Legends of Fall

Who can forget World Cup 2002 when a young 22 year old Brazilian embarrassed England's most experienced goal keeper David Seaman with an audacious free kick from 40 yards out. Who can forget that famous night at Old Trafford in 2003 where a sharpshotter Ukranian scored the winning penalty for the Rossinerri to take home the most coveted price in club competitions. The answer would be nobody. No one can forget the European Player of the year and World Player of the year in 2004. Yes. I'm talking about none other than Andriy Shevchenko and Ronaldinho the 2 legends, 2 masters of the game whose seasons have nosedived so badly that they are not even worthy of a bench role in their respective clubs - Chelsea and Barcelona. Shevchenko was the second highest goal scorer for AC Milan but has just managed 21 goals for the London outfit for whom he signed at a whopping 30 million. Ronaldinho who got a standing ovation from normally a hoastile crowd at Santiago Berneabeau 2 seasons back has been shown the white handkerchief at Nou Camp this season. Both of them cannot even buy a goal for themselves this season. There could be many theories for the fall of these 2 legends. Shevchenko's failure could be his inability to adapt with the English conditions and style of playin. Ronaldinho on the other hand has a lot of off field problems, the weight issue and strange injuries which has marred his season and on a whole Barcelona's season.
AC Milan has decided to take a gamble with the club president and current Italian president Silvio Berlusconi saying they would resign Sheva and also bring in Ronnie to form a 'lethal trio' with Kaka already there at San Siro. Time would tell if the transfers to take place and a good possiblity is we might see these 2 legends playing together with another Brazilian masterclass Kaka; successful or not if the 3 play to their potential could be a potent striking triplet which many defences would fear playing against. Hope is what all fans like me have to see Sheva and Ronnie be back to their best and start a new era in AC Milan's already glorious history.

IS MANAGER BIGGER THAN THE CLUB ?

After the sudden departure of Jose 'The Special One' Mourniho from the Blues the burning question arises that is a manager or player bigger than a football club. Have to admit that Jose's charisma, his tactics, the overall persona of the 'Special One' will be missed. But a club cannot cling on to the past and have to look at the future. Mourniho has bought unparallel success to Chelsea - a very tough task to follow his footsteps for the person succeeding him. But the team has to move on and with the recent success at Valencia,Riverside has just instilled hope in the Blues revival which I personally thought we had lost specially seeing the games at Old Trafford and the London derby with Fulham. Tensions are still running high at Stamford Bridge with the recent interview of Didier Drogba and the news of Frankie Lampard being up for sale. But being a true blue faithful I hope we keep up the revival and continue with the last 3 years success , and bring in more for the Blues trophy cabinet - maybe the 'big one' the Champions League.

Battle for Glory!!!!!!

Michael Ballack's goal in the 109th minute sets up the dream final at the new Wembley. 9th May, 19th May - 2 days which will be off the charts sees the 2 giants of England - Chelsea and Manchester United lock horns for the Premiership and FA Cup glory, and if things shape up in the right manner it might be the dream European final between these two.So lets see if the Blues win a quadruple or will it be the Red Devils for the treble. Or will the trophies shared with both clubs doing their doubles.

Is he really the special one?

"Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one."

The memory of a 40 year old Portugese running towards the sidelines of Old Trafford to celebrate with his team in the process knocking out the Red Devils in the Champions League still haunt Manchester United fans and specially Sir Alex Fergusson. But it was just the starting of things to come for this self proclaimed "The Special One" José Mourinho. He took his side FC Porto to lift the most coveted trophy in club competitions - the UEFA Champions League. That June he moved to Chelsea and in his 3 years at the club has won 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cups and are fighting for the 3 more competitions this year - the FA Cup, which by the way is the only domestic trophy which has eluded him , the Champions League and the Premier League which they trail by 6 points to Fergie's Manchester United.So this rampaging success has raised the big question "Is he the special one?"

After backroom jobs at small clubs in the early 1990's, he worked as a translator under Sir Bobby Robson at both Sporting Lisbon and then Benfica. He then followed Robson to FC Barcelona. When Robson left for PSV, Mourinho stayed at Barcelona and worked with Robson's replacement, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal. Mourinho's undoubted confidence and personality helped him get beyond his original role, as he began to participate actively in coaching sessions and management meetings. Eventually, Mourinho coached FC Barcelona B.
But his real success started off when he took the unfashionable mid-table outfit União de Leiria to 4th position in the league.In January of 2002 he was chosen as FC Porto manager to replace Octávio Machado and that season took them to the 3rd position and enabled them a UEFA Cup spot which seemed a distant reality when he joined the club.He promised he would win the league next year and that was exactly what he did.He won the treble by winning the Portugese Cup and defeating Celtic lifted the UEFA CUP.He had made a team of not so huge stars into big European names the following season when he did the double by winning the League and the big one the Champions League.Players like Deco,Ricardo Carvalho,Maniche,Costinha who were not the big money players became household names because of this crafty manager of theirs.That June he left the club since he had won it all in Portugal and with FC Porto winning the Champions League it was the icing on a cake.So he had to look out for a new challenge and thus came Chelsea FC under the Roman Abrahomvic era.

The 2 horse race between Arsenal and Manchester United had recieved a jolt in the 2003-04 season when Chelsea under Claudio Ranieri secured 2nd position in the league but worse was yet to come for these 2 teams and the rest of the chasing pack as Chelsea ran away with the title in the 2004-05 season with a single loss, they won the League Cup and lost out to Liverpool in the Champions League in controversial circumstances. Mourniho was an instant hit in the media and ignited some great rivalries with Ferguson,Wenger and Benitez. The dominance of Arsenal and Manchester United had been broken by this self believing, at times arrogant and one of the most successful and controversial Portugese.They romped away with the League once again in 2004-05 and Mourniho had wanded his magic in Chelsea's centenary year.His urge to win the big one the Champions League with Chelsea has been proved with the 2 big summer signings of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko.

Seeing this glorius success in his managerial career one has to agree with what he says - he indeed is the special one when it comes to managing a club, grinding out results and winning trophies.

End of the Galacticos Era

With the news of Roberto Carlos leaving Real Madrid in the summer it brings to the end of the Galacticos chapter of Real Madrid. The era which saw a world transfer record £38.7 paid when Luis Figo joined Madrid from their bitter rivals Barcelona and the arrival of the biggest brand in football David Joseph Beckham. An era which saw the superb left footed volley of the genius Zidane against Bayern Leverkusen in 2001/02 season to the skillful displays of the highest goal getter in the world cup Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima. But as the saying goes all good things must come to an end and it did.

The decline started when Real refussed signing of the man they thought was too ugly to wear the white of Madrid - Ronaldniho and then president Florentino Pérez went on to make a move which would term him a "Marketing Genius" but to the fans "A footballing error" by signing in David Beckham for a potential €35 million. This along with some other bold but not so beautiful decisions led to the downfall of the club on a whole. Vicente Del Bosque who won them the league on the last day was sacked, Fernando Hierro a spanish legend and a true servant to the club left, Claude Makelele did not get his contract extension and left for Chelsea for whom he turned out to be a trumpcard for their success, Samuel Etoo a striker on loan to Real Mallorca also transfered to arch rivals Barcelona and scored goals for fun there, the prodigal son Fernando Morientes loaned off to AS Monanco who incidentaly beat Madrid on their way to the Champions League final and Morientes was the top scorer that year. After this followed 8 coaches in 4 years with 4 in 2004/05 season. Players who had the ability and hunger to win trophies left with frustration specially with the likes of Cambiasso, Santiago Solari and even Figo left in summer of 2005. The club who had a rich history, who used to win cups with ease who had once seen the likes of De Stefano, Puskás, Hugo Sanchez, Hagi, Suker, Redondo wear their colours could not even fight for a trophy for the last 4 years. Even this 2006-07 season the new President Ramon Calderon and with the return of the "master" Fabio Capello with his troops Cannavaro who took the number 5 from the player who was his opposite number in the world cup final, Emmerson and Diarra to fill the hole Makelele left 3 years ago, Ruud "Van the Man" Nistelrooy haven't been able to steady the ship.

Now with Beckham leaving for Los Angeles Galaxy, Ronaldo loaded off to AC Milan and Roberto Carlos all set to leave this will surely bring the curtains down on the Galacticos Era and will hopefully be the beginning of a new Real Madrid which will bring back the history and charisma to a club which has ruled the European scene for decades.

Football - The Game

Throughout the history of mankind, the urge to kick at stones and other such objects is thought to have led to many early activities involving kicking and/or running with a ball. In Europe, early footballs were made out of animal bladders, more specifically pig's bladders, which were inflated. Later leather coverings were introduced to allow the ball to keep their shape. However, in 1851, Richard Lindon and William Gilbert, both shoemakers from the town of Rugby (near the school), exhibited both round and oval-shaped balls at the Great Exhibition in London. Richard Lindon's wife is said to have died due to lung disease caused by blowing up pig's bladders.Lindon also won medals for the invention of the "Rubber inflatable Bladder" and the "Brass Hand Pump".
In 1855, the U.S. inventor Charles Goodyear— who had patented vulcanized rubber — exhibited a spherical football, with an exterior of vulcanized rubber panels, at the Paris Exhibition Universelle. The ball was to prove popular in early forms of football in the U.S.A.

Sheffield Football Club, founded in 1857 in the English city of Sheffield, by former Harrow School pupils Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, was later recognised as the world's oldest club playing association football.

Slowly and steadily it grew into force and on the evening of October 26,1863 representatives of several football clubs in the London Metropolitan area met for the inaugural meeting of The Football Association (FA).


This game has seen the birth of great legends in the form of Pele, Ferec Puskás in the 50's and 60's, the brilliance of Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cryuff in the 70's, the spoilt genius Maradona and Gascogine to the midas touch of Zizou and Ronaldniho. It is a game which has left a bittersweet effect on all of us who have followed down the years. It has seen the images of a team from Africa having odds of 1000/1 defeat the defending champions, team coming from 3-0 down in a half to win the most coveted trophy in club competitions , but with good memories comes the bitter ones in the Heysel disaster which marred the Champions League final between Liverpool and Juventus to the continuous rascist taunts at the coloured players till date.

Its a game which has bought billions together and will continue to do so till the world cease to exist and still the images of this beautiful game will last forever.