The No. 9 in soccer, traditionally the number reserved for the team's starting striker, has been the subject of various discussion points over the last few years. From arguments revolving around the importance of the position in modern tactics to the belief that the No. 9 is being phased out of the game, doubts have been cast upon the future of the role.
Barcelona fan site Grup14 uploaded three very interesting infographics depicting the managerial statistics of Barcelona’s three “most successful coaches” through their first 100 games. While you won’t get any argument here about whether or not Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Johan Cruyff are the best managers in Barca’s history, we’re going to ignore the “top 3” debate for now and focus on the top two: Enrique vs Guardiola.
The AP reported that Lionel Messi is set to undergo medical tests related to a kidney problem he suffered in December that seems to have recurred. Naturally, we as a soccer website are handling this news with the trademark reserve and calm of the worldwide soccer community. We are not panicking at all.
We don't know if anyone noticed this, but Lionel Messi is pretty good at soccer. He scored a hat trick in Barcelona's 7-0 demolition of Gary Neville's Valencia side Wednesday.
¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
La pulga con un 3-0 de playstation pero nivel leyenda. Barça golea en 30'. #CopadelRey https://t.co/mQV3UtS8ad
Barcelona just handed Valencia its worst defeat in 23 years. That’s not something to take lightly. In fact, it’s the kind of thing heard before a lot of people get fired. But somehow, amidst all of the goals (four for Luis Suarez, three for Lionel Messi, for a grand total of Barcelona 7, Valencia 0), all of the cries for mercy, and a complete lack of defending, the singularly most embarrassing moment of the night might belong to Barcelona, courtesy of Neymar’s penalty miss against Valencia.
The second black player to represent England at any level and the first British player to transfer to Real Madrid, Laurie Cunningham was a footballing pioneer and a legend of his own time. His premature death at 33 years of age cut short the career of a player who “was as good as Cristiano Ronaldo” according to Spanish manager, and former Real teammate, Vincente del Bosque.
Remember this kid? The one with the heart-wrenching Messi jersey made out of a plastic bag? Well, now that your heart has been wrenched, prepare for it to be warmed.
Lots of people have been working to find this kid. After a hiccup or two, it looks like they've found him. And now a meeting with Lionel Messi himself is in the works.
The little boy's name is Murtaza Ahmadi. He's five years old and lived in a small village in Afghanistan.
Real Madrid and the New York Yankees: the two franchises — which are separated by more than 3500 miles and play two entirely different sports — are shockingly similar when you compare them. When it comes to both teams' histories, finances, star players, and championships it’s hard not to see the similarities in their influence worldwide.
As a symbol of Catalonian pride — and for many, Catalonian nationalism — FC Barcelona has a storied yet complicated history with the Copa del Rey, the Spanish equivalent of England’s FA Cup.
Brazil and Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos may be coming back to Madrid to help coach at the Academy level. Boasting four Spanish titles, three Champions League trophies and a World Cup, there are few players who know more about Real Madrid and winning than the Brazilian. So if he is appointed, it will surely be a great learning experience for the baby Galacticos. With that in mind, we decided to take a look back down memory lane.