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Lionel Messi admits that once he leaves Barcelona his dream is to retire in Argentina
The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year reiterated his desire to retire from professional soccer at Newell's Old Boys.
FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi admitted that if he were to leave Barcelona it would only be to return to a club from his native Argentina."In Europe I want to play for Barcelona, I'd stay here always. The more time I can stay here, the better for me, I feel really comfortable and very liked. But before retiring I want to play in my country, I'm very sure that I want to play in Argentina. It is a dream of mine and it will come true," Messi declared to Buenos Aires sports newspaper Ole.
Since arriving on the world-stage Messi has always affirmed his intentions to one day return to Newell's Old Boys, the Rosario-based club where he commenced his youth career.
Arch-rivals Argentina and Brazil set to meet in high-profile friendly match in June
The South American rivals will fight for supremacy in the latest edition of the 'Derby of the Americas' at the MetLife stadium.
The Argentine Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil will lock horns in a high-profile friendly match in the United States on June 9.Widely regarded as the biggest international derby in the world, the one-off match will be staged at a fitting venue: the impressive $1.6 billion 83,000-capacity MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The match will serve both sides as preparation for the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. While Brazil have already qualified for the tournament as being the hosts, Argentina will have to fight it out during the South American World Cup qualifiers for a berth in the finals.
Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella compares Lionel Messi with a Scalextric toy car
Prior to being named World Player of the Year for the third time 'La Pulga' received wide praise from his national team coach.
Alejandro Sabella, the coach of the Argentine national team, praised Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi prior to being named FIFA World Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. "I already knew that he was the best player in the world, but I was surprised when I had the opportunity to see him from up close, his change of rhythm to explosion, his technique [when running] at speed, how he controls the ball at that pace.
"He looks like that old game of Scalextric which we used when we were kids, those tiny cars that would start from zero right to full-speed," Sabella said to the official website of soccer's world governing body FIFA.
Argentine tactician Jose Pekerman confirmed the new coach of Colombia
The innovative coach will occupy the vacancy left by Leonel Alvarez in December.
Jose Pekerman transformed himself into the new coach of the Colombian national team after signing a two and a half year deal on Friday, confirmed Luis Bedoya, the president of the Colombian Football Association."Pekerman already signed, there has been an agreement. He is the new coach of the senior Colombian national team. It is an honour because of what he is and what he represents," Bedoya declared to Caracol Radio.
"He [Pekerman] believes Colombia are passing through a very good moment, they possess quality players, he thinks it is possible to pick up what has been lost. He believes it is a good moment to take over the national team," affirmed Bedoya.
Argentina's highest scorer Ruben Ramirez wants to move to Boca Juniors at all costs
The prolific striker could well reinforce Argentina's most popular club for the Clausura championship.
Godoy Cruz scoring-machine Ruben Ramirez admitted that he would be delighted with a future transfer to Boca Juniors. The striker has recently attracted the attention of several clubs, including the Argentine Apertura champions.Ramirez, who finished as the leading scorer of the Apertura with twelve goals, wants to return to a 'big' Argentine club after a disappointing stint with Racing Club in 2009.
"After my time with Racing I want to have my revenge at a big club and if I had the choice I'd like to be coached by [Julio] Falcioni," confessed Ramirez, in reference to the title-winning Boca coach.
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona wants to coach the United Arab Emirates
'El Pibe de Oro' is hoping to be presented with the opportunity to coach the national side.
Diego Maradona affirmed on Wednesday that he would like the idea of taking charge of the United Arab Emirates national team, who sacked their coach a few months ago after a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign.Maradona, who has coached Al Wasl since last May, is rumoured to be one of the candidates to occupy the vacancy left by Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec, after the UAE suffered a 3-1 defeat to Lebanon in September. The national team went on to lose their following three matches when under an interim coach.
The legendary Argentine soccer genius didn't declare whether the UAE FA made him an offer, but he indicated that if he were to receive an offer he would accept it "with pleasure."
Diego Simeone is presented as the new coach of Atletico Madrid
The former Argentina captain promises big things at the Vicente Calderon.
Diego Simeone promised to help Atletico Madrid relive its glory days upon his official presentation as the new coach of the club at the Vicente Calderon stadium on Tuesday.Simeone, 41, was brought in to replace Gregorio Manzano after Atletico's horrendous start to the season, where not only do they lie in 10th place in La Liga but last week were knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the hands of third-tier Albacete.
"I like an aggressive team. I want to see a strong team, a team which is committed and quick on the break. These are things which Atletico fans have always liked and which they identify themselves with for the love of this shirt," Simeone stated to the press during his first news conference as the coach of the club.
Colombia seek the services of Argentine coach Jose Pekerman
The Argentine tactician could return to the international spectrum with Colombia.
The Colombian national team are still looking for a new coach to occupy the vacancy left by Leonel Alvarez when he was fired from his duties in mid-December. Colombia's first priority was Gerardo Martino, but the coach rejected the offer in favour of a return to his beloved Newell's Old Boys. Due to this, Colombia now seek the services of Jose Pekerman.
"He is an excellent coach," Luis Bedoya, the president of the Colombian Football Association, told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. "To count with his services would be very good."
Since the dismissal of Alvarez, after a horrible start to Colombia's 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, Colombia have been after a coach with vast international experience. Pekerman fits perfectly into this category, after having coached the Argentine national team between 2004 and 2006.
Carlos Bianchi believes "Messi is better than Maradona and Pele"
The prized tactician regards his blessed countryman as the greatest player of all time.
According to former Argentine coach Carlos Bianchi, Lionel Messi and his club Barcelona are from a completely different planet when compared to the rest.Bianchi, who coached Boca Juniors, Atletico Madrid and AS Roma, amongst others, summed up Barcelona's Club World Cup triumph over Santos as incredible. He believes the 4-0 thrashing confirmed Barcelona's status as the best team in history.
"We are in the presence of the best team in history," stated Bianchi.
"Something similar occurred to me in respect to Lionel Messi: a few days ago, I did a talk for a business, and in the middle of the conference a Brazilian asked me who I considered as the best player in history, Pele or [Diego] Maradona. I responded with all the respect that both deserved, in this moment I see Messi as being superior to everyone."
Argentina Primera Division Report: Week 19 (Dec 12)
Godoy Cruz grabbed Argentina's final Copa Libertadores berth after defeating Atletico Rafaela on Monday. Racing, Independiente and Tigre missed out at their expense.
Godoy Cruz of Mendoza grabbed Argentina's final Copa Libertadores spot after cruising to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Atletico Rafaela in the 19th and final round of the Apertura championship on Monday.Independiente, Racing Club and Tigre had all hoped for a Godoy Cruz slip-up, in order to stay in the hunt for a Libertadores berth, but El Tomba maintained their composure and will feature in the competition for a second consecutive year.
Had Godoy Cruz dropped points against Rafaela, Independiente would have qualified instead, after they came from behind to defeat Tigre 2-1 in Avellaneda.
Meanwhile, Racing Club were beaten 1-0 by Velez Sarsfield in Liniers, but still finished in second-place with 31 points, twelve points behind Apertura champions Boca Juniors.
In this report:
Argentina Primera Division Report: Week 19 (Dec 11)
Dario Cvitanich ensured that Apertura champions Boca Juniors ended the season unbeaten with a late winner against All Boys at the Bombonera stadium on Sunday.
Apertura champions Boca Juniors capped off a memorable campaign with a 1-0 win over All Boys at the Bombonera stadium. Boca, Argentina's most popular club, ended the season unbeaten with a staggering 43 points, that came from 12 wins, 7 draws and zero losses.Boca scored 25 goals and only conceded a mere 6 in nineteen league matches, a stunning achievement considering that Julio Falcioni's side finished in seventh-place of the 2011 Clausura championship, with only 28 points.
What makes Boca's triumph even that more satisfying is the fact that they can look down at arch-rivals River Plate, who lurk in the obscurity of the Argentine second division.
With the Argentine Apertura in the bag, Boca's next objective will be the 2012 Copa Libertadores, a tournament which they have won six times, but not since 2007.
In this report:
Argentina Primera Division Report: Week 18 (Dec 6-7)
Apertura champions Boca Juniors extend unbeaten record with draw at Arsenal, while Racing Club and Independiente fight for Copa Libertadores berth.
Cristian Chavez rescued Argentine Apertura champions Boca Juniors a 2-2 draw with Arsenal de Sarandi with twenty minutes left in the second half to give Boca the possibility to finish the season unbeaten when they take on All Boys at the Bombonera stadium on Sunday.Meanwhile, the race for Argentina's fifth and final Copa Libertadores spot is going down to the wire, after Racing Club and Independiente picked up crucial wins midweek. The same could not be said for Godoy Cruz and Tigre however, after defeats reduced both team's chances of qualifying for South America's biggest club competition next year.
For now, Boca, Velez Sarsfield, Arsenal and Lanus have assured themselves of participation in the Copa Libertadores, with the final spot still up for grabs for either of the following clubs: Godoy Cruz (55 points), Racing Club (54 points), Independiente (53 points) and Tigre (52 points).
In this report:
Maradona mocks Pele’s fitness after “Neymar much better than Messi” comments
Diego Maradona has blasted his eternal foe, Pele, following the Brazilian’s claims that Neymar is much better and more complete than Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
“He took the wrong pill. Instead of taking the pill for before bedtime, he took his morning pill,” Maradona sarcastically told reporters on Thursday.“He got confused and he doesn’t know what he's saying... I suggest that next time he takes the right medication before he starts to speak, and that he changes his doctor.”
Last month, Lionel Messi revealed to France Football that Pele had not yet offered him the DVD he promised. The Argentine forward retorted to Pele’s claims in a calm manner, stating:
Pele believes "Neymar is better" than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi
The outspoken Brazilian soccer legend rates Neymar higher than the blessed Argentine.
Brazilian soccer legend, Pele, shocked the press by stating that he believes his fellow countryman Neymar is a far more complete player than World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.Messi, who has won everything at a club level with FC Barcelona, is not only regarded as the best player in the world at the moment, but many believe he is up there with the very best of all time, including Pele and Diego Maradona. However, Pele disagrees with the masses, because he feels that Messi is not a complete player, like Santos prodigy Neymar.
"Making an individual comparison, I think Neymar is better, he's more complete, as he hits the ball with both feet, he can dribble on either flank, and can score goals," Pele declared to Globoesporte.
Argentina Primera Division Report: Week 16 (Nov 26-27)
Boca Juniors moved within a point of the Argentine Apertura championship after defeating Godoy Cruz on Sunday.
Boca Juniors, Argentina's most popular club, are just a step away from clinching the Argentine Apertura championship, after defeating Godoy Cruz 2-1 in Mendoza on Sunday. Everything indicates that Boca, with 36 points, will win their 24th national championship next weekend as they only need a draw at the Bombonera stadium against a Banfield side who are stranded at the bottom of the table.With the title practically decided in Boca's favour with three rounds still to play in the Apertura, the race for the two remaining Copa Libertadores berths is still alive. With Boca, Velez Sarsfield and Arsenal de Sarandi already assured of a place in South America's biggest club competition next year, two more places are up for grabs, with Lanus and Godoy Cruz occupying those slots at the moment.
In this report:
Argentina Primera Division Report: Week 15 (Nov 19-21)
Boca Juniors missed out on a glorious opportunity to close-in on the Argentine Apertura championship after being held to a goalless draw by nine-man Racing Club on Sunday.
Boca Juniors missed out on an ideal opportunity to practically clinch the Argentine Apertura championship after fighting out a goalless draw with second-placed Racing Club at the Bombonera stadium on Sunday.Despite failing to beat a Racing side that were reduced to nine-men, Boca have a healthy lead in the competition with 35 points from 15 matches, with only four rounds left in the season. Rivals Racing trail them by eight points, and will need to win their remaining matches and hope for a Boca slip-up in order to stay with a chance at the silverware.
Meanwhile, Velez Sarsfield moved into third-place, with 24 points, after beating Belgrano de Cordoba 3-1 on Saturday. Velez remain with mathematical possibilities at the title, but will have to pray for a miracle to win back-to-back championships.
In this report:
Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi at their best: Big Week Recap
It has been a great week for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While Ronaldo ensured Portugal qualified for the Euro 2012 finals with ease, Messi netted a goal for Argentina at last.
Earlier this week…
Cristiano Ronaldo proves himself against Bosnia
Before the international session this month, Cristiano Ronaldo had netted four goals in four games for Portugal since August - eventually averaging a goal per game for his country. This was enough for the superstar to be proud of his performance at international level; but it was his achievement on November 15 that sent him to another level under his national team’s jersey.
In an UEFA Euro 2012 play-off match where a non-goalless draw would have been insufficient on aggregate, the playmaker made sure his responsibilities were totally assumed. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a thunderous free-kick after only eight minutes against Bosnia-Herzegovina, before netting an easier goal that bagged him a double.
Colombia vs Argentina Report
Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero were on target as Argentina rallied to beat Colombia in Barranquilla on Tuesday.
Argentina came from behind to defeat Colombia 2-1 in an action-packed 2014 World Cup qualifier at the Metropolitano stadium of Barranquilla on Tuesday.Both teams came into the match in need of the three points after picking up disappointing results in home games last week. While Colombia drew 1-1 with Venezuela, the outcome of Argentina's match with Bolivia finished identically.
Argentina started strongly, controlling the flow of the game as they tried to dominate their opponents. The Argentines played attractive one-touch soccer, and looked dangerous each time they moved forward, however, their attackers, particularly Lionel Messi, couldn't break through the resilient Colombia defense.
Colombia vs Argentina Preview
Argentina will be pressured to return home with the three points against Colombia in Barranquilla.
Colombia and Argentina clash in a highly anticipated 2014 World Cup qualifier at the Metropolitano Roberto Melendez stadium of Barranquilla on Tuesday. As is generally the case when both sides meet, the encounter is expected to be very exciting as both have plenty to prove, especially after having claimed highly frustrating home draws last week against teams that they would normally beat.Both teams will be hoping to turn the page on last week's results, to confront a difficult match that could be won by either side. Likewise, both Colombia and Argentina have made modifications coming into the match, with defenders Amaranto Perea and Martin Demichelis, who were responsible for the goals conceded by their sides, out for the game. While Perea will miss the match due to suspension, Demichelis was dropped by Alejandro Sabella.
Argentina vs Bolivia Report
Ezequiel Lavezzi rescues point for Argentina after another dismal display against Bolivia.
Argentina once again demonstrated that they are playing well below their potential, after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Bolivia at the Monumental stadium of Buenos Aires in Round 3 of the South American qualifiers for Brazil 2014.The result was identical to that of the inaugurating match of the 2011 Copa America last July, which also ended in a frustrating draw for Argentina, even if they also came into the match as the overwhelming favourites.
As had been expected, Bolivia set out to play with ten players behind the ball and their plan worked perfectly in the first half, as not even World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, could break through their rock-solid defense.