
Kickoff: 7:30 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Network, hotstar.com
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi

Team News

David James will be having a full squad at his disposal with no injuries or suspension in the team. Len Doungel is very likely to start the match after proving to be the game changer in their last match.

Bengaluru FC too will have a full squad at their disposal with Miku and Sunil Chhetri the key players for the team in Blue.

Predicted XI

Kerala Blasters: Naveen Kumar, Sandesh Jhingan, Anas Edathodika, Nemanja Lakic-Pesic, Cyril Kali, Nikola Krcmarevic, Sahal Abdul Samad, Seiminlen Doungel, CK Vineeth, Slavisa Stojanovic, Matej Poplatnik

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh, Rahul Bheke, Albert Serran, Juanan, Nishu Kumar, Harmanjit Khabra, Erik Paartalu, Udanta Singh, Dimas Delgado, Miku , Sunil Chhetri

La Liga 2018/19: Barcelona v Real Madrid, Match Preview, Team News, Predicted Line-up

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 10:08:00 +0000

Barcelona and Real Madrid will line-up against each other at the Camp Nou on Sunday to play their first El Classico in over a decade without the iconic Barcelona duo, Andreas Iniesta Lionel Messi, and Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Luis Suarez and Sergio Ramos will once again lock horns against each other (Source: Beinsports)

Julen Lopetegui and Real Madrid side will be once again under pressure to win against eternal rival Barcelona at the Camp Nou after a disastrous start to the season that has seen the reigning European Champions at the 7th spot in the La Liga table. A loss against the Blaugrana might lead to manager Julen Lopetegui getting the sack with reports of former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte set to take the reigns from the Spaniard.

Barcelona, on the other hand, sits second in the table with a single point deficit to Atletico Madrid with the Madrid side having had a game more. While a morale-boosting victory over Italian giants Inter Milan in the midweek without their talisman Messi is sure to bring belief into the side.

One of the most iconic images in the El Classico in recent memory(Source: Sportito)

Team News

Real Madrid will be without key defender Dani Carvajal while Jesus Vallejo is also set to miss out with a thigh strain. The return of Isco to the starting line-up will be a big boost to the Madridistas and under fire Lopetegui.

Source: Fox News

Barcelona, on the other hand, will be without their talisman Lionel Messi who injured his hand while Samuel Umtiti, Thomas Vermaelen, Cales Alena and Sergi Samper are all out injured.

Predicted Line-up

Barcelona:Ter Stegen, Roberto, Pique, Lenglet, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Arthur, Coutinho, Suarez, Dembele

Real Madrid: Courtois, Nacho, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Bale, Benzema, Isco

Premier League 2018/19, Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City: Match Preview, Team News, Predicted Line-up

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 19:09:00 +0000

The reigning Premier League champions Manchester City is set to visit the home of English football, Wembley, since their FA Charity Sheild triumph when they take on a Tottenham side which has shown a lack of consistency.

Manchester City will be looking to draw level on points with Liverpool after the Merseysiders won comprehensively against a hapless Cardiff City side while Tottenham will looking for the second victory of the season against another side from Manchester.

The clash of the Premier League most potent strikers (Source: Sky Sports)

Team News

Manchester City will be bolstered by the addition of Kevin De Bruyne back into the starting XI while Ilkay Gundogan and Fabian Delph are doubtful for City.
Danilo and Claudio Bravo are sure to sit out this on with an injury.

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome back midfielder Dele Alli into the side while key defender Jan Vertonghen and Danny Rose are out injured.

Predicted Line-up

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Winks, Dier, Erikson, Alli, Moura, Kane

Manchester City: Ederson, Mendy, Laporte, Kompany, Walker, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Silva, Sane, Aguero

Manchester United v Juventus: Match Preview, Team News, Predicted Line-up | Champions League 2018-19

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 18:37:00 +0000

The prodigal son returns to the hallowed grounds that saw the rise and rise of the young Portuguese winger from Madeira.
On Wednesday when Manchester United hosts Juventus at the Old Trafford the Stretford end will once again sing the song "Viva Ronaldo" with the Portuguese winger donning the famous black and white striped jersey of the Old Lady of Turin. The match will also witness Paul Pogba playing his first match against his former club since his switch to the red of Manchester.
This will be the first time since 2013, when Alex Ferguson infamously snubbed the post-match interview due to a harsh red card awarded to another Portuguese winger Nani, that Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing at the ground where he took his first step towards greatness.
Manchester.
This will also be the first time in 15 years that the two European giants will be facing off against each other and only the third time since the classic 1998/1999 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Team News

Sanchez has been ruled out with injury

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that winger Alexis Sanchez will not be taking part in the Champions League fixture along with Marouane Fellaini, Scot McTominay and Marcus Rojo who are all out injured.
Club captain Antonio Valencia might get his chance in the first XI after sitting out the previous 2 with an injury.

Juventus will be without key forward Mario Mandzukic after Croatian was ruled out with an injury but Massimiliano Allegri will be allowed to recall Argentinian ace, Paolo Dybala, back to the squad after former Parma man missed the match against Genoa due to injury.
Cristiano Ronaldo will also be available for the Old Lady of Turin after serving his single match ban against Young Boys.

Predicted Line-up

Manchester United: De Gea, Shaw, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Rashford, Lukaku, Martial

Juventus: Szczesny, Sandro, Bonucci, Chiellini, Cancelo, Pjanic, Matuidi, Bentancaur, Cuadrado, Dybala, Ronaldo

Kerala Blasters v Delhi Dynamos: Match Preview, Team News, Predicted line-up | ISL 2018-19

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 05:55:00 +0000

On Saturday Kerala are set to host its second consecutive home match with the hosts taking on Delhi Dynamos in the 13th match of the Hero Indian Super League.

The team from the south have been in impressive form in their opening matches with victory in their opening match against ATK and then earning an unfortunate draw against Mumbai City at home.
Delhi Dynamos, on the other hand, has been in poor form failing to win any of their opening two matches with a draw against Pune City and a loss against ATK in their first two home matches of the season.

Team News

Kerala Blasters
Abdul Hakku and Cyril Kali are still injured for the Kerala Blaster while Prasanth is doubtful. Anas Edathodika is still serving his 3-match ban.

Delhi Dynamos
Midfielder Bikramjit Singh and striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia are doubtful for the team from the capital city.

Kick-off Information

Date: 20th October 2018, Saturday
Time: 19:30 p.m
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi

Predicted XI

Kerala Blaster: Dheeraj Singh, Rakip, Jhingan, Lakic-Pesic, Lalruatthara, Doungel, Krcmarevic, Samad, Narzary, Poplatnik, Stojanovic

Delhi Dynamos: Dorronsoro, Kotal, Crespi, Zuiverloon, Naryan, Sarangi, Vinit, Nandhakumar, Mihelic, Chhangte, Kaluderovic

Head to Head

Kerala Blasters: 4 wins

Delhi Dynamos: 3 wins

Draw: 1

Spain unbeaten 38-match run ends as England records their first win in Spain since 1987

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 02:07:00 +0000

The day that saw a host of records being re-written in Benito Villamarin, England defeated Spain 3-2 in the UEFA Nations League match.

The match started with Gareth Southgate's cruising to a 3-0 lead at half-time that saw Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling scoring the first goal, his first goal for the Three Lions since his goal against Estonia on the 10th of October 2015, in the 16th minute with Marcus Rashfording adding the second in the 29th minute and Sterling completing his double in the 38th minute.

Raheem Sterling was rewarded with the man of the match after scoring a brace, his first goal since 2015
(Source: Getty Images)

The Spanish Armada was stunned by the pace of the English side as they tried desperately to keep the young lions at bay in the first half. The second half saw the 2008 World Cup winners enjoying much more space and freedom as they started to crawl back into the match with ono-form striker Paco Alcacer heading one in the 58th minute to make it 3-1.

The next 30-minutes saw the Spanish attack getting better and better as Spain inched forward to get the second and equalising goal with Alonso hitting the post in the 6th minute of injury time before Sergio Ramos made it 2 the 97th minute.

The match was witness to a number of records with England winning their first ever match in Spain since a 4-2 win in 1987. The match also witnessed Spain conceding 3 goals at home since Scotland scored 3 in a 6-2 win over the Spanish in 1963.

The match was also witnessed Spain being handed their first competitive fixture lose at home since losing against Greece in 2003, ending a 15-year and 38-match unbeaten streak at home.

Former Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan forward announces retirement

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 11:53:00 +0000

Italian international and former AC Milan, Inter Milan and Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano has announced his retirement from the World of football.

One of the greatest talent in World Football who failed to live up to the expectations(Source: C1thejournal.ie)

The 36-year old made a total of 514 appearances and scored 141 times while making 109 assist in a career that saw the Italian playing for Bari, Roma, Real Madrid, Sampdoria, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Parma.

The Italian international won 2 Suppercoppa Italiana, 1 La Liga and 1 Seria A during his career and was named the Seria A Young Footballer of the Year twice.

Ex-Monaco player and French legend set to take the Monaco job

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Sat, 13 Oct 2018 09:06:00 +0000

Arsenal legend and ex-Monaco player Thierry Henry is set to take up the AS Monaco manager role after Leonardo Jardim was sacked a couple of days before.

Theirry Henry will be rejoining his boyhood club after more than 19 years since leaving for Juventus
(source: pininterest.com)

The 1998 World Cup winner will be taking on his first managerial role after serving as Belgium assistant coach during the World Cup.

The forward spend 5 years with the Monaco based club and has 105 appearances and 20 goals to his name for the Los Monegasques.

India announce 22-man squad to face China in their first ever international friendly

noreply@blogger.com (Varun Nair) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:42:00 +0000

India has announced a strong 22-man squad to face China on the 13th in their first ever International Friendly meeting on Saturday
India and China have faced off against each other 17 times and the Chinese have been victorious on 12 occasions with the rest ending as draws.
The last time both the teams met was in 1997 at Kochi in the Nehru Cup and ended with the Red Dragons winning 2-1

The only major omission from the Indian squad is that of striker Balwant Singh who was denied Chinese visa after finding that his passport will expire in 6 months.

Indian Squad

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Karanjit Singh

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Sarthak Golui, Sandesh Jhingan, Anas Edathodika, Salam Ranjan Singh, Subashish Bose, Narayan Das

Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Pronoy Halder, Rowlin Borges, Anirudh Thapa, Vinit Rai, Halicharan Narzary, Ashique Kuruniyan

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sumeet Passi, Farukh Choudhary