Bad Bayern or Blooming Bordeaux?

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The Champions league just gets better and better as each year passes and this year in particular, the level of competition has risen, as we have witnessed some of the weaker teams in the past show that they can compete with the "big boys".

That being said I am using current French Ligue 1 Champions and league leaders Bordeaux as an example. Who would have thought in a group that has heavyweights Juventus and Bayern Munich, that Bordeaux would be sitting top of the group with 10 points.

For me this team is a breath of fresh in the Ligue 1, which was dominated by Lyon for the past 7 seasons and the Champions League by showing their grit against teams like Juve and Bayern.

Now Bayern on the other hand has been on a downward spiral, they lost the Bundesliga to Wolfsburg last season, currently sit 5th in the table, 4 points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and they've lost to Bordeaux in the Champions League both away and at home.

So here is my question, is Bayern playing badly or is Bordeaux on the rise? I tend to believe the latter seeing that Barcelona also lost to one of the minnows, namely Russian Champions Rubin Kazan in the Nou Camp!

Therefore I believe the level of football being played is of a higher standard as the smaller teams have shown and are continuing to show, that they can compete at the highest level.

Ronadinho Back to his Best?

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Hi guys,

The season of football is off to a good start and I must say that Ronaldinho has to be the story of the season thus far. Playing with a new found sense of purpose and determination, anyone who has watched El Guacho in his splendor last week must give some praise and credit where it is due.

Although Ronnie is not yet back to his best, one must say that he has; particularly in AC Milan's last game against Parma, showed glimpses of his former self.

I personally truly believe that the world will take notice of Ronnie again, if he puts in a flamboyant performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow at the San Siro. However I believe his status will only be cemented if AC Milan win titles.

What would be good for Ronaldinho even if AC Milan doesn't win titles would be a recall to the Selecao (Brazil's National Team). Seeing him play at the World Cup in South Africa next year would be great, not just him, but for football as a whole and his loyal fans.

I am a firm believer that Ronaldinho still has the potential to be the best in the world for the third consecutive time, and seeing him achieve this feat would be truly amazing. Being World Player of the Year again will put him on par with legendary players such as Luiz Ronaldo and Zinadine Zidane, who have all won the award on three occasions in the past, and update his status to one of the all-time greats of the game, even though he is arguably regarded as such already.

With that said I'm rooting for Ronaldinho. Go Ronnie! You can do it!!

Maniche Apologizes: Wants To Stay With Atletico

Atletico Madrid midfielder Maniche, who was told by the club that his services were no longer needed, due to disagreements with coach Javier Aguirre and a few of his teammates, has now publicly apologized for his behavior and expressed his desire to stay at the club.

Maniche was loaned out to Inter during the January transfer window because of his conduct but didn't really impress at the San Siro.

Now back at Atletico Madrid the player has admitted his mistakes and wishes to fight hard for his place at the club.

Atletico Madrid took the last Champions League spot in Spain, and will be challenging for top honors in both La Liga and Europe.

I myself was wondering why Maniche was loaned out to Inter because he played relatively well in the team. Now that he has admitted his mistakes, I believe he will be a valuable player to Atletico, as he will bring much needed experience as he has won the Champions League before with Porto back in 2004.

Cristiano Ronaldo to decide future

With the conclusion of the Champions League and with him significantly helping his team win the title, there is a buzz in the air about what's next for Ronaldo. Will he stay and continue to help Manchester win titles or will he be tempted into a move to Real Madrid who are reported to have lined up a record fee of 100 million pounds for the Portuguese winger.
Ronaldo has declared to the media that he can't make any promises to anyone as he claims he does not know what the future holds. From the looks of things no one knows but obviously Ronaldo is tempted to test other waters. If Ronaldo indeed leaves Manchester we could be in for another burst up between Sir Alex Ferguson and one of his top players, as we have seen it in the past with David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy. I personally can't blame Fergie for wanting to keep his most talented player, but we all know in the world of football anything can happen and ultimately money talks.
Ronaldo needs to think hard and long about this decision because a move to Madrid can have serious consequences for his career. Moving to Real Madrid is a big decision for any player as some of the world's best players play there, failure to perform could result in an action which I know Ronaldo would not be too pleased about, it's called being benched. Ronaldo never gets benched at United and I know it is an issue he will personally struggle with if he moves. However it is hard to believe they would bench a player after paying such a hefty price, but this is Real Madrid all they care about is results and they will play whoever can help them achieve their goal.
Ronaldo however has stated in the media today that he is very happy at United and that he loves the fans, the people at the club and that he wants to stay, also with Sir Alex being very stubborn about the whole situation my guess is that Ronaldo will stay at Manchester United and I personally believe that is what's best for his career at the moment.

Champions League Final: Preview

Hi there football fans! Tomorrow is the Champions League Final!!!! Aren't u guys excited? I hope you are, as I know I will be looking forward to a pretty entertaining game with many twist and turns, or maybe it will be a dull game as both these teams are use to playing each other in the English Premier League but let's hope for the best.
Let's begin by talking about Manchester United who for many people will be the favorites to win this one. Christiano Ronaldo has apparently pumped himself for this game by declaring before the media when asked about his poor performances in big matches, that he is the best. One would think twice before disputing his comments but isn't it a little too early to be saying stuff like that? I mean you haven't even won the Champions League yet. I guess it's just his way of coping with the pressure ahead of him. Let's hope for his sake he doesn't miss another penalty like he did against Barcelona.
Next up Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea, who would have thought they would have made it to the Champions League final without the "Special One", Jose Mourinho. I must say Chelsea have proved their worth this season as they have defied the odds by eliminating Liverpool, the team that knocked them out last season and so many times before. Furthermore much credit must be given to a man that who from the beginning received none, Avam Grant. A coach that no one has ever heard of before has silenced his critics by pressing Man. United for the title in the Premiership and giving the team a birth in the Champions League. Let's hope he can bring home the title for the club and continue to earn the respect of the fans, critics and even the authorities at Chelsea, who have admitted they didn't expect him to do so well.
I hope to see some good football tomorrow, with two teams out there giving it their all. Even though I'm not a fan of either of these clubs, I am a man who loves football and I enjoy the passion the fans, especially in England have for their clubs. I expect tomorrow to see big performances by Tevez for Manchester and by Drogba and Ballack for Chelsea. Some of you may wonder why I haven't mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo to peform big in this one, well I'll answer that by saying I'm judging him based on past performances in big matches. Let's hope for the sake of the Manchester fans he shows up.

When will they learn?

Today my article will be about big clubs signing many big players and how this method never seems to work in the long run. I bring up this topic following the collapse of my favorite team F.C. Barcelona. Clearly they should have learned from Real Madrid with the era of the Galacticos that bringing too many renowned players to a club somehow never works out.
With Barcelona finishing third this season it is clear that their poor performances have nothing to do with the lack of talent but more of a lack of discipline and many other factors. Clearly the players have not been getting along over the past two years and it has shown on the pitch as Barca have not acquired a single trophy since their 2006 triumph in the Champions League. Deco who has now been given the green light to leave the club to play for another, recently said that in order to set up a great team and start winning again there needs to be stability in the dressing room and at the club. So obviously we can see what the problem is here. Evidently instability within the dressing room at Barca has finally come to it's peak and subsequently we shall see what I would like to call the "rebirth of Barca", with many of the stars, who I must say made their name in Barca, likely to leave.
My personal view is that somehow players tend to think of themselves more than anything else after sometime. Many renowned players such as Henry for example, are use to a team built around them and probably find it hard to share the limelight with others.When this starts to happen I guess players forget about the greater good of doing what's best for the team. I believe big stars need to return back to the fundamentals of life and learn that the most important word is "we" and and the least important is "I". I think this is the only way teams become truly successful. Barca had that mentality in the earlier years of this era but somehow lost it.