Sorry to all my fans in this absence of not making entries. I will be back this week on a consistent basis. Meanwhile, just get pumped for the biggest game and rivalry in all of sports tomorrow:

Click on the thumbnails to see full size (Bấm vào hình nhỏ để xem hình lớn):

Tradition is against Europeans when it comes to Under 17 World Cup finals. It’s not Europe’s dish to do well at this age category. And the current final tournament, staged in Nigeria, seems to be the case, with Holland an early and unexpected casualty. At the hands of Iranians. Football in its globalised version gets even by the hour… Holland, shockingly hand in hand with Brazil. Where was the Copacabana flair?  

The group stage just finished and two out of six nations representing Europe at the 13th edition of  Under 17 FIFA World Cup finals came third, among the 6 teams looking for an “escape” ticket to the last 16, where the top two from each group automatically qualified. 

The Dutch, always great at nurturing young talent, were bruised by Colombia (1-2) and Iran (0-1), ending with a thin 2-1 win against Gambia. It was a culture shock for Holland, which struggled in Group C after playing the final at the UEFA Under 17 European Championship in Magdeburg.

In qualifiers and at Euro, Jong Oranges prospered due to Castaignos and Isoufi, a potent strike force, with 15 goals to their credit, while the classic number 10, captain Oguzhan Ozyakup, displayed the skills that caught Arsene Wenger’s eye. He is an Arsenal player, in a 21 man squad boosting 7 footballers from Ajax, 6 from Feyenoord and 3 from PSV Eindhoven, the big Dutch clubs. But for all their merits, the Dutch came surprisingly short in Nigeria, after a bronze medal 4 years ago, in Peru, at their first ever presence in this age category’s finals.

Holland going home is like parking a fine limousine in a dark garage after just a few miles. 

Their conquerors in Magdeburg, the Germans, came also third, in Group A, after drawing with hosts and current title holders Nigeria, 3-3 from 2-0 up at half time, losing 2-1 to Argentina, from 1-0 up at half time, and defeating Honduras 3-1, coming from behind. Uncharacteristic for Germany to squander an advantage… A bit of a culture shock for The Panzers as well, including one of two Liverpool based players, Christopher Buchtmann, a number 7 from the Red half of Merseyside. By the way, big Bayern Munchen doesn’t have at least a player in the squad, while TSV 1860, the lesser Munich team, has two!

Germany has a better record at this level, with a bronze medal two years ago, in Korea, added to a silver at the very first finals, in China, in 1985, when Nigeria opened its account of what was to become a grab of three World Cup titles on Asian soil. Of which the last was taken two years ago, in a 3-0 penalty shoot out final against Spain.

And mentioning Spain, it is to be said that the young guns with 6 representatives from Barcelona and three from Real fared much better in Group E, good sports for a nation finishing second in 2003 as well, then with a certain midfielder named Cesc Fabregas top scorer in the tournament for his 5 goals. Their undoing at that time was a 1-0 defeat to Brazil in the final, after qualifying past Portugal in the quarters and Argentina in the semifinals. Cesc’s road was from Nou Camp to The Emirates, in september 2003, a very few months after that successful tournament, and the rest is history. The young Gunner, now 22, is captain of his high flying team…

Alongside a 100% and 9 goals scoring Spain, there are Turkey, Switzerland and Italy, coming fine and dry from their respective groups, with a special mention for the Swiss, themselves boosting an Arsenal player, Sead Hajrovic, among three Premier League based young footballers, which got the better of Brazil: 1-0! Three wins out of three for the central European side.

Actually, Brazil came third, having an identical record with Holland, after being beaten as well by Mexic in a rematch of the 2005 final. Then the mexicans were the better, unveiling a brilliant Carlos Vela, a top goalscorer of the finals. Do we know the name? It’s in Arsene Wenger’s squad. Another rising star who made a name for himself at U-17 World Cup finals and ended up in North London.

While Holland and Brazil are heading home, surprise, surprise, New Zealand is the wonder unbeaten package, finishing second in an easy group and waiting for a game against Nigeria, in the last 16, stage which starts on wednesday.

It remains to be seen yet, as I mentioned, Europe is finding it difficult to impose its authority at U-17 World Cup finals. Just two titles, for Soviet Union and France respectively, in 1987 and 2001, while the likes of Nigeria and Brazil hold three wins each, with Ghana two times World Cup holder. And for the record, ten years ago, in New Zealand, it happened that Europe’s finest haven’t made at least the semifinals.

It’s in the grasp of Spain, twice finalist lately but with tradition against Europeans…

The emphasis is less on performing on a World Cup stage at this age category and more on scouting around Africa for example. It won’t be surprising to see other young stars ending up on this shores, as Fabregas and Vela made their way to Arsenal London after successful bursts at the finals.

It might be though that European nations will soon find it difficult to pass African representatives at World Cup finals. Last month, in Egypt, Ghana won the U-20 World Cup, defeating Brazil in the final after a 3-2 win in the penultimate stage against Hungary, the lonely European representative in the last four.

It’s a question already to be asked… When will come the day of a World Cup final with an African nation involved? May be not in South Africa but the clock is ticking.   

Although, on the other hand, it’s fair to say that these tournaments are not an indictment of things to come at senior level. The very fact that the Black Continent won 5 titles at U-17 level but haven’t made great strides at World Cups is a sign of the fine line between juniors and youth and the big business of senior professionals, a similar thing being worth mentioning about France. An Under 17 World Cup winner in 2001 yet with few names from that squad sparkling nowadays the professional scene. It was Florent Sinama Pongolle, a top scorer with 9 goals, half of his team total, at the 2001 Trinidadian finals, who find it hard making the grade at Liverpool FC.

And to emphasise the argument, let’s mention the 1989 final. It happened on Glasgow’s Hampden Park, in front of a 58.000 crowd. The 24th of june could have been the crowning day for Scottish football, be it at Under-17 level. It wasn’t to be, Saudi Arabia winning the world title with a 5-4 penalty shoot out although playing in 10 men from the 71st minute. The Scots squandered after the break a 2-0 lead taken by Ian Downie (7′) and Paul Dickov (25′). The latter made the step forward, with a journeyman’s career in Premier League. But how many names of that Scottish line-up are ending now a fulfilled life in football? Will – Beatie , Bain, Bollan, Lindsay , McGoldrick, Dickov , O’Neill , McMillan , Downie , Marshall.

Scottish football certainly didn’t benefit at senior level from that Craig Brown’s side, another proof that not many conclusions can be drawn from three week tournaments for 16 year olds… 

Still, a great footballing ocassion to keep an eye on. March on, to the 15th of november final… Here are the dates for the second stage. On wednesday, Argentina – Colombia , Turkey – United Arab Emirates , Switzerland – Germany , Italy – USA, while on thursday Spain – Burkina Fasso, Uruguay – Iran , Mexico – Korea and Nigeria – New Zealand.

Otto partite senza vittorie. Nerazzurri mai così male in Europa negli ultimi 54 anni. Tanti. Troppi. L’ultima vittoria in Champions dell’Inter risale addirittura al 22 ottobre 2008. Fa impressione pensare che sia passato praticamente un anno da quel gol dell’imperatore Adriano nell’1-0 di quell’Inter-Anorthosis. Fa impressione anche guardare la classifica del girone: ultimi con tre punti. Certo, con le avversarie che viaggiano a quota quattro tutto è ancora possibile, anche se “il gruppo resta difficilissimo”. La qualificazione è a portata di Inter, quanto meno di quella che si accende in campionato infiammando i tifosi. Già il campionato. Caro Presidente in Italia sarete pure i più forti, ma in Europa non andate poi così tanto bene. Sarà mica solo colpa delle Invincibili regine autunnali d’Europa?

“Non sono né arrabbiato né deluso, il nostro è un girone difficilissimo”. Parola di Massimo Moratti. Tre pareggi in tre partite di Champions quest’anno, di cui due in casa. Caro presidente, tanto di cappello al Barcellona campione d’Europa, ma il Rubin Kazan che ha espugnato il Nou Camp (le giornate storte possono capitare a chiunque, Messi e compagnia compresi) e sarà pure campione di Russia, fino a qualche stagione fa (2002) andava in trasferta tra le steppe e le tundre più sconosciute della Siberia. E il leader Massimo sa bene che, seppure la Dinamo Kiev abbia conquistato il titolo ucraino, non brilla certo in Europa dai tempi del generale Lobanovskij e non accede agli ottavi della più importante competizione europea dalla stagione 1998/09. Era la Dinamo che fece conoscere al mondo Shevchenko, raggiungendo addirittura le semifinali.

Quelle più forti in autunno – Eppure Moratti ribadisce: “La Champions è un torneo dove siamo tutti alla pari, il nostro è un gruppo difficilissimo, lo è stato sin dall’inizio”. Il popolo interista, però, si dà anche un’altra spiegazione al misero bottino raccolto da Eto’o e compagni in questa prima tornata Europea: lo stato di forma delle Invicibili squadre dell’Est e del Nord Europa in autunno. In primavera, come d’incanto, si trasformano invece in succulenti agnellini sacrificali. Le squadre avanti nella preparazione che poi, per questioni climatiche, sono costrette a sospendere i campionati e a tornare in campo a primavera inoltrata: russe, bielorusse, ucraine, scandinave, ceche, slovacche, rumene. Insomma quelle lì.

A questo punto, allora, la domanda sorge spontanea: visto che i gironi preliminari si giocano tra settembre e dicembre, quante di queste “Real Madrid autunnali” negli ultimi anni sono riuscite ad approdare agli ottavi di finale? Beh, neppure una negli ultimi tre anni.

Il resistibile curriculum delle nordiche – Ma tracciamo un curriculum di queste (cosiddette) Invincibili regine autunnali d’Europa. Partiamo proprio dalla stagione 2006/07. Al via ci sono: Levski Sofia, Spartak Mosca (stesso gruppo dell’Inter e doppia vittoria nerazzurra, ndr), Shakhtar Donetsk, Steaua Bucarest, Dinamo Kiev, Copenhagen e Cska Mosca. Tutte e sette eliminate nella fase a gironi.

Stagione successiva, 2007/08: ce ne sono sei al via: Rosenborg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Kiev, Cska Mosca (stesso gruppo dei nerazzurri e anche qui due successi per l’Inter, ndr), Slavia Praga e Steaua Bucarest. E come per la stagione precedente: zero alla voce “qualificate agli ottavi”.

E veniamo all’ultima stagione, 2008/09, con la presenza di 7 regine autunnali d’Europa: Aalborg, Cluj, Steaua Bucarest, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Kiev, Zenit San Pietroburgo e Bate Borisov. Anche stavolta neppure una di loro qualificata alla fase a eliminazione diretta. Ma se prendessimo in esame anche le stagioni 2004/05 e 2005/06 il numero alla voce “qualificate” sarebbe sempre lo stesso: 0.

Detta är sista inlägget om Barca. Har lite svårt att slita mig bara, det var så NICE! Jag tror mamma helt klart är nöjd med sin 60-årspresent. Jag, svägerskan och A också.
Så, jag avslutar med några små tips.

El Born
Visst var detta en underbar stadsdel! Små, charmiga gränder fullspäckade med tapasrestauranger och “hål-i-väggen”-vinbarer och designerbutiker. Mysigt på dagen, och rätt ställe för mat och vin och mojitos på kvällen. El Xampanyeria på C. Montecada såg verkligen charmigt och stimmigt ut, men var fullt tyvärr. Stället vi hamnade på snett mittemot var dock ett riktigt bra alternativ, med nice tapas och god cava. Dock gott om mysiga ställen och bara att droppa in på något som verkar schysst.

Shopping
Åh, det finns ju så myyyycket! Alla stora märken såklart, men också en hel del vi inte har hemma. Och skor. Så mycket skor. Ungefär samma priser som hemma, men kul utbud. Hela gamla stan med utgångspunkt vid Plaza Catalanya är bra område för shopping.

Maten
På tips från Kristin (tack!) gick vi på Lonja de Tapas en kväll. Grymt bra tapas! Förutom tapas (som det blev alla kvällar) är ju en paella inte fel. Paellan nedan med bästa utsikt – över Barcelonas härliga strand. Stranden förresten – hade vi bara haft fler dagar hade jag gärna spenderat mer tid där.

Sightseeing
En hop-on-hop-off buss är alltid ett bra sätt att se stora delar av en stad på kort tid. Och faktiskt så är det rätt skönt att sitta och softa på ett busstak i ett par timmar också… Röd linje åkte vi, på rekommendation från vår trevliga lägenhetsuthyrare – överlägset bäst enligt honom. Den passerar bl.a Sagrada Familia och Nou Camp – och mycket annat. Blå går förbi olympiska byn och vackra Plaza Espana – vilket vi dock ej hann med denna gång. Från olympiska byn har man fin utsikt över stan, och där var jag när jag och H var i Barca för ett par år sedan. Och sen – fotbollen. Ah, fotbollen. Det var också något jag gjorde senast men ej nu (trots Zlatan – men vi tajmade ingen match tyvärr). Helt fantastisk upplevelse! Nou Camp i sig, men framför allt med kamp. Grymt.

Den här gången fick vi nöja oss med att se Zlatan från busstaket. Imponerande att klä en hel husfasad dock…

Barcelona är verkligen en stad som har allt, och när jag är i en sån stad kan jag inte låta bli att undra hur man egentligen fungerar som väljer att bo i Sverige… Hade det inte varit för familjen och vännerna hade valet varit rätt enkelt!

För övrigt – vi åkte med Ryan Air till Girona. Det man inte får i komfort har man igen i sparade pengar, och jag tycker det är helt okej om en resa inte är längre än denna – runt 3 timmar. Weekendresor är en lisa för själen och ett enkelt sätt att få lite lyxkant på tillvaron. Jag älskar det – ge mig mer!

Bayern Munich are easily one of the most recognisable names in European football. Yet they are no longer living up to their much heralded reputation and their dominance of the German league is being threatened. One title in three years is not something the Bavarian outfit are used to.

You also have to go back eight years to learn when they last one a European trophy, a penalty shoot out victory against Valencia in the Champions League. In 2007 they even missed out on a place in the tournament because of poor domestic form the previous year. They returned to Europe’s premier club tournament in 2008 and reached the quarter finals, but the true state of their decline only became apparent when they were trounced 5-1 on aggregate by Barcelona. The Klinsmann experiment did not work and you would be hard pressed to find a football pundit who would rank them alongside the top English and Spanish clubs. It appears Bayern have now settled in the second tier of European football, alongside the likes of Porto and AC Milan.

 Or have they?

Van Gaal has spent big this summer.

This summer has seen a mini revolution take place in the south of Germany. A new coach and a raft of skilful, but expensive players have arrived at the Allianz Arena. Dutchman Louis Van Gaal has been appointed as head coach, not only to reclaim the Bundesliga, but also to make a serious impression in Europe. Van Gaal has great experience with Barcelona, Ajax and the national team, but his success rates have also varied.

At Ajax there is no doubt. Champions League winners in 1995 and runners up the following year, with a squad assembled from their famous youth academy, brought him about a reputation as one of Europe’s top coaches. His time in Barcelona started well, but his insistence on creating a Dutch clan in Catalonia turned sour and the infamous white handkerchiefs started to spread across the Nou Camp.

Van Gaal has still got a lot to offer football and his experiences at top clubs could be exactly what Bayern need at this time. The fact that he has also been given total autonomy over team matters, something unheard of in Munich, tells us as much as we need to know about the challenge Bayern hope to mount.

Attracting a top coach means also means giving him a huge budget to work with. Nearly £70 million has been outlaid in transfer fees alone, the fourth highest in Europe after Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City. The likes of Arjen Robben (£22 million), Mario Gomez (£27.6 million) and Anatolyi Tymoschuk (£10 million) have all been brought in to raise expectations amongst the Bavarians.

Robben could be the most significant transfer of the summer if he can stay fit for the full season. With Van Gaal’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, he could shine alongside the brilliant Frank Ribery. This is the key to Bayern’s hopes, as when on form, these two can be as good as anybody on the planet. Add in the quality of players such as defender’s Daniel Van Buyten and Holger Badstuber, midfielder’s Marc Van Bommel and Thomas Muller, it becomes clear that Bayern now have a big squad, full of ability, to fight both on the domestic and European front.

Ribery (left) and Robben (right) are pivitol to Bayern's success.

Defensively could be their achilles heel, but that was also said of a certain Barcelona treble winning team last year. The key, which Barcelona showed, is to keep possession of the ball and have the ability to score from almost anything. Bayern now have that and more. Gomez, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose can all compete for the position to finish off the high number of chances they are surely going to be given.

One would suspect May 2010 at the Bernabeu could prove a tad optimistic, but Bayern Munich have got their act together and they may yet threaten the Anglo Spanish dominance in the years to come.

per Ibra terzo gol in tre partite di Liga

I tre nuovi acquisti estivi del Barca sono stati schierati tutti insieme per la prima volta contro l’Atletico Madrid (vittoria per 5-1, NdT) e ognuno ha offerto un’ottima prestazione davanti ai propri tifosi, con Ibrahimovic che è andato in rete, Chygrynskiy davvero convicente in fase difensiva e Maxwell sicuro.

Tre su tre per Ibra

Zlatan Ibrahimovic ha fatto ancora centro, così al momento sono tre i suoi gol in altrettante partite di campionato. La bellissima rete è arrivata dopo 2 soli minuti di gioco, anche se l’attaccante ha chiarito: “Sono contento del gol, ma la cosa più importante è vincere,” aggiungendo che si sente più forte e più a proprio agio a ogni partita che gioca coi suoi nuovi compagni.

Chygrynskiy colpisce i tifosi del Nou Camp

Il difensore ucraino era apparso in forma al proprio debutto a Getafe e sabato (ieri, NdT) ha confermato questa impressione al Nou Camp con alcune giocate raffinate in difesa e dei buoni passaggi. Chygrynsky è stato il giocatore che ha vinto più contrasti (10) e inoltre ha completato con successo addirittura 49 dei 51 passaggi che ha fatto. L’unico rammarico è che abbia rimediato il primo cartellino giallo da quando è qui, dovuto a una trattenuta su Aguero nella ripresa.

Maxwell felice di aver giocato 90 minuti

Maxwell ha portato a termine il suo primo incontro di questo campionato, dopo aver debuttato al Nou Camp nella vittoria di 3-0 in Supercoppa, contro l’Athletic Bilbao, e aver iniziato la prima partita della Liga contro lo Sporting Gijon, anche se in quell’occasione era dovuto poi uscire per un infortunio. Il brasiliano ha offerto sicurezza in copertura e ha ammesso di essersi divertito: “Abbiamo giocato un grandissimo primo tempo. Per me è stato importante giocare e ributtarmi nella mischia – giocare con questa squadra è facile!”

servizio di Jordi Clos e Roger Bogunyà per il sito ufficiale del Barcellona

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/futbol/temporada09-10/09/n090920106841.html

I’ve decided to talk about some of the places I would like to visit on holiday.

My ultimate holiday would probably be to see Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and/or Aurora Australis (Southern Lights). I am completely fascinated by the phenomenon and would love to see it.
Whilst writing them sentences I thought about another phenomenon that could top that. I think overall it would be on the same level. That would be… a solar eclipse! I want to see a total solar eclipse!

Anyway, another destination I’d like to go to is Johannesburg and the wider area of South Africa. I think it would be an interesting country and city to visit. Similar to this is Sydney, obviously the Opera House is a large part of this and the apparent majesty that lies there, this coming from TV pictures! Another couple of cities along the same lines as these would be Vienna, Rome and Rio De Janeiro.

I’d love to do a Top Gear style drive through Vietnam. The country has always had my interest for reasons that elude me. Top Gear’s immense bike trip through Vietnam only further highlighted the beauty of the whole country, and the amount of fun you could have exploring it.

I also think I’d like to visit the world in general. I think it’d be nice to see as much as the world as possible.

The only other places I’ve really wanted to visit, possibly more than any of these listed are all sadly amongst the stars! So that’s not going to happen!

I don’t dislike Leeds, I don’t particularly dislike England. I dislike what we stand for, what we do and the politics of the country. I’m not referring to Labour, the Tories would be no better, in fact I think they’d be worse. I am referring to our weird obsession with getting the country hated across the world by teaming up with America, who think they are an International Police Force. I am not intending to take a swipe at American citizens. I know a lot of them are passionate that they stop doing this!

That rather long opening leads to this. I want to live in Spain. Probably Barcelona. The city is beautiful, the Camp Nou is beautiful, the fountain is beautiful, it’s all beautiful. However I would not turn down the Costas or Ballearics!

Tot siens,
MarkBilly

I’ve always thought about starting a band. The problem is, I can’t play guitar, I can’t play drums, I can’t play bass and I can’t sing, at least not well enough to front a band. So that’s that out of the window, for now. I shall however at some point aim to become an expert in the 3 instruments I mentioned and as for the singing, I’ll recruit someone. It’s a bit selfish to four track a record.

If I could choose any 5 people to be in an ultimate band (with me) it would probably be Brian May (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Noel Gallagher (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Billie Joe Armstrong (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Tré Cool (Drums), Me (Bass/Backing Vocals) and Freddie Mercury (Vocals/Piano/Organ).

Now obviously you’re gonna try and say there are some difficulties in this. And I agree. I don’t think Green Day have ever met Queen. However I will arrange this and all problems will be ERASED! IT also highlights my extraordinary lack of knowledge regarding the members of the groups that I actually like!

I’d also have a side project which included the band and a female singer as well. I really don’t know why but it’s a superband so we can do whatever we want. I wouldn’t choose someone like Amy Lee or someone like who has past history of fronting an all-male group. I’m not sure who I’d choose but it could well be one of Girls Aloud, maybe Cheryl, I think she sings the best, or add yet another guitarist and get Taylor Swift involved!

I’d also be interested in doing something with David Grohl. Mainly because he can do just about everything! It makes it easier.

The name for this supergroup would be something imaginative. I’m open for suggestions, mainly because I can’t think of any imaginative names. The name I choose for fantasy football and the like is Phoenix Stars. I don’t think it works for a band.

Obviously we would embark on a stadium tour that took in many big stadiums and sporting complexes such as Strahov Stadium (Prague), May Day Stadium (Pyongyang), Azteca (Mexico City), Indianapolis Speedway (Speedway, IN), Maracanã (Rio De Janeiro), Bernabéu (Madrid), Croke Park (Dublin), Giuseppe Meazza (Milan), Stade de France (Paris), Soccer City (Johannesburg), Stadio Olimpico (Rome), Qwest Field (Seattle, WA), Lang Park (Melbourne), Camp Nou (Barcelona), to conclude the European part of the tour with the UK leg taking in sights such as Wembley (London), City of Manchester Stadium* (Manchester) and finishing at Elland Road (Leeds).

*For Noel’s benefit, and I don’t want to go to Scumchester Trafford!

Also, Google any of the stadiums you don’t know. And I strongly suggest you google Strahov Staidium whatever you do. It’s one of the sights I want to see if I ever get to go to Prague!

Doviđenja,
MarkBilly

Today, on the opening weekend of La Liga, we attend the Barca – Sporting (Gijon) match at the Nou Camp – not a bad way to start our 23 stadium adventure. Although I have been to a few Barca games, and attended the 1999 Champions League final between Bayern and Man U there (more about the week I fell in love with Barcelona later), I’m excited with the anticipation of the match. Even though this is only one small part of our experience here, I feel that in this moment walking inside the stadium, I am vindicated for all the challenges, uncomfortable moments, and generally massive question marks surrounding crazy dad/husband for moving the family here to Barcelona. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t move for futbol, but in this moment we get to taste something different, something so completely foreign that it is difficult to describe to anyone who has never attended a big World Cup or European match. I found myself the other day calling Camp Nou the most beautiful Cathedral of Futbol to which I had been. I don’t know about its aesthetic beauty – after all, we are in the land of Gaudi. However, from the perspective of energy and emotion, sport and adventure, it feels a little like a catholic going to mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. As a recovering Catholic, I’m going to have to take some friend’s word for that anyway.

The boys and I gear up the day before at the FCBotiga Megastore at the Nou Camp. We stuck to the basic new replica gear, Dante going with Messi, Damian with Ibrahimovic (always the striker with that one, even though he’s a goalie by trade). Interestingly it’s only recently that the major clubs have merchandised themselves so well – when I was here 10 years ago, nowhere near the same amount, variety (and cost) of the schwag (Do I really need Barca boxers anyway? In the realm of things, far better than Dallas Cowboys boxers I suppose). Good old American capitalism at its finest and perhaps one more reason why more and more money seems to be coming into football – large minimally tapped revenue streams being tapped in the intervening time period. I was reading through the budget figures for each team in La Liga, thanks to the Marca Guia de La Liga 2010 issue, and the growth in budget (with my level of Spanish, can’t exactly tell if that means revenue, or just expenses) was fairly surprising. The Barca figures for 05-06 were 260m Euro and for 09-10 are 405m Euro. For all my finance friends, that’s a CAGR of 12% – not bad for a “mature” industry.

Thankfully, although completely unplanned, our Apartment is within walking distance to Nou Camp. I don’t know what it is with this walking business, but we (or rather I) can’t seem to get enough of it. Living in the suburbs for so long where you can barely get the mail without getting in a car, perhaps I just have lots of miles still in my boots, or I’m a city boy at heart. Anyway, we’re getting a few funny looks along the way, being 35 minutes out and still 85 degrees with 90% humidity at 9pm – the day before school starts mind you. My kids are brilliant, and we’re having good fun on our way as their first experience. Dad, who wanted to hit a major FIFA tournament or match every year at one point has been slacking on the job. Aside from San Jose Earthquakes season tickets, it’s been since the 2002 World Cup that they’ve been to a big match (yes, they were 4, and 6 at the time). It feels good to get on with it again. As we get closer and closer to the stadium, you can start to feel the energy rise. The density of people continues to increase, and in the final few blocks before reaching Nou Camp they don’t even bother to keep the roads open to cars (although those ubiquitous scooters and mopeds still work hard at getting through). Walking in to the stadium and finding our seats, you can see the excitement on the kids faces – nothing quite like this in San Mateo or San Jose (given that they’d be asleep, or at least in bed on any given Monday night at 10pm – serious Dad points on that one), or anywhere in the US I would argue.

Aside from the absolute Sauna inside, our seats are great and we hear a smattering of French, absolutely no English, a little Spanish, and a whole lot of what we think is Catalan. 3 weeks in, it’s still difficult for any of us to distinguish between the two, but I ascribe that mostly to our lack of serious Spanish language skills as anything else. Everyone assures me this part gets easier (although you don’t necessarily get better at Catalan without some serious study). The players come out and lift the European Super Cup which they won on Friday night in Monaco against Shaktar. This is what has gotten me in a spot of hot water at home as I thought the game was Sunday night – giving us at least one more night between the match and the first day of school (which, by the way, my wife still thinks was intentional). I remember at one point several years ago being amazed at the energy of a mid-table opponent (Racing) on a Sunday night in February – at the time, I didn’t necessarily recognize that Sunday night IS La Liga, but I think tonight had to top it. Monday night, Sporting, who have a serious shot at being relegated, August Monday night (when half the city is still coming back from Holiday), and there’s easily 80k fans there fully engaged. Electric. Hair standing on the back of your neck. I wonder if one ever gets used to it (check back in several months and I’ll let you know).

From the perspective of the match, Barcelona easily handled it throughout. There was a slight wobble early on, in which it looked like Sporting should have capitalized, but that was the only moment in which there was ever any doubt. With a starting 11 that included a few of the kids, I can’t say I expected it to be quite such a stroll. I must say that on this night at least, I wholeheartedly disagree with Santiago Segurola (the journalist galactico as described by Phill Ball). Senior Segurola has said when comparing Real Madrid’s latest Galactico project to Barcelona: “…Barcelona on the other hand, need to play well to win. It’s a great virtue, but a potential weakness as well. If they play poorly, they lose.” I don’t think anyone watching tonight will say that Barcelona played particularly well, but they did, indeed, win quite handily – and all that without Iniesta and Messi, two massive players for the club. Ibrahimovic even got off the duck and scored his first goal (can you call it a duck when we’re still talking about the first official league match?), although the crowd would have given him considerably more time – every class touch and attempt on goal was energetically applauded, and chants of Ibra rained down on any number occasions. He is, however, still looking like it will take some time to click with this team and system, and I’m not altogether sure that his personality and work rate will fit in with the team – he is terribly casual out there while his teammates run their socks off. If he clicks in, he’ll score 40 – if not, it could be 40m Euro not so well spent. That must be some “feeling” Mr. Guardiola, but hey – what do I know – I didn’t just win the first Tripleta in Spanish league history.

Just a few gems from my boys for your reading pleasure: “This is way better live than on tv”; “isn’t it funny how the crowd screams at the ref when one of the barca players flop, but whistles at the player from the other team when doing the same”; “does Puyol start the game with wet hair?”; “what age do you get signed to the Barca youth academy”; “I just KNEW that Ibra would score”. The grins on their hot, exhausted faces say it all as we get home at 1am Tuesday morning…

Jurnalistii britanici de la Times au inclus arena din stefan cel Mare in topul celor mai frumoase stadioane din lume. Desi majoritatea suporterilor critica arhitectura invechita si distanta uriasa dintre tribune si gazon, stadionul lui Dinamo ocupa pozitia a opta in clasamentul realizat de englezi.

“O pista de atletism este in general destul pentru a decredibiliza un stadion. Dar Stadionul lui Dinamo Bucuresti este o opera de arta in stilul Razboiului Rece. Este intampinat de statuile staliniste, scari largi in spatele portii te duc catre teren, iar acolo iti poti imagina un carucior de copil care curge pe trepte. Iar cel mai apropiat lucru de lojele executivilor il reprezinta balcoanele cladirilor vecine”, se arata in prezentarea celor de la Times.

Iata top 10, cele mai frumoase stadioane din lume: 1. Signal Iduna Park, 2. San Siro, 3. Anfield Road, 4. Inonu Stadium, 5. Allianz Arena, 6. Santiago Bernabeu, 7. La Bombonera, 8. Dinamo, 9. Nou Camp, 10. Craven Cottage

Sau khi vượt qua cuộc kiểm tra y tế định kỳ, đúng 18h30 (giờ địa phương) tân binh Zlatan Ibrahimovic đã có màn ra mắt chính thức tại sân Nou Camp trước sự chứng kiến của khoảng 50.000 culé…

Máy bay chờ Ibrahimovic chính thức đáp xuống thành phố Barcelona

Tiền đạo người Thụy Điển được Ban lãnh đạo Barca chào đón ngay tại sân bay

Rất nhiều CĐV ngồi chật kín sân Nou Camp để được chứng kiến Ibra ra mắt

Ibrahimovic đặt những bước chân đầu tiên trên sân Nou Camp

Ibra chào các CĐV trên sân Nou Camp

Tại đây, Ibra sẽ khoác lên mình chiếc áo số 9 mà Eto’o để lại

Ibra bên cạnh chủ tịch Laporta và GĐTT Begiristain

Ibrahimovic hôn lên chiếc áo đấu của CLB mới

Ibra không khỏi xúc động trong ngày ra mắt Barcelona

Ibra biểu diễn màn tâng bóng sở trường

Ibra được kỳ vọng sẽ đi vào lịch sử của CLB xứ Catalan

Bài viết liên quan

Những bước thăng trầm trong sự nghiệp của Ibrahimovic

Các tượng đài bóng đá tán dương tân binh Ibra của Barca

Barcelona thỏa thuận thành công thương vụ Ibrahimovic

Inter đồng ý để Ibrahimovic gia nhập Barca

Nguồn: viencanh.com Lễ ra mắt đáng nhớ của Ibrahimovic tại Barcelona

Zlatans official Presentation at Nou Camp

Read More here about Zlatan

Wikipedia here

Ticket to Zlatans games here

Read more here

Fotbollsbloggen ROBI’S BLAUGRANA

Spelarkommentarer efter matchen mot Al-Ahly på söndagen

Här kommer några spelares kommentarer efter söndagens match.
Eidur Gudjohnsen: ”Idag var det lägre tempo än var det var mot Tottenham, men det är normalt när man spelar två matcher på tre dagar”. ”Vi har jobbat bra under träningarna den här veckan som förberedelse inför den kommande säsongen”. ”De unga spelarna är här för att lära”. ”Ibrahimovic är en spelare av god kaliber. Han gör mål, är tekniska och mycket stark. Jag hoppas att han kan hjälpa oss att fortsätta vinna titlar”.
Pedro: ”Vi var inte vana att spela den här tiden på dagen, men vi lyckades ganska bra ändå. De började mycket starkt, men vi kunde ändå vinna”. ”Jag vill gärna stanna i förstalaget, men skulle jag komma till Barca Atletic är det inga problem”.
Marc Muniesa: Vi kan dra positiva slutsatser från de här två matcherna som slutade med en klar seger och ett oavgjort resultat och vi spelade mycket bra”. ”Jag känner mig mycket bra, mycket lugn. Kollegorna gjorde allt mycket lättare på plan”. ”Tränaren gratulerade oss alla. Jag antar att i morgon är det tillbaka till Barca Atleic och starta på nytt”.
Rueda: Målet gav mig mycket glädje. Jag har försökt tidigare när det bara har varit minuter kvar, men har inte lyckats. Den här gången gick det bra. Men sanningen är att jag har försökt många gånger”. ”Jag är mycket glad över att få ha spelat här och göra ett av målen”. ”Jag förmodar att mellan idag och i morgon kommer vi att få veta vilka som ska tillbaka till Barca Atletic”.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Agent Raiola,  Rafael Yuste, Joan Laporta and  Txiki Begiristain had a singning dinner at the luxury Hotel Gran Florida late sunday night.

Restaurante L’Orangerie, At Gran Hotel Florida in Barcelona, A True Gastronomic Delight, Gourment Cuisine And Enchanting Ambience

With its outdoor terrace overlooking downtown Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea, L’Orangerie is as breathtaking to the eye as it is blissful to the palate. Bathed in warm tones and intimate atmosphere, this exquisite restaurant re-interprets classic Catalan, Spanish, and Mediterranean flavours, creating deliciously innovative dishes.

To complement your meal, our world-class wine cellar features an exquisite collection of 350 varieties. With breathtaking views, brilliant cuisine and impeccable service, dining at L’Orangerie is truly a feast for the senses.

Link to the menu

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Click here to book a table at this great restaurant

Opening hours:

• Breakfast: 7:00 to 11:00
• Lunch: 13:00 to 15:30
• Dinner: 20:30 to 23:00 (Friday and Saturday until 23.30)
• Sunday Brunch: 13:30 to 16:00
• Open daily from Monday to Sunday.

Barcelona đã đạt được thỏa thuận với Inter Milan về thương vụ Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Theo đó, chân sút người Thụy Điển này rất có thể sẽ chính thức ký hợp đồng với đội chủ sân Nou Camp vào thứ Hai tuần tới (27/7).

Rời trại tập trung của Inter tại Mỹ, Ibrahimovic lập tức bay về Milan để tham gia vào cuộc đàm phán giữa BLĐ của Barcelona và Inter vào chiều qua. Trong buổi chia tay với các đồng đội, chân sút người Thụy Điển nói ngắn gọn: “Tôi rất biết ơn sự giúp đỡ của các bạn trong thời gian qua. Chúc toàn đội may mắn và xin chào tạm biệt”.

Đến 9 giờ tối, cuộc đàm phán tại tổng hành dinh của Inter đã kết thúc. Có thể nhận thấy bản hợp đồng thu hút nhiều sự chú ý nhất trong thời gian qua đang đi đến hồi kết với kết quả mang lại sự hài lòng cho các bên.

Ibrahimovic sẽ không còn chơi cho Inter từ mùa giải tới

Giám đốc thể thao Txiki Begiristain của đội bóng xứ Catalan phát biểu: “Barcelona đã đạt được thỏa thuận với Ibrahimovic và Inter. Công việc tiếp theo là phải soạn thảo nốt các văn bản cần thiết còn lại. Chúng tôi cố gắng hoàn tất mọi thủ tục chuyển nhượng một cách nhanh nhất”.

Sau đó, ông còn tiết lộ rằng thương vụ trao đổi Ibrahimovic – Eto’o chỉ còn chờ nốt chữ ký của hai cầu thủ này là sẽ được hoàn tất và hy vọng Ibrahimovic và Eto’o sẽ cùng đặt bút ký vào bản hợp đồng chính thức vào đầu tuần sau.

Chi tiết bản hợp đồng dành cho Ibrahimovic chưa được công bố. Tuy nhiên, tờ La Gazzetta dello Sport đưa tin Barcelona sẽ phải trả Inter 48 triệu euro, chưa kể các thêm “Báo đen” Eto’o – cầu thủ đã đạt được thỏa thuận về lương bổng với đội ĐKVĐ Serie A.

Trái với dự đoán của nhiều người, Aliaksandr Hleb đã bác bỏ khả năng anh sẽ chuyển đến Inter bằng một hợp đồng cho mượn có thời hạn 1 năm. Tiền vệ người Belarus cho biết: “Mục tiêu của tôi là ở lại Barcelona và muốn mình thật có ích cho đội bóng. Tôi đã sẵn sàng bước vào mùa giải mới tại La Liga”.

Hoàng Hiệp

Bài viết liên quan

“Báo đen” Eto’o chính thức trở thành người của Inter

Inter đồng ý để Ibrahimovic gia nhập Barca

Guardiola: ‘Eto’o có thể ở lại Barca’

Những kỷ niệm khó quên của Eto’o cùng Barcelona

Nguồn: viencanh.com Barcelona thỏa thuận thành công thương vụ Ibrahimovic