Category: News

Jose Mourinho’s battle with Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas took another twist on Sunday night, when the Portuguese boss was forced to call upon the Spanish goalkeeper to replace Antonio Adan after his red card in the 4-3 win over Real Sociedad.

In the build-up to kick-off, the Santiago Bernabeu crowd cheered the shot-stopper’s name as it was read out on the tannoy, which was in stark contrast to the greeting that welcomed the manager, who was roundly booed by his own fans.

After being pegged back twice, a Cristiano Ronaldo double ensured victory for the Liga champions, yet for Mourinho, he was forced to concede a notable defeat as Casillas returned to the fold..

Mourinho forced to concede defeat in Casillas bench row

West Ham attacker Joe Cole has described Manchester United striker Robin van Persie as the third-best player in the world.

The Dutchman denied the Hammers a famous FA Cup victory over Sir Alex Ferguson’s side by forcing a replay with a 90th-minute equaliser at Upton Park on Saturday.

And Cole, who grabbed two assists during that game as he marked his first appearance since returning to his boyhood club from Liverpool, has hailed Van Persie’s quality.

“You take away [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Van Persie is probably the best player in the world,” he told the Guardian.

“He was playing wide for Arsenal for many years and getting a few injury problems but moving central means there is a bit less running and he can use his technique and finishing, which is just incredible.

“He is a joy to watch and a pain to play against.”

Van Persie has scored 20 goals in 26 appearances since his summer move to Old Trafford from Arsenal.

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has stressed that he does his utmost to please as many people as possible, but feels it is impossible to keep everyone satisfied.

The 27-year-old has divided the opinions of fans all over the world, and often receives hostile receptions from opponents’ supporters.

“Not even God can please everyone. I always try to be a good person who the majority of people like. But showing too much humility is a flaw. People either hate me or love me,” the attacker told Globo.

“I always try and work hard in order to be the best at what I do. In my opinion, everybody should have the objective to be the best at what they do, regardless of his or her profession.”

Meanwhile, former Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has nothing but praise for the player, and feels that he deserved to have been recognised as the world’s best on more than one occasion.

“He’s a player who always wants to win. He never wants to come second, but always wants to be the best. He’s a very complete player and always professional.

“For me, he should have won the Fifa Player of the Year award at least three times.”

The Portugal international is one of three players still in the running for the 2012 Fifa Ballon d’Or alongside Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

COMMENT
By Rupert Fryer

In October, the Fifa Football Committee and France Football agreed upon the 23-man shortlist for the 2012 edition of the Fifa Ballon d’Or.

Twenty-three quickly became three after the voting was passed on to the coaches and captains of the national teams of Fifa’s member associations, as well as a select group of journalists from around the globe, and on Monday world football’s glitterati will descend on Zurich when that three will become one.

Should the victor be the man most expect, Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi will break yet another record by claiming the award for an unprecedented fourth time, making it a hat-trick of gongs since Fifa merged its World Player of the Year award with France Football’s Ballon d’Or in 2010.

So too would it see him eclipse Zinedine Zidane and former Brazil international Ronaldo, both of whom currently sit joint-top of the list of winners having claimed the World Player of the Year prize on three occasions since its inauguration in 1991.

Hot on the little Argentine’s tails, however, is both team-mate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. For the third year running, Barcelona and Real Madrid stars have made up the final three-man shortlist, suggesting that while the English Premier League may claim to be the world’s best, the top two in Spain must be surely be considered the best club teams the game has to offer.

While Messi has enjoyed a staggering year, notching up 79 goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iniesta may well point to their respective trophy cabinets when arguing the award should not be a one-man race.

For all the numbers Messi has put up in 2012, the 25-year-old fell short in the columns that matter to him most. Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to the Spanish league title and his Portugal side to the Euro 2012 semi-finals; Iniesta went one better, playing an integral role as Spain lifted the trophy, wracking up their third straight major international title.

The original shortlist was once again dominated by attacking players – those creators of that which most excites football’s global audience: goals. Just two defenders and three goalkeepers made the 23. Indeed, only one goalkeeper – the great Lev Yashin grabbed the Ballon d’Or in 1963 – has picked up either award, while just two defenders – Lothar Matthaus (who actually played in midfield at the time) in 1991 and Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 – have claimed the title of World Player of the Year. Only four stoppers have filled the 66 slots designated for the top three players of each year since 1991.

As Goal.com’s Ben Hayward argued when the shortlist was confirmed, Iker Casillas and Andrea Pirlo may well consider themselves unlucky not to have made the list, but it’s hard to argue that the voters haven’t gotten it right this time. The top three have enjoyed a calendar year as fine as anyone in the game.

We have seen some bizarre nominations in recent years, however. In 2011 Giovanni Trapattoni picked neither Ronaldo nor Messi in his top three, and Andy Davis of the British Virgin Islands rather bizarrely went for Cesc Fabregas as his no.1 choice. In the 2010 vote, a journalist from Chad named Asamoah Gyan as the world’s best.

Some of the votes may seem odd, and whether anyone really benefits from them being made public is debatable, but as Cristiano Ronaldo has argued, this award is subjective. The voters are asked for their opinions. One cannot argue categorically who the winner should be, because regardless of how specific Fifa try to make the criteria, it is impossible not only to ensure that each and every voter adheres to their instructions, but that they interpret them in the same way.

Moreover, one could argue that individual awards in a team sport are somewhat counter-intuitive, though it’s tough to contest the fact that Messi, Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo improved their respective teams’ performances in 2012.

The Fifa Ballon d’Or gala will once again be a celebration; one that provides the football world a chance to celebrate the achievements of an individual as recognised by a group of his peers. That is all. And whoever stands before the world with 2012’s golden ball on Monday, one thing’s for sure: nobody will be able to begrudge them their moment in the spotlight.

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PROFILE
By Charlie Scott

Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a fabulous year in 2012, for both his club side Real Madrid and his national team, Portugal.

The Madeira-born attacker is perhaps the most pertinent example in modern sport of talent fulfillment, and turning outstanding promise into end product. Since he arrived on British shores with a Mediterranean tan and tousled bleached blonde locks back in 2003, Ronaldo has grown, physically and technically.

Back then he was a slim teenager with a tendency to showboat, now he is a muscular powerhouse with an impressive arsenal at his disposal.

In his final two seasons at Manchester United before his record-breaking €93.9 million move to Real Madrid in 2009 he was virtually unplayable.

Now he is unplayable.

The 27-year-old was instrumental for los Blancos as they wrestled the Liga title from Barcelona’s grasp at the end of the 2011-12 season, with his firmly-struck goal that won the two side’s meeting at Camp Nou in April perhaps the deciding moment in the title race.

Ronaldo led his side to their first league championship in four years, while also managing to reach an array of personal milestones that emphasised the impact he was having as a talented individual within an exceptional team.

His 46 league goals in 38 appearances were filed against every other team in the division – a first for a player in a single season, while he also achieved the accolade of being the first player to score more than 40 goals in successive league campaigns.

Effectively sealed the Liga title for los Blancos by scoring the winning goal in their 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou in April

Performed for Portugal when it mattered, scoring twice in their vital Euro 2012 group match against Netherlands

Became the first player to score in six consecutive Clasicos when he notched twice against Barcelona in October

Such performances were recognised in Spain as he was awarded the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stefano, given to the best player in La Liga over the course of the season.

The former Sporting Lisbon star’s prowess was not restricted to Spain however, as he also played a key role in Real Madrid’s Champions League run to the semi-finals. He scored in every knockout round of the competition including their last-four defeat to Bayern Munich, and finished with a total of 10 goals in 10 matches.

Ronaldo then carried his fine form at club level onto the international stage, as he shrugged off a slow start in Portugal’s first two group games of the European Championship against Germany and Denmark, to then burst into life and score twice against Netherlands in their final group match.

In the quarter-finals he again scored a match-deciding goal as the Selecao edged past the challenge of Czech Republic, while he also impressed in Paulo Bento’s side’s semi-final defeat on penalties to Spain.

The football world has seen Ronaldo dominate games at club level in recent years but his displays in the red-and-green of Portugal in the summer were a new experience, with the 27-year-old having fallen short on occasion when representing his national side in the past.

Critics used to moan that ‘Ronaldo doesn’t do it for his national side’. In Poland and Ukraine he showed how that is not the case anymore, and was deservedly included in Uefa’s Team of the Tournament.

In August, Ronaldo then finished top in the Goal.com 50, an achievement he described as “a matter of pride”.

At the turn of the year Real Madrid sat 16 points off first-placed Barcelona in La Liga, yet their Portuguese forward was still enjoying a profitable campaign despite his side’s failings with a healthy return of 23 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions.

In October he made history by becoming the first player ever to score in six consecutive Clasicos as he struck twice in a 2-2 draw with Barcelona.

Barcelona had won the league three times in a row before Real Madrid triumphed in 2012.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or three times in a row now, perhaps now Ronaldo will put an end to this Barcelona dominance, just as los Merengues did in La Liga.

“If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe. It would be a crime if Ronaldo did not win the Ballon d’Or” – Jose Mourinho

“I would vote for Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. He is someone who can win matches for you in many different ways, from varying situations in attack. He deserves to win it” – Roberto Carlos

“He is an unbelievable player, one of the best, there is no doubt about that” – Sir Alex Ferguson