Football Icons: Part 3 - Jurgen Klinsmann

By David Lee Wheatley

The Golden Bomber

German striker Jurgen Klinsmann was born in Goppingen, Germany, on 30^th July 1964. His family moved to Stuttgart when he was 14 after his father bought a bakery in the state capital. Klinsmann played for youth club SC Geislingen before signing for Stuttgart Kickers at 16 and he first completed his apprenticeship at the bakery at his parents’ behest before he signed pro forms with Kickers aged 18.

Stuttgart Kickers were playing in the second division when Klinsmann managed to become a regular starter in the 1982-83 season. The following term saw a return of 19 goals from the pacy forward and in 1984 he moved to top-flight local rivals VfB Stuttgart.

In his first season at his new club he was joint top scorer, but the team could only manage a disappointing tenth place finish. Better was to come, though, when in 1986 Klinsmann helped his club to the German League Cup final in which they were defeated 5-2 by Bayern Munich and the following season he got his first international cap for West Germany versus Brazil in a 1-1 draw, while topping the Bundesliga scoring charts with 19 goals.

The 24-year-old was named German Footballer of the Year in 1988 to go with his top goal-scorer accolade. He was getting noticed on a wider scale by clubs abroad by that time and this was reinforced by Stuttgart’s run to the UEFA Cup final of 1989, which they narrowly lost to Maradona’s Napoli by a 5-4 aggregate score.

The European stage he played on in the UEFA final led to a big move to Internazionale, where he joined up with fellow West German internationals Matthaus and Brehme. The glamour of Serie A was attractive to many top players at the time, but it was a harsh place for strikers thanks to the highly defensive tactics employed in the Italian leagues during that period. Despite all that, the striker managed to bag 13 goals in his opening campaign at Guiseppe Meazza. He quickly integrated himself in the Italian way of life by learning the language and that allowed him to settle swiftly in Milan.

His first season went reasonably well for the team as they finished in third place under Giovanni Trapattoni and then West Germany called Klinsmann up to the national squad for the 1990 World Cup. He scored three goals during Italia ’90 helping his country to go all the way in the tournament to become World Champions, beating England in the semi-final and then Argentina in the final. His performance in the 2^nd round against the Netherlands was praised greatly due to his strike partner Rudi Voller being sent off; Klinsmann was left to plough a lone furrow up front, a job he did magnificently to lead the team into the next round.

Klinsmann returned to Inter and won the 1991 UEFA Cup with victory over fellow Italian side AS Roma, while the blonde marksman hit 14 goals in Serie A. Unfortunately, his time at Inter hit the buffers when they placed eighth the following season under Corrado Orrico and the goals dried up somewhat with a meagre return of just seven strikes. He lost his German international starting spot for a short spell, before regaining it for the 1992 European Championships, which the unified Germany lost to shock victors Denmark.

Due to the troublesome season Klinsmann had endured with Inter, it became clear that it was time for him to move on. His next destination was principality club AS Monaco in the French league, a move that transformed the club into title contenders. Monaco came second in his first season in Monte Carlo and owing to the scandal surrounding league winners Olympique Marseille, Monaco were granted their place in the 1993-94 edition of the Champions League.

It resulted in a gallant effort from Klinsmann and his team-mates to reach the semi-finals of the competition only for the extremely strong AC Milan to knock them out. Things went sour at Stade Louis II the following year when they could only manage ninth place in Ligue 1. Klinsmann had suffered two months out with a torn ligament and there were also rumblings that he and his team-mates had fallen out during the course of the season. However, thanks to his impressive performances in the USA World Cup of 1994, in which Germany made the quarters, Klinsmann was voted Germany’s Footballer of the Year for a second time.

He was looking for a way out from Monaco and in a surprise move he joined English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £2 million. The English public and media saw Klinsmann as a ‘diver’ who cheats referees, so Klinsmann had his work cut out to get them on his side.

The prolific forward showed his sense of humour when celebrating his first Spurs goal with a flying dive on to the turf. This act endeared him to many football fans in the country, not least the White Hart Lane faithful! Spurs reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1995, while the former Inter poacher grabbed 29 goals in all competitions.

He went on to claim the 1995 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award, voted on by the football journalists across the country. Many of the writers that voted for him were the very same people that had criticised the German’s playing style when he first arrived!

Klinsmann was on the move again in the summer of 1995 when he joined Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. It was a successful spell at Germany’s biggest club, as they won the UEFA Cup in 1996 and the player himself was top scorer at Bayern during his first two seasons at the Olympic Stadium.

It was back to international duty for the Euro ’96 finals in England, a competition that Germany won handsomely, prompting the famous scenes of Klinsmann and his team-mates singing the tournament anthem ‘Football’s Coming Home’ in celebration. It was a massively important victory for the German national side after the relative disappointment of Euro ’92 and the World Cup in ’94.

The new club campaign at Bayern brought Klinsmann and his club the Bundesliga title. He then chose to have another crack at Serie A with Genoese club Sampdoria, but it didn’t go well and after six months he returned to Spurs for a second stint at the club where he had made such an impression in his single season in 94-95. His transfer in the winter of the 97-98 campaign found Tottenham struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table, but they managed to survive in the division due in part to a four-goal haul from Klinsmann against Wimbledon in a 6-2 victory. He played the last game of his club career on the final day of the 1997-98 season against Southampton.

Rounding off his playing career at the age of 33, Klinsmann went with Germany to the 1998 World Cup in France as team captain. The ageing star played well and managed three goals in the tournament, but it was a feeling of overall disappointment for Berti Vogt’s side with elimination coming at the quarter-final stage.

Jurgen Klinsmann finished his career with winner’s medals at the World Cup, European Championships, in the UEFA Cup and Bundesliga. He is still the third highest goalscorer for Germany at World Cup finals behind only Miroslav Klose and Gerd Muller.

Perhaps just as great an achievement was his ability to change people’s perception of him both in Italy and England particularly. I remember him coming to play for Tottenham and he was demonised by the English press. He was a diver, a cheat. But, when I saw him play in the flesh it was a different story. What an incredible striker he was.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Chelsea's woes continue

By David Lee Wheatley

Where next for Chelsea?

The problems at west London giants Chelsea are piling up.

The reigning Champions of Europe went out meekly in the group stages of this year’s competition and dropped into the Europa League as their only consolation, while they sit in fourth place in the Premier League with little hope of challenging for the top two positions.

Stamford Bridge was once a fortress under Jose Mourinho, but now opposing teams go there without fear or trepidation. The Blues have only managed to win 7 of their 13 home league matches so far and suffered two defeats.

Meanwhile, the majority of fans simply do not like the interim manager Rafa Benitez and the indifferent results the team have endured since his appointment have done little to change hearts and minds. Thus, the atmosphere around the stadium on a match-day is largely muted and awkward.

To add to Benitez’s problems, Fernando Torres is still looking like a player that has lost his ‘mojo’ and the media are playing up rumours of a rift between the Spaniard and some of his players. Fit-again captain John Terry has mainly sat on the bench since his return at a time when the team need him more than ever.

The shadow cast by Champions League-winning former manager and darling of the fans Roberto Di Matteo still looms large over Benitez and the fans won’t allow him to forget the past and create his own future at the club.

The former Liverpool manager is not being helped at all by the uncertainty created by his contract running out at the season’s end. His tenure is no doubt seen as temporary by both players and fans and that is a recipe for disaster at a football club. Benitez may feel he has a chance of a longer stay at Stamford Bridge, but nobody else seems to think that way and it is affecting player performance and team morale.

The only way of winning over the fans was for Benitez to lead Chelsea on a long unbeaten run and, unfortunately for Rafa, that has not happened. Inconsistency reigns on the pitch and uncertainty off it. His mantra that we would see the best of Torres has not materialised, adding to the manager’s long list of woes.

The FA Cup and Europa League remain competitions on Chelsea’s radar and if the interim boss can win both, then he will be able to at least argue that he achieved the best he could given all of the issues he has faced. However, his time at the club is still likely to end in the summer if owner Roman Abramovich can attract ‘The Special One’ Mourinho back to London from Real Madrid.

Other names in the frame to replace the beleaguered Benitez include David Moyes, Michael Laudrup, Gustavo Poyet, Roberto Martinez and Gianfranco Zola. Former targets Pep Guardiola and Borussia Dortmund head coach Jurgen Klopp are out of the running now after the former joined Bayern Munich and the latter insisted he has no interest in the position.

Everton’s long-serving manager David Moyes is out of contract in the summer and recently stated his intention to wait until then to decide on a new one. He could be ready for a switch to a top-four club after 11 great years at the Goodison Park helm.

Zola has got Watford playing some scintillating football in the Championship this season and remains a firm favourite with the fans after his successful playing stint at Chelsea from 1996-2003. He says his role at Watford is for the long-term, but he would find it very hard to turn down his old club if they were to offer him a deal.

As for the rest, Laudrup is doing a fine job at Swansea but seems settled there for now, Poyet has done a good job at Brighton but it is doubtful that would be enough evidence for Abramovich to take him on, while Martinez may not be the ‘big name’ that the supporters would crave.

It all points to a reunion with Portuguese Jose Mourinho if, as expected, he leaves Madrid this summer. If that deal can be done it would appear to suit all parties, but if that fails to materialise then it would put Chelsea in the uncomfortable situation of trying to appease the fans without a wealth of potential managerial options being available to them.

The troubled times at Stamford Bridge show no sign of abating.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Sunderland AFC U21 v Everton FC U21

By David Lee Wheatley

Sunderland youngsters denied

Sunderland’s U21 side were denied victory by a late stunner from Everton’s Francisco Junior at a freezing cold Hetton Centre last night.

The young development squad dominated large periods of the game, but were made to pay for some wayward finishing when Everton equalised in the last moments of the match.

It was the home side that made all the running in the first half and they were getting a lot of joy down the right flank in particular during the early stages.

A jinking Adam Mitchell crossed from the right-hand side in the 6^th minute, evading the stretching Mandron but finding the head of striker Ryan Noble at the far post, who put it just over.

The visitor’s only opportunity of note in the first half came on 18 minutes when Harrison handballed on the edge of the area and up stepped Everton left-back Luke Garbutt to send a free-kick just wide of the left-hand post.

There was sustained pressure from Sunderland midway through the first half when Noble fired over the bar and moments later Mandron turned smartly and shot just over, too. French forward Mandron, who looked lively all evening, got clean through again on 31 minutes, but screwed his right-foot shot wide. The procession continued, as Noble got clear only to strike his shot straight at the opposing goalkeeper.

Both sides went in even at half-time, but Sunderland were easily on top and were unlucky not be ahead at the break.

Sunderland finally made the breakthrough three minutes after the restart when the dangerous Mikael Mandron turned his man 25 yards out before expertly guiding a sweet strike into the top left-hand corner of the net.

It was two after 59 minutes when winger Lynch played a neat ball through to Noble, who evaded the offside trap before being caught up by Everton defender Browning. The two players tangled for the ball as they ran alongside one another, before the unfortunate centre-back prodded the ball into his own goal.

The game began to get stretched from the hour mark and Everton started to trouble the home side with a couple of efforts on goal, one of which was well saved by Ben Wilson from striker Conor McAleny on 66 minutes. A minute later, McAleny was through again and this time he fired across the keeper and into the bottom corner to bring the visitors back into the contest.

Sunderland’s Alex Gorrin had a powerful strike blocked on 70 minutes and the resultant corner came to the edge of the area to the same player, who fired narrowly over the crossbar. Six minutes later, Adam Mitchell, who had switched wings to the left in the second half, cut inside the area on to his right foot and was unlucky to see his shot go just too high.

With nine minutes remaining, Portuguese Francisco Junior hit a corker with his right foot from 20 yards out that sailed over the despairing dive of Ben Wilson and into the top corner of the net. It was a body blow for the home team, as they had dominated for an hour and should have been out of sight by the time Everton struck their equalising goal.

It almost got worse, too, as Grant flashed a shot just wide which could have given Everton an unlikely victory.

Coach Kevin Ball was pleased with the performance of his Sunderland side in the aftermath and felt the defence could do very little to prevent the fabulous strike from Junior that levelled the game.

My man of the match: Mikael Mandron (Sunderland)

Line-ups: Sunderland – Wilson; Marrs, Harrison, Mangane, Ferguson; Mitchell, Laidler, Gorrin, Lynch; Mandron, Noble.

Everton – Springthorpe; Stones, Browning, Pennington, Garbutt; Kennedy, Junior, Molyneux (Long, 56), Hope; Grant, McAleny.

Follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

The US soccer revolution

By David Lee Wheatley

MLS growth continues

The MLS started out in 1996 amid doubts from critics as to the country’s ability to maintain a well-structured, major pro soccer league after the failure of its predecessor, the old NASL, which folded in 1985. However, the league has steadily grown both in terms of fan support and the number of clubs that are involved. Allied to that, there seems to be a clamour from all corners of North America from potential expansion teams that want to be part of the MLS and its future.

The overall league average attendance in 2012 was 18,807, a rise of just over five percent and the second consecutive year the MLS saw an increase.

From the 2011 to the 2012 season, there were 11 out of 18 sides that showed an increase in average attendance (the 19^th team Montreal Impact only had their first season in 2012 and averaged a healthy 22,772). A further 2 clubs only had minimal drops in crowd numbers, while the other 5 saw average losses of around 1-2,000 people.

MLS regular season attendance in 2012 topped the six million mark for the first time ever, with a total of 6,074,729 fans. For the fourth year in a row, it was the Seattle Sounders that were best supported, averaging 43,144 fans per game (a new league and team record).

Increasing teenage to adult participation in soccer is undoubtedly a key challenge in attempting to further establish the sport as one of the main ones in the US. The amount of young kids that play soccer is very high, but as they get older it is the traditional American sports that they gravitate towards and soccer often goes into the background. If there is a sea change in that long-standing situation then the quality of play on view will increase, as will the overall strength of the league.

There is no doubt that the MLS is flourishing and Commissioner Don Garber is looking to expand the league to a 20^th team by 2016. It is likely that the expansion team that gets the nod to enter the league will be revealed sometime later this year.

Orlando City or possibly a team from New York are rumoured to be under the microscope for possible inclusion from 2016, but Floridian teams have been part of the league in its infancy and with little success. Both Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion folded in 2002, but Orlando have been playing in the USL (the third-tier of US soccer) since 2010 and are seen as an ideal candidate to re-launch MLS soccer in Florida.

David Beckham may have left for Paris, but there continues to be a burgeoning improvement in US soccer that looks set to put the country’s top pro league on the map globally – the MLS is most certainly here to stay.

You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980

Football Icons: Part 2 - Ruud Gullit

By David Lee Wheatley

The Dutch Master

Dreadlocked, supremely talented and deadly in the air, Ruud Gullit cut a dash with the Dutch national side, while also featuring for the star-studded AC Milan side of the late 1980’s and early 90’s alongside his compatriots Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten. He was widely recognised as one of the finest players of his generation and was a huge hero of mine.

Gullit was born Ruud Dil in Amsterdam on 1^st September 1962 to father George Gullit, a Surinamese migrant, and mother Ria Dil. Street football was important in Ruud’s formative years and he began playing alongside future international team-mate Frank Rijkaard after moving from the Jordaan district to Amsterdam Old West. He signed for the DWS club after his move and came to the attention of the Dutch youth team where he featured with future stars Ronald Koeman, Erwin Koeman and Wim Kieft. It was during his time with DWS that Ruud first used his father’s surname, as he thought the name sounded more like a football player. He officially retained his mother’s name away from the football pitch.

In 1978, Gullit signed professional forms with HFC Haarlem. At the time of his debut as a 16-year-old, he became the youngest player at that time to have played in the Eredivisie. In his first season Haarlem suffered relegation, but bounced back the following year. Promotion was followed by a full international bow at the age of 19 against Switzerland. In the 1981-82 season, Gullit was in fantastic form as he helped Haarlem to 4^th place in the top-flight, leading to qualification for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.

A move to one of Holland’s ‘big three’ beckoned in 1982 and Gullit duly signed for Feyenoord for around £300,000. In his second season, Feyenoord swept all before them to win the league and cup double. Ruud was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year in recognition of his contribution to the team’s success. The maturing Gullit was beginning to play in a more attacking role after occupying the sweeper position earlier in his career and he managed 31 goals in 85 league appearances during his time in Rotterdam.

PSV came calling in 1985 and Gullit joined for around the £400,000 mark, a move that was wholly unpopular with Feyenoord fans. His time in Eindhoven was a massive success, as the Philips-backed club won the Eredivisie crown two seasons running and Gullit began to truly establish himself as a world-class operator with 46 goals in 68 league games plus another Dutch Footballer of the Year accolade in 1986 to his name.

Big European clubs were certainly taking notice of Gullit and AC Milan forked out a then world-record fee of £6 million to take him to the glamorous world of Serie A. For his achievements at both PSV and Milan, the majestic Dutch international was named European Footballer of the Year for 1987 and Milan won their first Scudetto in nine years at the end of the Dutchman’s first season in Italy.

It was a golden period for Gullit, as he went on to lead Holland to glory in the European Championships of 1988. Gullit’s supreme balance on his feet and devastating aerial ability were pivotal to that success and it wiped away painful memories of the failures to qualify for Euro 84 and the World Cup in 1986. Ruud scored in the 1988 Euro final in a 2-0 victory over the USSR and therefore became the first Dutch national captain to hold aloft an international tournament trophy.

The title of European Cup winner was added to Gullit’s impressive list of honours when Milan swept Steaua Bucharest aside 4-0 in the 1989 final, despite the powerful attacker picking up a knee injury in the semi-final win over Real Madrid. Ruud only managed 2 domestic appearances during 89-90 due to serious knee ligament problems before he featured in another European Cup final against Benfica. The reigning champions AC Milan retained the trophy with victory over their Portuguese rivals.

Holland went into the World Cup finals in 1990 as one of the favourites, but they fell at the second round stage to eventual winners West Germany. Gullit was still clearly troubled by his knee issues and it largely hampered the forward’s ability to drive his nation on to greater heights at Italia 90.

While going for a third consecutive European Cup, Milan met Marseille in the quarter-final when a floodlight failure during the second leg caused uproar amongst the Milan players, who refused to return to finish the match. Marseille were awarded the tie and Milan expelled from European club competition for the following season. In response, Milan went undefeated in Serie A to win the league in 1992 and followed that up with another Scudetto in ’93. Gullit was omitted from the 1993 Champions League final squad due to the 3 foreigner rule employed at that time, forcing him to consider his future.

Sampdoria came in for Gullit in 1993 and he showed he still had lots to give when taking the Genoa-based club to victory in the Coppa Italia. He also sensationally scored the winner in a scintillating encounter with former club AC Milan in the league. He briefly re-signed with the San Siro outfit in 1994, but quickly returned to Samp during the same season.

It was during the same period that a long-running feud began between Netherlands national team manager Dick Advocaat and Gullit, resulting in several spats and the versatile Dutch star’s eventual international retirement from the national team after walking out of a pre-World Cup training camp in 1994. It was an ignominious end to his international career and one that cost him one final opportunity to play at a World Cup finals.

The English Premier League was fast overtaking Serie A as THE destination for international star players and in 1995 it was west London side Chelsea that convinced Gullit to move to the English game and to Stamford Bridge in a bid to augment their already strong squad.

Starting out at sweeper with limited results, Gullit moved to more advanced role as an attacking midfielder and he quickly became familiar with the style of play in England, which eventually saw him come second to Eric Cantona as the English league’s Footballer of the Year. Gullit enjoyed his time in London immensely and when Glenn Hoddle left as manager for the England job in 1996, it was Ruud that stepped up to become player-manager of the Blues.

Gullit inherited a squad full of stars and he led them to FA Cup glory in his first season in charge, which was Chelsea’s first domestic trophy in 26 years. He was inexplicably sacked as manager in his second term, with the club sitting second in the Premier league and through to quarter-finals of two cup competitions. His final Chelsea appearance as a player came in the first leg of that season’s League Cup semi-final against Arsenal, but he was sacked as boss before the second leg was played.

The skilful brilliance of Gullit drew comparisons with some of the game’s greatest players and it was often a topic of great debate as to who was the best player in the world during the late 80’s between Argentine legend Diego Maradona and Dutch superstar Gullit.

 

Personally, I couldn't separate them!

 

Follow me on Twitter @davewh1980

AC Milan v FC Barcelona - 1st leg preview

By David Lee Wheatley

European heavyweights clash at San Siro

With 11 European Cup victories between them, AC Milan and FC Barcelona represent the cream of European club football and tonight they meet in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the San Siro.

Barcelona will go into the game as firm favourites with their strong form in La Liga complimenting a pretty good Champions League campaign thus far, only blighted by an away loss to Glasgow Celtic in the group stages.

AC Milan are off the pace in Serie A in third place and the Rossoneri lost a number of experienced campaigners last summer in the shape of Gattuso, Seedorf and Nesta; they were quickly followed out of the door by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thaigo Silva to big-spending Paris Saint-Germain. The backbone of the team has gone, leaving a squad largely in transition and facing an uphill task to reach the next phase of Europe’s premier competition.

Massimiliano Allegri, coach of the Milanese giants, has announced his back four will be Abate, Zapata, Mexes and Constant. Montolivo will likely feature in midfield and Allegri hopes to have forward El Shaarawy available after injury. The biggest miss to the home side will be that of Mario Balotelli, who has started like a train by scoring 4 goals in 3 appearances after signing from Manchester City in January. Unfortunately for Milan, he is cup-tied after featuring for City earlier in the competition.

The phenomenal Lionel Messi is in his usual spectacular form (48 goals to date in all competitions this season) and will take some stopping as he continues to break record after record at Barcelona. The thought of facing him must send shivers down the spines of the chosen four at the back for Milan. French centre-back Philippe Mexes must take on the mantle of leader in defence and will be required to use all of his experience to guide his team-mates through one of the toughest tests they will ever face.

The Italians are the underdogs, but as a club they have the know-how and pedigree to win the competition and that will give their players confidence. However, they face a side from Catalonia brimming with talent and performing at the peak of their powers. It will take a massive Milan effort and a below-par performance from Barcelona for the Rossoneri to progress to the quarter-finals.

Follow me on Twitter @davewh1980

Arsenal v Bayern - 1st leg preview

By David Lee Wheatley

Wenger under pressure

The last chance saloon for Arsenal's trophy-winning chances this season beckons tonight at the Champions League last-16 meeting with Bayern Munich.

Arsenal host the German league leaders off the back of a woeful FA Cup loss to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday at the Emirates stadium.

Many fans booed the team off the pitch at the end of the game against Rovers and a large proportion of supporters appear to be questioning manager Wenger's ability to turn things around.

The mammoth task of beating German club FC Bayern represents a challenge that would seem too large for the Gunners to overcome.

Bayern are 15 points clear in the Bundesliga and confidence amongst their raft of top international players will be high.

Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez run a powerful midfield, while Ribery and Robben are king of the wings with full-backs Alaba and Lahm ably backing them up. Dante and Van Buyten are very strong in the air, as well as being comfortable on the deck and they will take some breaking down.

The key men for the Londoners will be Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla. If they perform it will give Arsenal every chance of taking a lead into the second leg in Munich.

Arsenal are suspect at the back and Koscielny is an injury doubt, further hampering their plans. Szczesny is good but still inexperienced at this level, while there are constant questions over Mertesacker at centre-back. Meanwhile, Sagna will have a tough job on his hands keeping his French compatriot Franck Ribery quiet.

The odds are stacked against the Gunners and the feeling is that they must establish a clear lead in the first leg to give themselves any chance of progression to the quarter-finals.

Wenger's future at the club may well depend on it.

You can follow me on Twitter @davewh1980

Beckham and PSG - A match made in heaven?

By David Lee Wheatley

Beckham bandwagon pulls into Paris

Football superstar David Beckham trumped all other stories on the last day of the January transfer window when moving to Paris Saint-Germain after deciding to leave the MLS and LA Galaxy for one last challenge in Europe.

There has been a mixed response to the signing from all corners of the globe; some responded with excitement at Beckham’s return to European football, while others were highly sceptical at the exact motives of the cash-rich Parisian club’s acquisition of brand Beckham.

So what will the 37-year-old midfielder bring to a team already heavily loaded with talent in his position due to the likes of Javier Pastore, Marco Verratti and Lucas Moura?

Is the move simply a marketing ploy to further raise the profile of the nouveau riche Arabian-owned club?

There’s no question about Beckham’s ability to pass and cross a football; he is still undoubtedly one of the most accurate crossers of a ball in the world. His fitness levels may be questioned at the age of 37, but by all accounts he is in fantastic shape and trains as well as any of his team-mates. Beckham put himself in a position to get a big move by training with English Premier League side Arsenal in the run-up to his transfer to Paris and therefore his match sharpness should only need a little tweaking. Indeed, word out of PSG suggests he will be ready to feature against arch-rivals Olympique Marseille on 24 February.

The biggest query over Beckham’s chances of making an impact in Paris on the field is the presence of so many top players in the squad’s midfield department. Is head coach Carlo Ancelotti likely to choose Beckham over his younger (and very expensive) stars in a big game? That would appear to be an unlikely scenario, especially with Ancelotti having suggested at the end of December that PSG weren’t interested in signing the Englishman.

However, Beckham could be an impact player with 20-30 minutes to go in a tight game with his passing, crossing and set-piece deliveries causing havoc amongst opposition defences. He could change a game with one well-placed cross and that would prove invaluable to PSG’s charge towards the Ligue 1 title.

Off the field, there is no doubt that Beckham will bring a lot of limelight to the club, as well as a lot of merchandising sales. It is also likely that his presence will bring more ticket sales at all of the stadia around France, which will benefit the French game as a whole. The revelation that he will donate his whole salary for the initial five-month stay in the French capital to a local children’s hospital was a fantastic gesture, but also the kind of PR that the club could have only dreamt of before the arrival of the genial Londoner.

As far as can be seen, the player’s partnership with PSG looks to be a win-win situation for both player and club. Beckham seems to feel he has still something to prove and, judging by his press conference on the day he signed, he still has the fire and passion to force his way into the team and to make an impression.

If given the opportunity, Beckham will be able to change games and also change sceptical minds about his time at the Parcs des Princes.


Follow me on Twitter @davewh1980 

Josep Guardiola and FC Bayern - The Perfect Fit?

By David Lee Wheatley

15^th February 2013

Pep signs on at Bayern

Barcelona legend Josep Guardiola, former captain and head coach of the Catalan giants, agreed to become the new coach of German league leaders Bayern Munich in January (for the start of next season) to much fanfare.

But, what are the motives behind Bayern’s signing of one the most highly successful coaches in recent football history?

Besides the fact that Guardiola led FC Barcelona to 14 trophies in four seasons at the helm, what else encouraged the Bavaria-based club to pursue the signature of ‘Pep’?

His trophy-laden time as coach at Camp Nou was a spectacular example of what can be achieved by a clever coach in charge of a harmonious group of players, many of whom were promoted through the ranks of the club right through all of the youth levels up to the first-team squad.

This is an extremely important factor in the decision by Bayern to take Guardiola to the Allianz Arena. The German giants have often been able to bring through a number of very good young players from their own academy, but the leaders of the club want this to happen more often and with the same high level of quality that Barcelona were capable of producing.

Bayern often sign players from other, sometimes smaller, clubs in Germany to weaken the opposition and strengthen their own hand in one fell swoop. With the financial fair play rules and an apparent thirst from the club and its fans for more home-grown talent, the club hierarchy decided on Guardiola to lead the revolution.

It was a slight surprise in some quarters that Guardiola chose Bayern over other, more lucrative, offers. But, perhaps Pep felt a kinship towards Bavaria, as the people there are as proud of their roots as the natives of the Catalonian region that houses the fine city of Barcelona. He will also revel in the challenge of producing a team to rival his former club for all of the top honours in the game.

After leaving FC Barcelona, Guardiola’s move with his family to live in New York City during a sabbatical from the game illustrated the former Spanish international midfielder’s insatiable appetite for new experiences, of which his move to Munich is one. He will look to take that irrepressible enthusiasm into this new chapter of his career in Germany.

If Bayern’s partnership with Pep achieves half as much as Barcelona did during his tenure, then Bayern’s vociferous fans are in for a real treat!

Football Icons: Part One - Diego Maradona

By David Lee Wheatley

15^th February 2013

Hand of God, Genius with Feet

Diego Armando Maradona, while not everyone’s cup of tea, is surely one of the greatest players ever to grace the game of football. Dividing opinion wherever he goes, ‘El Diego’ as he is affectionately known in his homeland, managed to astound the world with his brilliance on the field and his craziness off it. Yet, despite the fact that he upset me deeply as a young boy(!) watching the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between England and Argentina on the TV when the two sides of Diego came out to play to down the English in Mexico, it still must be said that his level of skill and ability on the field of play was unsurpassed.

Born 30^th October 1960, Diego was brought up in the shanty town of Villa Fiorito on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He learned and perfected his technique on those very streets before being picked up by pro side Argentinos Juniors. Extraordinarily, he made his debut ten days before his 16^th birthday against Talleres de Cordoba in 1976.

The Argentine national side quickly recognised his mercurial talent and they threw him into his full international debut aged 16 against Hungary in February 1977. Five years playing for Argentinos Juniors yielded a fine return of 115 goals in 167 games and a star was born.

His form prompted giants Boca Juniors to part with the handsome sum of £1 million to take him to La Bombonera midway through the 1981 season and Maradona went on to earn his first league championship medal the following year. Then, Catalan giants FC Barcelona tabled a world record bid of £5 million to take the stocky little Argentine maestro to Camp Nou prior to the World Cup in Spain.

The move to Catalonia seemed to be a match made in heaven, but after a second round exit from the ’82 World Cup, Diego embarked upon two difficult, injury-ravaged seasons with the Blaugrana. His situation was compounded by several fall-outs with the club directors, eventually leading to a move to Napoli in 1984 for another world record fee of £6.9 million. Despite all his problems, Maradona left Barcelona with a Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup triumph to his name.

Maradona’s time in Naples saw him achieve legendary status, which coincided with the greatest period in the Italian club’s history to date. The Argentine ace became a hero with the fans as he led the club to the Scudetto in both 1987 and 1990, while coming second twice in the intervening years. The club also lifted the Coppa Italia in ’87 to do the double, along with success in the UEFA Cup in ’89.

During that period, at international level, he dragged Argentina all the way to victory in the 1986 World Cup final, helped along the way by the infamous ‘Hand of God’ incident against England in the quarter-final. At once everyone cried ‘cheat’, but then Diego showed his true excellence to run rings around the English for his second goal of the game to finish the tie off in great style.

Diego Maradona in a nutshell!

The 1990 World Cup in Italy saw Argentina reach the final once again only to fall at the hands of the West Germans. Diego was in tears, but there was little sympathy for him after his side had pushed and kicked their way to the final match.

Although everything appeared to be going well on the field, Diego’s personal problems were spiralling out of control while in Naples. Drug use, unauthorised absences from training and links to organised crime blighted his time in Italy and he finally failed a drugs test for cocaine abuse, resulting in a 15-month suspension; it was a sour end to his time with Napoli.

Leaving Naples under a cloud in 1992, Diego joined Sevilla. It seemed his career was winding down, as he struggled with weight issues during his time in Andalucia before a transfer back to his homeland to join Newell’s Old Boys.

So, it came as a surprise when he made the squad for the 1994 World Cup to be held in the USA. It was an apparently triumphant return to the fray for the leaner-looking Maradona, as he featured in two games and scored a fabulous goal against Greece before rushing wide-eyed to the TV cameras to celebrate wildly. However, the wired look in his face suggested there was something sinister going on and so it proved when he failed a drugs test for ephedrine. He was sent home from the tournament in disgrace.

That was the end of Maradona’s international career, a 17-year odyssey that had given so much to the game of football and the Argentine public in particular. It was a sad way to end such an exciting and tumultuous playing career in the blue and white stripes of Argentina. His record stood at 91 appearances, 34 goals.

After his latest suspension, Diego joined his old club Boca for one last hurrah in 1995. He spent two years back at the club where he had gained worldwide attention during his first spell. Alas, there was no return to the international stage this time and he retired to concentrate on a prospective coaching career.

Diego Armando Maradona. What a player; maybe the best ever.

At least until his contemporary Lionel Messi wins a World Cup with Argentina that is!

Real Madrid v Man Utd match report

By David Lee Wheatley

14^th February 2013

All-square at Santiago Bernabeu

It was dubbed “the match the world is waiting for” by Real supremo Jose Mourinho and it didn’t disappoint, as an absorbing contest ended in a 1-1 draw in Madrid to leave the tie wide open going into the second leg on 5^th March.

Manchester United were almost caught on the hop early on when Real left-back Fabio Coentrao broke loose to fire low to the keeper’s right drawing a fine fingertip save from David De Gea, whose touch was just enough to divert the ball on to the post and away.

It was the wake-up call United needed, as they began to grow into the game and attack their hosts with much more purpose and intent.

The away side startled the Bernabeu faithful on 20 minutes when a Rooney corner from the left was expertly diverted into the net by young gun Danny Welbeck. His pace had started to become a problem for the Real Madrid back-line and his movement to lose Ramos and head home was sublime.

The Red Devils looked comfortable after the taking the lead and that continued until the inevitable happened with United old boy Cristiano Ronaldo striking back with a header of his own after 30 minutes. Angel Di Maria was given too much time to cross from the left and Ronaldo rose like the proverbial salmon, way above Patrice Evra in the penalty area, to head home with power and precision into the bottom right-hand corner beyond De Gea’s despairing drive.

It was end-to-end stuff right up to the half-time whistle with neither side gaining the upper hand.

United looked to have a more compact shape in the second half as they attempted to contain Real’s attacking forays, but they were still able to counter-attack on a number of occasions.

Early in the second period, Coentrao was denied by an unconventional stop from De Gea with his right leg from point-blank range. It was an unusual decision not to use his hands to make the save, but it got the job done.

Then, Van Persie burst into life at the other end when he broke through on the right edge of the box to fire a shot that was pushed on to the bar by Diego Lopez in the Madrid goal. A moment later, Van Persie was through again. Everyone around him waited for an offside flag when in fact the Dutchman was comfortably onside and, one-on-one with the keeper, the prolific United forward somehow managed to miss-kick the ball resulting in a bobbling shot that Xabi Alonso raced back to clear off the line.

De Gea was called into action again with ten minutes remaining when Sami Khedira had a snapshot deflected by the United defence. The former Atletico Madrid keeper was equal to the shot as he clutched the ball decisively.

There was still time for one last Van Persie attempt when he angled a shot with his left foot from inside the box, only to see Diego Lopez push it away to safety.

Celtic v Juve first leg preview

By David Lee Wheatley

12^th February 2013

Great Glasgow night in store at Celtic Park

Attention turns this week to the last-16 stage of the UEFA Champions’ League, as Celtic attempt to make history by reaching the quarter-finals and becoming the first Scottish club to do so in the competition’s current format.

Standing in their way is the mighty Juventus, table-toppers of Serie A by five points coming into the first leg of the tie with Celtic.

The Italian giants have been preparing for the first leg encounter at Murray Park, training ground of Glasgow Rangers. Juve unwittingly managed to ramp up the hype surrounding the game by accepting the blue half of Glasgow’s invitation to train there, as if the game needed it!

Celtic midfielder Kris Commons was dismissive in his assessment of that decision when saying: “If they want to train at a third division training ground, then so be it.”

The atmosphere inside Celtic Park this evening will be electric, which is a point not lost on the Juventus camp.

“It will be a tough game in Glasgow. It is one of the most famous and intense football cities in the world,” remarked new loan signing Nicolas Anelka.

Sporting director Pavel Nedved remembers all too well how passionate the Celtic faithful are from the last Champions’ League encounters between the sides during the 2001-02 season group stages. Juventus narrowly won 3-2 in Turin before losing 4-3 in Glasgow, which proved to be an heroic exit from the competition for the Hoops.

“I’m fully aware of the atmosphere that awaits us in Glasgow because I’ve been there and experienced it first hand,” explained the former midfield maestro.

“We’ll be stepping into the lion’s den and I don’t think the team will need firing up. We’ll have to tough it out.”

Celtic will need all the assistance they can get from the crowd as they attempt to overcome a Juventus side laced with quality. The level of ability the Italian side possess is epitomised by playmaker Andrea Pirlo, star of the Italian national side last summer at Euro 2012 and a man that continues to pull the strings to great effect in the Juve midfield despite his advancing years.

Stopping him will be of great importance if Celtic are to take a lead to Turin for the second leg and captain Scott Brown may well be handed the job of doing just that.

Celtic have doubts over the influential Giorgios Samaras through injury and also African Cup of Nations winner Efe Ambrose, who will only arrive back in Scotland on the morning of the game after playing in Nigeria’s Cup triumph on Sunday. However, James Forrest and Emilio Izaguirre should both be fit to take part in a vital evening of football in Glasgow’s East End.