Soccer Pub Video Ranking: four / 5
VILANOVA RETURNING TO TREATMENT
The Barcelona president has revealed that the manager Tito Vilanova will be returning from his cancer treatment in January. Barcelona have been dealt a major blow with the news that the manager Tito Vilanova is suffering from cancer, which has come as a major shock to the world as well. The 44-year-old only recently took over as the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world from Pep Guardiola. He has already had a hint of cancer back in 2011 and underwent surgery. Now, he has had a recurrence of the problem and will be missing a major chunk of the season.
However, due to the fact that there is no football in Spain during the Christmas and New Year period, Tito Vilanova will not be absent from the Barcelona touchline for a long period. Barcelona have made one of the best starts to a la Liga season under the regime of the new manager, as they have dropped just two points in the 17 matches so far. As a result, they have a nine-point advantage over the second placed team Atletico Madrid, while the main rivals Real Madrid are a massive 16 points behind them in the table, which makes Barcelona the odds on favourite to win the title this season.
“He’ll be back within 15 or 20 days but he must spend some days at the hospital and rest. He will mix work with his treatment. The most important thing is his health. Right now football comes second,” said the Barcelona president Sandro Rosell in a recent interview. All the members from the club have said that the return of the manager in full health is far more important than the football. The Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was recently sported having a T-shirt in support of the manager.
PRESENTATION – MOTHERWELL FC – 2009/2010
Soccer Pub Video Score: 5 / 5
ALBA FEELIN HAPPY
The summer signing for Barcelona, Jordi Alba has said that he is finally feeling happy at the club after a slow start to his Barcelona career. The former Valencia defender Jordi Alba was the one major signing made by the club in the summer. He was signed for around £ 12 million, and he had an excellent Euro 2012 with the Spanish national team. He has been at Valencia since the start of his career, thus the move to Barcelona becoming the first one. As a result, it took him a little while to get acclimatised according to the Spaniard.
However, he is now completely settled at the club and is feeling more happy than ever. Barcelona currently have a three-point advantage over Atletico Madrid in the table. Unlike in previous years when Real Madrid have been the title challengers, the second team from Madrid are now threatening to dislodge Barcelona from the top of the table. Jordi Alba has said that it is about time people started giving credit to Atletico Madrid and regarded them as real title challengers. Due to the presence of one of the best strikers in the world – Radamel Falcao, Madrid have been able to keep in touch with Barcelona.
Jordi Alba has also said that he will not rule out Real Madrid from the title race, despite José Mourinho’s men falling 11 points behind them in the table. “I started a little slowly, but now I feel really good and confident. I’m fitting into the team and I want to get better with every day. They [Atletico] are having a great season and they are challengers for the league. They could easily overtake us. You can’t rule out anybody – a club like Real Madrid will fight until the last game of the season to win the league,” said Alba.
Glasgow Celtic FC’s Japanese Player Nakamura Scores That Wonder Goal (while Martin Jnr plays.)
Football Pub Online video Rating: 5 / 5
CASILLAS WAS PRAISE
The former Real Madrid player Ruben De la Red has said that it is about time the Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was rewarded for his outstanding performances with his club teams and also the Spanish national team over the last decades. The 30-year-old Iker Casillas is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He has won every major title with Real Madrid, while the last few seasons has also been extremely successful on the international front as well for the Spaniard. However, he is yet to win major personal accolades like the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.
The former Real Madrid player Ruben De la Red has made a case for the Real Madrid goalkeeper by saying that he should be given the award this time around. Iker Casillas comes on the back of the title winning season with Real Madrid, while he has also won the Euro 2012 title with the Spanish national team as well. His competitors in the form of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Andreas Iniesta have not been able to achieve just similar feat. Lionel Messi may have scored a lot of goals, Cristiano Ronaldo may have won the la Liga title, while Iniesta the Euro 2012, but Iker Casillas has won both the major titles.
“The truth is, goalkeepers maintain a different outlook to the rest of the team. To me, saving a goal is just as important as scoring one. Through that, Casillas has done enough to deserve the Ballon d’Or,” said the former Real Madrid player Ruben De la Red, who announced his retirement from professional football a few years ago. There have been reports that the goalkeeper Iker Casillas has fallen out with the Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo over the differences with regard to who should win the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.