Where will Pogba be next?

February 28, 2016

Paul Pogba, a 22-year old Juventus midfielder, may be moving to La Liga this summer.  Pogba is originally from France, but that is not stopping him from considering both Manchester City and Chelsea.  However, his top choice is with either FC Barca or Real Madrid.  There are many eyes on Pogba at the moment, but he does seem to prefer a move to La Lifa over a move back to the Premier League.  All of these teams are willing to spend big money on Pogba.  The player also has great things to say about Pep Guardiola including, “…but clearly if you have the change to work with someone like him, you can only develop further”.  There are many mixed signals regarding what team he will choose so we will have to wait and see.

Which team do you want Pogba to play for? Which do you think he should play for or would be best for him as a player?

Article and photo source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3465427/Paul-Pogba-targets-Barcelona-Real-Madrid-blow-Premier-League-suitors-Chelsea-Manchester-City.html

Will Neymar be Leaving for Manchester United?

February 28, 2016

There have been multiple rumors surrounding Neymar regarding both his financial legal battles and now his possible leave from FC Barca.  However, Neymar’s father, who is also his manager, has denied accusations that his son has signed with Manchester United, although he does admit offers are on the table.  According to ESPN Brasil, Neymar has signed a five year, with two more years left on it, contract with Barcelona, but due to his ongoing legal issues no official announcement has been made about his possible early termination. One deterrent may be the €143.3m release clause that would face Manchester United. According to Neymar and his father, they would like to stay with FC Barca, and the club would like to keep Neymar as well. A quote from Neymar Sr. reads, “Other offers are coming in again, but Barca are gearing up to be able to reject and avoid them.”

Do you think Barcelona should keep Neymar regardless of his various legal troubles? Does this have any direct or indirect impact on the Club itself?

Article and photo source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/barcelona-news-neymar-father-denies-reports-player-has-signed-new-deal-amid-manchester-united-talks-1546269

Welcome to America?

2/28/2016
Recently, CNN contributor Chris Murphy wrote a piece questioning whether Messi and Roanldo should come play for the US soccer teams. Supposedly, top-notch MLS stars such as  Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard and the likes are encoring these two European super starts to seriously consider coming to play for the MLS. Yes their playing skills would be remarkable for the MLS, however the article goes into detail on the real reason they should consider playing which is the Hollywood super-star status. This is interesting for such skilled players who would quite possibly leave behind playing for some of the best organization in the world, purely to claim their "hollywood" status. In Ronaldo's case, he is a spotlight loving star who has rumored to date some of hollywoods top celebrities. It seems he would be more fitting for the spotlight than Messi would be. Ronaldo has even hinted at ending his career stateside. It is interesting to think about the possibilities that these two stars would bring to the MLS and how it would increase their franchise. Messi on the other hand has never hinted at leaving the Euro league to play stateside, however Brazilian player Kaka thinks that there is a high chance Messi will also end up playing for the MLS.

What do you think the chances that both players will play in the MLS are?

Do you think that having Messi or Ronaldo coming to the states will increase European presence in the MLS?

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/22/football/football-mls-messi-ronaldo/index.html?eref=edition

Pique- What Barcelona Means to Him and Catalonia

In the attached article, Gerard Pique, FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team's central defender, discusses his career, home life, and connection to FC Barcelona. As a child, Pique and his parents frequently attended FCB matches and eventually became a member of the club's youth program. It was here that he began playing with legends like Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas. While he spent four years playing for Manchester United in the Premier League, he later returned home to his beloved club, FCB, and has been playing there ever since. When describing Catalonia’s relationship with the club he explains, “we (Catalonia) are really small and Barcelona is an instrument to show to the world that we are good at a lot of things”. The club is an obvious source of pride for Catalans and for Pique himself.

Undoubtedly, FC Barcelona is a worldwide powerhouse when it comes to football, thus attracting top players from across the globe. Unlike many of its players, Pique was born in Barcelona and has grown up around the club. This homegrown loyalty urges the following question: is the perception of FCB as “més que un club” universally embraced by its players or just by those who have a personal connection to the club? How do you think foreign players of FCB feel about such a motto?

Article and photo source: http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/season/2013-2014/pique-speaks-to-cnn-about-his-past-present-and-future

Messi on Family, Pressure and Instinct

February 15, 2016

It is not so often that a world class player of Lionel Messi's stature is willing to openly speak to the press about his private life. On November 3, 2015, Messi interviewed with Four Four Two to discuss some aspects of his personal life. The international superstar describes his young son Thiago as "the most important thing in my life", far exceeding his passion for the game that brought him to global prominence. While one can only imagine the constant pressure that Barcelona's number ten faces, Messi seems unaffected by the surrounding paparazzi and fans. Whether on the pitch or off, he "prefer[s] to stay calm, and be with [his] own thoughts". He begins preparation for a match the day after the previous match, to ensure that he is ready when the first whistle blows. Another tactic practiced by Messi is to visualize what might happen in the game before it begins. Regardless of his preparation routine, however, when he feels the grass under his feet, he feels confident. Perhaps no quote sums it up better than this: "I don't feel any pressure- quite the contrary, because I always enjoy what I am doing, and that is playing football".

Article:
http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/lionel-messi-opens-about-his-private-life-pressure-and-playing-instinctively-4009710

(http://the18.com/news/parents-banned-naming-their-children-messi-argentina)

Will he have "Neymar" Money?

February 14, 2016 

FC Barcelona star striker, Neymar, may be in major trouble regarding tax evasions in his hometown of Santos, Brazil.  Neymar, along with his father, are being prosecuted for tax evasion and for providing false information.  Allegedly, the father and son duo had forged several documents between 2006 and 2013 with the intentions of reducing the player’s income taxes in Brazil.  The money that they have supposedly put into the father’s account was from Neymar’s publicity works (images of him when he was playing for FC Santos).  The article states “Last week, a Sao Paolo judge rules that Neymar and his father would have to pay back nearly 103,000 Euros in taxes to the Brazilian authorities in a separate case relating to wrongdoing in 2007 and 2008.”  Clearly, Neymar is not new to legal troubles.

There are also details revolving around a 2011 negotiation to trade Neymar prior to his joining FC Barcelona in 2013.  And then last Tuesday; Neymar appeared in a Madrid court regarding irregularities with his 2013 signing.  Hopefully these legal battles will not continue for the young 23-year-old FC Barca striker. 

As you read here, Neymar is involved in a few different legal scandals.  Do you think La Liga should have any input/punishment regarding Neymar if the prosecutions continue?

http://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/5358/20140617/42-interesting-facts-about-neymar-became-a-father-at-age-19-named-the-most-marketable-athlete-in-the-world.htm

Article: http://www.dw.com/en/neymar-under-investigation-for-fraud-in-brazil/a-19021536