This wasn’t a very difficult decision. In Fact, I had left my choice for a nomination till today, as I knew without a doubt that the right man would arise during the Spanish Cup El Clasico on Wednesday night. Last season had a revealed a few potential candidates during the run of matchups between the Spanish giants. Few will forget the atrocious display of simulation by Daniel Alves and Sergio Busquets during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

After a lengthy break, a new season has begun. Considering Real Madrid had four players sent off in five match-ups last season, one could imagine that José would have attempted enforcing some sort of discipline amongst his squad as they embark on a refreshed race with the Catalans for Silverware. One may even believe that he might possibly attempt some level of self-control. If so, you were horribly mistaken.

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Three days after winning the La Liga title Barcelona have snapped up Valencia striker David Villa for €40 million.

After a board meeting at Valencia in the morning, their president Manuel Llorente said they had accepted Barca’s offer for the striker who scored 21 league goals last season to finish his fifth consecutive campaign as the club’s top scorer.

“We have sold David Villa to Barcelona for 40 million euros,” he told a news conference at the Mestalla.

On the international stage, Villa is Spain’s second highest scorer with 36 goals from 55 matches, eight short of Raul’s record, and he will be spearheading Spain’s World Cup campaign in South Africa next month.

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Barcelona beat Stuttgart 4 – 0 to cruise into the Champions League last eight with Lionel Messi scoring two magic goals.

Messi struck a brilliant opener after just 12 minutes to put Barca 2-1 ahead in the last-16 tie, and he played a key role soon after as Pedro Rodriguez made it 2-0 on the night in the Nou Camp.

Messi, who was a constant menace, added a third on the hour mark to take his tally to eight goals in the last four games before Bojan Krkic completed the romp late on as Barca became Spain’s only representative to make it into the last eight.

Real Madrid, whose Bernabeu stadium will stage this year’s final, and Sevilla were both dumped out in the last week while Atletico Madrid bade farewell to the competition in the group stages.

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Valencia striker David Villa has been talking with Barcelona about a move to the UEFA  Champions Leugue winners, Spanish media said on Thursday.

“I only want to go to Barca,” Villa told Barcelona’s technical director Txiqui Begiristain at a secret meeting, the Catalan sports paper Mundo Deportivo said.

He said “that there are only two alternatives: to agree on his transfer to Barca or he is ready to see out his contract with Valencia,” the daily Sport reported.

It said the 27-year-old has rejected interest from Chelsea and from Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona, who have won a unique treble of league, Spanish cup and European Champions League trophies last season, are ready to offer Villa contract of four or five years, said Mundo Deportivo.

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: koptalkinsider.wordpress.com

Barcelona outclassed Manchester United last night by beating them 2 – 0 in the UEFA Champions League final played in Rome, Italy.

Goals from star forwards Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi gave the Catalans a deserved victory and denied United from becoming the first team to retain the title since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1993.

It gave the Spaniards a unique treble having already won their domestic league and cup and meant they repeated a feat United achieved in 1999, which Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson had then claimed would never be matched.

It crowned a marvellous debut season for his Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola, who at 38 becomes the youngest coach to take European club football’s greatest prize.

For Thierry Henry it ended years of frustration especially when his then team Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final.

“Finally I have won it! I have been waiting for so long for this moment,” said the France great, whose daughter celebrated her birthday as well on Wednesday.

“The last five minutes were the longest of my life. Even if we were 2-0 up we were playing the best team in the world (referring to the world club championship title United won earlier this year).”

Barca overcame early jitters to dominate large parts of the game as the English club never managed to get their usual high tempo game into gear.

In a clash billed as the match of the century pitting the best two teams in the world – with each one boasting one of the best two players in the world – only one played to their full potential.

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