Saurav Kandel

el Clasico: The Fascinating History Behind Real Madrid vs Barcelona

2015-05-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

El Clásico , is the name given in football to any match between fierce rivals Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona. Originally it referred only to those competitions held in the Spanish championship, but nowadays the term has been generalized, and tends to include every single match between the two clubs: UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, etc. Other than the UEFA Champions League Final, it is the biggest football club game in the world, and is among the most viewed annual sports events.

The rivalry comes about as Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain, and they are sometimes identified with opposing political positions, with Real Madrid viewed as representing Spanish nationalism and Barcelona viewed as representing Catalan nationalism. The rivalry is regarded as one of the biggest in world sport. The two clubs are among the richest and most successful football clubs in the world; in 2014 they were ranked the world's two most valuable sports teams. Both clubs have a global fanbase; they are the world's two most followed sports teams on social media.

Real Madrid leads the head to head results in competitive matches with 92 wins to Barcelona's 89, while Barcelona leads in total matches with 108 wins to Real Madrid's 96. Along with Athletic Bilbao, they are the only clubs in La Liga to have never been relegated.

The bitterness between the Galacticos and the Blaugrana is more than just a simple rivalry of clubs or fanatics; it’s more than a commercial success or the 1 billion plus viewers the game generates. The Clásico is the stage where year after year the people of Catalonia (the region where Barcelona resides) declare their independence from Spain.

Catalonia existed as a sovereign state with its own language, culture, and identity until September 11, 1714, when King Philip V conquered the Catalan region. Shortly thereafter, the few remaining territories of the Iberian Peninsula were annexed, thus creating the country that we know today as Spain.

As early as the 1930s, Barcelona "had developed a reputation as a symbol of Catalan identity, opposed to the centralising tendencies of Madrid". In 1936, when Francisco Franco started the Coup d'état against the democratic Second Spanish Republic, the president of Barcelona, Josep Sunyol, member of the Republican Left of Catalonia and Deputy to The Cortes, was arrested and executed without trial by Franco's troop] (Sunyol was exercising his political activities, visiting Republican troops north of Madrid).

During the next 200 years, Spanish was slowly introduced into Catalonia and was eventually made the official language of the region. The Catalan people were allowed to use their language at their own leisure, but all legal documents, schools, and even the media were forced to use Spanish. This infuriated the proud people of Catalonia, but they were helpless to stop the actions of the Spanish capital.

In the early part of the 20th century, Catalonia made great strides in their consistent hunt for independence. Unfortunately, their plans of secession came to a halt when Franco, a conservative, right-wing militant, became Spain’s first and only dictator at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, and for the next 36 years, he ruled over the country with a combination of fear, oppression, and sheer military might.

After the end of the war Franco did everything in his power to destroy the culture and sense of identity of the Catalonian people. Over 500,000 surviving Spanish Republicans who had fought against Franco were sent to concentration camps in Spain, Germany, and Austria. Franco then stripped the political autonomy of Catalonia. The Catalonian people gained political autonomy in 1931 after Alfonso XIII, the former King of Spain, fled Spain when the Second Spanish Republic was democratically voted into power. Franco banned the Senyera, the Catalan National Flag from being flown in Catalonia. Next, Franco attempted to eradicate Catalan, the indigenous language of Catalonia. It became illegal to speak Catalan in public. All signs, from business signs to street signs, were either removed, covered, or changed from Catalan to Castilian Spanish, the official dialect of Spain. If a business had a Catalan name, it had to change its name to Castilian Spanish. It became illegal to give children Catalan names. All books that were written in Catalan were destroyed and it was made illegal to publish books in Catalan. It was forbidden to teach Catalan in schools. To reimburse Spain for the cost of the war, thousands of Catalonians were forced to pay fines to Spain or had their property seized by the Spanish Government. Many professional state employees, especially teachers, lost their jobs or were limited in their employment opportunities because of the support they had given to the previous Republic or because they supported the Republicans during the war.

Those who opposed the dictatorship were mainly derived from the Basque and Catalan region, but rebellions arose throughout the whole of Spain. These rebels, when captured, were tortured for information and then killed. On the other hand, Franco’s allies were pampered with gifts and a treasure trove of excessive commodities.

The only place the Catalonian people felt safe to celebrate their heritage, speak their language and wave the Senyera was inside the Camp Nou Stadium during FC Barcelona home matches. The Camp Nou became the cultural and spiritual home of Barcelona and Catalonia, a place where the legacy of the Catalan people would be preserved. It was a place where subjugated peoples, by celebrating their culture, were given the freedom to act in open rebellion towards their oppressors. Barcelona became “Més que un club” (more than a club) to the people of Barcelona and Catalonia who relied on FC Barcelona to give them the freedom to celebrate and express their cultural and political identity. it was transformed into a symbol of pride for the Catalan people and a representation of hope for a better tomorrow. Franco realized the importance of Barcelona to the identity of the Catalonian people so he attempted to destroy FC Barcelona. At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, FC Barcelona’s president was murdered by Franco’s soldiers on a trip to visit Republican soldiers who were stationed close to Madrid. Franco forced the club to change its name from their Catalonian, Futbol Club Barcelona, to the Spanish Barcelona Club de Fútbol. Franco also forced Barcelona to remove the Senyera from the top right corner of their club badge.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, represented the traditional ideals and values of the Spanish establishment. Real Madrid was known as Madrid Football Club until 1920 when King Alfonso XIII gifted Madrid FC the name “Real” (Royalty) and the club changed its name to Real Madrid and added a crown to their club crest. At that time Atlético Madrid, their future city rival, was still a feeder club to Athletic Bilbao. Thus, Real Madrid was not only known as the primary club of Madrid, but the club that represented the Spanish Monarchy. In 1931 after a Spanish general election ended the Spanish Monarchy and created The Second Spanish Republic, Real Madrid was stripped of their title “Real,” returning to the name Madrid FC, and their new crest did not include a crown. In 1939, after Franco and the Nationalists won the Spanish Civil War and Franco became the dictator of Spain, he restored the “Real” to Madrid FC, and again favored the club that Alfonso XIII established as the club that represented the traditional ideologies of Spain.

After Franco’s death in 1975, and subsequently the end of the dictatorship, Catalonia’s rights, including the use of Catalan in all outlets, were re-established, but their hunger for independence has yet to be fulfilled.

Today, Real Madrid, in their all-white uniform, still represents a pure and united Spain. In contrast, FC Barcelona proudly bestows the Catalan flag (the only flag one sees in Catalonia) on their jerseys as a memorial of their continuous struggle for an independent state.

The conflict between Real Madrid and Barcelona has long surpassed the sporting dimension,so that elections to the clubs' presidencies are strongly politicized.During the dictatorships of Miguel Primo de Rivera and of Francisco Franco, all regional languages and identities in Spain were frowned upon and restrained. In this period, Barcelona gained their motto més que un club ( More than a club) because of its alleged connection to Catalan nationalist beliefs and its representative role for that land. During Franco's regime, however, Barcelona was granted profit due to its good relationship with the dictator at management level, even giving two awards to him. The links between senior Real Madrid representatives and the Francoist regime were undeniable, for most of the Catalans, Real Madrid was regarded as "the establishment club", despite the fact that presidents of both clubs like Josep Sunyol and Rafael Sánchez Guerra, suffered at the hands of Franco's supporters in the Spanish Civil War.

The image for both clubs was further affected by the creation of Ultras groups, some of which became hooligans. In 1980, Ultras Sur was founded as a far-right-leaning Real Madrid ultras group, followed in 1981 by the foundation of the far-right, Barcelona ultras group Boixos Nois. Both groups became known for their violent acts, and one of the most conflictive factions of Barcelona supporters, the Casuals, became a full-fledged criminal organisation. For many people, Barcelona is still considered as "the rebellious club", or the alternative pole to "Real Madrid's conservatism".Moreover, according to a Spanish poll released by CIS , Real Madrid's followers tend to adopt right-wing views, while Barcelona fans are politically closer associated with the left-wing, except in Catalonia, where right-wing Catalan nationalists and non-nationalists overwhelmingly support Barcelona. However, among the voters of the biggest center-left party of Spain, PSOE, Real Madrid fan base is bigger than Barcelona's.

On 13 June 1943, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 11–1 in the second leg of a semi-final of the Copa del Generalísimo, the Copa del Rey having been renamed in honour of General Franco. It has been suggested that Barcelona players were intimidated by police. According to Spanish journalist and writer, Juan Carlos Pasamontes, Barcelona player Josep Valle denied that the Spanish security forces came before the match. Instead, at the end of the first half, Barcelona coach Juan José Nogués and all of his players were angry with the hard-style of play Real Madrid was using and with the aggressiveness of the home crowd. When they refused to take the field, the Superior Chief of Police of Madrid appeared, identified himself, and ordered the team to take the field.

A newspaper called the scoreline "as absurd as it was abnormal". According to football writer Sid Lowe; "There have been relatively few mentions of the game [since] and it is not a result that has been particularly celebrated in Madrid. Indeed, the 11-1 occupies a far more prominent place in Barcelona's history."Fernando Argila, Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper from the game, said: “There was no rivalry. Not, at least, until that game.’’

The most important player in the rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is Alfredo De Stefano. De Stefano is one of the greatest players in the history of World Football and the greatest player in the history of Real Madrid CF. He led Real Madrid to five European Championships and eight Spanish League titles, and scored 216 goals in 284 matches. De Stefano initiated a transfer battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid that is one of the most outrageous stories in world football and came to define the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The rivalry was intensified during the 1950s when the clubs disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano. Di Stéfano had impressed both Barcelona and Real Madrid while playing for Club Deportivo Los Millonarios in Bogotá, Colombia, during a players' strike in his native Argentina. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona attempted to sign him and, due to confusion that emerged from Di Stéfano moving to Millonarios from Club Atlético River Plate following the strike, both clubs claimed to own his registration. After intervention from FIFA representative Muñoz Calero, it was decided that both Barcelona and Real Madrid had to share the player in alternate seasons. Barcelona's humiliated president was forced to resign by the Barcelona board, with the interim board cancelling Di Stéfano's contract. While the club's official website bitterly bemoans this incident as "a strange federative manoeuvre with Francoist backing", Real Madrid point to the president's resignation and subsequent cancelling of Di Stéfano's contract to argue it was voluntary. This ended the long struggle for Di Stéfano, as he moved definitively to Real Madrid.

Di Stéfano became integral in the subsequent success achieved by Real Madrid, scoring twice in his first game against Barcelona. With him, Real Madrid won the initial five European Champions Cup competitions. The 1960s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when they met twice at the European Cup, Real Madrid winning in 1960 and Barcelona winning in 1961.

During the last three decades, the rivalry has been augmented by the modern Spanish tradition of the Pasillo, where one team is given the guard of honor by the other team, once the former clinches the La Liga trophy before El Clásico takes place. This has happened in three occasions. First, during El Clásico that took place on 30 April 1988, where Real Madrid won the championship on the previous round. Then, three years later, when Barcelona won the championship two rounds before El Clásico on 8 June 1991.The last pasillo, and most recent, took place on 7 May 2008, and this time Real Madrid had won the championship.

The two teams met again in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2002, with Real Madrid winning 2–0 in Barcelona and a 1–1 draw in Madrid. The match was dubbed by Spanish media as the "Match of the Century".

While El Clásico is regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, there have been rare moments when fans have shown praise for a player on the opposing team. In 1980, Laurie Cunningham was the first Real Madrid player to receive applause from Barcelona fans at Camp Nou; after excelling during the match and with Madrid winning 2-0, Cunningham left the field to a standing ovation from the locals. On 26 June 1983, during the second leg of the Copa de la Liga final at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, having dribbled past the Real Madrid goalkeeper, Barcelona star Diego Maradona ran towards an empty goal before stopping just as the Madrid defender came sliding in an attempt to block the shot and crashed into the post, before Maradona slotted the ball into the net; Madrid fans were stunned at the manner of the goal and began applauding. In November 2005, Ronaldinho became the second Barcelona player to receive a standing ovation from Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu; after dribbling through the Madrid defence twice to score two goals in a 3-0 win, Madrid fans paid homage to his performance with applause.

The rivalry has been strengthened over time by the internal transfer of players between the clubs. Barcelona players who have later played for Real Madrid include Bernd Schuster, who switched in 1988; and Michael Laudrup, who went to Real Madrid on a free transfer in 1994. The most notorious, however, was former Barcelona vice-captain Luís Figo's switch to Madrid in 2000. On his return to Barcelona in a Real Madrid shirt, Figo was mercilessly taunted throughout; banners with Judas. Scum. Mercenary were hung around the stadium, and aside from the vociferous abuse, a barrage of missiles reigned down onto the field; the game in 2002 produced one of the defining images of the rivalry when a pig's head was in among the debris where Figo had been taking a corner. Players transferring from Real Madrid to Barcelona are less frequent, the most recent being Luis Enrique, who went to Barcelona in 1996 where he went on to captain Barcelona, and became the manager of Barcelona in 2014.

A 2007 survey by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas determined that Real Madrid was the team with the largest following in Spain with 32% of the Spanish population supported Real Madrid, while 25% supported Barcelona. In third place came Valencia, who were supported by 5%. According to a poll performed by Ikerfel in 2011 and published in AS, Barcelona is the most popular team in Spain with 44% of preferences, while Real Madrid is in the second place with 37%. In the overall popularity, Atlético Madrid, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao complete the top five. Barcelona seems to be more popular in Europe than Real Madrid. A survey made by the German research agency Sport+Markt in 2010 revealed that Barcelona has approximately 57.8 million fans around Europe, while Real Madrid has 31.3 million fans.

The rivalry intensified in 2011 where, due to the final of the Copa Del Rey and the meeting of the two in the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona and Real Madrid were scheduled to meet each other four times in 18 days. Several accusations of unsportsmanlike behaviour from both teams and a war of words erupted throughout the fixtures which included four red cards. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque stated that he was "concerned" that due to the rising hatred between the two clubs, that this could cause friction in the national side. In recent years, it has been said that the rivalry has been "encapsulated" by the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The political history between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid makes El Clásico, the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid much more than a sports rivalry. This rivalry is a political and ideological event that captures the hearts and minds of all Spanish citizens. For FC Barcelona supporters, victory or sustained success for Barcelona is a social and political victory for the anti-establishment Left Wing citizens. Sustained superiority for Real Madrid supports is a victory for the Right Wing establishment.

At the end of the 2008-2009 season, FC Barcelona, was the toast of world football after completing one of the most successful seasons in their club’s history. For the first time in Barcelona’s history and the only time in the history of any Spanish team, FC Barcelona won the continental treble, winning all three major trophies. Barcelona won the Spanish League Tournament, La Liga, by nine points, The Spanish Cup Competition, Copa Del Ray, and the primary European Competition, The Champions League.

What solidified this Barcelona team as one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled on one club team was not that they won but how they won. Barcelona’s style of play displayed artistry that was unmatched by any other club team, combined with a ruthless efficiency that forced all opposition to play extremely defensively, as it was impossible to play open football against Barcelona. In a time when elite clubs took on hundreds of millions of dollars in debt or were gifted with benefactors who had the capitol to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build teams who could compete at the highest level, Barcelona’s team and their unique style of play was developed through their La Masia youth academy and brought graduates such as Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, “Xavi” Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, and Leo Messi as first team members or regular contributors.

Barcelona’s style of play was primarily built around smaller and more technically skilled players who looked to retaining possession as a means to increase the fatigue of their opposition who were forced to defend for long periods of time. This style of play also meant Barcelona could limit their physical exertion by limiting the time they had to defend. When Barcelona attempted to attack they created passing triangles to facilitate short intricate passing. This style of play maximized the opportunities for Barcelona’s players to exploit their technical superiority over their opposition. In defense, Barcelona played with a very high defensive line and aggressively pressed their opposition in an attempt to protect their high defensive line so opposition teams could not play the ball into the open space behind them. With this strategy Barcelona was able to win the ball back quickly close to their opposition’s goal and minimize the amount of area they had to cover to get in threatening attacking positions. Thus, they could limit the running of their smaller and lower energy players who struggled to cover large amounts of territory throughout a match.

While Barcelona was playing a style of football that would come to define a generation, their eternal rival Real Madrid was stuck in a cycle of play that was not on a level of a club that considered itself to be the most successful club in the world. In the eight seasons between the 2001-2002 season, the last time Real Madrid had won the Champions League, and the 2008-2009 season, Real Madrid only won three trophies, winning La Liga three times. Real Madrid also ceased to exist as a European heavyweight, bowing out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 five years straight starting with the 2004-2005 season. With Barcelona winning two Champions League titles in 2006 and 2009, Real Madrid’s results were unacceptable. To add insult to injury, Barcelona embarrassed Real Madrid on their home field in a 6-2 match that is one of the greatest victories for Barcelona and one of the worst defeats in the history of El Clásico.

To return Real Madrid to their position as the best club in the world, a club that could step on the field and beat Barcelona, and a club that would win Real Madrid’s 10th European Cup, La Décima, Real Madrid turned to Florentino Pérez. Pérez was the man who built The Galacticos, a collection of world class stars that were bought by Real Madrid and who led the club to a Champions League victory in 2002. During their brief period of success they became known as one of the most famous teams in the history of club football. Pérez looked to build an athletic and physical counter-attacking team that could overpower Barcelona’s smaller players and exploit Barcelona’s open style of play and high defensive line.

Pérez began quickly dismantling the Real Madrid side that had been so disappointing the previous seasons. He sold nine players including Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, two players who would subsequently lead Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, respectively, to the next seasons Champions League Final.

The first and most important acquisition for Pérez was Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was the perfect player to build this new Real Madrid team around. His athleticism, speed and direct style of play fit into Real Madrid’s now preferred counter-attacking style of play. Ronaldo was positioned at the Left Wing to exploit the attacking movements of Barcelona’s Right Fullback, Dani Alves. Alves was a very attack minded Fullback and was responsible for providing width for Barcelona to allow their Right Winger to help build play centrally. With Barcelona choosing to play one player on their right flank, Ronaldo was not forced to track back defensively. Instead he positioned himself parallel to Barcelona’s deepest Centerback, in a position to make immediate counter attacks and to make runs into the space behind Barcelona’s high defensive line. Ronaldo also brought prestige to the brand of Real Madrid.

Throughout the previous season, Barcelona’s Leo Messi had become the most celebrated player in the world football. Messi brought success on the field combined with a personality and demeanor that made him identifiable with the average football fan. Thus Messi was the player that represented Barcelona’s dynasty just as Pelé had represented Santos and the Brazilian National Team and Johan Cruyff had represented Total Football, Ajax, Barcelona, and the Dutch National Team. Cristiano Ronaldo had built himself into the biggest brand in world football with his success on the field and his marketability off of the football field. At Manchester United he became the best player in the Premier League. He won three Premier League titles and led Manchester United to the 2008 Champions League title. He also was awarded the 2008 Ballon d’Or for being the best player in world football. With his male model looks and physique, Ronaldo had the biggest off the field profile of any professional footballer as he was the face of multiple brands and was the most marketable footballer in the world. Ronaldo was the perfect player to symbolize the new Galácticos, the team that would challenge and overtake Messi and the brand of FC Barcelona.

Ronaldo needed players to provide service behind opposition defensive lines so he would have the ability to spearhead Real Madrid’s transition play. To fill these needs Real Madrid signed Xabi Alonso and Kaká. Kaká was the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner and was given the Central Attacking Midfield position for Real Madrid. He was supposed to provide creativity from higher up the field, but he was hampered by injury and failed to live up to expectations at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso was one of the best Holding Midfielders in world football. He was noted for being able to control his team’s attacking movements from deeper positions by sending pinpoint long and direct passes to his team’s attacking players. He was also great at creating scoring opportunities from corner kicks and indirect free kicks where Ronaldo and Real Madrid’s other bigger players would be able to finish scoring chances, mostly with headers. These direct passes would either be played to Ronaldo behind opposition defensive lines or other Real Madrid advanced players who could finish scoring chances or create scoring chances for Ronaldo.

Catalonia has made tremendous progress in its search for independence and “if Catalonia became independent”, said La Liga president Javier Tebas, “taking into consideration the Sports Laws that would be enforced by the rest of Spain, Barcelona wouldn’t be allowed to play [in La Liga]”. In other words, there would be no Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The ultimate rivalry would finally come to an end.

Andrea Pirlo ; The Greatest Italian player World Ever Seen

2015-05-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

I don’t feel pressure…. I don’t give a toss about it,I spent the afternoon of Sunday 9 July, 2006 in berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening I went out and won the world cup.

-Andrea Pirlo

When I see the ball with pirlo, I always ask to myself ; am I a football player ?

- Gattuso

Pirlo was born in Flero, Italy, in the province of Brescia on May 19, 1979. He began his career with the Flero youth side, later moving to Voluntas, and subsequently joining the youth sector of local club Brescia, where he initially played predominantly as a supporting forward. In 1995, at the age of 16, Pirlo made his Serie A debut for Brescia against Reggina, on 21 May, becoming Brescia's youngest player to make an appearance in Serie A. The following season, he did not appear with the senior team, although he was able to capture the Torneo di Viareggio with the youth side. After breaking into the Brescia first team during the 1996-97 Serie B season, he helped the club to gain Serie A promotion the following season by winning the Serie B title. He scored his first goal in Serie A during the 1997-98 season, in a 4-0 home win over Vicenza on 19 October 1997.

Due to his performances with Brescia, Pirlo was spotted by Internazionale coach Mircea Lucescu, who signed the playmaker. Pirlo was unable to break into the first squad permanently, however, and Inter finished eighth in the 1998–99 Serie A campaign. Inter loaned Pirlo to Reggina for the 1999–2000 season, alongside young Inter team-mates Roberto Baronio and Mohamed Kallon. After an impressive season, he returned to Inter but was once again unable to break into the first team, making just four league appearances. He spent the second half of the 2000–01 Serie A season on loan at his former club, relegation fighters Brescia,where he played alongside his childhood idol, offensive playmaker Roberto Baggio. As Baggio occupied the attacking midfield role for Brescia, manager Carlo Mazzone made a ground-breaking decision, becoming the first coach to deploy Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker, rather than as an offensive midfielder, a deeper creative role in which he particularly excelled, due to his long passing ability. Despite initially struggling against relegation that season, Brescia would eventually manage a comfortable seventh-place finish in Serie A, also reaching the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup in 2001. A notable moment in Pirlo's Brescia career was his long pass which assisted Baggio's late equaliser against Juventus at the Stadio delle Alpi, in 2001.

Pirlo started his professional playing career as an attacking midfielder. It was the time when Italian football was known for the extraordinary creative trequartista and any player that was gifted with ball control was automatically expected to play that position. Pirlo played some great games during the first two years of his time at Brescia but it was in 1998 when he made a real impact. In the second half of the 1997-1998 season, Pirlo played as a central midfielder and that was when he started giving long accurate passes, which would later become a trademark of his.

In the summer of 1998 it was announced that Inter had moved to sign the 19-year-old Pirlo. Many expected big things from Pirlo during the 1998-1999 season, but Pirlo failed to become a first-team member and was shipped out on loans to Reggina for the 1999-2000 season and then to Brescia in January of 2001. Pirlo impressed on both loan spells but was still somehow out of favour in Inter. That led to the transfer across the city to join the other Milan outfit.

When he was signed by Carlo Ancelotti, many did not understand the concept behind the move. Questions like, “How will a second-fiddle Inter player improve our team?” were asked from the coach, and the answer would soon come.

Ancelotti understood why Pirlo was not so successful so far—because he was not suited for a central midfield role that was expected of him to play. At the time, central midfielders were the engines of a team and did the most work. Pirlo does not have the physical attributes to match that.

This meant that Ancelotti started using his new signing as a deep creative midfielder and this was the start of the legend of Pirlo for Milan and Italy. Pirlo dictated the tempo of play with his passing. He was constantly creating with his unbelievable vision from the center of the pitch, keeping his energy by just moving slightly forward during attacks and almost never entering the box and providing the team with important goals with his stunning and accurate shots.

It was at Milan, in particular under manager Carlo Ancelotti, where Pirlo made big strides in developing into a world class player, and one of the best deep-lying playmakers and set-piece specialists in the world, as he went on to achieve notable domestic and international success during his time with the club. After Mazzone's pioneering decision to move Pirlo into a deep-seated playmaking role with Brescia during the previous season, Milan managers Fatih Terim and, in particular, Carlo Ancelotti further developed this role for him at Milan.In Ancelotti's 4-3-2-1 formation, Pirlo was deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence, which allowed him to play alongside other talented attacking midfielders, such as Rivaldo, Rui Costa and eventually Kaká, replacing the gap left by Milan legend Demetrio Albertini in the deep midfield playmaking role. He would become an integral part of the Rossoneri's midfield, forming a formidable partnership with Gennaro Gattuso, as well as with Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini, who also supported his playmaking role defensively. Pirlo was given the nickname the metronome during his time at the club, for the way in which he set the team's rhythm.

Pirlo made his Milan debut on 20 September 2001, in a 2-0 win over BATE Borisov in the UEFA Cup, after coming on for Massimo Donati. During his first season with the club, he helped the team to a fourth-place finish UEFA Champions League qualification spot, also reaching the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, the club's best ever result in the competition. On 30 March 2002, he scored his first goal with Milan in a 3-1 home win over Parma, from a free-kick.

In total with Milan, Pirlo made 401 appearances, scoring 41 goals. With the club, he won two Serie A titles in 2004 and 2011, as well as two Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007, also reaching the final in 2005; he also won a Coppa Italia in 2003, a Supercoppa Italiana in 2004, and two UEFA Super Cups in 2003 and 2007, as well as playing a key role in Milan's first ever FIFA World Club Cup title in 2007. During this period, Milan also finished as runners up in Serie A in the 2004–05 and the 2005–06 seasons, as well as finishing second on penalties in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana, and in the 2003 Intercontinental Cup.

Pirlo was the passing weapon of AC Milan for nine years and is considered a Milan legend by the fans. During the 10th year of his career with the Rossoneri, he faced many injuries and was ruled out of most of the season. These injuries forced the Milan team’s coach to come up with a system that would work without the Italian playmaker. After the black and reds won the league, it was obvious that the coach would not risk another year with a player that was injured for so long and is 32 years old.

Weeks before Pirlo’s contract finished with AC Milan, the club had announced that they would not offer him a new deal and that he was free to discuss his future with other clubs. Juventus, coming off another awful season, had already started talks with Pirlo's agents and moved to sign him as their first signing of the 2011 summer and as the first player in their rebuilding process. Pirlo signed a three-year contract with Juventus on May 24, 2011.

On 11 June 2014, Pirlo signed a new contract keeping him at Juventus until 2016. Pirlo made his 100th league appearance for Juventus in a 3–2 home win over Roma on 5 October 2014. On the 1st November, Pirlo scored Juventus's opening goal from a free kick in a 2–0 win over Empoli, on their 117th anniversary; this was his 26th goal from a free kick in Serie A, putting him two goals behind the all-time record holder, Siniša Mihajlović. On the 4th November, Pirlo scored once again from a trademark, curling direct free-kick in a 3–2 home win over Olympiakos in a group-stage Champions League fixture. This was Pirlo's 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, marking the occasion with his first Champions League goal with Juventus. On the 15th December 2014, Pirlo was named the Serie A Footballer of the Year for the third time in his career, and for the third consecutive year since his arrival at Juventus; he was also named part of the 2014 Serie A Team of the Year. In Juventus's 2-1 home victory over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, on 24 February 2015, Pirlo left the pitch during the first half of the match, after injuring his right calf, ruling him out for three weeks. Pirlo was called up on 11 April 2015 against Parma following his injury. He returned to the starting line-up on 14 April 2015, helping Álvaro Morata to win a penalty which was later converted by Vidal in a 1-0 victory over Monaco at the Juventus Stadium, in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals; he was replaced by Andrea Barzagli during the second half. On 26 April, Pirlo scored from a free-kick in a 2-1 away defeat to local rivals Torino in the "Derby di Torino"; this was his 28th goal in Serie A from a free-kick, which put him level with Siniša Mihajlović as the player with the most goals from free-kicks in Serie A history.On 20 May, Pirlo played apart in both of Juventus's goals as the Turin club defeated Lazio 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in the 2015 Coppa Italia Final.

Pirlo captained Italy to an Under-21 European Championship in 2000 (wearing the number 10 jersey and winning the awards for best player and top scorer) and to a semi-final finish in 2002. Pirlo played for Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics and helped the Azzurri to win the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. With 46 matches and 16 goals, Pirlo is the record appearance holder for the Italian U-21 side, and the second highest goal-scorer after Alberto Gilardino. Pirlo made his Italy senior debut on the 7 September 2002 under Giovanni Trapattoni, at the age of 23 in a 2–0 win over Azerbaijan in a Euro 2004 qualifying match; he also appeared in a friendly match against Turkey that year. Pirlo scored his first goal for Italy from a free-kick in a 4–0 away win in a friendly match against Tunisia.His first major tournament with the Italian senior team was UEFA Euro 2004 under Giovanni Trapattoni, where he made two appearances in Italy's last two group matches: the first in a 1–1 draw against Sweden, and the second in a 2–1 win over Bulgaria. The Italian team was eliminated in the first round, on direct encounters, following a three-way five point tie with Sweden and Denmark.

Pirlo appeared in all of Italy's matches at the 2006 World Cup. In Italy's first match of the tournament, Pirlo scored the opening goal against Ghana, and subsequently set up a goal for Vincenzo Iaquinta to seal a 2–0 victory, as the midfielder was named Man of the Match. In the second match, he set up a diving header for Alberto Gilardino from a set piece which proved to be vital in the 1–1 draw against the United States.

In the semi-final against Germany, he assisted Fabio Grosso's opening goal in the dying minutes of extra-time, and was again named Man of the Match, as Italy triumphed 2–0 over the hosts. In the final against France, his corner kick produced Marco Materazzi's equalizing header ten minutes after France had opened the scoring with a Zinedine Zidane penalty. The match went to a penalty shoot-out, in which he scored, helping Italy to win the title. Pirlo formed a formidable midfield partnership with Milan team-mate Gennaro Gattuso, and he completed 475 passes out of 580 attempted throughout the tournament. After the final, he was named Man of the Match for a third time, winning more Man of the Match Awards than any other player in the tournament. Pirlo was voted the third-best player of the tournament, winning the Bronze Ball, and he finished the victorious World Cup campaign as the top assist provider along with team-mate Francesco Totti, as well as Riquelme, Schweinsteiger, and Figo. He was named as part of the 2006 FIFPro XI and as part of the 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament for his performances, placing ninth in both the 2006 Ballon d'Or and the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Awards.

Pirlo was not able to play the first two games in the 2010 World Cup for Italy due to recent injuries. He came off the bench for Italy late in the match on 24 June against Slovakia. Even with his help in orchestrating a renewed Italian offense, Pirlo could not prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.

Pirlo won three Man of the Match Awards at Euro 2012, the most awards won by a single player, along with Andrés Iniesta of tournament champions Spain. Pirlo was nominated for the Player of the Tournament Award, which ultimately went to Iniesta, and he was also elected to be part of the team of the tournament.

In the 2014 World Cup, Italy were placed in Group D, along with Costa Rica, England and Uruguay, in what was called the "Group of Death". On 14 June, in Italy's opening match against England, Pirlo wore the captain's armband due to Buffon's last minute injury. The match ended with a 2–1 win to Italy. Pirlo heavily contributed to Italy's win, controlling the flow of the game, and setting up several goalscoring chances, as Italy dominated possession. During the match, Pirlo made 108 passes in total, only misplacing five, with a pass completion rate of 95.4%, completing the most passes of any other player in the previous opening matches of the 2014 World Cup. With a 93.2 pass percentage, Italy also managed to record the highest pass accuracy percentage of any team in a World Cup match since Denmark in the 1966 World Cup, completing 561 of their 602 passes.

Tactically, Pirlo is capable of playing in several midfield positions, although he is usually deployed as a central midfielder, where he functions as a deep-lying playmaker for both his club and national sides. Pirlo is regarded by players, managers, and pundits as one of the greatest ever exponents of this position, one of the best midfielders in the world and of his generation, and as one of the greatest Italian players of all time. A highly technical and creative player, Pirlo started his career in a more advanced role, as an offensive midfielder. Although he was considered a talented, creative, young Italian prospect in Serie A, even drawing comparisons with former Italian footballing legend and playmaker Gianni Rivera, due to his technical ability,Pirlo occasionally struggled in this position, due to his lack of pace, and due to competition from other talented and more dynamic attacking midfielders. Because of this, he was later moved to a deep-lying playmaking role by his coaches Mazzone, Fatih Terim, and Ancelotti, where he was able to excel due to his unique capabilities. This position best utilises Pirlo's unique attributes, and allows him to operate creatively from a deeper position, in or even behind the main midfield line, in a seemingly defensive midfield role, where he is allowed more time on the ball to create scoring opportunities thanks to his ball skills, acute vision, and excellent long passing ability. He has also previously played as a supporting striker on occasion during his time at Inter,as well as on the wing under Allegri during his final season with Milan, due to his ability to provide accurate, curling crosses.

Although not gifted with pace, stamina, physicality or notable defensive or tackling abilities, Pirlo has been praised for his touch, technique, balance, close control, and dribbling ability, as well as his flair and creativity in beating players with feints during one on one situations to create space. As a playmaker, he is also highly regarded by pundits for his incredible vision, his inventive play, his wide distribution range, and his accurate passing ability on the ground or in the air with either foot; he is considered to be one of the best passers in the sport. He is also known for his accurate long distance shooting ability, which allows him to contribute further to his team's offensive play with additional goals as well as assists. Pirlo is a set piece and penalty-kick specialist, who has been praised by pundits for his versatility and ability to score on direct free-kicks, as well as his adeptness at creating chances from dead-ball opportunities. He is extremely effective at curling shots accurately on target from close range, which he states to have perfected whilst studying Baggio in training sessions during their time at Brescia together. Pirlo is also capable of scoring from long-range free-kicks with swerve and power, however, due to his unique technique, which was directly inspired by Juninho's free-kicks. Pirlo has scored the highest number of free-kicks in Serie A, alongside Siniša Mihajlović. He is regarded as one of the best free-kick takers in the world.

In addition to these characteristics, Pirlo is primarily known for his outstanding vision and his extremely accurate long-range passing ability as a playmaker, attributes which have led fellow players on the Italian national team to give him the nickname l'architetto ("the architect"), because his long passes frequently set up goal-scoring opportunities. In recent years, Juventus fans also dubbed him il professore ("the professor") and Mozart, as a reference to the Austrian composer's prodigious ability. Pirlo was also frequently compared to fellow former Milan and Italy legend Demetrio Albertini early in his Milan career, due to their similar characteristics and style of play, such as their acute vision, accurate and varied passing range, excellent technique, and adeptness at set-pieces, penalties, and shots from distance. Pirlo was often thought to be Albertini's heir for Milan and the national side, and also inherited his nickname the metronome whilst playing at Milan, for the way in which he controlled the tempo of his team's play.

Pep Guardiola ; The Greatest Manager In Barcelona History

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Pep' Guardiola has transformed Barcelona into arguably the greatest club side of all time. He was born on 18 January 1971 in the small village of Santpedor, just 45 miles north of Barcelona, to the bricklayer Valentini and housewife Dolor. He has two older sisters and a younger brother. His passion for football developed at an early age and as soon as he began to spend every given hour kicking a ball around the central village square, the whole village knew him. The village’s sports field has since been named after him.

It soon became clear that Guardiola had immensely strong leadership qualities. When playing football for his village team, he would be the one to pick the teams. He was the class spokesman at school, but his gift was best defined by his former player Gerard Pique: “He has a natural, extraordinary authority. He doesn’t have to raise his voice or bang on the table - the players just trust him.”

He started playing football for Gimnàstic Manresa, but quickly, at the age of 13, he joined La Masia. Pep rose through the youth ranks for six years, playing at the right side of the midfield.

Guardiola joined Barcelona B at the beginning of the 1990-91 season, the same season he made his debut for the first team against Cádiz under coach Johan Cruyff. It was the Dutch manager that turned Pep into one of the best defensive midfielders of his era. Guardiola's stay with the B team wasn't long, but by the time he became a first team regular he made 59 appearances scoring five goals.

On 11 April 2001, Barcelona's captain announced his intention to leave the club after 17 years of service. He stated that it was a personal decision and, in part, a response to what he perceived as football heading in a new, more physical, direction. On 24 June 2001, Guardiola played his last match with Barça in the last game of the season against Celta de Vigo. Guardiola played 479 games in 12 seasons for the first team, winning 16 trophies. At the press conference after the Celta game, he said, "It's been a long journey. I'm happy, proud, happy with the way people treated me and I have made many friends. I cannot ask for more. I have had many years in the elite. I did not come to make history but to make my own history." He has been called the hero of a number of Barcelona's current midfielders, as Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, and Cesc Fàbregas have all stated that Guardiola was their role model and hero.

After leaving Barcelona in 2001 at the age of 30, Guardiola joined Italian Serie A side Brescia, as Andrea Pirlo's replacement in the deep-lying playmaking role, where he was able to play alongside Roberto Baggio, under coach Carlo Mazzone. Following his time at Brescia, Guardiola then transferred to Roma. His time in Italy, however, was unsuccessful and included a four-month ban after testing positive for nandrolone. Six years later, on 23 October 2007, Guardiola was cleared on appeal of all charges that had led to the ban. CONI, however, reopened the case against the player, because it considered the argumentation of the absolution unacceptable, but he was cleared once again on 29 September 2009. He played a number of Coppa Italia games and Champions League games, finishing with 71 games in Italy.

After his career with Brescia and Roma, in 2003, Guardiola chose to play in Qatar with Al-Ahli from Doha in the Qatar Stars League, where many fellow greats were playing, such as Gabriel Batistuta. He had rejected another offer from Manchester United, as he wanted to play elsewhere. He became a regular in the Qatar Stars League, often cited as one of the best players in the League. In 2005–06, he turned down offers from a number European sides, such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, as he felt his playing career was coming to a close. Instead he signed with Dorados de Sinaloa of the Mexican Primera División. After six months, 20 games and two goals Pep Guardiola retired.

Guardiola also had an illustrious international career with La Furia Roja. He was well known in the international stage even before he made his senior debut, on 14 October 1992 against Northern Ireland, as he was a regular member of Spain's Under-Age teams. Pep quickly became the centerpiece that made the national team run like clockwork. He ended his international career at 47 senior team appearances and 5 goals scored.

After one year away from football, Pep was offered the coaching job of the recently relegated Barcelona B team, which he accepted. It was immediately noticeable he has all the attributes a great manager needs, including high work rate and winning mentality. His team ended the season in first place and won the promotion to Segunda División B.

Guardiola took over management of Barcelona's first team, from Frank Rijkaard, at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. Pep made a mark on the squad as he offloaded several players and replaced them with players that fit his offensive, tiki-taka, brand of football. At first things didn't go as planed as his team lost the opening game against the newly promoted CD Numancia. But Guardiola's Barcelona soon started firing on all cylinders and at the end of the season he celebrated the famous treble. A treble that with win three more trophies in the same year became a sextuple, a feat that no other coach had ever accomplished.

For his successes he is rewarded with a one-year contract extension, which will keep him at the club until June 2011. Barcelona win a second successive La Liga title and Guardiola's seventh trophy as manager but lose out in the Champions League to José Mourinho's Internazionale.

In Barcelona, Guardiola had up to 24 assistants at any one time for different roles. In terms of match analysis, though, he only trusted his own opinion. That is why he had a 20m² room (without windows) set up within the Camp Nou stadium into which he would retreat for several hours on end just a few days before every game to study DVDs of the upcoming opponents. He would leave this room (almost) every time aware of the right tactics for that game.

In next season, Guardiola leads Barça to a fifth straight win in as many El Clásico matches but suffers his first defeat against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. After securing the La Liga title once again Barça beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley to win yet another Champions League title. Having added the Uefa Super Cup to his trophy cabinet following a 2-0 win over Porto, Guardiola is named Fifa world coach of the year in January 2012. Being Out of the La Liga title race and the Copa del Rey, the 41-year-old announces he will leave the club at the end of the season. Overall during his spell as FC Barcelona coach, Guardiola won 14 out of a possible 19 titles.

Under Frank Rijkaard, FC Barcelona were known for a 4–3–3 with plenty of flair with Ronaldinho being the centre point of the attack. Under Guardiola the team became more disciplined with a greater focus on possession and a disciplined and aggressive pressing style. He often played a high defensive line with the full backs (particularly Daniel Alves) pushing high up down their respective sides while relying on the passing of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta to retain possession whilst employing pressing style without the ball. During Samuel Eto's time at FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi was deployed on the right hand side, however, since his departure Messi has largely played in the centre forward role fulfilling a false nine capacity.

At FC Barcelona, he did not conquer the footballing world by just taking Frank Rijkaard’s team and throwing them on the pitch. Pep knew what he wanted to do and how to achieve it. He had to make changes and he did. Upon being appointed, Guardiola made it known that superstars such as Deco, Samuel Eto’o and former world player of the year Ronaldinho, among others, were not part of his plans for the upcoming season. Eto’o ended up remaining at the club for one more season while Deco and Ronaldinho left to join Chelsea and AC Milan respectively. Guardiola brought in players who became key components of his success at FC Barcelona such as Dani Alves, Seydou Keita and Gerard Pique. He also promoted Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez from Barcelona B, who also played key roles in his tenure. This is a trait of an excellent manager, creating his ideal squad for success and making no hesitation in making significant changes to a good squad for the good of the club even if it is at the expense of fan favorites.

Guardiola wrote in a column for El País in March 2007, when Rijkaard experimented with a three-man backline of his own: "In Barcelona it is understood that you can win a thousand ways. All are valid. All work. There's little more to say. But in Barcelona it is also understood that you can never win and repeat in a way that does not feel right to you—that does not feel right to the directors, coaches, players, friends of the press and the people who go every week to see them."

After a sabbatical period, Bayern Munich announced on 16 January 2013 that Guardiola would join the club as manager for the 2013–14 season following the retirement of Jupp Heynckes. He claimed that the Bavarians' rich history and the quality of their current squad were the reasons that lured him. He added, "I decided to join Bayern because of the players and the club's history. They're one of the best teams in the world. I am ready to return to football. This is a new challenge for me. My time at Barcelona was wonderful but I needed a new challenge. Bayern Munich have given me that opportunity."In his first season at the club, Guardiola won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The identity that he gives his teams is another admirable trait that Pep possesses. The brand of football that he employs is of equal importance to Guardiola’s legacy as his thirteen trophy haul at FC Barcelona. Guardiola’s FC Barcelona team redefined the “beautiful game” and he has his current team, Bayern Munich, aiming to play the same style of football.

According to Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus, “tiki-taka has already reached Bavaria.” “Tiki-taka” is a strategy where numerous short passes are completed by the team, causing the team utilizing the strategy to dominate ball possession. There is a large amount of ground covered when using “tiki-taka”. It played a huge part in FC Barcelona’s success under Guardiola and in playing his way; And now his Bayern team is in a stronger position than they were at this point last season.

In terms of his man-management abilities, Guardiola is adept at getting the best out of his players. Managing a team of world class footballers is not an easy task. Just look at how Frank Rijkaard struggled to get the best out of a team that included stars such as Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto’o. Before FC Barcelona appointed Pep Guardiola, they looked to be simply a group of excellent individuals, rather than a great team. Guardiola’s man-management abilities enabled him to have a tactically organized unit, a great one at that. He stifled all egos for the good of the team, and that team succeeded. It is the same story at Bayern. No player believes that they are bigger than the team, and they are doing well.

At 42 years old, Pep Guardiola is young compared to other managers. It may just be too early for him to be classified as a truly legendary manager, but if he continues in this fashion he may very well be looked on as one of the greats, sooner or later.

Sergio Busquets ; World’s Best Holding Midfilder

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“Positionally, he seems like a veteran with or without the ball. With the ball he makes what is difficult look easy: he disposes of the ball with one or two touches. Without the ball, he gives us a lesson: that of being in the right place to intercept and running just to recover the ball.” …Johan Cruyff

“Without Busquets we could never have achieved what we have. He’s the best midfielder there is playing one-touch. He doesn’t need more. He controls, looks and passes in one touch.” …Xavi Hernandez

“If I was reincarnated as a footballer, I would like to be like Busquets.”

….Vicente Del Bosque

“Xavi and Iniesta are the most creative midfielders in the world, but, above all, there is Busquets.” ….Javier Mascherano

Born in Sabadell, he joined the Barça youth system in the summer of 2005 from Jabac. That season, playing for the Juvenil A side, he won three major trophies in a team that also included the likes of Bojan, Giovani, Jeffren and Marc Crosas..

In the 2006-07 season, Sergi Busquets continued with Juvenil A and was one of the core players in the side coached by Àlex Garcia. In his third year at the level, and despite still being a midfielder, Sergio scored 7 goals in 26 games.

The following season, Busquets moved up to Barça B under Pep Guardiola. It was not until the twelfth match that Sergio started a game, but he immediately impressed, and was picked 23 more times that season. He scored twice and made a major contribution to the promotion to Division 2B.

He got to play with the first team in the Copa Catalunya matches of 2007-08 and 2008-09, and then Sergio made his League debut on September 13, 2008 against Racing Santander (1-1). He came on from the start and stayed out the full 90 minutes. Busquets would get more and more chances as the season drew on, and was very much involved in the famous treble win. He started the Cup final and the Champions League final, thus ending an incredible twelve months in which he progressed from the third division to being a European champion!

In the 2009-10 season, he established his name as one of the most talented central midfielders on the international scene. A few mistakes had some debating his capability of ever holding a regular place in the side but by the end of the campaign he had taken Yaya Toure’s place, made his full debut for the Spanish national side, starred in the Champions League final in Rome and won an unprecedented treble with Barça.

Busquets quickly became crucial to Barça’s philosophy with his ability to pressure opponents into making mistakes, recuperating the ball and quickly laying it off to a teammate to maintain possession.

Throughout his reign, Guardiola would make a number of variations on the 4-3-3 formation in order to keep his side less predictable and more flexible:

While Busquets was employed as the outright ‘pivot’ in his first season where Barcelona won all six trophies available, the manager brought in a more attacking left-back in Maxwell the following year in order for both him and Dani Alves on the opposite side to push forward when attacking, leaving Busquets the duty of filling in as a third center-back if the opponent was to counter.

The 2010/11 season saw Pep attempt to play, on some occasions, with three center-backs with Busquets sitting just in front while the following season, the 3-4-3 was used with Busquets playing in the sweeper position, moving from the last man between the two center-backs, up to the gap between the defenders and midfielders. His effortless transition from one role to another has made him an indispensable component in arguably the best club side of all time.

In whatever position he plays, the most impressive feature of Busquets’ game is his positional sense; the Catalan midfielder is always aware of where he should be in order to create space for his teammates, to intercept a pass or to adjust the shape of the team.

He will drop deep between the two center-backs to open up play and will move forward when one of the midfielders drops short to receive the ball, always creating triangles so crucial to Barça’s approach. Busquets may not have the passing range of Xavi

Hernandez or the incisive through-ball of Andres Iniesta but what he does possess as much as, or dare I say more than, the others is speed of thought. He has become the master of the first-time pass which is as much down to technique as it is to his awareness of those around him; rarely needing more than two touches, he will intercept, drop a shoulder and quickly lay the ball off to the nearest teammate – ‘receive and release’ in a flash.

At 24-years of age, the boy from Badia has already made 200 first-team appearances in Barcelona colours but his importance to the ever-evolving Barça team means that he could find himself high on the list of the most number of official matches for the club.

With more and more teams adopting the Barça model, the ‘Busquets-role’ will be one that will be attempted to be emulated by teams across the globe. The days when one needed to be an expert dribbler or a long-range shooter to be recognized are behind us. Modern football now demands a player that can sit patiently in front of the defence, sweeping up play, giving easy short passes and letting others further up the field take the glory.

By all means, his diving is not condonable but a man that has made the likes of Yaya Toure, Seydou Keita and Javier Mascherano redundant and won 16 major trophies in four years deserves to be associated more with his positive contribution to the game that what the common football gives him credit for.

In 2011/2012, Sergio Busquets continued his meteoric rise and helped the team to victories in the Spanish Supercup, European Supercup, Clubs World Cup and Copa del Rey, scoring two goals in 52 appearances and establishing a regular place in the first eleven.

On 11 October 2008 Busquets earned his first cap for Spain's under-21, in their 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs first leg match against Switzerland: he scored in the 17th minute but the national side lost 1–2 away, eventually emerging victorious 4–3 on aggregate.

On 11 February 2009 Busquets was called up to the senior squad for the friendly against England. He finally made his debut for La Furia Roja on 1 April 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey, playing 16 minutes in a 2–1 win in Istanbul after replacing David Silva; four days earlier he had been named as a substitute when the same sides met in Madrid, with Spain winning 1–0 through a goal from teammate Gerard Piqué.

Busquets was selected by manager Vicente del Bosque for the finals in South Africa, assuming the holding midfielder role naturalized Brazilian Marcos Senna had previously had in the conquest of UEFA Euro 2008: he played all the games and minutes for the eventual World champions, save for the last 30 minutes of the 0–1 group stage loss against Switzerland.

Busquets is usually deployed as a central or defensive midfielder, although he is also capable of playing as a central defender, or even in the front-line on occasion, due to his strength, size, and ability in the air, as well as his tendency to make attacking runs. Busquets is known for the pivotal midfield-anchor role that he plays for both Barcelona and the Spanish national side; a hard-working player, he excels at breaking down opposition plays due to his positional sense, defensive attributes, tactical intelligence, and ability to read the game. Due to his vision, ball control, and accurate passing ability, he rarely relinquishes possession, and alongside Xavi and Iniesta he plays an important role in setting his team's tempo in midfield through his passing game. Busquets has also been accused of diving on occasion,and, Vicente Del Bosque has highly praised Busquets, saying that "You watch the game, and you don't see Busquets, you watch Busquets, and you see the whole game.

Busquets still has a long time ahead of him in his career, but in my opinion he may already be the best holding midfielder the world has ever seen. A man who does his job to absolute perfection and possibly deserves a great deal more credit than he currently gets.

Xavier Hernández ; Heart and soul Of Tiki Taka

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"Xavi is a player who has the Barcelona DNA: someone who has the taste for good football, someone who is humble and someone who has loyalty to this club. From the first moment I saw him play, I knew he would become the brain behind Barcelona for many years to come."

-Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, September 2008.

Xavier Hernández Creus was born on January 25, 1980, in Terrassa, Spain. The son of a former professional soccer player, Xavi demonstrated impressive athletic abilities at an early age and joined La Masia, the training academy of FC Barcelona, at age 11. A rapid rise through the academy's ranks earned the midfielder a spot on the 1997-98 reserve team, which won its division to earn a promotion. Embodying the style taught at La Masia, the midfielder used his precise passing skills to lead Barcelona to multiple titles. He helped Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup along with the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, and finished third in Ballon d'Or voting from 2009-2011.

He made his first-team debut against RCD Mallorca on 18 August 1998. Since then he has played 700 matches, scored 82 goals and made more than 180 assists for over 50 players. Xavi is the first player in FC Barcelona's history to play 150 international matches. Highly regarded for his humble persona and team ethos, Xavi is viewed as being the embodiment of the tiki-taka passing style of play, and is considered to be one of the greatest central midfielders of all time.

"I've been lucky enough to be brought up on the Barcelona ethos. Which has taught me the value of being part of a team. 'Today for you, tomorrow for me.' Those qualities are essential for life in general."

-Xavi on learning the team ethos of Barcelona while at the club's youth system

The 1998-99 season was a successful one for Xavi, who scored a goal in his senior-side debut in August 1998 and went on to be named La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year. He was also a member of the FIFA World Youth Championship–winning team in 1999, and earned a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Then in upcoming three years, FC Barcelona was on the verge of bankruptcy and struggling to keep its place in La Liga's elite. Playing in the midfield, but with more defensive role, Xavi made 20 assists and scored 7 goals in those two seasons. On 16 March 2002, Xavi scored his first goal in El Clásico.

By 2004-05, Xavi was a leader of a talented Barcelona side that featured fellow La Masia products Carles Puyol and Andrés Iniesta, as well as Brazilian stars Deco and Ronaldinho. Xavi's style was considered an embodiment of the passing and moving techniques taught in the Barcelona system, and it was effective enough lead Barcelona to league and Super Cup wins in 2005. He was named La Liga Spanish Player of the Year in 2005.

Torn knee ligaments forced Xavi to miss most of Barcelona's La Liga–winning season and Champions League victory in 2006, though he helped the club win another Super Cup that August.

Xavi was a crucial part of Barcelona’s treble winning side in 2008-09, which included a particularly impressive performance as he assisted four goals in a 6-2 El Clasico league victory over Real Madrid. His performances in the Champions League were particularly impressive as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in the final and he was named man of the match. Nominations In 2010, he was named as one of three finalists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or, along with his teammates Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, with Xavi finishing second behind Messi. Xavi has enjoyed a glittering international career to date. On 25 March 2011 he earned his 100th cap in a Euro 2012 qualifier against the Czech Republic.

Xavi's profile received a boost with his performance at the 2008 European Championship, when he scored in a semifinal victory over Russia and assisted on the lone goal in the final vs. Germany to earn Player of the Tournament honors. It was the start of an amazing stretch for the outstanding midfielder and his Barcelona teammates, who went on to win a staggering six titles in 2009. Afterward, Xavi finished third in voting for the Ballon d'Or award for the first of three consecutive years.

Spain claimed its first FIFA World Cup championship in 2010, with Xavi earning a well-deserved spot on the tournament All-Star team. Two years later, he again earned all-tournament honors at the European Championship as Spain became the first country to win three successive major international events.

This talented football player has been asset to the club Barcelona and the Nation Spain. His talent has given the team and himself the different honors and achievements. For the team, he had assisted in winning the seven La Liga, two Coupe del Rey, six Supercopa de Espana, three seasons of UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011. For Spain, he played in the team in the victory of “FIFA World Youth Championship 1999”, “Summer Olympics Silver Medal 2000”, “UEFA European Football Championship: 2008,2012” and the “FIFA World Cup 2000.” Besides these, he has bagged several other titles and award in his name as the player of the year at different matches at different times. He was also awarded with the Spanish Sportsman of the year in 2009,” “Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit 2010” and “Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2010 and 2012.

With so much success under his belt, it was only a matter of time before the playmaker secured the top spot in the record books of his club and his country. In January 2011, he set a record with his 550th career appearance for Barcelona. A victory in the 2013 Super Cup gave Xavi 25 career titles, tops among Spanish players, though he undoubtedly hopes to add to that number before his superb career is finished.

On 5 August 2014, following the 2014 FIFA World Cup where Spain were eliminated at the group stage, Xavi announced his retirement from international football having made 133 appearances for the national side in a 14-year period.

Spain's World Cup winning manager Vicente del Bosque paid tribute, stating that Xavi was 'a key part of the team's style of play' and 'he was more important to us than even the manager', and added 'We will miss him both on and off the pitch. He is a player who we hold in great esteem both personally and as a player. He is and always will be a person and a player who is greatly valued by the federation, the coaching staff and by myself.

The claim that Xavi is one of the best central midfielders of all-time. relies largely on his ability to find and exploit space. As he said: "That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking". Finding space, he would appear for a team-mate to receive and then move the ball on, with his coach Pep Guardiola putting it: ‘I get the ball, I give the ball, I get the ball, I give the ball’.

Xavi's abnormally good vision, pinpoint accurate passing and world class ball control allow him to dictate the flow of play while rarely relinquishing possession. His ability to completely control some matches has earned him the sobriquet, "The Puppet Master". A style introduced to the club by former coach Johan Cruyff, Barcelona president Sandro Rosell believed Xavi, together with Messi, Iniesta and Busquets, perfected the club's tiki-taka style of play.

Chelsea Star ; Eden Hazard

2015-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

"I've said to him he has got absolutely everything. He's only 22, he has the world at his feet and with the way he’s playing and the ability he has on the ball, he is scaring the life out of people."

Frank Lampard on the 22 year old Eden Hazard, March 2013

"On his day, nobody can stop him. He has such great quality on the ball. He can create something from nothing and this is the sign of a special player."
Thierry Henry on the 24-year-old Eden Hazard, March 2015.

Eden Hazard is a Belgian football player who was born in La Louviere, Belgium on 7 January 1991. His first professional club was a French club called Lille for which he played from 2007 to 2012. Hazard’s current club is an English club which Chelsea FC. The player is still playing for his national team Belgium. He is an attacking midfielder & also a winger. His father also played for Belgium & following his father, Eden started his career as for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois & Tubize. Hazard spent two years in the club’s academy and & the age of sixteen, he made his professional debut in November 2007.

He was born in La Louviere but he was grew up in Braine le Comte. His mother name is Carine & father’s name is Thierry. It is interesting to know that both mother & father were footballers. Football is inherited to Hazard from his parents. His mother was a forward player of in the Belgian Women’s First Division. After marriage being pregnant with hazard, she stopped playing but his father continued to play.

Father of Hazard played mostly for semi professional level with La Louviere with the Belgian second division. His father’s playing position was a defensive midfielder. He is known to have 3 brothers & he is eldest son of his parents. All of his brothers are footballers, so you can call Hazard family a football family with a team of 7 players. His brother Thorgan Hazard also joined him in his professional club Chelsea in the year of 2012.

Hazard began his football career playing for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of four. During his time at the club, one of his youth coaches described him as a "gifted" player. He added: "He knew everything. I had nothing to teach him". Hazard spent eight years at the club before moving to Tubize. While at Tubize, he was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth) contract.

Hazard's parents accepted the offer from Lille with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better. Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".

In 2005, he moved to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. He went on to become an integral part of Lille under manager Rudi Garcia, racking up over 190 appearances. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10 season, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice. He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award. Hazard was also given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his performances during the 2010–11 season.

On 4 June 2012, Chelsea officially confirmed on its website that the club had agreed terms with Lille for the transfer of Hazard. The midfielder agreed personal terms with the club and passed a medical examination. The transfer fee was reported to be priced at £32 million. Upon signing with Chelsea, Hazard told the club's official website "I'm delighted to finally arrive here. It's a wonderful club and I can't wait to get started". Hazard was given the number 17, which was previously worn by José Bosingwa. On 12 August 2012, Hazard made his competitive debut for Chelsea in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City, which ended in a 3–2 defeat at Villa Park.

Hazard made his Champions League debut for Chelsea in the team's opening group stage game against Juventus. On 6 October, he scored his second goal for Chelsea in a 4–1 win against Norwich City. His first goal was against Newcastle united from penalty and won his side by 2-0. During December he scored in back-to-back games, in a 5–1 win against Leeds United in the League Cup, and an 8–0 league win against Aston Villa. On 27 April 2014, Hazard won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and finished as the runner-up to Luis Suárez for the PFA Player of the Year award for his fine attacking performances under José Mourinho. After Chelsea's Champions League exit against Atlético Madrid, Hazard claimed that Chelsea are only set up to counter-attack. Mourinho responded by saying that Hazard "is not so mentally ready" to help his defence, blaming him for the first goal scored by the opponents.In May 2014, Hazard was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year in his second season at Stamford Bridge

Upon Juan Mata's departure from the club in January 2014, Hazard was handed the number 10 shirt for Chelsea ahead of the 2014–15 season. On 5 October, he won a penalty against Arsenal after being fouled by Laurent Koscielny, and then converted it himself past Wojciech Szczęsny to open a 2–0 victory which made Chelsea the last unbeaten team in the league. In doing so, he maintained his 100% penalty record out of 16 penalties. He also became the only player in Europe who has taken more than 15 penalties and scored all of them. Due to his influential in the Blues' unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign, Hazard was second in the EA Sports Player Performance Index, the official statistical analyser of the Premier League. On 26 April Hazard was recognised as the best player of the season among his peers, winning the PFA Player of the Year.

Hazard has played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring two goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw. The match was a homecoming for Hazard, as it was played in Tubize, where he spent part of his youth career.Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo.

On 18 November 2008, Hazard was called up to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by manager René Vandereycken for the team's match against Luxembourg.[citation needed] Prior to making his national team debut with Belgium, Hazard was courted by French Football Federation officials who sought the player to play for the France national team as he had become eligible for French citizenship. Hazard did not respond to the courtship and later stated "Because of my presence in France for seven years, I feel 99% Belgian and 1% French, but the idea of French citizenship has never crossed my mind". On 7 October 2011, nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in a 4–1 victory. He has since earned over 50 caps, and was a member of the Belgian squad which reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Hazard primarily plays as either an attacking midfielder or a winger and has been credited as being "possibly the outstanding talent in Europe right now". At Lille under former manager Rudi Garcia, Hazard often played in the latter role in the team's 4–3–3 formation and regularly switched flanks because he could use both feet. Following the departures of fellow play-makers Yohan Cabaye and Gervinho in 2011, during the 2011–12 season, Garcia played Hazard as a central attacking midfielder, while also allowing the player to roam back onto the wing if necessary. Two of Hazard's most common exemplary traits are his pace and technical ability, which have been described as "astonishing" and "mesmerizing", respectively.

Hazard's former teammate and Lille captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as "a great player, with an immense talent. He’s actually not that big, but he’s so fast. He’s also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top notch". Hazard's pace coupled with his finishing and inability to be dispossessed easily led to his former coach Claude Puel dubbing him "little Messi", in reference to the Barcelona star. Puel's sentiments were later echoed by former Marseille manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented "At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side". Hazard's "flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo; a comparison later repeated by former French international Christophe Dugarry. His vision, described as being the trait he has improved on the most, has allowed him to develop into an effective passer.

In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former Belgian international Enzo Scifo.Both players share the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week, I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I immediately saw he had a secure future".

However, despite the positive opinions, Hazard has endured criticism from some. In 2010, former Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate. Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers' criticism by arguing that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner, because you don’t hear him complaining when he gets fouled"

Neymar; The Rising Star of Global Football

2015-05-17T19:27:00.004-07:00

"Even though he is still young, Neymar is well aware of what he means for the world of football and for the Brazilian game in particular. He is the one player the Brazilian people believe in and he has everything to make history. I think because of his age, though he still has others to topple, Neymar will become top goalscorer in Brazil's history, surpassing Pelé. It wouldn't hurt if he leapfrogged me in the list. I left my mark on history and now it's his turn."

—Brazil legend Romário

Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born on February 5, 1992, in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil. The son of a former professional soccer player, Neymar followed in his father's footsteps by playing street games and futsal, an indoor version of the game. He joined the Portuguesa Santista youth club in 1999, and within a few years was one of the most highly regarded young talents in the country.

Neymar began playing football at an early age and he was soon spotted by Santos FC who offered him a contract in 2003, where he was inducted into their youth academy, which has, in the past, produced Brazilian internationals like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Diego, Elano and Alex. He also joined the likes of Pepe, Pelé and Robinho in starting out his career at Peixe (the football club's nickname). While in the youth academy, Neymar met Paulo Henrique Ganso, becoming good friends in the process. He has one sister that did not play football.

When he turned 14, he traveled to Madrid in Spain in order to go through some trials at the Merengues and according to the reports he was immediately accepted. However, Santos FC managed to hold on to their crown jewelry because the Brazilian club president at the time, Marcelo Teixeira, offered 1 million euros to Neymar‘s father on the condition that the prodigious player stayed at the club until he turned professional.

Neymar had his debut in Santos shortly after he turned 17 (March 7, 2009), in a away match against Itápolis. His first goal as professional player arrived one week later on March 15 (2009), in a 3-0 win against Mogi Mirim. During his first years in the first team, Neymar shared most of the media focus with his good friend and teammate until 2012, Paulo Henrique Ganso, who is now playing for São Paulo. Neymar didn’t get any silverware during his first year as a professional footballer, since Santos finished 2nd in the “Campeonato Paulista” and 12nd in the “Campeonato Brasileiro“. In his first season, Neymar racked up 14 goals in 48 games.

In 2010, Santos won the “Campeonato Paulista” for the first time since Neymar had joined the squad and together with Robinho, Paulo Henrique Ganso and André, the team was often called as “Meninos da Vila“, in a clear reference to the fact that several key players had been developed in the club’s youth ranks. Later that year, Neymar won his second career title and this time it was the “Copa do Brasil” trophy (the Brazilian Cup). The Brazilian forward became the competition’s top goalscorer, with 11 goals. His performances were already impressing a lot of scouts from European big clubs by then and during the Old Continent’s summer transfer season in August, Chelsea has allegedly made a move on Neymar that would end up failing miserably after Pelé‘s intervention. The all-time legend talked with the Brazilian youngster and convinced him that the best decision at that time was to stay put in Santos. The Brazilian club finished 8th in the “Campeonato Brasileiro” at the end of that year.

The 2011 year kicked off with all attention turned on to Neymar Jr. He was already being regarded as the best footballer playing in Brazil and there was a big amount of expectation to see how he would keep improving in the months and years ahead. Santos won the “Campeonato Paulista” for the second year in a row, the club’s 19th state title. However, the biggest accomplishment took place in the “Copa dos Libertadores“, with Santos beating Peñarol in the final and Neymar scoring one of the winning goals, during the second leg 2-1 win. The Brazilian club were chasing that trophy for 48 years… Neymar scored the best goal of his short career that year, in a game against Ronaldinho and Atletico Paranaense. That goal allowed him to win the FIFA Ferenc Puskás award for the best goal of 2011, in a ceremony that was held a few months later in Switzerland, in January of 2012. Before that and deep in December 2011, Santos faced Barcelona in the FIFA Club World Cup and basically got crushed by the Spanish giants, with an impressive 4-0 final result. Neymar recognized that Barcelona had a far superior team and that his side had been taught how to play football that day. That was probably the first big step Neymar has made to open the doors towards signing for Barcelona sooner or later.

In 2012 Neymar led Santos to some more success in the “Campeonato Paulista“, for the third straight time. On May of that year, Neymar became Santos highest goalscorer since the “Pelé era”, after scoring another 2 goals against Bolivar, in the “Copa dos Libertadores” and reaching his 106th goal for the club. Santos wouldn’t get lucky in that competiton though and got thrown out by Corinthians, in a two-leg semi-finals. The second trophy Neymar won in 2012 was the “Recopa Sul-Americana“, after beating Universidad de Chile in the final.

Neymar scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday in 2012 and finished the year with a career-best total of 43. Although Santos won its third straight league title, the young star again was subject to criticism when Brazil lost the 2012 Summer Olympics gold-medal game to an underdog Mexico team. In May 2013, Neymar announced he was making the leap to Europe with a transfer to FC Barcelona, a powerful club that featured superstar Argentine striker Lionel Messi and several members of the Spanish national team. The Spanish club paid 50 million euros for the Brazilian star, for a 5-year deal that will allow Neymar to earn 7 million euros per year, plus a 1 million euros bonus if he ends up winning the FIFA Balon d’Or.

As for 2013, we can safely say that it definitely allowed Neymar to also confirm his star player status in the Brazilian National Team. The Confederations Cup was awaited with high expectation and Neymar didn’t defraud anyone, especially in the final against Spain. Brazil beat the current European and World champions and Neymar performed at his very best level. Earlier in the year, Neymar has also announced that he was on a relationship with a new girlfriend, the Brazilian actress from Globo, Bruna Marquezine.

Neymar's performance shined in the 2014 World Cup on his home turf of Brazil, but was cut short before the finals. On July 4, 2014, minutes before Brazil won its quarter-final match against Colombia, Neymar was carried from the field in a stretcher in tears of agony after breaking a bone in his back resulting from a challenge by Colombia’s defender Juan Zuniga. Reports have indicated the injury will take weeks to heal and the athlete will be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament. Brazil's hope for the World Cup title was dashed when they lost their next semifinal match to Germany 7-1.

Neymar primarily plays as either a central striker, winger or occasionally as an attacking midfielder and has been described as "a true phenomenon". He often plays as a left sided forward for both club and country in the team's 4–3–3 formation, drifting infield due to his energetic pace and playmaking skills. Neymar's dribbling skills and playmaking ability are reminiscent of compatriot Ronaldinho. His common traits are his creativity, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints and technique, being described as both "electric" and "explosive". He commented on his attributes saying: "I'm always trying to perfect everything – dribbling, shooting, headers and control. You can always improve". Neymar stated that he has been inspired by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Wayne Rooney.

Neymar, playing for Brazil in 2011, has been compared to compatriots Pelé and Ronaldinho. The media have often drawn comparisons between Neymar and Brazilian Legend Pelé, as Neymar possesses similar attributes and also like Pelé came from the Santos Youth Academy and turned heads with his skill. Neymar has said that Pelé is his "role model" but also saying: "I don't like to make comparison with Pelé". On 11 April 2012, during the celebrations for the 100 years of Santos, when asked by journalists about Lionel Messi, Pelé said he felt that Neymar was better: "Now everyone is talking about Messi; he is a star. But [to be the best ever] he must first become better than Neymar," Pelé said. "At the moment Messi is just more experienced."

Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho had also tipped Neymar on becoming the best player in the world: “Neymar is young though, and I can't explain how special he will become. In the next two or three seasons he will become the best player." Another Brazilian star, retired World Cup winner Ronaldo also believes that Neymar can become the best in the world: "Logically, Messi is better right now but Neymar is a great talent who will show the world that he will be number one". Former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano has also praised Neymar, stating: "I like Neymar a lot. Many of his individual actions result in a goal and often it's a move that only seems to be happening with him on the pitch." FC Barcelona star Xavi also stated that Neymar "is a great player, has a very good attitude, and will go on to be the best player in the world." However, Neymar also has been known and criticised for his diving when tackled. For which Pelé has told: "He is a player with a body that can't take a lot of hits. A lot of times he will fall because he can't do anything else, but he was overdoing it." He continued: "Even when he is fouled, he can't make a spectacle out of it".

Neymar's increasing reputation led both the media and former great players to draw comparisons between Neymar and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, which Neymar has commented on saying: "Messi is above everyone, there is no use comparing me with him. He is the best player in the world and I always get inspired when I watch good football."Ronaldo said: “Neymar is a great talent, the best we have in Brazil. He is very similar to Messi.” Zico said: “I see Neymar like a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Messi, the type who appears and makes things happen.” After his hat-trick against Internacional 3–1 in Copa Libertadores and Messi's five goals scored in the Champions League, Neymar said: "I am a Messi fan. I was told what he did today. I support him to score a lot of nice goals so I can keep copying and imitating him.

Liverpool ‘Hero’ ; Steven Gerrard

2015-05-17T09:05:00.001-07:00

Steven Gerrard or Stevie G as he’s widely known as an English professional footballer who plays for Liverpool. Born in Whiston, Merseyside on the 30th May 1980, Gerrard was born and brought up in Liverpool and is lucky enough to have played for his beloved club who he supported as a youngster for his whole career thus far.

Gerrard started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts and he was picked up and was playing for the youth academy at the age of 9. However a serious injury whilst playing football with his friends could have ultimately ended his career before it begun. A young Steven Gerrard kicked his football into a bush full of nettles and tried to kick it out but accidentally kicked a garden fork which ended up going through his trainers and straight into his big toe. The doctor who Gerrard went to see said that he thinks he might have to get his big toe off but thankfully for him and English football, physiologist Mark Waller said he didn’t need to, and one of the greatest English Footballer’s for generations was allowed to come through the Liverpool ranks.

Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut on 29 November 1998 in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers as a last-minute substitute for Vegard Heggem. He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, filling in for injured captain Jamie Redknapp in centre-midfield. He also occasionally played on the right wing, but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he received, due to nervousness affecting his play. Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian, "I was out of position and out of my depth." The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained convinced that he would improve. Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.

Growing up, he had many injury problems mainly with his back and groin. His troublesome back problems stemmed from a growth spurt which turned quite a small-framed boy into a 6ft 1 teenager.He made his first appearance in England colours against Ukraine at Wembley in May 2000 and has been an integral part of the English squad ever since. His first goal for England was a rasping 25 yard shot which gave Oliver Kahn no chance, in the famous 5-1 demolition of Germany in September 2001 and as these ongoing injury problems were plaguing his development, they were also hindering his international career, and while England qualified for the World Cup, Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad due to his ongoing groin problems.

He was given the captain's armband first in October 2003 by Gerard Houllier and has captained the Reds regularly ever since. He wears the No.8 jersey for the Reds and No.4 for England. He first captained England against Sweden in 2004, and led the side five times in 2007. When Steve McLaren took over from Sven Goran Eriksson in August 2006, he named Gerrard vice captain of the national team.A leader par excellence, the man gives nothing less than 100% when he is on the pitch. Fans voted him the " Nationwide Player of the Year '' in 2007.

Gerrard’s own lionesses, wife Alex Curran and daughters Lily-Ella and Lexie keep him level-headed off the pitch. Gerrard married his childhood sweetheart at the Cliveden mansion in Buckinghamshire on 16 June 2007. Initially he was rejected by Alex when he asked her out for the very first time, as he thought he would get his friend to ask her for him and she replied, “If he wants to ask me out he can do it himself”.

Gerrard has scored in nearly every major final that he has appeared in for Liverpool, proving that he is somebody to be relied upon in big match occasions. Prominent among them is the headed goal against AC Milan in the Champions League final in 2005, which kickstarted Liverpool's amazing comeback and the last minute stunning 35 yard equaliser against West Ham in the FA Cup 2006 Final. He was also on the scoresheet in the 2001 UEFA Cup final against Alaves and the 2003 League Cup final against arch rivals Manchester United. He is also remembered for his crucial 25 yard strike against Olympiakos in the Champions League which assured the Reds of a place in the last 16 of Europe's most prestigious club competition. While Ian Rush still holds most of Liverpool's scoring records, Gerrard is the club's highest scorer in Europe.

Considered as Liverpool's prized asset by many, Gerrard is the pivot around which the Merseysiders revolve and his combination with Fernando Torres saw the latter score over 20 goals in his debut season . Given his versatility and consistency, it comes as no surprise that he is regarded as one of the best midfielders ever to grace the football pitch. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has even stated his desire to keep Gerrard lifelong at Anfield.

With the ever growing Gerrard a recognised world class performer he even has many personal accolades to go with this claim. He has won several awards – the PFA young player of the year in 2001, the most valuable player in the Champions League in 2004-05 and PFA player of the year in 2006. He came third behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard in the poll for the prestigious Ballon D’Or (European Footballer of the Year) in 2005. In December 2006, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to the game. In the last five seasons, he has never failed to make it to the PFA Team of the Year. He received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University on 26 July 2008 as recognition for his contribution to sport.

After eleven years in the first team growing in stature as he gets older he has recently made his 500th appearance for Liverpool and manager Rafael Benitez says he thinks Gerrard could go on to make another 200 or 300 appearances for the club. Although Gerrard’s loyalty seems unquestionable, there have been difficult times where he has had to think about what would be best for his career.

After a trophy-less 2003–04 season, Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea during the off-season. He admitted he was not, “Happy with the progress Liverpool has made,” and that “for the first time in my career I’ve thought about the possibility of moving on.” In the end, Gerrard turned down a £20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach Rafael Benítez.

This turned out to be a good decision as the new manager’s first season ended with a UEFA Champions League trophy, and although Liverpool finished 5th, a memorable victory over A.C Milan after coming from 3-0 down meant that Gerrard had his hands on the most prestigious trophy in club football. Gerrard scored in this game to begin the comeback and he rallied his troops to complete a memorable comeback.

In 2006 Gerrard scored one of the most amazing goals that will ever be seen in a Cup final, in the F.A cup against West Ham. 93 minutes in, 3-2 down, after already scoring one, Gerrard scores a screamer from 35 yards and pulls Liverpool level, then proceeds in scoring a penalty in the penalty shootout and helping to win the F.A cup for his beloved team.

Gerrard’s inspirational performances are down to hard work and his own inspiration, cousin, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, who tragically died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster when Gerrard was just 8 years old. His cousin’s family drove him on to become the player he is today.

At the end of the 2013-14 season, Gerrard had made 475 appearances for Liverpool F.C and scored 111 goals. The 2013-14 season was also one of the most successful for Liverpool, though they ended up losing first place in the Premier League after letting it slip in the last couple of games.

After receiving 114 caps for the England senior team, Gerrard retired from the national team after the 2014 World Cup, where England were knocked out in the qualifying round.

A versatile and well-rounded player who is regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, Gerrard is capable of playing in a number of positions. A hardworking box-to-box player, he is usually deployed as a central midfielder, but he has also been used as a second striker, a holding midfielder, an attacking midfielder, a right back, and a right winger.

Gerrard began his professional career as a wide midfielder on the right, although he did not excel in this position as he had a tendency to commit careless fouls in his youth. Nevertheless, Liverpool retained their faith in the youngster, and he was later shifted to a defensive midfield position as he matured, where he excelled as a ball-winner rather than as a playmaker. He continued to evolve tactically, coming into his own in a box-to-box central midfield role, which allowed him to be effective both offensively and defensively.Under Benítez, he was also used in a supporting and creative role, as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers, or even as a deep-lying playmaker.

In addition to creating goals, Gerrard has the ability to score goals due to his striking ability from distance with either foot (despite being naturally right-footed) he is .also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker. His main attributes are his pace, work-rate, stamina, vision, ball striking, and his accurate, varied passing range, which allows him to set the tempo of his team's play and create attacking chances.He also possesses good technical and aerial ability, as well as notable defensive attributes. In particular, Gerrard's tactical intelligence and ability to read the game allows him to break down the opposition's attacking plays. In addition to his footballing attributes, Gerrard is highly regarded for his leadership, determination, and influence on the pitch.

Zlantan ibrahimovic ; A Real Fighter On The Pitch

2015-05-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

Zlatan was born in 1981 in Malmö, Sweden. He received his first pair of football boots at the age of five and it was obvious even at this early age that he had the potential to become an extraordinary footballer. He grew up in the infamous neighbourhood Rosengård known for being one of Sweden's roughest areas, but this did not hinder him. After playing for a local Swedish Club for a couple of years he transferred to Malmö FF in his teens, and it was here he started to pursue a career as a professional footballer.

Ibrahimović signed his first contract with Malmö in 1996, and moved up to the senior side for the 1999 season of Allsvenskan, Sweden's top-flight league. That season, Malmö finished 13th in the league and were relegated to the second division, but returned to the top flight the next season. Arsène Wenger unsuccessfully tried to persuade Ibrahimović to join Arsenal, while Leo Beenhakker also expressed interest in the player after watching him in a training match against Norwegian side Moss FK.

After being perused by top Clubs all over the world, Zlatan finally decided to transfer to Ajax and he joined the Amsterdam club in July 2001. He received the number 9 shirt, which was previously worn by Nwankwo Kanu, Patrick Kluivert and the legendary Marco van Basten. After playing for Sweden's Under-21s, the Swedish National Team managers Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck chose Zlatan to play his International debut against the Faroe Islands in Sweden in January 2001, and since then Zlatan has been a part of the Swedish National Team.

Zlatan ended his first season at Ajax, just like he started it, on top. He scored the golden goal in the Dutch Cup Final against Utrecht and Ajax won both the League and the Cup. His success continued when he was selected as one of 23 players for the Swedish squad in the World Cup 2002, where he played against Argentina and Senegal.

After four years with Ajax, Ibrahimovic transferred to Juventus F.C. and led the Italian club to two Serie A championships. However, Juventus was stripped of those titles when club management was charged with fixing matches in the infamous Calciopoli scandal, and Ibrahimovic forced a transfer to Inter Milan. More success followed for the towering striker, who won three straight Serie A titles and claimed his first league scoring crown in 2009.

Traded to F.C. Barcelona for Samuel Eto'o in 2009, Ibrahimovic starred for a loaded club that rolled to a league title and Super Cup victories, but he butted heads with manager Pep Guardiola and spent the following season on loan to A.C. Milan. The Italian club purchased his contract outright for 2011-12 and Ibrahimovic claimed his second scoring crown, although his amazing streak of eight straight seasons on a title-winning club came to an end.

On 17 July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that they had reached an agreement to acquire the sporting and economic rights of Ibrahimović from A.C. Milan, having already agreed personal terms with the striker, for an initial transfer fee of around €20 million, making Ibrahimović the most expensive footballer in combined transfer fees. Valued at €180 million, these combined fees eclipsed those commanded by Nicolas Anelka. His three-year contract would see him receive a net annual salary of €14 million including bonuses (which would be €2 million more than what he was earning per year just before he left Milan), and make him the second best paid footballer in the world behind Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o.

After transferring to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, the veteran striker proved he had plenty left in the tank by claiming a third scoring title with a career-high 30 goals, and leading the club to its first Ligue 1 title in 19 years.

In January 2013, Ibrahimović was handed the number 10 jersey after the departure of Brazilian winger Nené. In April 2013, Ibrahimović scored in a 2–2 draw against his former club Barcelona in the quarter finals of the Champions League. However, PSG were knocked out on away goals after drawing 1–1 at Camp Nou in the second leg. He ended the season as assists leader in the 2012–13 Champions League,providing 7 assists.

Even though Ibrahimović was eligible to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, he chose to play for Sweden, his country of birth.

Ibrahimović made his debut in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship. On 7 October 2001, he played his first competitive match, a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, scoring in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović was part of Sweden's 2002 FIFA World Cup finals squad who were eliminated in the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal.

During 2006 World Cup qualification, Ibrahimović scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals as Sweden were knocked out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.

He was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated team curfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg and visiting a nightclub. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were nonetheless all sent home by manager Lars Lagerbäck as punishment and did not take part in the match. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson did not appeal the coach's decision, but Ibrahimović felt that it was unjust and therefore refused to take part in Sweden's next qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He also refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later, and returned for Sweden's loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the "Country's Top Player of the Year."

Ahead of Euro 2012 qualification, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team. He scored his first goals of the qualifying game against San Marino where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 win in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. His next goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Finland whom they beat 5–0.

At the Euro 2012 finals, Ibrahimović scored the opening goal in Sweden's first game against Ukraine. He then scored with a volley, later considered the goal of the tournament, to open the score in Sweden's 2–0 win against France in the last group match. Despite the victory, Sweden was knocked out in the group stage.

On 14 November 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4–2 win over England in the first ever match at the Friends Arena. His fourth goal, a 35-yard overhead kick with his back to goal, won him praise from players and pundits, with the BBC describing it as a goal that "combined unfathomable imagination and expert technique". It would win the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year.

On 4 September 2014, Ibrahimović scored his 50th international goal in a 2–0 friendly match victory over Estonia, making him the Swedish national team's all-time leading goalscorer. Earlier in the same match, he equaled Sven Rydell's record of 49 by scoring the opening goal. On 8 September, he made his 100th appearance for Sweden in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna.

Ibrahimović has been described by ESPN as being "good in the air, tall, strong and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finishing, vision, passing and ball control around."Although he has been criticised for his work-rate in big matches, he has scored in some of the biggest matches in football including the Milan Derby in Italy, El Clásico in Spain, Le Classique in France, and UEFA Champions League and UEFA Euro Championship games against some of the strongest opponents in football.Ibrahimović is the only player to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League.Tactically, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, although he is most often deployed as a striker, or as a creative supporting forward, which allows him to provide assists for team mates.

Due to his prolific goal scoring and spectacular strikes, Ibrahimović is regarded by many in the sport to be one of the best players in the world and one of the most complete strikers of his generation. He has however been criticised for his aggression and rebellious character at times. In 2007, The Times placed him at number 44 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history. Due to his powerful shots and volleys from inside and outside the penalty area with both feet and on dead ball situations, his agility, acrobatic ability in the air, physicality, skill, finishing and technique, Ibrahimović has frequently been compared to Dutch legend Marco van Basten. Despite this comparison, Ibrahimović has stated that his main influence was his idol, former Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, whom he regards as the greatest player of all time.

Sir Alex Ferguson ; An Unforgotten Name For Manchester United

2015-05-16T07:48:00.002-07:00

Alexander Beaton Ferguson was born in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland on 31 Dec. 1941. His father was a shipbuilder. He grew up in a tenement on Govan Road, and he always remembers his working class roots and relative poverty the family faced. He is one of the Labour parties biggest financial supporters. He attended Govan High school, but was not interested in studying and at the age of 16, started his amateur playing career, making his début for Queens Park.

Ferguson made his senior debut for the amateur Queens Park Rangers club as a 16-year-old in November 1958, scoring his team's lone goal. He moved to the St. Johnstone club in 1960, and although he displayed promising goal-scoring abilities as a striker, he struggled to earn regular minutes.

Ferguson turned professional after joining Dunfermline Athletic in the summer of 1964. Finally given extensive playing time, he tied for the Scottish First Division lead with 31 goals in 1965-'66 and finished as his team's top scorer in two other seasons with the Pars. He also showed the mind-set of a future manager, impressing teammates with his vast knowledge of opposing players and barking instructions throughout matches.

In 1967, Ferguson joined the Glasgow-based Rangers F.C. for a Scottish-record transfer fee of approximately $179,000 (65,000 pounds), but his homecoming ended badly. Blamed for a botched defensive assignment in the 1969 Scottish League final loss to Celtic F.C., Ferguson was forced to play with the junior side until he left the club that autumn. He spent the next four seasons with Falkirk, and then finished his playing career with Ayr United in 1973-'74.

Almost as soon as he finished his playing career, he was offered a chance to move into football manager – despite his very young age of 32. His first club was East Stirlingshire on a part time basis. That year he moved to St Mirren, where he was manager from 1974-78. The club achieved promotion to the First Division and revitalised their performance.

However, in 1978, he was sacked by St Mirren, allegedly for allowing unauthorised payments to players and breaching his contract by going to Aberdeen.

From 1978 to 1986 he presided over a very successful period for the small Scottish club. In 1980, Ferguson led Aberdeen to their first league title since 1955, and the first time in 15 years that the title hadn’t been won by the old firm (Rangers and Celtic)

This cemented his reputation and helped Ferguson to gain the respect of players who were little younger than himself. The players did respect Ferguson, though like at St Mirren, he was known as a strict disciplinarian, and developed the nickname ‘Furious Ferguson’

Turning down an opportunity to move to Derby, Ferguson led Aberdeen to the European Cup Winner’s cup in 1983, becoming only the third Scottish team to win the European cup. He also led Aberdeen to domestic cup wins in 1982-83 and 1983-84

In 1986, he was approached by many leading clubs, and after a brief stint as manager of Scotland, he accepted an offer to move to Manchester United.

Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986. He was initially worried that many of the players, such as Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson were drinking too much and was "depressed" by their level of fitness, but he managed to increase the players' discipline and United climbed up the table to finish the season in 11th place, having been 21st (second from bottom) when he took over.

In the 1987–88 season, Ferguson made several major signings, including Steve Bruce, Viv Anderson, Brian McClair and Jim Leighton. The new players made a great contribution to a United team who finished in 2nd place, nine points behind Liverpool. However, Liverpool's points lead had been in double digits for most of the season and while United had lost only five league games all season, they drew 12 games and there was clearly still some way to go before United could be a match for their north western rivals.

For the 1989–90 season, Ferguson further boosted his squad by paying large sums of money for midfielders Neil Webb, Mike Phelan and Paul Ince, as well as defender Gary Pallister and winger Danny Wallace. The season began well with a 4–1 win over defending champions Arsenal on the opening day, but United's league form quickly turned sour. In September, United suffered a humiliating 5–1 away defeat against fierce rivals Manchester City. Following this and an early season run of six defeats and two draws in eight games, a banner declaring "Three years of excuses and it's still crap ... ta-ra Fergie." was displayed at Old Trafford, and many journalists and supporters called for Ferguson to be sacked. Ferguson later described December 1989 as "the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game", as United ended the decade just outside the relegation zone.

However, he held onto his job and won the FA Cup at the end of the year. In 1992, after the purchase of Eric Cantona from Leeds United, Man Utd finally won their first league title (1992-93). Ferguson said Cantona was one of his greatest players.

“If ever there was one player, anywhere in the world, that was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona. He swaggered in, stuck his chest out, raised his head and surveyed everything as though he were asking: ‘I’m Cantona. How big are you? Are you big enough for me?”

The following year, 1993-94 brought a double of Premier League and F.A. Cup. This led onto two decades of success with several league titles, Cups and in particular, two European championships. 1999 and 2008.

Ferguson again led his side to three straight Premier League titles from 2007-'09, along with European Cup and FIFA Club World Cup victories in 2008, and back-to-back League Cups in 2009-'10. In December 2010, he surpassed the 24-year-plus tenure of Sir Matt Busby to become the longest-serving manager in United's history. Fittingly, he ended the season with another milestone victory that gave United a record 19 Premier League championships.

His strong and dominant personality has led to clashes with star players. He has been accused of losing his temper and kicking tea urns and football boots at players during half-time. However, although Ferguson is strict with players he has also retained their loyalty. Players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes spending most of their playing career at Manchester United. Even superstars like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have retained an affection for Alex Ferguson. Some pundits say his strict discipline has helped prevent well-paid footballers go off the rails. He certainly has a great love of winning.

When he approached his 65th birthday, people wondered whether he might retire, but Ferguson showed no signs of losing interest and enthusiasm for the game. One of his greatest strengths is his sheer persistence in constantly rebuilding the side as players leave or retire. In May 2013, Alex Ferguson finally announced his retirement from football, aged 72. He left at the end of the 2012-13 season to widespread acclaim. He also had the joy of seeing Manchester United to their 13th title. His retirement was met with widespread acclaim, with many in the game stating they were unlikely to ever see the like of Alex Ferguson again.The Guardian announced it was the "end of an era", while UEFA president Michel Platini said that Ferguson was "a true visionary". British Prime Minister David Cameron described Ferguson as a "remarkable man in British football". Former Manchester United players Paul Ince and Bryan Robson agreed that Ferguson would be "a hard act to follow". Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer said "His determination to succeed and dedication to the club have been truly remarkable."[ Ferguson revealed that he had in fact decided that he was going to retire back in December 2012 and that it had been very difficult not to reveal his plans.The year after his departure proved to be a bad year for Manchester, with David Moyes only able to lead Manchester United to seventh place.

Ferguson was made an Inaugural Inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his impact on the English game as a manager. In 2003, Ferguson became an inaugural recipient of the FA Coaching Diploma, awarded to all coaches who had at least ten years' experience of being a manager or head coach. He is the Vice-President of the National Football Museum, based in Manchester, and a member of the Executive Committee of the League Managers Association.

In addition to being the only manager to win the top league honours, and the 'Double', north and south of the England–Scotland border (winning the Premier League with Manchester United, and the Scottish Premier Division with Aberdeen), he is also the last manager to win the Scottish championship with a non Old Firm team, achieving this in the 1984–85 season with Aberdeen. He is also the only manager in English football to have managed to finish in the top three league places in 20 consecutive seasons, since the 1991–92 season (with a total of 22 consecutive seasons).

On 5 November 2011, the Old Trafford North Stand was officially renamed the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in honour of his 25 years as manager of Manchester United. He has won 49 trophies as a manager, making him the most successful British football manager in history.

Carles Puyol ; The Wall of Barcelona

2015-05-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

Carles Puyol Saforcada (born April 13, 1978 in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia) is a Spanish retired footballer. He had established himself as one of the best defenders in world football and was a regular in the Spanish national team. He served as the longtime team captain for his only club Barcelona after taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004, going on to appear in almost 600 official games for the team and win 21 major titles, notably six La Liga and three UEFA Champions League championships.

Puyol started playing football for his hometown club, as a goalkeeper. However, after injury problems with his shoulder, he switched to striker. He said that in his youth, "My parents were skeptical about me becoming a footballer and encouraged me to study." In 1995, he joined FC Barcelona's youth system at La Masia, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder; two years later, he started playing for the club's B-team, occupying the position of right back.

Carles Puyol went to FC Barcelona B at age 17 in 1996 and in 1999 Coach Louis van Gaal put him into the first team and his debut came on 2 November 1999 against Valladolid, a game FC Barcelona won 0-2. He started as a regular for Barcelona in the right back position but has very successfully converted to center-back, and is now regarded as one of the top center-backs in the world.

Puyol was named Captain (association football) at the end of the 2003–04 La Liga, after the retirement of Luis Enrique Martínez García. Carles Puyol continued to be a defensive cornerstone for Barça, being awarded the "Best European right back" award by UEFA in 2002 and "Best European centre back" in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as receiving the "UEFA Club Best Defender" trophy in 2006. Puyol helped the FC Barcelona win an impressive two consecutive league titles in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons. In 2005-2006, Puyol helped FC Barcelona win its second 2005–06 UEFA Champions League title, 14 years after the first.

On 16 September 2008, Puyol made Carles Puyol 400th appearance in all competitions for Barças first team in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League match against Sporting Clube de Portugal. In the 2008–09 La Liga, the Barça captain dealt with injury problems, but still contributed to the team by appearing in 28 matches and helped to win another league title, Carles Puyol only goal coming in El Clásico at Real Madrid C.F. on 2 May 2009, which finished with a resounding 6–2 away win; from 2008–10 combined, other than the two league titles, Carles Puyol was essential in conquering the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, appearing in nearly 100 official matches. Puyol describes Barça as "the team who every Catalan child wants to play for... I am living the dream playing football for Barça and it is my dream to retire playing here ." Carles Puyol scored the only goal in the semifinal against Germany national football team with a powerful header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, sending the national team through to their first FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, and scoring Carles Puyol third international goal in 89 matches. In the final, Carles Puyol played the full 120 minutes, as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 .

Puyol is known for Carles Puyol intense commitment and ruggedness as a defender. According to Barcelona's head doctor, Puyol is "the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive strength." Club fans refer to Carles Puyol as "The Wall".. Middle Eastern fans call Carles Puyol "Lion's heart".Carles Puyol is also known by some fans in the UK as "Sir Charles". Miguel Ángel Nadal, who played with Carles Puyol for a short period of time, said, "Carles plays with maturity, has great positional sense, and above all, has pride in Carles Puyol shirt ." Carles Puyol said in 2010, "I don't have Romário's technique, Marc Marc Overmars' pace or Patrick Patrick Kluivert's strength. But I work harder than the others. I'm like the student who is not as clever, but revises for Carles Puyol exams and does OK in the end." Another former team mate said, "Even four goals down Carles Puyol thinks we can still win."

The departure and possible retirement of the defensive linchpin, who symbolised everything strong and successful about the modern Barcelona, marks the end of an era for both the club and the player who spent his entire career with his beloved blaugrana. "Tarzan," "the Wall," "Sir Charles"—call him what you will—has enjoyed a stellar club and country career that has seen him make 682 appearances for Barcelona (593 for the first team), 100 for Spain, winning six La Ligas in the process, two Copa del Reys, three Champions Leagues, one World Cup and one European Championship.

The way he has orchestrated the announcement of his departure is typical of the man. No fuss, no fanfare, either before, during or after his announcement. There had been lots of rumours circulating as to his future, but nothing had been revealed to anyone until Tuesday. Injuries, in particular knee problems, have taken their toll, the last one being so painful that he effectively shut himself away from everyone other than those closest to him, so no one could see the agonies he was going through

If ever proof was needed of how popular Puyol is at Camp Nou, look no further than when he began his warm up before coming on against AC Milan in the recent Champions League encounter. If the stadium had a roof, it would have lifted. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, Puyol was known for his commanding presence in the air, his composure on the ball and his intense commitment and ruggedness. You are a heart and soul of Barcelona’s golden era and Barcelona will always be thankful for your commanding leadership and legendary status.

Ivan Rakitic ; A True Leader In Midfield

2015-05-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ivan Rakitic

Ivan Rakitić was born at 10 march 1988 in the town of Möhlin, Switzerland, located just a couple of miles from the Swiss-German border to Croatian parents. Rakitić spent his childhood and early career in Switzerland. Growing up in a family of footballers, his father and older brother played football, so it came as little surprise that young Ivan wanted to follow in their footsteps. Aged just four, Rakitić joined the football schools at the local FC Möhlin-Riburg. He spent the next three seasons learning the basics at his hometown club.

After spending some short time in the youth teams, Rakitić went on to make his first-team debut for Basel on 29 September 2005 during the UEFA Cup away match at Široki Brijeg. He made his first Swiss Super League appearance on 15 April 2006 in Basel's away match against Neuchâtel Xamax. Although these two matches were the only ones he played during his first professional season with Basel, he went on to establish himself as a regular contributor in his second season, scoring 11 goals in 33 Super League appearances. Also making nine UEFA cup appearances during this time, he was named the best young player of the 2006–07 Super League season along with receiving the Swiss Goal of the Year award for an impressive goal he scored against St Gallen on 22 October 2006.

His excellent performances led to calls from bigger clubs and in June 2007 Schalke snapped up the youngster for €5 million. He made his debut for Schalke on 21 July 2007 in the Premiere Ligapokal fixture against Karlsruher SC, and eventually appeared in the remaining two matches as Schalke finished runners-up. On 5 August 2007, Rakitić scored his first competitive goal for his new club in their 9–0 away win over Eintracht Trier in the first round of the German Cup. Rakitić hit the ground running in Germany, barely missing a beat. With his role slightly different from the one he was used to with Basel, Rakitić's goal production dropped, but he continued to impress his employers. That did not change Rakitić's entire stay in Gelsenkirchen, but with consistently good games Rakitić started appearing on radars of different clubs. Sevilla were in desperate need of reinforcements in January 2011 and decided the Croatian was the solution to their problems, ending his three and a half year stay in Germany with 135 games played, 16 goals scored and 29 assists.

Sevilla picked Rakitić up for a discounted €2.5 million, with the two agreeing on a four and a half year contract. Upon his arrival, Rakitić was immediately included in the starting eleven of the team, making his debut on 6 February 2011 against Málaga CF. Rakitić quickly won over the Sevilla fans, scoring six goals in just 16 games in the first half-season. Rakitić's influence increased from one season to the next with it culminating in the 2013-2014 season with him leading the Andalusian side to their first European title in seven years and best La Liga finish in three. Rakitić's three and a half year stay in southern Spain was very fruitful. In 149 games he scored 32 goals and added an impressive 41 assists.

With his contract running out Rakitić was lured by many clubs, but Barcelona won the sweepstakes, On 16 June 2014, FC Barcelona signed Rakitić on a five-year contract for €18 million. Upon his arrival, Rakitić was given the squad shirt number 4. His official debut for Barcelona came on 24 August, in the opening match of the new Primera División season, against Elche CF. He quickly became one of Luis Enrique's most trusted players and up to date he has already made more appearances than in all but one season in his career. In his Barcelona career so far he has made 45 appearances, scored six goals and assisted on another eight.

On the international level, Rakitić plays for the Croatia national team. Although naturally a product of Switzerland's youth level, Rakitić pledged his international career to his parents' country of Croatia instead. He made his debut for Croatia in 2007 and has since represented the country at UEFA Euro 2008, UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Rakitić's first international experience came at youth level, while competed with the Swiss under-17, under-19 and under-21 national teams, but decided to take up the call by Slaven Bilić and play for the Croatia senior national team. He made his full international debut for Croatia on 8 September 2007 in their Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in Zagreb, Croatia, highly praised by the fans as he was entering the game as a substitute. In Croatia's following qualifier, a 6–0 away win over Andorra on 12 September 2007, he scored his first international goal for Croatia in only his second appearance for the team. He finished the year 2007 with five senior international caps to his name, four of which were in the successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Since then Rakitić has been a staple in midfield for Croatia, appearing in 70 games over nine years, averaging exactly one goal per year.

With impressive performance for both club and country, he was honoured by Swiss Super League Goal of the Season: 2006-07, Swiss Super League Young Player of the Year: 2006-07, 2014 UEFA Europa League Final: Man of the Match, Europa League Team of the Season: 2013–14, La Liga Player of the Month: January 2014, La Liga Team of the Season: 2013–14, BBVA Fair Play award: 2013-14, and more on.

Rakitić is a very physical midfielder that has experience playing in three different positions: defensive midfielder, central midfielder and attacking midfielder. By heart he is an attacking minded player but very rarely neglects his defensive responsibilities. The current form of Barcelona, three game away from winning liga BBVA,copa del ray, and UEFA championship cup is much credited to the form of evan rakitic. If Barcelona, able to win these all the title, then he will be recognized as true leader of mildfilder in the world.

Jose Mourinho ; The Special One

2015-05-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one….

When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started..

I am Jose Mourinho and I don't change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects………

.If I am hated at Barcelona, it is their problem but not mine. Fear is not a word in my football dictionary………..

I am prepared. The more pressure there is, the stronger I am. In Portugal, we say the bigger the ship, the stronger the storm. Fortunately for me, I have always been in big ships. FC Porto was a very big ship in Portugal, Chelsea was also a big ship in England and Inter was a great ship in Italy. Now I'm at Real Madrid, which is considered the biggest ship on the planet. …jose mourinho

Mourinho is widely regarded by several players and coaches to be one of the best managers of his generation and one of the greatest ever managers. Mourinho began his involvement in professional football as a player in the Portuguese Second Division. He studied sports science in Technical University of Lisbon and attended coaching courses in Britain. In Lisbon, he worked as a physical education teacher and had spells working as a youth team coach, a scout, and an assistant manager. In the early 1990s, he became an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson at Sporting CP and Porto in Portugal, and Barcelona in Spain. He remained at the Catalonian club working with Robson's successor Louis van Gaal.

He was born 26 January 1963 in Setúbal, Portugal. His father was a Portuguese goalkeeper José Félix Mourinho. Mourinho began his sporting career as a footballer, but never made it as a top player. According to his father, Felix, Mourinho’s affinity, attitude and acute attention to detail for football management began very early.

“When he was 13 or 14 I became a manager and had to travel. José would always find a way to turn up wherever I was. By coach, or even fish transport truck, he would always be with me somehow for the weekend matches. He started to manage the ball boys. He would position himself behind our bench. I’d give him instructions which he would pass on to the players, running to the other side of the pitch to tell them. So he began very early to deal with tactics and systems of play…

When he was 15 or 16 he told me he wanted to be a manager. He started to watch the teams we were going to play and prepare reports, and that helped me a lot.

Mourinho joined the youth ranks of Belenenses, and then played for his father at Rio Ave as a defender. Mourinho also played for second division side, Sesimbra, and studied Physical Education and Sports Science at the Instituto Superior de Educação Física (The Technical University of Lisbon). He spent five years in University and earned a diploma. In a May 2004 interview with the The Times of London, Mourinho admitted his playing limitations:

“By 23, he had realised his limits as a player. ‘I’m an intelligent person. I knew I was not going to go any higher. The second division was my level.

He studied sports science at the Technical university of Lisbon and spent five years teaching in schools. After spells working as an assistant manager and a youth team coach. In 1992, he became an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson when he got a job at Sporting Club Portugal. He also follower Bobby Robson to FC Porto in Dec 1993. The two developed a good working relationship with Jose Mourinho learning from Bobby Robson and Robson increasingly trusting the ideas of the young Mourinho. When Robson went to Barcelona in 1996, Mourinho followed – learning Catalan and becoming an important part of the set up. When Robson left, Mourinho stayed on, working the Dutchman, Louis van Gaal in a successful two years for Barcelona.

Mourinho stayed three years at Barcelona where his attention to detail and personal touch were noted by players such as Laurent Blanc and Josep “Pep” Guardiola. He turned down Mr. Robson’s offer to be his second in command at Newcastle United. He returned to Portugal in 2000 for his first head coaching job with Benfica. His spell with the iconic Portuguese club was rather short. He departed for Uniao de Leiria in January 2001. A year later, he arrived at the club that would launch him onto the world stage: FC Porto.

He won everything at his disposal in two years at Porto: The Portuguese Cup and SuperCup, two Portuguese League titles, the UEFA Cup in 2003 and the UEFA Champions League in 2004.

Then after, Chelsea FC owner, Roman Abramovich, courted the new European coaching sensation away from Porto to Stamford Bridge in 2004. At Chelsea, Mourinho continued his winning ways. He won the Premiership twice on the trot in his first two seasons. He could not replicate the European success of Porto. Mourinho arrived on the Italian peninsula to manage Inter Milan in 2008, and learned Italian during his break from football. He won the Serie A Scudetto easily on his first attempt and the Italian SuperCup. In 2010, he led Inter to a unique treble, winning Serie A, the Italian cup and the UEFA champions league. Like in England he had a tempestuous relationship with referees and other managers.

In 2010, Mourinho moved to Real Madrid, who were desperate to end their under-achievement relative to Barcelona. After a difficult first season, he won the Spanish La Liga in 2011-12 season. After leaving Madrid in June 2013, Mourinho returned to England to manage Chelsea for a second spell.

Because of his tactical knowledge, charismatic (but also very controversial) personality and what his opponents regard as emphasis on getting results over playing beautiful football, he is often seen, by both admirers and critics, as the successor of Argentine manager Helenio Herrera. Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has described Mourinho as "probably the best coach in the world". Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has stated that Mourinho is the best manager he has ever worked for. He has sometimes been accused for playing defensive, dull football to grind out results.

Mourinho has been criticised for negative tactics by a few coaches and players, including Johan Cruyff, and Morten Olsen. Cruyff stated, "Jose Mourinho is a negative coach. He only cares about the result and doesn't care much for good football." After one game, Cruyff stated: "Mourinho is not a football coach. To play at home with seven defenders, you must be very afraid." Olsen stated, "I don't like his persona or the way he plays football negatively."

And after all, both negative and positive line of respect makes him really special. At the beginning of his career he has to deal with much of struggle on his life, with his family and with his dream. But once he found the way ,He has got success in every club he managed and still on the road to become greatest manager of the world. In modern era of football, he is renowned for his acerbic and self-confident style. He is often referred to as “The Special One” a nickname to describe his unique character and strong track record.

Lionel Messi ; A True Football Legend

2015-05-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

"Once they said they can only stop me with a pistol. Today you need a machine gun to stop Messi." - Hristo Stoichkov

"Messi or Ronaldo best player in the world? In the world, I would say Ronaldo. Messi is from another planet." - Turkish international Arda Turan

"They tell me that all men are equal in God’s eyes, this player makes you seriously think about those words." - Football commentator Ray Hudson

"Messi does not need his right foot. He only uses the left and he’s still the best in the world. Imagine if he also used his right foot, Then we would have serious problems." - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

"The other day I saw one of his games. He was running with the ball at a hundred percent full speed, I don’t know how many touches he took, maybe five or six, but the ball was glued to his foot. It’s practically impossible." - Real Madrid legend Raul

Lionel Messi was born, 24 June 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to a working class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner. He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth, and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

Local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi, but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as the one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is agile, he is quick and he is unstoppable, Lionel Messi is a playmaker in its truest terms. Messi has become the world’s best soccer player, with atypical talent and record-breaking performances. This extraordinarily skilled player has some tough records by his side.

To start off with, he is the only player with four FIFA Ballon d'Or awards and three European Golden Shoe awards, he holds the Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals, he has in his kitty the most international goals in a year, he has the most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals and the most consecutive league matches scored in which he has a record of 30 goals in 19 matches. While these stats are until April 2013, this talented soccer specialist is sure to break many more in the years to come. Messi has been commonly rated by commentators, coaches and colleagues as the best footballer in the world and as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, his main USP being his ability to remain in full control of the ball even while dribbling in speed. His outstanding pace and creative combinations coupled with his futuristic vision and attacking technique is spectacular and efficient, leading him to be compared with compatriot Diego Maradona.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in 2011 and 2012. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

At the end of 2012, Messi turned down a very lucrative offer to play for an unnamed Russian side. It would have given Messi a salary of €20 million a year and made Messi the most expensive player in the world (Barcelona would have been paid €250million). He turned down the offer because he was unsure if he would be playing in major European championships and the difficulties in moving to Russia. Instead he signed a contract with Barcelona until the end of 1918. When asked about moving to the English Premier league, Messi revealed his sense of commitment to Barcelona.

“Barcelona is my life. They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. I know the Premier League is very good. But I cannot see myself playing in England because my heart is with Barcelona, always.”

At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. In September 2014 he scored his 400th senior career goal for club and country aged just 27. In November 2014, Messi became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, and the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League.

Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with six goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play and score in the FIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at the Copa América in 2007, in which he was named young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won an Olympic Gold Medal with the Argentina Olympic football team. At the 2014 World Cup, he led Argentina to the final, winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards in the process, and received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. In 2013, SportsPro rated him the second-most marketable athlete in the world.

Many commentators have stated that Lionel Messi has performed at his best in all competitions, except the World Cup. In both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, Argentina were knocked out in the quarter finals, with Messi not at his best.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an opportunity for Messi to make an impact on the highest stage of them all. In the opening game against, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Messi scored a great goal to give Argentina a winning start. He scored four goals to help Argentina reach the World Cup Final. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi was awarded ‘Golden Ball’ player of the tournament, though the decision was not universally supported. After the tournament, Messi replied:

“I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by the wasted chances. We had the best chances. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.”

Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children in 2007. This was in response to Messi’s own medical ailments that he faced as a child. The foundation works towards providing children diagnosed with illnesses treatment in Spain funds covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs. Most of the funds collected by the organization is through Messi’s own effort with a little aid by Herbalife.

By far, he is not only a true genius footballer, he is a very good persons too. Being a humble guy, he is a dream boy of every child of modern age. And most of all, there is still a dilema on football pundits that is he already become greatest footballer of all time. Only time will tell when he retires from his boots and people will miss the true art of football with the beginning of new era.

"I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else. I'm more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with? When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy. " …… Lionel Messi

Tito Vilanova : Genius In The Shadow

2015-05-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Tito Vilanova

"It was a day of considerable sadness for all fans of football and to recognise his personal and professional life. Barcelona went on to make the best-ever start to a La Liga season with 18 wins from 19 games but, in December 2012, Vilanova was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. It meant his assistant Jordi Roura had to take charge of the team on those occasions when he was undergoing treatment. At the end of the season Vilanova announced he was resigning to concentrate on his recovery from the illness."

Vilanova first became ill in November 2011, while an assistant to Guardiola, and took a leave of absence after undergoing surgery. The soft-spoken Vilanova returned and took over from Guardiola the next season, when he led Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-equalling 100 points. Vilanova had a second tumour removed in December 2012 and travelled to New York several times during the season to receive further treatment before returning to the sidelines. In April 2013 Vilanova said he felt fine and "had never thought about quitting". He finished the season before suddenly being forced to resign following a relapse in July.

"It is with sadness that Barcelona must announce that Francesc 'Tito' Vilanova has died today at the age of 45," the club said on their website. "The death of our former coach occurred this afternoon when he could not overcome this disease which he had battled since 2011."

Barca sports director Andoni Zubizarreta said the club would offer their support to Vilanova's family. “A great man has left us, a loving husband, father and a total Barcelona member," said Zubizarreta. ‘We have to give our support to the family of Tito. Barca also is his family and we will remember him forever."

The club's president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said on Twitter: "Tito Vilanova was a wonderful person, and will never be forgotten at FC Barcelona. Thank you for everything you taught us. Rest in peace."

The Barça midfielder Cesc Fabregas paid an emotional tribute on his Facebook page. He wrote: "Tito, thank you for all you have given to football and Barça. Personally, I met you 14 years ago and I can say that there are very few people like you. Thank you for always trusting me to help me improve and overcome personal and professional obstacles. We will always keep a place for you in our hearts. Rest in peace Tito."

Mourinho, now Chelsea's manager, said on his club's Twitter account: "Tito Vilanova's passing is a sad day for football, for Barcelona and most importantly for his family and friends. On behalf of everybody at Chelsea Football Club I send my deepest condolences at this most difficult time."

On 17^th September 1968, vilanova was born in Bellcaire d'Empordà, Girona, Catalonia. As a young player, Vilanova was at Barcelona's training academy from 1984-89 but never made it to the first team. Instead, he went on to play for clubs such as Celta Vigo and Mallorca before his career was cut short by a serious knee injury. Vilanova then went into coaching and got a job with Barcelona's cadets, tutoring players such as Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fábregas and Messi. Vilanova left to work as the sport director at third-division Terrassa before returning to Barcelona to take over the club's "Barça B" feeder team.

Vilanova started his coaching career in 2003–04, being in charge of Tercera División side FC Palafrugell and suffering relegation to Primera Catalana. After working as technical director at Terrassa FC he was appointed assistant manager at FC Barcelona B, under manager Pep Guardiola, with the club in the fourth level. In the summer of 2008, after leading the reserve side to promotion to Segunda División B, Vilanova and Guardiola were assigned to the Barcelona first team, replacing Dutch duo Frank Rijkaard and Johan Neeskens. His first season at the Camp Nou was the most successful in Barcelona's history, with the club winning six major trophies and becoming the first in Spain to win the Copa del Rey, league and UEFA Champions League titles (the treble) in the same season. As an assistant, Vilanova helped Guardiola propel Barcelona into their most successful period and transform a team led by Messi into one of the world's best ever. Barcelona won 14 of a possible 19 major trophies from 2008-12 under Guardiola before adding the league title with Vilanova in 2013.

As Guardiola's assistant, Vilanova provided the tactical know-how that helped the coach build one of the best teams in the history of the sport, winning two Champions League titles in their impressive haul. He may not be famed like guardiola but he is the real picture behind what Barcelona is today. The famous style of play tiki-taka that Barcelona had adopted during 2008-2012, dominated the world football with brilliant tactical idea showed by vilanova. The combination of team that includes some of football stars like messi, xavi, iniesta was so brillent that it developed a new era in football, the guardiola era and much of this credit goes to tito vilanova. He developed these players from la masia widely recognized as youth academy of Barcelona when he was charge as a manager of Barcelona B Team.

Vilanova, you are a true architect, a designer of tiki- taka syatem, a model of Barcelona. Football world always remember you for make them loving football. Barcelona will always made you proud for what you are. Rest in peace – vilanona.