Spanish Clubs

You can't do it all alone, even if you're the best player in the world. This was the message Lionel Messi gave when interviewed after winning the UEFA Player of the Year award (again).

"What we all achieved is all thanks to this great team," Messi said. "When you manage to achieve all your objectives with the group, then your personal objectives can also be achieved."

Messi cements his reputation as a humble superstar here, knowing that even he can't win every game by himself (although in truth he could probably get close).

Stay classy, Messi.

Good God almighty, the unthinkable has happened in Ireland. Limerick FC have pulled off perhaps the greatest transfer coup in the history of soccer, signing electric Brazilian forward Neymar away from heavyweight Barcelona. 

How could this have happened? We haven't been able to pin down any details on the transfer, but it was reported earlier this week that Manchester United might bif 240 million pounds for Neymar, so that's the range we're talking here. 

Lionel Messi is good at soccer. UEFA has acknowledged Messi's goodness at soccer by giving him the UEFA Player of the Year award for the 2014-2015 season.

Presumably you already know who Messi is and why he won this prestigious award, but just in case you forgot or want to watch some cool goals, here's every goal from Messi this season.

Messi beat out fellow nominees Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

No one is safe from the inflated prices of major sporting events these days, not even babies. Roso Castellsagues found this out first hand as she was charged €54 for her ten-month-old child to gain admission to the second leg of the Spanish Supercopa.  

Prior to last weekend's La Liga opener, Gareth Bale was videotaped in slow motion scissor-kicking a soccer ball into a swimming pool.

This likely wasn't a Real Madrid-sanctioned practice activity, but it was still pretty cool. The fact that this is news serves as a reminder (like we needed one) that superstar footballers live wholly different lives than the rest of us.

Maybe he should have practiced scissor-kicking a ball into an actual soccer goal on an actual soccer field, given Real Madrid's 0-0 draw with newly-promoted Sporting Gijon to start the La Liga season.

Apparently, a young Finnish striker named Eero Markkanen was released by Real Madrid Castilla because he entered preseason camp 18 kg (40 lbs) heavier than he was last season.

40 lbs in gained weight is nothing so scoff at. That’s like a third or a fourth of a person that this guy tried to walk into camp with. I don’t care if he’s 6’ 5” and his nickname is “The Tank” — he is and it is — that’s ridiculous.

Markkanen responded to being let go on Twitter. 

La Liga started last weekend. It is a brand new 2015-16 season, but as Real Madrid played against Sporting Gijon it showed the same old problems of the preseason, and even the Carlo Ancelotti era: lack of goals.

You could say that the last great Real Madrid offensive show was in April 29, 2014 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal. Madrid scored four times against Bayern and eliminated them.

It’s time to face facts: the two best players in the world, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are getting older.

Entering the 2015/2016 La Liga Season, which kicked off this weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo is 30. He will be 31 by February. The baby-faced flea, Messi, is now 28.

Both men have grown up, from young guns to team captains and leaders.

Now, just what does the future hold for the two best players alive?

Just off the western coast of Morocco lies a volcanic archipelago known as the Canary Islands. Despite its size, the Spanish-controlled territory has developed a locally based premier division called the Preferente which combines with the fifth division of Spanish football. Local Canary Island club Raqui San Isidro are becoming more popular by the day in the Preferente since Pedro’s transfer from Barcelona to Chelsea. 

Chelsea made the long-rumored move official on Wednesday when it made its first major addition of the summer by swooping in to sign winger Pedro for £21M from Barcelona. While the player must still pass his medical, the deal looks like it is officially done.