MY VIEWS IN SOCCER.

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2023-04-22T14:46:00.001+03:00

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MY MOST FAMOUS STRIKERS.

2010-01-14T20:48:00.000+03:00

10. Romario (BRA)

The fact that a player with over 1000 goals to his name only comes tenth on this list speaks volumes about the quality of the others who make up the top ten. There have been few, if any, better goal-poachers in football history and perhaps no-one is better deserving of the "genius of the goal area" tag bestowed on him by Johan Cruyff.

A journeyman at club level, Romario is perhaps best associated with Vasco de Gama, where he started and finished his illustrious career. In between those times, Romario picked up a whole host of silverware, namely four Rio de Janeiro State Leagues, three Dutch Cups, three Dutch leagues, and a Spanish League.

At international level he was a key part of the 1994 World Cup winning Brazil squad, and he went on to win 85 caps, scoring 71 goals. Along with the World Cup success in 1994, Romario was awarded the Golden Ball for Player of the Tournament, and later was named the FIFA World Player of the Year.

9. Arthur Friedenreich (BRA)

"The King of Football" is a tag that has since been taken away from him by a certain fellow countryman, but Arthur Friedenreich was a deserving recipient of that title before the world have ever even heard of Pele.

There remains some confusion over his goalscoring achievements, but either way, they are outstanding. Some sources claim Friedenreich scored 1239 goals in 1329 games, while others suggest it was 1329 goals in 1239 games.

Both are records any striker would die for, and are comparable to the man who took his "King of Football" crown.

8. Marco Van Basten (NED)

Had his career not been cut short by an ankle injury aged just 27, Marco Van Basten could very well be higher up in this list. His all-round play won him many admirers, and also helped his teams win many trophies.

During his career, he managed to win a Cup Winners' Cup, three Dutch League titles, three Dutch Cups, three Serie A titles and two European Cups. He was also an indispensable figure in Holland's 1988 European Championships success, scoring a spectacular volley in the final to help secure the trophy.

Individually he was voted FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992, and on three occasions (1988, 1989, and 1992) was awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or. No player has won it more times, with only Cruyff and Michel Platini being able to match his tally.

7. Fernando Peyroteo (POR)

If you are looking for the greatest goal-scorer of all-time, you need look no further than Fernando Peyroteo. No other player in history can match Peyroteo's goals to game ratio.

While playing for Sporting, Peyroteo scored 331 goals in 187 games. Yes, you read that right. His record of 1.68 goals per game is unparalleled in world football. He often scored multiple times in a game, once scoring nine times in one match.

He also scored eight goals in another match. On three occasions he netted six times in a match, while he hit five goals on twelve occasions and four goals seventeen times.

6. Ronaldo (BRA)

Yes, "the Phenomenon" Ronaldo only makes it to sixth place, such is the quality of the players ahead of him. During the late '90s and early '00s, Ronaldo was the most feared player in the world, and for good reason.

His time at Inter Milan was hampered by injury, but he still did enough to secure a move to Real Madrid's "Galacticos". During his career, Ronaldo won a Brazilian Cup, a Dutch Cup, a Cup Winners' Cup, a Spanish Cup, a UEFA Cup and two La Liga titles.

The success continued at international level, where he was part of the Brazil side that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. It is widely regarded that Ronaldo's lack of fitness was a key factor in Brazil losing the 1998 final, such was his importance to the side.

He has twice been named the European Player of the Year, and three times named the FIFA World Player of the Year, a record only Zinedine Zidane can match. He is also the record holder for most goals scored in World Cup competition, getting his 15th during the 2006 tournament.

5. Gerd Muller (GER)

"Der Bomber" Gerd Muller was as important to the success of Bayern Munich and Germany as "Der Kaiser" Franz Beckenbauer. His prolific scoring elevated both sides to be the very best in the world.

At club level he won four Bundesliga titles, four German Cups, a Cup Winners' Cup and three consecutive European Cups. He scored 582 goals in 669 games throughout his club career, and was even more prolific at international level, scoring 68 goals in just 62 caps. Those caps included success at the 1972 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup.

Individually, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1970, and in 2000 he was named World Football's Greatest Goalscorer of All Time. Before Ronaldo overtook him in 2006, Muller was the World Cup's top goalscorer with 14 goals in two World Cups.

4. Eusebio (POR)

Eusebio is the biggest name in the history of Portuguese football. His speed, power, and deadly finishing made him one of the most prolific goalscorers in history, and he led Benfica through their golden period.

While at Benfica, he won the Portuguese League 11 times, the Portuguese Cup five times, and the European Cup twice, reaching another three finals. By the end of his career, he had scored 727 goals in 715 games, although some statisticians claim he scored as many as 1137.

He led Portugal to the semi-finals of the 1966 World Cup, a year after being named European Footballer of the Year. He went on to play 64 times for Portugal, scoring 41 goals.

3. Ferenc Puskas (HUN)

Ferenc Puskas was part of two of the greatest sides ever assembled: Hungary's Magical Magyars, and Real Madrid's all-conquering side of the early '60s. Some may argue that his Honved side, who provided many of Hungary's golden team, could join that list.

Throughout his club career, the "Galloping Major" won five Hungarian League titles, five Spanish League titles, and three European Cups. He scored 514 goals in 529 matches and is widely regarded as the best shooter in world football history.

For Hungary, Puskas scored 84 times in 85 matches, helping them to a gold medal in the 1952 Olympics, and a place in the final of the 1954 World Cup. He also played four times for Spain.

2. Diego Maradona (ARG)

Love him or hate him, you cannot deny the quality Diego Maradona possessed. His pace, dribbling skills, and unpredictability are matched by very few, if any, in the annals of football.

This helped his club teams to much silverware, including an Argentinian League title, a Spanish Cup, two Serie A titles, an Italian Cup and a UEFA Cup. The latter three were with Napoli, a team he almost single-handedly made into a major European force.

Internationally, he inspired Argentina to success in the 1986 World Cup, with the infamous "Hand of God" and sublime "Goal of the Century" coming along the way. He ended up scoring 34 times in 91 appearances for Argentina.

An internet poll conducted by FIFA to determine the Player of the Century saw Maradona claim over 50 percent of the votes, but a FIFA panel decided he should share the title with this man...

1. Pele (BRA)

It may not be an entirely original choice for the greatest striker of all time, but there is a reason why Pele is considered the best player to ever kick a ball - because he is the best player to ever kick a ball. The "King of Football" ruled his empire from the second he laced up his first pair of boots to the second he hung them up for the final time.

He played for Santos for the vast majority of his career, winning silverware almost every year. His trophy haul makes him, together with former Portugal 'keeper Victor Baia, the player with most career titles.

He is the only player to have three World Cup winners medals, playing a huge part in 1958 and 1970 in particular. He went on to play 92 times for Brazil, scoring 77 goals, a record which still stands today.

His 1281 goals in 1363 games is the highest FIFA recognised tally by any player in history, and he has been voted as the Footballer of the Century and Athlete of the Century by numerous sporting organisations.

There is no doubt in my mind, then, that Pele is the greatest striker ever!

MY TEN MOST FAMOUS GOAL KEEPERS.

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If you are a goal keeper, and are looking for a defender to look up to, you can read this and look for a role model:

10. Bert Trautmann (GER)

Throughout his career, Trautmann didn't just have to compete with opposition strikers, but with endless taunts from the terraces due to his being in the German army during the Second World War. After the war he settled in England and began playing football.

It says something for the quality of his performances that he eventually became accepted and even idolised by some fans, particularly those of Manchester City, where he became a legend.

The strongest sign of his acceptance came in 1956 when he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Not long afterwards he helped City to win the FA Cup, playing the last 15 minutes of the final with a broken neck a remarkable feat of bravery made all the more impressive by the fact that he made some important saves in that time.

9. Pat Jennings (NIR)

One of very few players to have played for, and maintained the respect from both Arsenal and Tottenham fans, Pat Jennings played over 1,000 top level games in his 22-year career, and is Northern Ireland's highest capped player with 119 appearances.

Jennings is also a two-time FA Cup winner, a two-time League Cup winner and won a UEFA Cup in 1972 while playing for Tottenham. On an individual level, he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1973, and the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1976.

8. Gianluigi Buffon (ITA)

By the time his career is over he could well be in the top five, but for now Buffon has to settle for eighth. After impressing at Parma he moved to Juventus, where he showed exceptional loyalty in staying with the club when they were demoted to Serie B.

During his club career he has won the UEFA Cup, the Italian Cup, and two Serie A titles. His greatest achievements, however, have come at international level where he currently has 90 caps and is a World Cup winner.

Individually, Buffon has been named as the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year seven times, and the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper four times, more than any other 'keeper.

7. Peter Shilton (ENG)

As a Leicester youngster not yet proved at the highest level, he forced then England No.1 and World Cup winner Gordon Banks out of the club by threatening to leave if he didn't get game time. Such was his potential that the club agreed.

Shilton went on to enjoy a 31-year career, playing 1005 league games, and 1237 games overall, more than any other player. He was 47 when he hung up his boots. He also played a record 125 times for England, despite competition from the likes of Banks and Ray Clemence throughout his career.

Shilton was part of Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest side, and won one League title, a League Cup and two European Cups. Individually, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 1978.

6. Oliver Kahn (GER)

Oliver Kahn is one of the most decorated German players of all-time, and it's no coincidence that wherever he went, he won trophies and accolades. While at Bayern Munich, Kahn won eight Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, six League Cups, a UEFA Cup, and a Champions League.

The story of success continued with the national team. His 86 caps included being part of the team that won Euro '96. Individually, he has been named German Footballer of the Year twice, IFFHS Best Goalkeeper three times, and Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper seven times.

5. Dino Zoff (ITA)

Zoff is the oldest player to have ever won a World Cup, having done so at 40 years old, while still captain of the Italian team. He once went 1142 minutes without conceding in international tournaments, a record which stands to this day.

His 112 Italy caps is the third highest of all-time and includes the success in the European Championships of 1968, in addition to the 1982 World Cup mentioned earlier. At club level he won six Serie A titles, two Italian Cups and one UEFA Cup.

Zoff was named as the third greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century in a poll done by IFFHS and, in 2003 was named as the best Italian player of the last 50 years.

4. Sepp Maier (GER)

The third German 'keeper on this list, Maier was a one club man who played alongside the likes of Franz Beckenbauer for years on end. As a key member of this golden age for both Germany and Bayern Munich, Maier became one of the most decorated players of his era.

He won the Bundesliga and the German Cup four times each as well as a Cup Winners' Cup, and three consecutive European Cups. At international level, his 95 caps included both a European Championships winners medal (1972), and a World Cup winners medal (1974).

He also won the West German Footballer of the Year award three times. Much of his success was due to his consistency and good health. Between 1966 and 1977 he played 422 matches in a row. That's 11 years without missing a game.

3. Gordon Banks (ENG)

Banks will be forever remembered for that save against Pele in the 1970 World Cup. Although his career wasn't exactly laden with trophies, his quality was recognised as the best in the world during his career.

Banks holds the unique distinction of being the only English goalkeeper to ever win a World Cup. His career was brought to a premature end when he lost the sight from his right eye following a car crash. He tried to continue but was never the same player again.

He finished his career having played 73 times for his country and was named as the second best 'keeper of the 20th century in the IFFHS poll.

2. Peter Schmeichel (DEN)

The imposing figure of Peter Schmeichel between the sticks was a key reason for Manchester United's dominance throughout the 90s. Before then, however, he was a success at Brondby, helping them to four league titles and a Danish Cup.

He came to international acclaim throughout the European Championships of 1992 as his performances helped Denmark to surprise everyone by winning the tournament. With United, Schmeichel won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, and a Champions League title.

The Great Dane's last match for the club was the 1999 Champions League final, which they won, completing an unprecedented treble. Another league title in Portugal soon followed. Individually, he was twice named as the World's Best Goalkeeper by IFFHS.

1.Lev Yashin(USSR)

Nicknamed the "Black Spider" because it seemed like he had eight arms to save everything,Lev Yashin was a fiercely passionate goalkeeper with amazing reflexes and jaw-dropping athleticism.

He was a one club man, playing only for Dynamo Moscow. During his career, which also included 74 caps for USSR, Yashin saved over 150 penalties and kept almost 500 clean sheets, a remarkable record for someone who played 812 career games.

He was part of the European Championships winning team of 1960, four years after helping USSR to Olympic gold. Yashin, a three time winner of USSR's Best Goalkeeper award, remains the only goalkeeper to have been named the European Footballer of the Year, an award he picked up in 1963.

In 2000, he was named as the greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century in a poll conducted by IFFHS. I'm going one better, and naming him the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

THE FOOTBALLTRANSFER THEFT OF THE CENTURY.

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Di Stéfano, nicknamed "Saeta rubia" ("blond arrow"), was a powerful forward with great stamina, tactical versatility, and vision, who could also play almost anywhere on the pitch. He is currently the4th highest scorer in the history of Spain's top division, and Real Madrid's 2nd highest league goalscorer of all time, with 216 goals in 282 league matches between 1953 and 1964..Here is the memorable 7-3 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park

HIS CONTROVERSIAL MOVE TO SPAIN.

Di Stéfano's transfer to Spain would prove controversial. The mission to secure the signing of di Stéfano to Barcelona had first been given to Ramón Trias Fargas, who, besides being a lawyer and expert in commercial law, was the son of one of the share-holders of Millonarios, where di Stéfano was playing at the time. According to Trias Fargas, Barcelona's own management effectively obstructed the transfer when club president Marti Carreto also involved Barcelona chief scout Josep Samitier in the negotiations. Samitier, in his turn, brought in his Colombian friend, Joan Busquets, to speed up the talks with the Colombian club. Busquets, a director of Millonarios' rivals Santa Fé, seem to have tried more to sabotage the deal than to secure it. After issuing a harsh ultimatum to Millonarios to accept a modest offer for the player he organized di Stéfano's defection from Colombia when the ultimatum was rejected, despite Di Stéfano owing the club money. River Plate, who owned the rights of the player from 1955 onwards, had accepted the transfer on the condition that Millonarios also agreed upon the transfer, which they, after what they perceived as Busquets' bullying tactics, weren't interested in doing. Trias Fargas' negotiations with the Colombians regarding a transfer sum were also breaking down when Carreto, despite assurances to Trias Fargas that he would pay whatever price Trias Fargas thought necessary, rejected a figure whenever it was agreed between the lawyer and the Colombians. Trias Fargas blamed Carreto claiming Barcelona directors had allowed him to spend $20,000 but Carreto only accepted to offer $10,000 plus the player's debts.

In 1953, di Stéfano signed a deal with Barcelona and FIFA, who didn't know anything about di Stéfano having left Millonarios without permission, authorized the transfer from River Plate. The Spanish Federation, however, did not recognize the deal. According to Andres Ramírez, the Spanish Football Federation secretary, both Millonarios (who owned the rights of the player until the end of 1954, according to the agreements reached in the Lima Pact) and River Plate's consent were needed in order for di Stéfano to sign up with a Spanish club. Indeed Millonarios had reported FIFA the anomalous situation of the Argentinian, so FIFA iteself demanded the Spanish Federation to solve the problem. On 13 May 1953, he arrived in Spain to conclude his contract with Barcelona but during the discussions with the Federation, Real Madrid's president Santiago Bernabéu, acting upon the apparent division within the Barcelona management, convinced him to sign for them instead.

During the parallel negotiations between the two Spanish clubs and Millonarios, the Spanish Federation issued a ban on foreign players in the Spanish league. On 15 September, the Spanish Federation made public the decision, which club presidents Carreto and Bernabéu had signed, to allow di Stéfano four seasons in Spain - two for each team, to be played alternately. The agreement created such a storm of protests by the rest of the Barcelona management and the fans that Carreto resigned a week later. The reasons for Barcelona's decision to let the player go to Madrid are disputed by the two clubs. While Real Madrid have always maintained it was a voluntary decision by Barcelona, their rivals held that it was a decision made under pressure from Franco's government.This incident exacerbated the traditional enmity between the two clubs.

Hadn`t this move taken place, Real Madrid may not have been the force they are these days. Or even the La Liga!
So was this move important ,criminal or just a normal move to you.

SO WHAT WAS YOUR FOOTBALL TRANSFER THEFT OF THE CENTURY?

A TEAM TO SUPPORT.

2010-01-13T15:30:00.001+03:00

For all those out there who have not yet made up their minds on which football team to support,try reading this. It may also be helpful to Real Madrid supporters :

I am called Musinguzi Mark and I support Arsenal Football Club.I began supporting it when I was 6 years old and have never left it since. I personallly do not think Arsenal is a good team to support due to its poor history.So I seem like the right guy to ask about a football team to support so this is a team I recommend you to support:

Real Madrid .
Real Madrid's origins go back to when football was introduced to Madrid by the academics and students of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, which included several Oxbridge graduates. They founded Football Club Sky in 1897, playing on Sunday mornings at Moncloa. It split into two clubs in 1900: New Foot-Ball de Madrid and Club Español de Madrid. The latter club split again in 1902, resulting in the formation of Madrid Football Club on 6 March 1902. Three years after its foundation, in 1905, Madrid FC won its first title after defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup final. The club became one of the founding sides of theSpanish Football Association on 4 January 1909, when club president Adolfo Meléndez signed the foundation agreement of the Spanish FA. After moving between grounds the team moved to the Campo de O'Donnell in 1912.In 1920, the club's name was changed to Real Madrid after King Alfonso XIII granted the title of Real (Royal) to the club

^{In 1929, the first Spanish football league was founded. Real Madrid lead the first edition until the last match, a loss to Athletic Bilbao, meant they finished runners-up to Barcelona. So as you can see Real Madrid and Barcelona have been rivals for a long time. Real Madrid won its first League title in the 1931–32 season. The Whites won the League again the following year, becoming the first side to have won the championship twice.Santiago Bernabéu Yeste became president of Real Madrid in 1945. Under his presidency, the club, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was rebuilt following the Spanish Civil War. Beginning in 1953, he embarked upon a strategy of signing world-class players from abroad, the most prominent of them being Alfredo di Stéfano.}

In 1955, acting upon the idea proposed by the French sports journalist and editor of L'Équipe Gabriel Hanot, and building upon the Copa Latina (a tournament involving clubs from France, Spain, Portugal and Italy), Bernabéu met in the Ambassador Hotel in Paris with Bedrignan and Gusztáv Sebes and created an exhibition tournament of invited teams from around Europe that would eventually become what today is known as theUEFA Champions League. This is the reason why Real Madrid is by far the most successful team in the Champions League. It was under Bernabéu's guidance that Real Madrid established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football. The club won the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960, which included the 7–3 Hampden Park final against Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960.

Winning the competition five consecutive times saw Real permanently awarded the original cup and earning the right to wear the UEFA badge of honour.The club won the European Cup for a sixth time in 1966 defeating FK Partizan 2–1 in the final with a team composed entirely of nationally born players (known as the Ye-yé team) – a first in the competition. The name "Ye-yé" came from the "Yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus in the Beatles' song "She Loves You" after four members of the team posed for Diario Marca dressed in Beatles wigs. The Ye-yé generation was also European Cup runner-up in 1962 and 1964.

In the 1970s, Real Madrid won 5 league championships and 3 Spanish Cups. The club played its firstUEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1971, being defeated by English side Chelsea with 2-1. On 2 July 1978, club president Santiago Bernabéu died while the World Cup was being played in Argentina. In his honour FIFA decreed three days of mourning during the tournament. The following year, the club organized the first edition of Santiago Bernabéu Trophy in the memory of its former president.

By the early 1980s, Real Madrid had lost its grasp on the La Liga title until a new batch of home-grown stars brought domestic success back to the club. Real Madrid had one of the best teams in Spain and Europe during the second half of the 1980s, winning two UEFA Cups, five Spanish championships in a row, one Spanish cup and three Spanish Super Cups.

In the early 1990s, La Quinta del Buitre split up after Martín Vázquez, Emilio Butragueño and Míchel left the club. In 1996, President Lorenzo Sanz appointed Fabio Capello as coach. Although his tenure lasted only one season, Real Madrid was proclaimed league champion and players like Roberto Carlos,Predrag Mijatović, Davor Šuker and Clarence Seedorf arrived at the club to strengthen a squad that already boasted the likes of Raúl, Fernando Hierro, Iván Zamorano, and Fernando Redondo. As a result, Real Madrid (with the addition of Fernando Morientes in 1997) finally ended its 32-year wait for its seventh European Cup. In 1998, under manager Jupp Heynckes, The Whites defeated Juventus 1–0 in the final thanks to a goal from Predrag Mijatović.

In July 2000, Florentino Pérez was elected club president. His campaign vowed to erase the club's debt and modernize the club's facilities. However, the primary electoral promise that propelled Pérez to victory was the signing of Luís Figo. The following year, the club controversially got its training ground rezoned and used the money to begin assembling the famous Galáctico side including players such asZinédine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luís Figo, Roberto Carlos, Raúl and David Beckham. It is debatable whether the gamble paid off, as despite a European Cup win in 2002, followed by the League in 2003, the club failed to win a major trophy for the next three seasons.

Ramón Calderón was elected as club president on 2 July 2006 and subsequently appointed Fabio Capello as the new coach and Predrag Mijatović as the new sporting director. Real Madrid won the La Liga title in 2007 for the first time in four years but Capello was sacked. In the 2007–08 season, The Whites won the domestic league for the 31st time, achieving their first consecutive league title in eighteen years.

So you can see ,by Real Madrid`s history, that it is a team to support.

If you have other teams you think that are "TEAM TO SUPPORT"you can comment and give your reasons why

MY MOST BEAUTIFUL STADIUMS IN THE WORLD.

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Today was another one of those days when i was watching a football match between Arsenal and Manchester United and then i noticed the quality of stadium they were playing in.So i started my laptops to search for more of these beautiful stadiums. I found very beautiful stadiums and i thought of sharing them.Of all the ones I saw, i picked these outstanding seven stadiums.

WEMBLEY STADIUM.

This is simply my best stadium mostly because of its high tech design and it has just replaced a very famous old stadium. This is the home stadium for the English National Team.This is one you should visit before you die.

Emirates

Location: London, England

Capacity: 60.000

This stadium which is home to Arsenal Football Club is my best stadium.As you can see, the design is very outstanding and its attendance also impresses. Considered to be the best ground in England Premier League ,I rate it the second best in the world.

Alianz Arena

Location: Munich, Germany

Capacity: 69.000

Located in the home town of Bayern Munchen, this stadium is a “dream come true”. If you ever have a chance to visit Munich you should DEFINITELY go and watch a football match here.With its colourful design,all football fans in Germany and most of Europe consider it the most beautiful stadium they have ever seen.

THE SANTIAGO BERNABEU.

Location: Madrid, Spain

Capacity: 80.000

This is a very historical stadium.It acts as a home for the most successful club in European football history,Real Madrid.Real Madrid, record nine time champions league , are also the richest football club and what a stadium they have to show for their money.

San Siro

Location: Milan, Italy

Capacity: 82.000

This is the home of the two giants in football, Milan and Inter. Believe it or not, the construction of this stadium started in 1925! On average, 52.000 people attend on every match during the Serie A league.Although it has two teams that play there home matches in it, it is still in good shape and is still among the best stadiums in Europe.

Nou Camp

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Capacity: 98.000

This stadium has a long history. Its initial capacity wasn’t very close to 98.000 in the past. Some of Nou Camp facilities are: memorabilia shop, mini pitches for training matches, and a chapel for players. Yeah, a chapel.Barcelona, well known for its youth academy,plays its home matches here.

OLD TRAFFORD.

Location:Manchester,England.

Attendance:75,000

Old Trafford is the home of the second most historic club in England,Manchester United.Manchester United ,who have won the Premier League for the last three seasons,make this an invincible stadium to visiting teams because of the fans intimidating the visiting team.

MY LARGEST FOOTBALL STADIUMS IN THE WORLD.

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You may be thinking that this list may contain stadiums from major European clubs but think otherwise.

1. Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, Mexico) 105,000

Opened in 1966, the Azteca is home to both Club América and the Mexican national team. The above image was taken during World Cup ‘86, when Mexico hosted the World Cup.

2. Azadi Stadium (Tehran, Iran) 90,000

The Azadi stadium is home to the Iranian national team, but also to Persepolis F.C.’s and Esteghlal F.C. It was opened in 1971 and renovated in 2002.

3. Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain) 98,772

I’m sure you’ve heard of this one. Home to FC Barcelona, Camp Nou means simply “new field” in English. It was opened in 1957.

4. Wembley Stadium (London, England) 90,000

The original Wembley stadium (with the famous twin towers) was opened in 1923, but demolished in 2003 so that New Wembley could be built in its place. The project was both late and overbudget, but the result is an impressive £800m stadium that opened in 2007 and hosts the England national team, as well as various English cup and playoff finals.

5. Estádio do Maracanã (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 88,992

The Maracanã was built for the 1950 World Cup final, and apparently used to hold closer to 200,000. It’s now officially titled the Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho after the journalist Mário Filho. Brazilian club sides Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama often play there, and the Maracanã will host the 2014 World Cup final.

6. Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta, Indonesia) 88,083

This is maybe one of the stadiums you wouldn’t have expected to make the list. But the Bung Karno is the regular home of the Indonesian national team, as well as Indonesian cup finals. So if Wembley makes the list, then so does the Bung Karno.

7. Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo (Guayaquil, Ecuador) 83,835

This stadium is in Ecuador. Opened in 1987, the Estadio Monumental is home to Ecuadorian team Barcelona Sporting Club. The image above shows some innovative Sony advertising.

8. Olimpiyskiy (Kyiv, Ukraine) 83,450

Here’s a stadium that’s been through many many name changes since being opened in 1923, mostly due to Ukraine being a former Soviet state. It’s been renovated twice (1941, 1999) and expanded twice (1966, 1978). Right now it’s home to the Ukrainian national team, as well as Dynamo Kyiv’s higher profile games.

9. Westfalenstadion (Dortmund, Germnany) 80,552

It’s currently known as Signa Iduna Park due to a sponsorship agreement, but I’m sticking with Westfalenstadion. Home to Borussia Dortmund, and the largest stadium in the Bundesliga.

10. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid, Spain) 80,354

Home to Real Madrid and named after former chairman Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. The Bernabéu was opened in 1947, but was polished up during Florentino Perez’ first spell as Real Madrid chairman when €127m worth of improvements were made. The Bernabéu will host the 2010 Champions League final.

You may be thinking what had hapenned to all the English stadiums, but they were not up to the standards required for this list

MAJOR FOOTBALL COMPETIONS

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Football Competitions

Charles William Alcock’s proposal in 1871 saw the establishment of the FA Challenge Cup, the first competition in football history. Taking place in 1872, the Wanderers FC (now-deceased team, formerly of Battersea) were the first to take the trophy home, beating the Royal Engineers 1-0 in the final. Today, every domestic football association has one, or even two, cup competitions which run simultaneously with a league. To top it off, there are continental and even world tournaments in existence at both club and international level. Here are a list of the main leagues and cup competitions in British club football, along with a few international competitions to get you up to scratch:

THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE.

Confederation:
UEFA

Founded:
27th May 1992

Region:
England

Number of Teams:
20

Level:
Current champions:
Manchester United

Sponsors:
Barclays Bank

Official website:
http://www.premierleague.com

League Overview
The English Premier League is known officially known as the Barclays Premier League (for sponsorship reasons), and often referred to as The Premiership. It falls under the hierarchy of the English Football Association, and is a professional league for the country’s top clubs, and the country’s main football competition. There are currently 20 clubs in the league, with each team playing 28 games. The season runs from August to May, with the club that finishes top of the league being crowned as champions and gaining an automatic entry into the Champions League. Clubs finishing 2-4 are also entered into various European competitions, with additional places available depending on UEFA coefficients. Clubs finishing in the bottom three places are automatically relegated.

League Ranking
UEFA League ranking : 1 st

History
The birth of the Premier League followed on from a very poor 1980s in English football, and the events that succeeded it. Stadiums and facilities were in very poor condition, and the enigma of the “English hooligan” was at its peak, with fights and racist chants prevalent around the country. Additionally, English clubs had been banned from Europe for 5 years following the death of 39 fans in Heysel at the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus. There was also the Hillsborough disaster where 96 Liverpool fans died, and in general there was a great dissatisfaction at the state of English football both inside and outside the country. At the time, the “First Division” had been the top level of English football, but it was far behind the level of Italy’sSerie A or Spain’s La Liga. Contrary to the present state of affairs, it was the top English players who were going to the foreign clubs. Something needed to be done, and it began with the post-Hillsborough Taylor report, where stadiums were now required to be all-seaters. Not only was this expensive, but it also reduced the money to be received from gate revenues, and so football started to look for money from external sources. Ten First Division clubs contemplated breaking away to form a “super league”, but eventually were persuaded to stay. But television money, and improved stadiums and facilities saw interest and finance in the game rise, and the threat of a breakaway came once again. The response to that, also taking into consideration the altogether unattractive nature of the first division, was a proposal for the establishment of a new league in 1991 that would bring more money into the game, and allow teams to compete with the rest of Europe and attract talent from around the world, something which was unthinkable at the time. So on 27th May 1992, after several First Division clubs had resigned from the Football League, and the FA Premier League was registered as a privately-held, limited company at the Football Association’s headquarters. The Premier League would be financially independent of the FA, and thereby able to negotiate its own contracts for sponsorship and television rights. This also meant that the structure of the 104 year-old Football Association had to be changed. Previously comprised of four divisions, it now consisted of just three, with the First, Second and Third Divisions being pushed down a tier, the Premier League placed at the top, and the Fourth Division being scrapped. The competition format hence more or less remained the same, with systems of promotion and relegation remaining as before. Although now consisting of 20 clubs, the Premiership then remained faithful to the old First Division format of 22 clubs, and it was the following 22 teams that provided the competition in the inaugural English Premier League season of 1992/93: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wimbledon.

League Format
The Barclays Premier League currently consists of 20 teams that play each other twice a season (home and away), amounting to 38 games in a season. A proposed idea for a 39th game to be played overseas has been shelved for the moment. The bottom three teams in the Premiership are automatically relegated to the Coca Cola Championship, and are replaced by top two teams in the Championship along with a third (the winner of a playoff between teams 4-6). The team finishing first in the Premiership wins the title, and gains automatic entry into the group stages of the following year’s Champions League. At present, the second placed team also gains automatic entry, with the 3rd and 4th placed teams entering into the qualifiers for the Champions League, and the 5th placed team getting a UEFA Cup entry. However these are determined by UEFA coefficients that change from time-to-time depending on how a country has performed. The 6th place team may also earn a UEFA Cup spot depending on the outcome of domestic cup finals, and other teams might also try to gain entry through the InterToto Cup and the Fair Play Table.

League Trophies
The Barclays Premiership trophy is an interesting looking cup, with a gold-plated, crowned top, and gold-plated lions atop either handle. It is arguably the most prestigious trophy in English football, although some people consider the FA Cup to be worth more because of its rich tradition and history. Manchester United currently hold the record for the most titles with 9. They won the very first season of the Premiership in 1992/93, and after a dry spell of 3 years, they reclaimed it last season (2006/07). They are also the only team to have achieved three titles back-to-back from 1998-2001, as well as the prestigious “Treble” in 1999 (winning the Premiership, Champions League and FA Cup in the same season). Arsenal have the second highest number of trophies with 3, and have done the “Double” in 1998 and 2002 (winning the Premier League and FA Cup in the same season). They have also set numerous records along the way – in 2002, they completed their league campaign without losing a single game away from home. In 2004 they went a step better and won the league without losing a single game, and went on to set an unbeaten run of 49 consecutive games from May 2003 to October 2004.

Recognition and Awards
Most League Goals of All Time

Ranking Player Games Goals First Match Last Match

1 Alan Shearer 441 260 1992 2006

2 Andrew Cole 401 187 1993 2008

3 Thierry Henry 254 174 2000 2007

4 Robbie Fowler 373 163 1992 2007

5 Les Ferdinand 368 149 1992 2005

6 Teddy Sheringham 415 146 1992 2007

7 Michael Owen 252 131 1997

8 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 288 127 1997 2007

9 Dwight Yorke 377 123 1992

10 Ian Wright 213 113 1992 1999

Most League Appearances

Ranking Player # Appearances

1 Gary Speed 536

2 David James 507

3 Ryan Giggs 488

4 Sol Campbell 447

5 Alan Shearer 441

6 Gareth Southgate 426

7 Teddy Sheringham 418

8 Andrew Cole 414

9 Paul Scholes 398

10 Emile Heskey 397

Ranking	Player	Games	Goals	First Match	Last Match
1	Alan Shearer	441	260	1992	2006
2	Andrew Cole	401	187	1993	2008
3	Thierry Henry	254	174	2000	2007
4	Robbie Fowler	373	163	1992	2007
5	Les Ferdinand	368	149	1992	2005
6	Teddy Sheringham	415	146	1992	2007
7	Michael Owen	252	131	1997
8	Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink	288	127	1997	2007
9	Dwight Yorke	377	123	1992
10	Ian Wright	213	113	1992	1999

Ranking	Player	# Appearances
1	Gary Speed	536
2	David James	507
3	Ryan Giggs	488
4	Sol Campbell	447
5	Alan Shearer	441
6	Gareth Southgate	426
7	Teddy Sheringham	418
8	Andrew Cole	414
9	Paul Scholes	398
10	Emile Heskey	397

THE SERIA A

Confederation:

UEFA

Founded:

1898

Region:

Italy

Number of Teams:

Level:

Current champions:

F.C. Internazionale Milano

Sponsors:

[TIM] Telecom Italia Mobile

Official website:

http://www.lega-calcio.it

History

Serie A League Overview

Some of the best football clubs and players in the world play in the Italian Serie A league, the first division of football in Italy. 20 clubs currently play Serie A. The league has a main sponsor, TIM, a telecommunications company and the official name of the league is ‘Serie A TIM’. Serie A has produced the largest number of European Club Championships finalists.

The league has been played with current format since 1929. Before that the competition was divided into regional tournaments. When a club wins the title it wears the Scudetto with the Italian colours on its uniform the following season. Clubs that finish in the top four spots of the league qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The first an second places qualify directly to the group stage. CluBs that finish in the fifth and sixth place respectively, qualify for the UEFA CUP, together with the Coppa Italia winners. The three clubs with the least amount of points by the end of the season are relegated to the Serie B – the Italian second division.

League Ranking

3rd Best League in the World
3rd Best League in Europe
(According to the IFFHS)

Serie A History

From 1898 to 1928 an Italian League, divided into regional groups was the format used to determine the best football teams in the country. In the 1929-1930 season the organizations that ruled the regional tournaments were unified to form one single national championship.

As from the 1924/25 season, a club that wins the Italian Serie A receives the right to wear the Scudetto – a type of coat of arms with the Italian colors, green, white and red – on the their shirt for the following season to show that they are the title holders. Juventus of Turin is the club with the most number of Serie A titles with 27 followed by AC Milan with 17, Inter Milan with 15, Genoa with 9, Torino, Bologna and Pro Vercelli – currently in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, former Serie C2, with 7 titles each.

In May of 1949 a tragedy marked the history of the Italian Serie A when the airplane transporting the entire Torino FC squad, 4 time league champions, crashed into the hill where the Basilica Superga – a church near Turin - is located.

All the 31 people onboard were killed including the 18 Torino players, club officials, journalists and the airline crew. The team was returning from Protugal where they played a friendly match against Benfica and with only four matches left to concluding the season Torino was forced to play with his youth team. In respect to the tragedy all their opponents also used their youth players against Torino and the young ones were able to carry on the club’s lead in the competition and with the title. After Roma’s 200-2001 scudetto, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan have dominated Serie A in the recent years. Juventus won in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, AC Milan 2003-2004 and Inter Milan won the last two seasons of the Serie A. The late Umberto Agnelli, one of the most influential entrepreneurs and politicians in Italy, introduced in 1958 the Golden Star for Sports Excellence to be a recognition to the clubs that win multiple championships. In Italy the Golden Star is added to a teams crest when the club wins ten scudettos. Currently only three clubs in the Italian Serie A have this honour: Inter Milan, 1 star (15 scudettos); AC Milan 1 star (17 scudettos); Juventus 2 stars (27 scudettos).

League Format

Serie A TIM starts in August and ends in May. Each team plays 38 matches. The teams play eacher other twice, once at home and once away. The winner is the club with the most number of points after the regular season. In case of two teams finishing with the same number of points the winner will be determined by their head-to-head confront, if the tie persists the goal differential is next deciding criterium. The top 2 teams automatically qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Third and fourth place will enter the Champions League in the third round of the qualifying process and must play and win a two-legged knock out match to enter the group phase. The teams that finish fifth and sixth qualify for the UEFA Cup.

League Trophies

Juventus (27): 1905, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03

A.C. Milan (17): 1901, 1906, 1907, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1978–79, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04 Inter Milan (15): 1909–10, 1919–20, 1929–30, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1979–80, 1988–89, 2005–06, 2006–07

Genoa (9): 1898, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1914–15, 1922–23, 1923–24

Torino (7): 1927–28, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1975–76

Bologna (7): 1924–25, 1928–29, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1963–64

Pro Vercelli: 1908, 1909, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1920–21, 1921–22*

Roma: 1941–42, 1982–83, 2000–01

Lazio: 1973–74, 1999–00

Fiorentina: 1955–56, 1968–69

Napoli: 1986–87, 1989–90

Cagliari: 1969–70

Sampdoria: 1990–91

Hellas Verona: 1984-85

Spezia: 1944

Casale: 1913–14

Novese: 1921-22*

THE BUNDESLIGA.

Confederation:
UEFA

Founded:
1963

Region:
Germany

Number of Teams:
18

Level:
1

Current champions:
FC Bayern Munich

Sponsors:
Deutsche Telekom/T-Com - http://www.t-mobile.com

Official website:
http://www.bundesliga.de/en/

History

Contents
[hide]
1 League Overview
1.1 League Ranking

2 History

3 League Format

4 League Trophies
4.1 Recognition and Awards

4.2 Most League Goals of All Time

4.3 Most League Appearances

5 League Management

6 Sponsors

7 Media Coverage

8 Important Links

9 References

League Overview
The German Fussball Bundesliga actually comprises the top two divisions of German football- 1. Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. However, the 1. Bundesliga has come to be known simply as the Bundesliga. “Die Bundesliga” was founded in 1962, and began in 1963. It runs from early August to late May, in line with most other major European leagues, but has a long winter break of about 6 weeks.

18 teams from around Germany play in this league, although this number was originally 16. The rules for the continued admission of clubs to the league are very strict. Teams require a license to play, which can only be obtained by meeting certain organisational requirements and being in good financial standing.

The teams currently in the league are: DSC Arminia Bielefeld, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Bayern München, VfL Bochum, Borussia Dortmund, MSV Duisburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Energie Cottbus,Hamburger SV, Hannover 96, Hertha BSC Berlin, FC Hansa Rostock,Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Nürnberg, FC Schalke 04, VfB Stuttgart,Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg.

League Ranking
UEFA League ranking: 5th

History
The German Bundesliga was in fact the first face of professional football in Germany. Prior to its formation in 1963, German football was only ever played at an amateur level. The governing body for German football, the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB), had been founded in the 1900 with 86 member clubs in Liepzig, but they had not instituted any kind of professional setup. Football was played across a large number of often disjointed and disconnected regional leagues. The winners of these regional leagues would then compete in a series of playoff matches to decide the eventual champions of Germany. The first recognised national champions wereVfB Leipzig. They beat DFC Prague 7-2, on May 31st 1903 in Hamburg.

There were obvious political and structural complications with trying to institute a concrete structure for a league system, but it became a pressing concern in the 1950s when the international team had started to suffer. Professional leagues in other countries were starting to show superiority, and Germany’s best players were also being lured away to them. The last straw broke in the 1962 World Cup, when West Germany lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia in the quarter-final. It was a poor performance, and later that summer, in Dortmund, DFB president Hermann Neuberger announced the creation of a new professional league. It would be modelled on the English professional setup, and featured 16 teams. The existing amateur leagues would continue to exist (and still do), but the various Regionalligen are now more organised and sit below the Bundesliga levels in the German Football League system.

46 teams applied for admission to the Bundesliga from the regional Oberligen, and eventually 16 teams were selected based on their success, history, economic health and representation of the various regions of Germany. Sometime later, the first ever German professional games kicked off on August 24, 1963.

East Germany had maintained a separate 14 team league through this period, the DDR-Liga, which had operated under the Soviet system. However after reunification in 1990, the league ran for one last season, with clubs then being absorbed into the various levels of German football. They top two clubs from East Germany, Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden both joined the Bundesliga. Futher structure will be added to the system from 2008/09 onwards, with a 3. Bundesliga being added to the Bundesliga levels, and the regional leagues morphing into 3 separate divisions.

League Format
The German Football Bundesliga is decided by a conventional double round robin system. Each team plays the other twice, home and away, for a total of 34 games in the season. The title is based strictly on league play, and there are no playoffs of any kind. The team with the most points at the end of the season is the German Football League champion. The bottom 3 teams are automatically relegated, and replaced by the top 3 teams in the 2. Bundesliga.

If teams are tied for any of these spots, then the following factors are taken into account as deciders (in order): goal difference, goals scored, head-to-head results, head-to-head goal difference. If all of these are equal, then the two teams play a tie-breaker on a neutral ground, but this have never happened in the history of the Bundesliga.

The Bundesliga currently has three UEFA Champions League spots (two automatic), and three UEFA Cup spots. Match squads have 7 substitutes (where a standard 3 can be use). Match squads are currently limited to 5 non-EU players, although clubs are not restricted in the amount of non-EU players they can have at the club.

League Trophies
The German Bundesliga boasts the highest average attendance of any league in Europe. This is partly due to the fantastic enthusiasm shown by German fans, but also due to the tickets being moderately priced, especially in comparison to the Premier League. The Bundesliga is also one of the few remaining top leagues in Europe that allows clubs to have “terraces” or standing areas in the ground.

The Bundesliga boasts some historic grounds, as well as someone fantastic modern ones. Additionally, the hosting of the 2006 World Cup in Germany saw many stadia being built, as well as many older ones being refurbished and upgraded.

Bayern Munich have their Allianz-Arena, a magnificent, futuristic looking stadium which has become a landmark in football. The exterior shell of the stadium is composed entirely of lighting panels, and so the colours of the stadium can be changed. Previously, they played in Munich’s historic old Olympic Stadium. Dortmund have the legendary Westfalenstadion (Signal Iduna Park). This ground has a combined seating and standing capacity of over 80,000 and is known to be one of the most intimidating in Europe.

Dortmund’s local rivals Schalke play in the impressive Arena auf Schalke, which replaced their old Parkstadion. The Arena auf Schalke, known for sponsorship reasons as the Veltins Arena, is another seating and standing combined stadium, with a capacity of just over 60,000. It is another ground famous for its heated atmosphere, something which Schalke fans have become famous for over the years.

Recognition and Awards
Giants Bayern Munich are by far the most powerful and victorious Bundesliga team. In the 44 years of the Bundesliga, they have captured 19 titles from 1969 to 2003. Unlike certain other teams (Dortmund, Hamburg) that have had “golden eras” but done little else otherwise, Bayern have consistently managed to win titles over the entire history of the Bundesliga.

Most League Goals of All Time

Ranking Player Games Goals First Match Last Match

1 Gerd Müller 427 365 1965 1979

2 Klaus Fischer 535 268 1968 1988

3 Jupp Heynckes 385 220 1965 1978

4 Manfred Burgsmüller 447 213 1969 1990

5 Ulf Kirsten 350 182 1990 2003

6 Stefan Kuntz 449 179 1983 1999

7 Dieter Müller 301 177 1973 1986

8 Klaus Allofs 424 177 1975 1993

9 Hannes Löhr 381 166 1964 1977

10 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 310 162 1974 1984

Most League Appearances

Ranking Player # Appearances

1 Karl-Heinz Körbel 602

2 Manfred Kaltz 581

3 Klaus Fichtel 552

4 Oliver Kahn 551

5 Miroslav Votava 546

6 Klaus Fischer 535

7 Eike Immel 534

8 Willi Neuberger 520

9 Michael Lameck 518

10 Uli Stein 512

Ranking	Player	Games	Goals	First Match	Last Match
1	Gerd Müller	427	365	1965	1979
2	Klaus Fischer	535	268	1968	1988
3	Jupp Heynckes	385	220	1965	1978
4	Manfred Burgsmüller	447	213	1969	1990
5	Ulf Kirsten	350	182	1990	2003
6	Stefan Kuntz	449	179	1983	1999
7	Dieter Müller	301	177	1973	1986
8	Klaus Allofs	424	177	1975	1993
9	Hannes Löhr	381	166	1964	1977
10	Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	310	162	1974	1984

Ranking	Player	# Appearances
1	Karl-Heinz Körbel	602
2	Manfred Kaltz	581
3	Klaus Fichtel	552
4	Oliver Kahn	551
5	Miroslav Votava	546
6	Klaus Fischer	535
7	Eike Immel	534
8	Willi Neuberger	520
9	Michael Lameck	518
10	Uli Stein	512

UEFA Champions League/The European Cup

Champions League Trophy

Could easily be considered the greatest prize in club football worldwide, the Champions League is connected to the old European Cup. Whereas the old Cup was established in 1955, the Champions League renaming took place in 1992 as a response to the total restructuring of the format.

The old knockout style solely including the winners of each domestic league was replaced by a dramatically different system involving 32 teams. This was preceded by three qualifying rounds with two-legs each. Once into the full competition, a group stage takes place (8 groups with 4 teams in each). Each team plays home and away, the top two of each qualifying for the knockout stages, which are at first drawn from two groups (representing those who finished 1st and 2nd respectively) but then done randomly for the rest of the competition. Ties at this point are two-legged, with the away goals rule applied along with extra-time and penalties if necessary. The final is naturally a single-leg affair.

The exclusivity of the old European Cup was thrown out the window for the Champions League, as now the admitted sides represent the top teams in a country. The number of teams permitted depends on the strength of the league. For example, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy and the Premiership in England are all given four spots in the Champions League. Ligue 1 in France, the Bundesliga in Germany and the Portuguese Liga in Portugal each receive 3 spots. All other representatives are given two places or a single spot.

The Champions League’s popularity with clubs stems from its prestige and the monumental financial benefits. Sponsorship and television money means the rewards are phenomenal. In the 2005/2006 season, teams were given a cumulative total of 430 million Euros, the figure for each club being decided based on their performance in the competition (e.g. Liverpool FC received 30 million Euros for winning in 2004/2005).

The most successful leagues are, unsurprisingly, the strongest leagues in Europe, Spanish teams having been victorious 11 times, followed by their English and Italian counterparts with 10 trophies each. The single most dominant side is Real Madrid with 9 Cups, way ahead of AC Milan in second, who have won 6 times.

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Cup is the bridesmaid to the bride that is the Champions League in European club football. First played in 1971, the tournament has seen many changes, not least being merged with the Cup Winners Cup in 1999. It is now seen as a very lowly second to the Champions League mainly due to the growth of that tournament in numbers as well as in wealth.

Domestic Cup winners gain entry to the UEFA Cup along with the highest placed league team who failed to qualify for the Champions League. Teams enter the competition depending on the strength of their UEFA coefficients. Teams from countries ranked lower than 18th enter in the first qualifying round and teams from nations ranked between 9th and 18th enter in the second qualifying phase. There are also spots in this round for the lucky winners of the Fair Play Draw as well as entrants from the Intertoto Cup.

In the first round proper the teams that have qualified from highly ranked coefficient nations join the qualifiers meaning 80 teams will play in the first round. These games are played over two legs and the winners advance to a group phase of eight groups consisting of five teams each. The top three in each group progress after a round-robin stage where they are joined by the eight 3rd placed teams in the Champions League and a straight two-legged knock-out format ensues until the final, which is played at a neutral arena in a one-off game.

Juventus are the most successful UEFA Cup entrant having won the tournament on three occasions and have been beaten finalists the same amount of times again. Sevilla are the current holders and have won it in back-to-back years.

FIFA World Cup

If there’s one thing which brings out all the casual fans, it’s the World Cup. Whereas all the aforementioned competitions take place annually, the World Cup only happens once every four years and has done since 1930 (with a break between 1942 and 1946 due to World War II). Nevertheless, seven countries have won the trophy, Brazil being the most successful with 5 victories (England’s only victory came in 1966).

This figure of just seven victors is all the more remarkable when you consider that 198 nations tried to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. This figure is trimmed down to 32 for the Finals themselves. The qualification process is organised in the six FIFA continental zones (see below for more details). Qualification takes some two years and is achieved via a single group stage (the terms of which depend on the particular zone). The number of places for each zone is decided by FIFA, although the host nation never have to qualify.

The Finals themselves are composed of a group stage (8 groups with 4 teams in each, the top two qualifying after every team plays each other once) and a straight-up knockout stage, concluding with a final.

I hope that this information has helped you.

FOOTBALL FORMATIONS.

2010-01-11T15:53:00.002+03:00

As managers are unable to get on the field themselves, the formation is a vital way for them to enforce their vision on the players. The type of formation selected by the manager reflects the sort of football you can expect them to play, so understanding what the most commonly used formations signify is key to understanding football.

4-4-2 (Four Four Two) Formation

The most common and adaptable formation in modern football, the weakness of 4-4-2 is the gaps between the central defenders, midfielders and the strikers. As such, a huge burden is placed on the central midfield to augment defense and attack.

4-4-2 Formation

Precisely because of this all-round contribution, the wings play a vital role in spurring on attacks and supporting the strikers. This was evident in the approach of Manchester United and Arsenal during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The former utilised David Beckham and Gary Neville’s ability to deliver crosses from deep positions (as well as Beckham’s abilities from set-pieces), while the latter relied heavily on the goalscoring contributions both of right-winger Freddie Ljungberg and left-winger Robert Pires.

However, the two sides’ contrasting attitudes in central midfield reflects the subtle variations in the 4-4-2. Whereas Manchester United’s first-choice midfield of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane married a powerful but diminutive mixture of a goal-scoring attacking midfielder and a box-to-box tough-tackler, Arsenal emphasised a tall, powerful combination with their own tough-tackling box-to-box midfielder, Patrick Vieira, and a strict holding midfielder in Gilberto Silva.

4-5-1 (Four Five One) Formation

A formation which has grown in popularity in recent times, the 4-5-1 is fundamentally defensive, but can be tweaked to provide more of an offensive threat. The essential qualities of the 4-5-1 are a three-man central midfield and a lone striker, typically a target man. By packing the midfield, a technically strong passing side will come unstuck and provide opportunities for counter-attacking football. When on the attack, the 4-5-1 is heavily dependent on the wingers supporting the lone striker.

4-5-1 Formation

Perhaps the best illustration of 4-5-1 in full flow is Jose Mourinho’s system. Both as manager of FC Porto and Chelsea, Mourinho founded his sides on strong defensive line-ups and an excellent holding midfielder, while the attack relied on a hard-working front man and a goal-scorer in midfield. At Chelsea, his defensive stalwarts were the captain and central defender John Terry and the holding midfielder Claude Makélélé. Alongside the Frenchman, Frank Lampard provided the bulk of goals from central midfield, ably supported by Joe Cole and Arjen Robben on the wings and Didier Drogba’s efforts up front. The side was extremely successful, picking up back-to-back Premiership titles in 2005 and 2006, building on Mourinho’s previous achievement at Porto in winning the 2004 Champions League trophy.

4-3-3 (Four Three Three) Formation

In some ways, the 4-3-3 is covered in the description of the 4-5-1. However, whereas the 4-5-1 starts with the wingers supporting the central midfielders, the 4-3-3 encourages the wingers to act as true forwards and the formation generally emphasises attack more than defense.

4-3-3 Formation

This theory was put into action by Frank Rijkaard as manager of Barcelona. Faced with the problem of how to accommodate Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi, as well as a host of central midfielders, Rijkaard adopted a 4-3-3. The triangle up front of the aforementioned players was supported by a creative and defensive midfield backbone of the playmaker Xavi, the holding midfielder Edmilson and either Andrés Iniesta or Thiago Motta as an all-rounder. The side was hugely successful, picking up back-to-back La Liga titles in 2005 and 2006 and the Champions League trophy in 2006.

SOCCER BALLS

2010-01-11T10:37:00.003+03:00

Through out history, humans have enjoyed kicking a ball or something like a ball. South American Indians were known to use a light elasticized ball. However; rubber was not to be practically manufactured until a few thousand years later.
According to historical references and legend, early balls ranged from human heads, stitched up cloth, animal and human skulls to pig or cow bladders.
During the Ts'in and Han Dynasties (255 BC-220 AD), the Chinese played 'tsu chu', in which animal-skin balls were dribbled through gaps in a net stretched between two poles. Certain ancient Egyptian rites are said by historians to have similarities with football, and both the ancient Greeks and Romans also played a game that entailed carrying and kicking a ball.
According to pre-medieval legend, an entire village would kick a skull along a path to a nearby village square. The opposing village would in turn attempt to kick the skull to the first village's square. Wow, that probably caused more riots than in modern soccer games.
A Medieval custom was to take pig bladders used from live stock killed in preparation for winter sustenance and inflate them. They would play a game using their feet and hands to keep the "ball" in the air. Sounds like hacky sack to me.
The animal bladder balls were eventually covered with leather for better shape retention.

Balls in 1800's

In 1836 Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber. Prior to this, balls were dependant on the size and shape of the pig's bladder. The more irregular the bladder, the more unpredictable the behavior of the ball was when kicked. However; it would not be until the twentieth century until most balls were made with rubber bladders.
In 1855, Charles Goodyear designed and built the first vulcanized rubber soccer balls (footballs). The following picture shows the Charles Goodyear ball that is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame which is located in Oneonta, NY, USA.

For more information on the Charles Goodyear oldest soccer ball, click here
In the 1862, H.J. Lindon developed one of the first inflatable rubber bladders for balls. Tragically his wife previously died from lung disease. Reportedly from blowing up many hundreds of pig's bladders. Lindon was probably inspired to develop the inflatable rubber bladder because of the ill effects of blowing up pig's bladders. The balls with the rubber bladders ensured that the ball remained hard and oval. Lindon also claimed to have invented the rugby ball but did not patent the idea. In those days, the round ball was preferred because it was easier to kick and the oval ball was easier to handle.
In 1863 the newly formed English Football Association met to hammer out the laws of the game. No description of the ball was offered in the first set of rules. When the rules were revised in 1872 it was agreed that the ball "must be spherical with a circumference of 27 to 28 inches" (68.6 cm to 71.1 cm). That rule remains in today's FIFA laws. Very little has ever been written about the ball, probably because it has remained very much the same over the years. The official size and weight of the ball was first fixed in 1872. It was changed ever so little in 1937 when the official weight was increased from 13-15 oz to 14-16 oz. The Encyclopedia of Association Football (first published in England in 1956) says as follows "According to the Laws of Football, the ball must be spherical with an outer casing of leather or other approved materials. The circumference shall not be more than 28 in., nor less than 27 in, while the weight at the start of the game must not be more that 16 oz., nor less than 14 oz." The Laws of the Game as published in 2001 say exactly the same thing as to size and weight. What has changed drastically over the last 30 or so years is the material the ball is made of and the shape of the panels that make up the ball.

Match Ball used in the FA Cup Final of 1893

Wolves 1 Everton 0

Mass production of soccer balls started as a direct consequence of the English Football League that was founded in 1888. Mitre and Thomlinson's of Glasgow were two of the first companies to mass produce soccer balls during that time. They touted that the key element in a quality football was how well it could retain it's shape. Strength of the leather and the skills of the cutters and stitchers were the main factors in producing a football that would retain it's shape. The top grade covers were made with leather from the rump of a cow while lower quality balls were made from the shoulder. Advances in ball design came with the development of interlocking panels instead of the previously used leather sections that met at the north and south poles of the ball. The balls were then produced with a more acceptable round shape.

Soccer Balls in the 1900's

1910 Soccer Ball

Unknown

By the 1900's bladders were made with stronger rubber and could withstand heavier pressure. Most balls produced by that time used rubber bladders. The balls were made from inner tubes covered with heavy brown leather. These balls would bounce easier and yet could be kicked. Most balls had a tanned leather cover with eighteen sections stitched together arranged in six panels of three strips each. Each section was stitched together by hand with five-ply hemp and a small lace-up slit was on one side. All of the stitching was done with the ball cover inside out. Once completed, the cover was reversed with the stitching on the inside. An un-inflated bladder was then inserted through the slit. A long stem neck (aperture) extending from the bladder was used to inflate the ball. Once inflated, the tube was inserted through the 15 cm slit and then the opening was laced up tight. You can imagine how often that these soccer balls had to re-inflated. Even during a game.
These balls were good for kicking but was painful when heading due to the heavy stitching and the water absorption characteristics of the leather. Water absorption of the leather during rain made the ball very heavy and caused many head injuries. Other problems of the old leather balls were the various quality of cowhides used. Footballs varied in thickness and quality and the leather often degraded during the match.

1929 Soccer Ball

1933 Soccer Ball

Unknown

1937 Soccer Ball

The soccer ball may have even played a part in the outcome of the first world cup in 1930. Argentina and Uruguay could not agree on which ball to use. So they decided to use an Argentinean ball the first half and a ball supplied by Uruguay in the second half. As it turned out, Argentina was ahead at halftime 2-1using their soccer ball. However; Uruguay came back to win the match in the second half 4-2 using their ball!
Click on the picture below see a larger picture of the ball used in the final match of the first world cup and cool USA and Uruguay first world cup team pictures.

1930 World Cup Soccer Ball of "Tiento"

During World War II there were further production enhancements. The addition of a carcass made of strong cloths between the bladder and outer cover made controlling the shape easier, provided damping, and made the ball stronger. However; soccer balls played a crucial role in the outcome of matches due to the ball actually bursting during a game. The reason for the low quality balls just after World War II was blamed on the poor quality of the leather covers.
Water absorption was improved by using synthetic paints and other non-porous materials to coat the leather. Also, a new type of valve was invented that eliminated the laced slit on soccer balls.

1950 Soccer Ball

In 1951 a white ball was first permitted to help spectators see the ball easier with the advent of floodlights. White soccer balls were un-officially used as early as 1892. The leather was simply white washed to produce the white ball. Orange balls were also first introduced in the 1950's to help see the ball in the snow.

1950 era 18 panel ball (pictures from Francisco Aquino)

Different countries favored different types of soccer balls in the early days of international soccer. This caused much controversy. FIFA standardized the size, weight and type of balls with the introduction of an international board.

1963 Leather Soccer Ball

White Santiago version of the "unofficial" World Cup 1966 England Ball (courtesy of carlos del castillo)

Synthetic Soccer Balls

It was not until the 1960's that the first totally synthetic ball was produced. But it was not until the late 1980's that synthetic leather totally replaced the leather ball. Up until then, it was felt that leather soccer balls provided more of a consistent flight and bounce. Synthetics used in today's soccer balls emulate the cell structure and quality of leather with less water absorption.

The Buckminster Soccer Ball

Early footballs were sewn up with laces. These days, footballs are made from synthetic leather patches sewn together in a design based on the 'Buckminster Ball' or known as the Buckyball. The American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller came up with the design when he was trying to find a way for constructing buildings using a minimum of materials.

The shape is a series of hexagons, pentagons and triangles, which can be fitted together to make a round surface. The modern soccer ball is essentially a Buckminster Ball consisting of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal surfaces. When they are sewn together and inflated they make a near perfect sphere. The black spots on the ball helped players to perceive any swerve on the ball.

The first 32-panel ball was marketed by Select in the 1950s in Denmark. The first "official" FIFA world cup soccer ball was the Adidas Telstar used in the 1970 world cup at Mexico. As shown above it was also the first official World Cup Buckminster type soccer ball. Click on the following for more information on:
The history of the Official World Cup Soccer Balls
For more information on the construction of today's soccer ball, click here.

NASL Ball from the 1970's

(above picture compliments of Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Fernández)

2000 and Beyond

Roteiro 2004 Euro Cup Ball

Developments in soccer ball design is continuing. Many companies have recently come out with new high tech materials and designs for soccer balls. The object is to develop the optimum soccer ball that is flight accurate, water proof, fast in flight and transfers all of your kicking force to the ball (does not absorb energy), has soft feel, and is safe to head the ball. Optimum soccer balls should also adhere to ball specifications given by governing bodies such as FIFA.

SIMPLE PARTS OF THE GAME.

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In a football game, there are some parts of the game like throw-ins and free kicks. These are some of the important parts of the football game, below are what these parts mean: THE THROW IN. The throw-in is a way of restarting play after a player has touched the ball immediately before it goes over one of the sidelines. The linesman will put his flag up and the throw is taken by a member of the opposite team. The rules of the throw-in are clearly stated by FIFA. The ball has to be held above or behind the head of the thrower. He mustn’t cross the line, although he can be on it, and he must use both hands. All other players must stand at least 2 metres away from him, irrespective of which side they’re on. You can’t score from a throw-in! After the throw-in has been taken the thrower is forbidden to touch the ball until somebody else has done so. Good throwing technique will focus on distance and accuracy. The priorities of a thrower will be different depending on whereabouts in the field he takes his throw. A player should start with the ball firmly grasped behind his head. It is permitted to take a small run-up to the line and where distance is required this is useful. As he prepares to let go, a player ought to arch his back so that his whole upper body can spring forward and propel the ball. He follows through to be as accurate as possible. FREE KICKS There are two types of free kicks, indirect and direct free kicks. Indirect free-kicks Decidedly less spectacular than their direct equivalent, the indirect free-kick is an essential part of the game, being the most common method for restarting after an infringement. As you might imagine, a free-kick is only awarded after a foul (including offsides) is committed anywhere on the field of play. The only exception is for fouls in the penalty area, although even this can lead to a free-kick in case of an illegal pass back. The indirect free-kick is a more frequent sight in the game, as it is awarded for any unconscious infringement of the laws of the game (as opposed to a foul with clear intent or excessive force). Similarly, in contrast to the direct free-kick, an indirect free-kick means a direct strike on goal is prohibited. Instead, any shot must come from the second player to touch the ball after the free-kick has been taken. The procedure for an indirect free-kick is simple to understand. Whichever team takes the kick must ensure the ball is stationary beforehand, while the defensive side must retreat at least 10 yards from that position until the kick has been taken. As a result of this, it is perfectly possible for an indirect free-kick to result in a goal. What makes it slightly less probable is that, on top of all the obstacles for a direct free-kick, the defending team has the chance to charge the ball down in between the first touch and the subsequent shot on goal. Indeed, a common complaint by free-kick takers is that the defending side pre-empt the first touch and have already made up 5 yards on the ball before the kick has been taken! With this in mind, the technique for shooting on goal when taking a free-kick is slightly less sophisticated. As there is less time to place the ball past the keeper, attacking players typically opt for a ‘hit and hope’ policy, even to the point of relying on deflections past the goalkeeper. Nevertheless, this has not stopped players like Frank Lampard of England being extremely effective from such positions, so don’t always resort to the pass - try to out-think your opponent if the goal beckons!

CORNERS IN FOOTBALL

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CORNERS Mastering the art of the corner is crucial to any attacking player. A corner is given for the most innocent of mistakes, but the consequences for the defending team can be disastrous. A corner is given when a player of the defending team knocks the ball over his own back line – not inside the goal, of course! The linesman puts his flag up, and a member of the attacking team will then take a free kick from the nearest corner. After the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot play it again until another player touches it. If he breaks this rule, the other side gets an indirect free kick. Corners are marvellous opportunities to score crosses, as the ball can be made to pass right in front of the goal mouth. The attacking team usually forms up in front of the goal, trying to keep the defenders guessing. When the whistle goes, the pack springs up to smash the ball into the back of the net. See Nemanja Vidic scoring off a corner for Manchester United against Portsmouth on YouTube. A less common way of playing a corner kick is to play what’s known as a ‘short corner’. In this technique, the kicker passes the ball to a player somewhere between him and the goal. With the narrower angle, this player can make his own attempt to score. It can be hard to defend a corner. Defenders aren’t allowed within ten yards of the ball before the kick is taken, and pressure is high.

POSITIONS IN FOOTBALL .

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POSITIONS IN FOOTBALL. To get a sense of the tactics involved in football, you’ll need to understand the various positions on the pitch and the specifics of certain areas. Having a playmaker or a holding midfielder can dramatically influence a particular team’s style of play, so clue yourself up: GOAL KEEPER(1) Permitted to handle the ball in his/her team’s penalty area, but also uses skills like punching to prevent the other team scoring. Identifiable by a uniquely coloured jersey. Notable goalkeepers Iker Casillas(Spain) Van der Sar (Netherlands) Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) CENTER DEFENDER/CENTER HALF(4,5) Starting out on the edge of his/her team’s penalty area, the central defender’s role is to protect the goalkeeper and, by implication, the goal. There are typically two central defenders in a team, but some formations utilise three. Notable central defenders Paolo Maldini (Italy) Rio Ferdinand(England) Fabio Cannavaro (Italy) SWEEPER/LIBERO.(rarely seen these days) The sweeper or libero (meaning ‘free’) is an exceptional position which is seen irregularly today. The role of the sweeper is basically to act as an all-purpose defender who responds to any breach of the defensive line. As the last line of defence, he also initiates counter-attacks by bringing the ball out of the penalty area, thus necessitating some of the skills of the midfielder like passing, close control and dribbling. Special mention must be made of Franz Beckenbauer. ‘Der Kaiser’ was captain of the World Cup winning West German side in 1974 and is today widely credited as the inventor of the sweeper position. Notable sweepers Franz Beckenbauer (Germany) Franco Baresi (Italy) FULL BACKS/WING BACKS.(2,3) Although basically holding the same starting position, on the left(2) and right(3) of each central defenders respectively, the difference between the fullback and the wingback is the latter’s willingness to move forward and support attacks. This is achieved either by running with the ball or ‘overlapping’ the winger (running ahead) to add width to an attack. However, both positions necessitate strong defensive skills and the coaches Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho have been proponents in the modern era of strictly defensive full-backs. Notable fullbacks/wingbacks Dani Alves (Brazil) Roberto Carlos (Brazil) Ashley Cole (England) Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy) CENTER MIDFIELDER. Situated in arguably the most important area of the field, the central midfielder’s task is to provide support to both defenders and attacks. Such is the complexity of the position, it can be split into sub-categories which indicate unique defensive or offensive responsibilities: Defensive midfielder/Holding midfielder(6) The defensive midfielder sits just behind the centre circle and is primarily required to break down opposition attacks and augment the defense. However, because he is often in possession of the ball when the opponent has committed players to an attack, the defensive midfielder also initiates his team’s own attacks. Notable defensive midfielders Gilberto Silva (Brazil) Gattuso (Italy) Essien (Ghana) PLAYMAKER.(8) The playmaker can be found in the same area as the defensive midfielder but this is to enable better protection for the player himself, whose role is to influence his side’s attacking game. Comparable to a sweeper in midfield, the playmaker takes advantage of the extra support to spray passes up to the attackers and instigate quick offense. A typical benchmark for the position is Spain’s Josep Guardiola, credited for developing the modern conception of a ‘playmaker’ as part of Johan Cruyff’s famous ‘Dream Team’ Barcelona side in the early-1990s. Notable playmakers Josep Guardiola (Spain) Andrea Pirlo (Italy) Cesc Fabregas (Spain) Xabi Alonso (Spain) Xavi Hernandez(Spain) BOX TO BOX MIDFIELDER.(6) A true all-rounder, the ‘box to box’ midfielder is so called because he plays his football at both ends of the field, literally filling in everywhere. Usually in possession of exceptional stamina with remarkable defensive and offensive skills, the position is typically associated with the Premiership, where most of the great modern players have flourished. Notable ‘box to box’ midfielders Patrick Vieira (France) Roy Keane (Republic of Ireland) Steven Gerrard (England) ATTACKING MIDFIELDER/HOLEPLAYER.(8) The attacking midfielder is situated in the space between the midfield and the strikers, directly influencing the attack high up in the field. Attacking midfielders are often called on to fill in as forwards due to their potency in front of goal. Vital to the development of the ‘hole’ player was the impact of Pelé, considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. From a forward position and as an attacking midfielder, he scored an incredible 1087 goals in 1120 games for the Brazilian side Santos and 77 goals in 92 games for the national side (in the process leading Brazil to two World Cup victories in 1962 and 1970 respectively). Notable attacking midfielders Pelé (Brazil) Kaká (Brazil) Michel Platini (France) Zico (Brazil) WINGERS.(7,11) Like their defensive equivalents, there are two wingers in a side, starting on both touchlines alongside the central midfielders. Their tasks include pressurising the opposition fullbacks, attacking from wide positions and providing crosses into the box. However, as the position has developed, wingers have increasingly been called on to score goals, as they have the chance to run from deep positions and cause problems for defenders. The result has been the erosion of the old style of wingers like Stanley Matthews, who hugged the touchline, and an explosion of wingers who play much of their football closer to the centre of the pitch. Notable wingers Ryan Giggs (Wales)(11) Robert Pires (France)(7) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)(7) STRIKER/CENTER FORWARD. The goal of the striker is exactly that; goals. Forward players start out just behind the opponent’s penalty area, with the number varying from one to three. However, there are subtle differences in the style of striker: Target man(9) The target man plays his football in the penalty area and acts as a focal point for attacks. They are typically good ‘poachers’ (meaning they are opportunistic) and headers of the ball, but rely on chances made by the midfield. Notable target men Ronaldo (Brazil) Gerd Müller (Germany) Alan Shearer (England) WITHDRAWN STRIKER/DEEP-LYING FORWARD(10) Much like the offside rule, the withdrawn striker is one of the hardest things to explain yet also one of the most important, being the position of some of the greatest players in football history. It is roughly defined as a forward player with both goalscoring and creative abilities, often tending towards the latter. Popularised by Ferenc Puskás, the creative hub of the great Hungary side in the 1940s and 1950s, it gained further repute due to Diego Maradona (indeed, the term ‘Number Ten’ to define this position refers to Maradona’s shirt number for Argentina). Such is the peculiarity of the position that the chosen tag differs from country to country, being known as the trequartista in Italy, the ‘Number Ten’ in South America and the ‘9 and a half’ in France. However, most of the greatest teams in the game have revolved around this type of player. Notable withdrawn strikers Pelé (Brazil) Diego Maradona (Argentina) Ferenc Puskás (Hungary) Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands) Roberto Baggio (Italy) N.B. Pelé also played as a striker for Brazil and Santos.

WHAT IS THE MOST INFLUENCIAL RULE IN FOOTBALL.

2010-01-10T10:04:00.000+03:00

I have chosen today as a day i can write something about my best sport, football. Today, I have chosen to discuss about the rules of football. Let me show you some of the first rules in football: ORIGINAL OFFSIDE RULE. The offside rule formed part of the original rules in 1863 but it was a far remove from the law as we know it today. Any attacking player ahead of the ball was deemed to be offside - meaning early tactical systems featured as many as eight forwards, as the only means of advancing the ball was by dribbling or scrimmaging as in rugby. In the late 1860s, the FA made the momentous decision to adopt the three-player rule, where an attacker would be called offside if positioned in front of the third-last defender. Now the passing game could develop. Despite the unification of the rules and the creation of the FA in 1863, disputes, largely involving Sheffield clubs who had announced their own set of ideas in 1857, persisted into the late 1870s. However, the creation of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) finally put an end to all arguments. Made up of two representatives from each of the four associations of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland), the IFAB met for the first time on 2 June 1886 to guard the Laws of the Game. Then, as today, a three-quarters majority was needed for a proposal to be passed. GRADUAL CHANGES. In those early years, the game gradually assumed the features we take for granted today. Goal-kicks were introduced in 1869 and corner-kicks in 1872. In 1878 a referee used a whistle for the first time. Yet there was no such thing as a penalty up until 1891. In the public schools where modern football originated, there was an assumption that a gentleman would never deliberately commit a foul. Amid the increased competitiveness, however, the penalty, or as it was originally called 'the kick of death', was introduced as one of a number of dramatic changes to the Laws of the Game in 1891. Penalties, of course, had to be awarded by someone and following a proposal from the Irish Association, the referee was allowed on to the field of play. True to its gentlemanly beginnings, disputes were originally settled by the two team captains, but, as the stakes grew, so did the number of complaints. By the time the first FA Cup and international fixture took place, two umpires, one per team, were being employed to whom each side could appeal. But it was not the ideal solution as decisions were often only reached following lengthy delays. The referee, at first, stood on the touchline keeping time and was 'referred' to if the umpires could not agree but that all changed in 1891. REFEREES INTRODUCED. From that date a single person with powers to send players off as well as give penalties and free-kicks without listening to appeals became a permanent fixture in the game. The two umpires became linesmen, or 'assistant referees' as they are called today. Also during that meeting in Scotland, the goal net was accepted into the laws, completing the make-up of the goal after the introduction of the crossbar to replace tape 16 years previously. With the introduction of rules, the features of the football pitch as we know it slowly began to appear. The kick-off required a centre spot; keeping players ten yards from the ball at kick-off, brought the centre circle. It is interesting to note that when the penalty came in 1891, it was not taken from a spot but anywhere along a 12-yard line before 1902. The 1902 decision to award penalties for fouls committed in an area 18 yards from the goal line and 44 yards wide, created both the penalty box and penalty spot. Another box 'goal area', commonly called the 'six-yard-box', six yards long and 20 wide, replaced a semi circle in the goalmouth. However it was not for another 35 years that the final piece of the jigsaw, the 'D' shape at the edge of the penalty area, FIFA JOINS IFAB. Football fast became as popular elsewhere as it had been in Britain and in May 1904, FIFA was founded in Paris with seven original members: France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Madrid FC), Sweden and Switzerland. There was some initial disquiet in the United Kingdom to the idea of a world body governing the sport it had created rules for, but this uncertainty was soon brushed aside. Former FA board member Daniel Burley Woolfall replaced Frenchman Robert Guérin as FIFA President in 1906 - the year the FA joined - and in 1913 FIFA became a member of the IFAB. In the restructured decision-making body, FIFA was given the same voting powers as the four British associations put together. There remained eight votes and the same 75 per cent majority needed for a proposal to be passed, but instead of two each, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland now had one, while FIFA was given four. On the field of play, the number of goals increased aided by the 1912 rule preventing goalkeepers from handling the ball outside the penalty area and another in 1920 banning offsides from throw-ins. In 1925, the three-player offside rule became a two-player one, representing another radical change that propelled the game further forward. ROUS REWRITES THE LAWS. By the late 1930s it was felt that the Laws of the Game, now totalling 17, required a makeover. The original Laws had been penned in the language of Victorian England and since then, there had been more than half a century of changes and amendments. Hence the task given to Stanley Rous, a member of the IFAB and the official who first employed the diagonal system of refereeing, to clean the cobwebs and draft the Laws in a rational order. The Englishman, who would become FIFA President in 1961, did such a good job that not until 1997 were the Laws revised for as second time. Despite football's phenomenal popularity, there was a general agreement in the late 1980s that the Laws of the Game should be fine-tuned in the face of defensive tactics. If fan violence was a serious off-the-pitch problem during that period, then on it the increasingly high stakes meant a real risk of defensive tactics gaining the upper hand. Hence a series of amendments, often referred to as for the 'Good of the Game', which were designed to help promote attacking football. They began with the offside law in 1990. The advantage was now given to the attacking team. If the attacker was in line with the penultimate defender, he was now onside. In the same year, the 'professional foul' - denying an opponent a clear goal-scoring opportunity - became a sending-off offence. BACK PASS RULE CHANGED. Despite these changes, tactics during the 1990 FIFA World Cup ™ suggested something more needed to be done. The IFAB responded in 1992 by banning goalkeepers from handling deliberate back-passes. Although the new rule was greeted with scepticism by some at first, in the fullness of time it would become widely appreciated. The game's Law-makers then struck another blow against cynicism in 1998 when the fierce tackle from behind became a red-card offence. With a new century approaching, the commitment to forward-thinking football could not have been clearer. Above i have shown you some of the major rule changes in the early years of football.Now let me show you some of the recently introduced but controversial rules of football : THE SILVER GOAL. The silver goal is a method for deciding the outcome of elimination matches (i.e. during the knockout stages of a competition). The silver goal only comes into effect if the scores are level at the end of the 90 minutes. If a goal is scored during the first 15 minutes of extra time, and that team is still in the lead at half-time, the team wins the match. If the scores are level after 15 minutes, a second period of extra-time is played. The ruling was proposed in 2002 to replace the golden goal method, which was considered to encourage negative, highly defensive play during extra time. It was hoped that the silver goal would avoid the sudden-death situation, reduce pressure on the referee and encourage the offensive, positive play which was seen as too risky with the golden goal rule. The silver goal was not compulsory, with football competitions able to employ the golden goal, the silver goal, or neither ruling if the game went on to extra time. THE GOLDEN GOAL. Today no more than a footnote in the history of football, the golden goal was at one time a key element in deciding some of the most important matches in the game. Introduced by FIFA in 1993 (who curiously decided that the more commonly used ‘sudden death’ held negative connotations), it was associated almost solely with international football and debuted at the European Championships in 1996. The idea was simple. Whereas the original rules dictated that, if two teams were drawn in a knock-out match after the 90 minutes, extra-time would be played for 30 minutes (divided into two 15 minute segments) with a penalty shoot-out to follow if the deadlock had not been broken. Importantly, should one team score during extra-time, the opposition would still have the chance to equalise until the 30 minutes were up. The ‘golden goal rule’, on the other hand, stated that the first team to score during the 30 minutes of extra-time would immediately be declared the winner. The first golden goal was rather a muted affair - ending the match between Australia and Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championships in 1993. However, the significance of the change was felt in Euro 1996, when Olivier Bierhoff clinched the final for Germany in the 95th minute against the Czech Republic. Ironically, the next European Championships, in 2000, would also be decided by a golden goal, with David Trezeguet taking the trophy for France against Italy, not that its impact was confined to the European Championships, as the first golden goal in the World Cup came in 1998 courtesy of France’s Laurent Blanc, taking France past Paraguay to the quarter-finals. However, the rule change remained hugely unpopular with fans and players alike. Facing a deluge of complaints, UEFA responded by introducing the ‘silver goal’ rule in 2002, which stated that, after a goal was scored in extra-time, the opposition would have until the end of that 15 minute half to equalise or the match would be over. This proved equally unpopular and, in February 2004, the golden and silver goal rules were removed from the Laws of the Game, giving tournament organisers the option to revert back to the old system. This was duly reinstated for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, effectively condemning the rule to football’s dustbin. After reading all of these,its time pick the most interesting law football has ever seen and my pick is the offside rule. Because it has been changed many times and it looks that it will soon be changed.