Zsport: novembre 2012

vendredi, novembre 30, 2012

PSG : des excuses signées Ibrahimovic ?

Samedi dernier, l'équipe du PSG avait dominé Troyes (4-0, 14e journée de Ligue 1). A la mi-temps de cette rencontre, l'attaquant Zlatan Ibrahimovic était vraiment en colère. Il en voulait à certains de ses coéquipiers de ne pas être assez performants sur le terrain.

A en croire le quotidien Le Parisien, certains membres de l'effectif parisien n'auraient pas du tout digéré le comportement de l'attaquant suédois. Le lendemain du match, donc dimanche, une réunion se serait déroulée au Camp des Loges afin de calmer le jeu. "Ibra" aurait présenté ses excuses au groupe ! "Si je suis allé trop loin, j'en suis désolé." L'ancienne superstar du Milan AC aurait expliqué à ses partenaires qu'il est un compétiteur et qu'il n'a jamais voulu les heurter en s'énervant de la sorte. Le Scandinave voulait visiblement juste que le PSG soit bien meilleur lors de la seconde période. Le message a été entendu puisqu'il y a eu trois buts de marqués, dont un doublé signé... Zlatan Ibrahimovic !

Essien back at Chelsea

Michael Essien has decided to return to Chelsea, but with the aim of recovering from the injury which has kept him out of action since 11th November. The midfielder has been in London since last week to receive treatment from the Chelsea medical staff, who know the player well after his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.
After speaking to José Mourinho and gaining permission from the club, Essien believes the best way to get back to fitness is under the guidance of the doctors and physiotherapists at the London club - which means it could be the continuation of an old injury.
However, Aitor Karanka’s version of events in the press conference differed: "Essien is not injured but is suffering from an allergic reaction to a drug", Mourinho’s right-hand man said a few days ago. No medical report for the midfielder has surfaced and Mourinho avoided questions on the matter when asked before his side’s Champions League game against Manchester City.
It seems Essien’s mysterious injury has led to the player’s move to London, where he feels totally at home, just three months after his transfer to Real Madrid. The African has also been seen wearing the Chelsea kit once again – his number-5 shirt is yet to be filled by the club.

Tito still hesitant over Deulofeu

Tito Vilanova gave his opinion on the reserve winger Gerard Deulofeu, who played part of the second half in the cup game against Alavés. Vilanova believes that Deulofeu is highly talented but has aspects which he needs to improve. He added that it is unreasonable to expect any 17- or 18-year-old player to be able to make it in the first team. "We have to make sure that he keeps improving," said Vilanova.
Furthermore, he assured that David Villa is looking better every day. He played the leading role in the match against Alavés, scoring two of the three goals which gave Barça a 3-1 win. "David played well; he scored goals and was able complete the full 90 minutes. He hadn't played in the previous few matches, but he's looking better every day," declared Vilanova.
The Spanish striker received his medical all-clear on the same day as the match, after an ankle injury had left him out of recent games. Vilanova said that he is "a natural goalscorer", who has worked very hard to get fit after fracturing his tibia last year.
As for the game, the Barça coach pointed out that Alavés had surprised them to begin with, and acknowledged that these games "are never easy", both because of the opponent and the timing of the fixture, "which didn't help much". He also wished to thank the 55,000 plus spectators who attended the Camp Nou.

Messi, Cristiano and... Iniesta!

Messi, Cristiano and Iniesta are the three candidates for the 2012 Ballon d'Or to be awarded on 7th January, FIFA announced in São Paulo.
Cruyff, Van Basten, Platini and Messi are the only four players to have won the Ballon d’Or on three occasions, meaning that the Argentinean has a chance to go down in history as the first footballer to win the prize for the fourth time, at the age of just 25.
Despite 'only' winning the Copa del Rey this year, the 'Azulgrana' is the favourite, taking into account that he has notched up 82 goals so far, just 3 shy of the historic record set by Müller 40 years ago. He still has six official games to outscore the German.
One of his adversaries shares the same dressing room, Iniesta, already outdid the Argentinean and Portuguese goalscorers last summer in the vote for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for the 2011/12 season. He is now looking to become the second Spaniard to win football's most prestigious individual distinction, after Luis Suárez did so in 1960.
Cristiano is up for his second Ballon d'Or, after winning in 2008. He is backed by Madrid's historic league campaign, which was crowned champion with a record number of points and goals, as well as Portugal's solid performance in the Euros, before being knocked out by Spain in a semi-final penalty shootout.

"A lot of people are happy things aren't going well for Mourinho"

Do you think Atlético will win on Saturday?
Yes, I think that this is the moment to win at the Bernabéu. I am optimistic, like the rest of the Atlético fans, as we go into the derby above Real Madrid for once after trailing for so many years. Our superb victory over Sevilla makes you think this is the moment to finally come away with a win.
Do you remember the last time?
Of course I do. But we ended up getting relegated, so it leaves a bitter taste.
How do would you analyse Real's form?
The team goes into the game off the back of an important defeat and it's going through a bad period. Confidence and moral are not on the players' side this time. We beat Chelsea, so why can't we beat Real Madrid? The prospect of going to the Bernabéu is not daunting. Atlético is in a strong position.
What about Mourinho?
He's used to being surrounded by controversy, but it's a difficult moment for him. It will be hard for him to win the league now and impossible if Real doesn't win on Saturday. There must have been occasions when he would have happily walked away. I haven't spoken to him recently, but every time Mourinho opens his mouth, he causes controversy, whatever he says. There are always rumours, things aren't clear. It's a difficult situation. It seems people don't want him to succeed. There's a feeling of hate. I think a lot of people are happy things aren't going well for him. You either love him or hate him, there is no middle ground. Sometimes there is a lack of respect, even in Portugal, which I find unbelievable. Things are different in England, more relaxed.

jeudi, novembre 29, 2012

Barça : Vilanova et la qualité de Neymar

L'entraîneur du FC Barcelone, Tito Vilanova, apprécierait tout particulièrement l'attaquant brésilien de Santos, Neymar, 20 ans, et ce malgré le scepticisme de Johan Cruyff.

Vilanova fan de Neymar ? Alors qu'il y a quelques jours, le quotidien Sport assurait que l'Argentin Lionel Messi était favorable à une arrivée prochaine du Brésilien Neymar dans l'effectif barcelonais. Ce mercredi, le même journal ibérique affirme que le technicien catalan, Tito Vilanova, en pincerait fortement pour l'avant-centre de la Seleçao, âgé de seulement 20 ans mais d'ores et déjà annoncé comme l'un des plus grands buteurs de la décennie. A en croire nos confrères de Sport, Vilanova considérerait Neymar comme "un joueur de première qualité". L'été prochain annoncera t-il la formation du duo Messi-Neymar ?

Ronaldo: "Messi is more entertaining for the fans than Cristiano"

Ronaldo believes that Lionel Messi should win the same Ballon d'Or award that he won himself three times, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. "Messi and Cristiano are both incredible, the two best players in the World, but Messi is more entertaining", confessed the former Real Madrid striker who is now part of the local organizing committee working towards the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Brazilian also recommended his compatriot Neymar to make the move over to Europe as soon as possible. "I would tell Neymar to go to Europe now. Apart from it being the birthplace of football it is a great opportunity culturally for him, he shouldn’t let the chance pass him by", he said.
Ronaldo reminisced about what it was like for him to leave his home and make it in European football. "It's in Europe where footballers really become people in their own right, especially Brazilian players. I learned a lot, it was fantastic to live in Europe for 18 years and I can say there is no university on this earth that teaches you what I learned playing football there", he said.
On the Brazil World Cup in 2014 he admitted that he would love to have played in the new Maracaná stadium. "I wish I was a few years younger to be able to play in the Maracaná. Brazilian football will inherit a great legacy from the 2014 World Cup - new stadiums, new ideas about the game, everything will change dramatically after 2014", he admitted.

Casillas: "Maybe they're being unfair to Mourinho"

Casillas admitted during a publicity event that he did not expect to be heading into the derby against Atlético in the current situation: "We thought we would be closer, but we hope Atlético's advantage is cut to five points. Atlético and Barcelona are ahead and we have to think about closing the gap as soon as possible. Draws are no good to us right now".
Casillas called for the fans to remain calm and acknowledged the players' responsibility for the defeat against Betis. "At times like these we need to be prudent and remain calm. The aim was to be much higher up the league table, but we've managed to go through to the last 16 in the Champions League with one game to spare and from a very tough group, and we've also gone through in the Cup. On Saturday we had to stick our necks out for the manager. The players were to blame. And also Betis really worked hard in the game, playing very well".
The captain stood up for his manager with respect to the catcalling of Mourinho: "A couple of months ago, those whistles were applause and praise when we won the league. People have a short memory in football. Mourinho coached the team to win the title with a record number of points and goals. We need to remember the good times and the continuing plan. The team had some fresh blood not long ago; it's a young group, which doesn't want to stop and wants to keep winning".
"Maybe they're being unfair to Mourinho", added Iker. "A large part of Madrid's success in recent years is down to Mourinho. The dressing room trusts him 100%. He's a coach who's given us a lot".

Villa bags Barça brace

The vast majority of the return legs of the last 32 in the Copa del Rey were resolved earlier tonight. Las Palmas, Osasuna, Córdoba (Segunda División), Betis, Málaga and Real Madrid all qualified on Tuesday and will now be joined by Barcelona, Sevilla, Getafe, Levante, Valencia and Atlético de Madrid.
There are three remaining ties which will takes place on Thursday: Celta-Almería, Granada-Zaragoza and Mallorca-Deportivo de La Coruña.
Victory did not come easy for Barcelona at the Camp Nou against Alavés, who opened the scoring. Barça needed an inspired performance from David Villa to carry the team, which consisted of several reserve players. The Asturian bagged a brace in the second half after the team had bounced back to draw level before the break - a goal from Adriano cancelling out Borja Viguera’s effort. Barça go through 6-1 on aggregate, after a 3-0 win in Vitoria.
It was plain sailing for Atlético de Madrid against another team from the Segunda B, who 'Los Rojiblancos' had swept aside in the first leg by three goals to nil. Jaén put on a professional display, but Diego Simeone’s side – which also mainly consisted of reserve players – won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Raúl García in the first half.
After a 3-1 defeat in the first leg away to Sevilla, Espanyol lost 3-0 at home to the Andalusian outfit. Newly-appointment coach Javier Aguirre watched on and has a lot of rebuilding work to do to his squad.

mercredi, novembre 28, 2012

Arsenal : Wenger fait avec les moyens du bord

Le manager d'Arsenal, Arsène Wenger, sait très bien que certains fans du club londonien lui reprochent le fait de ne pas avoir remporté un seul trophée depuis l'année... 2005.

Même si ce constat est accablant, le technicien français estime qu'il fait le maximum afin de propulser sa formation au sommet mais que certaines écuries, anglaises et européennes, sont sans doute plus solides qu'Arsenal. "Mon travail consiste à obtenir le meilleur de mon équipe avec le potentiel qu'on a. A la fin de la saison dernière, nous avons terminé à la troisième place. Honnêtement, je ne pense pas qu'on pouvait faire beaucoup mieux. A la fin de la saison, je me mettrai devant mon miroir et je me demanderai : qu'est-ce que tu aurais pu faire de plus ?", a confié Arsène Wenger selon Sky Sports.

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PSG : Ancelotti ne reproche rien à ses joueurs

L'entraîneur du PSG, Carlo Ancelotti, ne reproche rien à ses joueurs qui ont tout donné contre Saint-Étienne en demi-finales de la Coupe de la Ligue (0-0, 5 t.a.b à 3) avant de s'incliner à Geoffroy Guichard.

"L'équipe a été bonne, notre jeu aussi. Je n'ai rien à dire aux joueurs. Nous sommes déçus du résultat mais le comportement de l'équipe a été très bon. On a joué 120 minutes avec continuité et contrôle. C'est une performance qui nous donne de la confiance pour la suite, a assuré le technicien italien avant de parler des Verts. Ruffier est un bon gardien, il a fait un bon match, mais toute l'équipe de Saint-Étienne a fait un bon match. C'était un beau match équilibré et ils ont gagné aux tirs au but. Bonne chance à Saint-Étienne."

100 days with Tito Vilanova

Today, Tuesday, Tito Vilanova is set to complete 100 days since he oversaw his first competitive game of the 2012/13 season. Since 19th August, Barcelona has played 21 games, with a balance of 18 wins, 2 defeats and one draw. In other words, Tito Vilanova's men currently have an 85.7% win ratio.
Vilanova, who assured that he would pale in comparison to his predecessor Pep Guardiola during his presentation as the first team coach at a press conference, has so far produced a record-breaking start to the Liga BBVA with twelve victories and one draw in the first 13 games.
Vilanova's Barça is not only the best in the history of the club as far as the start to the domestic championship is concerned, but has also equalled Madrid's best ever start to the Spanish league of 12 victories and one draw.
Víctor Valdés has been the most regular player over these 100 days, only having missed the Copa del Rey opener against Alavés. He has racked up 1,800 minutes on the field of play, ahead of the 1,746 minutes played by Leo Messi and Xavi Hernández's 1601.

Vettel should have faced a penalty

The image leaves no room for doubt: the German passed Kamui Kobayashi under yellow flags, which prohibit overtaking, way before crossing the green flag checkpoint, after which it is allowed again. The incident would have been worth a drive-through penalty.

Brazil to opt for Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari is the favourite to succeed Mano Menezes as head coach of the Brazil national team. Scolari - known as 'Felipao' - led Brazil to World Cup victory in 2002 and has allegedly agreed to take over the role, according to the National Squad Director of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Andrés Sanches.
"According to the information in my possession, 'Felipao' is already in talks with the CBF," Sanches said at the opening of the Soccerex event, world football's annual fair held in Rio de Janeiro.
Sanches - who was opposed to the dismissal of Menezes - also confirmed that he would be stepping down from his position due to the fact that his opinions were not taken into account, meaning that the CBF will also have another replacement to make.
Scolari has been the favourite to succeed Menezes from the beginning, although Tite (Corinthians) and Muricy Ramalho (Santos) were supposedly in contention for the role. 'Felipao' - who has also coached the Portuguese national team - led Brazil to its fifth World Cup trophy in Yokohama (Japan), after beating Germany 2-0 in the final.
CBF President, José María Marín, previously ruled out the appointment of a non-Brazilian coach, with Pep Guardiola said to be an early contender.

Simeone has one eye on Madrid derby

No matter how much Atlético de Madrid coach Diego Pablo Simeone plays down his side's crunch game on Saturday against Real Madrid, it can clearly be seen that the Argentine has one eye on the match. This can be seen by the team's line-up to face Real Jaén in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Godín, Filipe Luis, Mario Suárez, Koke, Falcao, Gabi, Arda Turan, Diego Costa, Juanfran and Joel have all been excluded from the squad. Nine of these ten players, Robles being the exception, are regular starters in the first team and are likely to start against Real Madrid.
The only first-teamers in the squad for the tie against Jaén will be Courtois (who will be on the bench and is replaced by Sergio Asenjo) and Miranda.
Youngsters Óliver Torres, Saúl, Manquillo and Pedro Martín have all been drafted in to play in the cup tie. Torres, who is unable to feature in the Europa League, played a few minutes in the first leg and put on a good display. It seems the midfielder will get another chance in the game at the Vicente Calderón stadium.
"We'll think about the derby after the cup game on Wednesday night. The most important game is the next one against Jaén. The fans want to see us win", said Simeone.

Darragi/FC sion: Constantin veut faire de Darragi un grand

Le patron du FC Sion n’aime pas les échecs. En son temps, il avait conseillé que Ronaldinho soit encadré à son arrivée au PSG. Il entend en faire de même avec le Tunisien.

Pour Christian Constantin, Oussama Darragi a toutes les qualités pour devenir «un grand d’Europe».

«Je ne supporte pas l’échec, et je ne veux pas être en échec avec Darragi.» Christian Constantin est on ne peut plus clair: même si l’international tunisien n’a pas encore trouvé ses marques (zéro but en onze apparitions en Suisse), même s’il n’est plus aligné par Pierre-André Schürmann depuis la mi-novembre, il ne quittera pas le FC Sion.

Ballon d’or africain en 2011, Oussama Darragi est sous contrat avec le FC Sion jusqu’en 2016. Ce qui laisse le temps à CC d’en faire «un grand d’Europe». Il s’en explique: «Je ferai exactement avec Darragi ce que j’avais fait avec Ronaldinho, lorsqu’il est arrivé de Gremio au PSG.» C’était en 2001. A l’époque, CC avait conseillé à Roberto Assis (joueur à Sion de 1992 à 1995, grand frère et agent de Ronaldinho) d’encadrer étroitement le p’tit frère, et cela 24 heures sur 24. «Parce que ces joueurs manquent de repères sur notre continent.»
Constantin compare, toutes proportions gardées, Darragi à Ronaldinho. «On est dans le même cas de figure avec Darragi. Oussama a besoin d’un planificateur, d’un accompagnateur, d’un préparateur, appelez ça comme vous voulez. Mais je trouverai cette personne. Darragi a un tel talent que je ne peux pas le laisser partir.»
Le talent. Un terme qui va souvent de pair avec l’oisiveté. «Le problème de tous ceux qui font ce qu’ils veulent de leurs pieds et d’un ballon, c’est qu’ils n’ont ni la tête, ni le cœur, ni les jambes. Je vais donner tout cela à Darragi et en faire un joueur pour l’Europe. Je veux que, chaque fois qu’il tourne la tête, il sente deux paires d’yeux sur lui. Je vais lui apprendre les mots souffrance, efforts ou vouloir.»N’a-t-il pas peur que Darragi en ait marre? Déjà qu’il ne joue plus et qu’on l’annonce sur le départ, notamment en Arabie saoudite et au Qatar… «Aucune crainte, coupe le président valaisan. Je l’ai récemment vu en compagnie de son père: il fera ce que j’estime être juste pour lui. J’y mettrai le temps qu’il faudra, mais j’y arriverai. Et je n’hésiterai pas à être dur avec lui. D’ailleurs, je le suis déjà.»
Constantin en est persuadé, Darragi «prouvera chez nous qu’il est un grand». Il conclut: «Quand il l’aura prouvé, il pourra partir. Mais pas avant.» Si tel devait être le cas, le FC Sion en aura profité, sportivement parlant. Au passage, la valeur de Darragi (actuellement, plus de 3 millions et demi de francs) aura forcément pris l’ascenseur.

The Cantona revolution 20 years on

27th November, 1992, is a day on which the history of Manchester United changed forever. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, now a club legend, was close to being sacked after a disastrous start to the season.
On that fateful day, Eric Cantona was unveiled as Manchester United's new signing, and the rest is history. The arrival of the Frenchman, who had a touch of arrogance and an abundance of class, marked a new era for 'The Reds'. Twenty years to the day, MARCA looks back at that moment.
Ferguson has no doubt about the importance of the role Cantona played at the club: "If there was ever a player in this world who was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona".
From his first day at the club, Cantona decided to train for an extra period every day and became an inspiration to his teammates. United won eight games and drew two in the first few months of Cantona's time at Old Trafford and went on to win the league title for the first time in 26 years.
'King Eric' initiated a golden era for the Old Trafford faithful, winning four Premier League titles and two FA Cups in five years. Cantona scored over 150 goals, some of which were authentic masterpieces. In 1997, five years after his arrival in Manchester, the Frenchman announced his retirement.

mardi, novembre 27, 2012

PSG : Pastore a le soutien de son ancien président

En difficulté avec le PSG depuis le début de saison, Javier Pastore n'a pas tout perdu. En effet, le milieu de terrain argentin a reçu l'appui de Maurizio Zamparini, le président de Palerme, l'ancien club du footballeur parisien.

"Il est en difficulté à Paris parce qu'Ibrahimovic fait de l'ombre à tout le monde. Je regrette le fait que Carlo Ancelotti lui donne trop d'importance. C'est un joueur fantastique, mais avec certainement un mauvais caractère", a-t-il affirmé au micro de Radio Sportiva. Interrogé également sur la possibilité de voir Pastore revenir au club, Maurizio Zamparini n'y croit pas : "C'est impossible, mais j'aimerais bien. En attaque, nous sommes au complet."

Brésil : Guardiola, une piste à oublier ?

Alors que la Seleçao se cherche toujours un successeur à Mano Menezes, la piste menant à Josep Guardiola semble s'être considérablement refroidie. Si l'on en croit les déclarations de José Maria Marin, le président de la Confédération brésilienne de football, l'ancien boss du Barça ne devrait pas être l'heureux élu.

"Il y a peu de chances que cela soit un entraîneur étranger. Nous avons gagné cinq Coupes du monde avec des coachs brésiliens, je ne pense pas que ce sera nécessaire, a-t-il affirmé auprès de Terra. Le passé, c'est le passé. Nous devons penser à l'avenir. Pour nous, c'est le moment d'analyser le candidat idéal pour diriger la sélection."

Liverpool : José Enrique se sent bien à Anfield

Titularisé à six reprises par Brendan Rodgers cette saison, José Enrique est sous contrat jusqu'en juin 2016 avec les Reds. Interrogé sur sa situation à Anfield, le défenseur espagnol a affiché sa détermination pour la suite de son aventure.

"J'espère continuer comme cela afin d'aider l'équipe du mieux possible. Je commence à jouer de nouveau. Pour être honnête, je n'ai jamais été inquiet, car j'ai toujours cru en moi, a avoué l'ancien joueur de Villarreal et Newcastle dans un entretien accordé sur le site officiel du club. Je suis vraiment heureux. C'est le plus grand club avec lequel j'ai joué. Les supporters sont incroyables et j'aime la ville. Je veux jouer ici pendant longtemps."

Man City : Ibrahimovic tente d'attirer Balotelli !

Après avoir conseillé à David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy) de le rejoindre au Paris Saint-Germain, l'attaquant Zlatan Ibrahimovic a donné un tuyau au buteur de Manchester City Mario Balotelli.

En clair, l'international suédois a chaudement recommandé à "Super Mario" de le rejoindre dans la capitale française en 2013 ! "Mario a tellement de talent, à son âge, il a le potentiel pour devenir un des meilleurs attaquants du monde. Je pense qu'il a muri et que maintenant il aimerait jouer à nouveau avec moi", a lâché "Ibra" dans le Daily Mirror. Rappelons que pour le moment, Mario Balotelli est le quatrième attaquant dans la hiérarchie chez les Citizens derrière le trio Agüero-Tevez-Dzeko.

Made in Barça

Back in Barcelona, the fielding of eleven players developed at the club's youth academy in the 4-0 drubbing of Levante has been given more coverage than the win itself or the 11-point gap the Catalans have opened up over Real Madrid.
While Xavi, Piqué, Cesc and Jordi Alba have all come out to express their happiness, the up-and-coming youth players at La Masia are even more psyched, as it opens the door for them to make the step up to the first team in the future.
Barça's last four coaches – with Van Gaal and Vilanova sandwiching the tenures of Rijkaard and Guardiola – have all shown that the club's model and philosophy not only work, but are effective.
After Gerard Deulofeu hailed the achievement on social media, the heavyweights did not waste any time joining in after the match. "It's something to make all Barça fans proud. It proves that we are doing things the right way and our philosophy is the right one", said Piqué, visibly overjoyed.
Iniesta was equally buzzing – "it's something really special for the academy to play such a big role" – while Xavi was even more moved and shouted out to Van Gaal: "I'd like to send him a hug because he started it all. It [playing with 11 home-grown players] was his dream, he said it several times, and it's become reality".
Almost fifteen years have passed since Van Gaal gave Xavi and Puyol their debuts, and the club's commitment to its youth policy has only grown stronger. No matter that Piqué, Alba and Cesc rose to prominence elsewhere and had to be re-signed for big fees – they remain 'Azulgranas' through and through.

Saved by the Champions League

Real Madrid has one life-line left. With Barcelona eleven points ahead of them after thirteen games and Atlético ahead by eight, Real Madrid is holding on to a life-line that could either make this season a success, or deflate and sink, taking the team's hopes of silverware with it.
There is however reason for optimism. Real Madrid won the Champions League in the 1998, 2000 and 2002 seasons, after unsuccessful league campaigns.
After 13 games in the 1997/98 season, Real Madrid was tied on 28 points with the team that went on to win the league, Barcelona. As the season progressed, Heynckes' team focused on winning the Champions League, leaving the league to one side. Madrid finished fourth, eleven points behind Barcelona. But they won the club's seventh Champions League title.
Mourinho is going through something similar to Del Bosque in the 1999/00 season. In gameweek 13 they were 11 points adrift of Deportivo, who went on to win the league that year. They finished fifth and without a place in the Champions League.
But once again, Madrid was saved by the Champions League. They thrashed Valencia in the final in Paris, lifted the club’s eighth title and the fans were happy.
History repeated itself in 2002. Valencia was unplayable from the start of the league campaign and Real finished third. Zidane shined in Glasgow and title number nine returned home to Madrid.

Alba: "Atlético can challenge for the league"

"We're on top, but there's a long way to go, so we can't afford to get complacent. Atlético is only three points behind us and could easily overtake us at any moment". This is Jordi Alba's view of the current state of affairs in the upper echelons of 'La Liga' after thirteen rounds of fixtures.
The Catalan full-back also discussed the fact that, following the substitution of Dani Alves, Barça had eleven graduates of its academy, La Masia, on the pitch together at the Ciutat de València stadium: "It's a source of pride and it only goes to show what great work we are doing with the youth set-up".
The FC Barcelona defender insisted that the team doesn't pay "much attention" to the Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, when he complains of supposed favouritism towards Barcelona, and also gave his opinion on the upcoming Madrid derby: "I want Barça to win. We shouldn't be worried about matches that don't involve us. So long as we keep winning, we'll do well", Alba stated.
After noting that "Atlético is three points behind and is having a fantastic season, while Madrid is 11 points off", Alba insisted that the title race "isn't over. Atlético had a great end to last season and is now proving that it can challenge for the league. We shouldn't rule out anyone, let alone the team in second place. And Real Madrid is going to keep fighting until the end because it is a very important competition".

Alves out for 15-20 days

Barcelona's defender, Dani Alves, will be out for between 15 and 20 days with a hamstring injury to his right leg, which he suffered in the Levante game at the Ciutat de València stadium.
A medical test he underwent this Monday confirmed the Brazilian full-back's condition. This is the fourth time Dani Alves has been injured this season, with all of them being muscular injuries.
Martín Montoya came on to replace him against Levante, which made history because it meant that, for the first time ever, every one of the eleven men on the pitch for Tito's team were players that came through the youth ranks at Barcelona.
During the spell that Alves is predicted to be out for, Barça will play five games: Alavés, Athletic Club de Bilbao, Benfica, Betis and Atlético de Madrid. This will more than likely extend to six games, since Barça will be defending a 3-0 advantage that it notched up in Vitoria for the return leg of the cup game against Alavés this Wednesday and will likely go through to the last 16 of the Spanish cup to be played on 12th December.
Alves actually had exactly the same injury recently, although it was to his left leg. This prior injury happened in the game against Real Madrid, when he was also substituted for Montoya. Alves has now joined Bartra, Muniesa, Villa, Cuenca, Alexis Sánchez and Abidal on Barcelona's injury list.

Messi, highest scorer since 1943/44 season

He keeps going and going. Lionel Messi just cannot stop scoring, and Barcelona's Argentinean now totals 19 goals in just 13 games – a figure unheard of in the Spanish league since the 1943/44 season when Martín, also for Barcelona, and Echeverria, for Oviedo, were the joint top goalscorers with 19 goals apiece.
Messi added two more goals against Levante and has netted three doubles in a row in La Liga. With his tally of 19, the Argentinean has now scored more than seven players who won the Pichichi Award for the top goalscorer at the end of the season.
So far in 2012, Messi has hit the back of the net 52 times in La Liga – just outrageous. Furthermore, the Argentinean is watching his advantage increase over the rest of his pursuers.
Although the third in the running, Radamel Falcao broke his dry spell from the penalty spot against Sevilla, Cristiano again failed to score this weekend.

Mourinho against the world

There has been something for everyone. Mourinho's catalogue of excuses to justify the pratfalls Real Madrid has sufferedwith him in the dugout is extensive and touches on everyone. Even the club hasn't escaped the furious attacks the manager has used in an attempt to hide each and every one of the team's blunders.
Referees, the press, the fixtures list, the players, the medical staff, the Bernabéu, Barça, UEFA, the youth academy, the opposition, the project, Toril, Valdano... Since he arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, Mou has found all kinds of reasons to divert the discussion from the purely football. The list is never-ending.
Referees are the biggest thorn in his side. On many occasions he's been so angry at the end of a game that he's taken the bad result out on them. In his first season, we saw him compile the list of 13 mistakes that Clos Gómez made during the a game with Sevilla, brutally criticise Pérez Lasa after the draw with Almeria and wait for Teixeira Vitienes in the car park at the Camp Nou. Then there was the famous outburst of "whys and becauses" at the Bernabéu after being knocked out of the Champions League against Barça.
In his eyes, he's defending his team and denouncing injustices. For others, they're excuses aimed at talking about anything other than the team's performance. It's Mou against the world.