La Liga

[xudong]

Messi just achieved something unthinkable. He scored against all 19 teams in La Liga, in 19 consecutive rounds.



C. Ronaldo did score against all 20 teams (including an own goal against Real Madrid ).

[xudong]

Ancelotti is officially announced as the head coach of Real Madrid. I am happy for Ancelotti, but not happy that Real Madrid got him. I think I will support Real Madrid in La Liga, and maybe even in the CL, as long as they don't get their 10th (unless they are already in the final facing UEFAlona, in which I will just won't watch and hope for both team getting disqualified for match-fixing).

[Nalx]

In a way I could understand Carletto's decision because as a squad Madrid is more equipped to challenge for UCL than PSG. That said, he already started his project for a year and a half in collaboration with a director that he already knew, bringing in many top quality players he wanted. Now he needs to start from scratch because as good as Madrid are, this team and its best player are basically moulded to suit Mourinho's brand of football (counter-attacking from the wings) which is quite different to his style.

And not to mention Madrid's fans and the press are much more demanding. Pellegrini brought in goals galore and record total points but was sacked a year later.

[xudong]

I think it has something to do with how he was treated in PSG. I read that a few months ago, when he had some small setback, they got impatient and threatened to fire him. Maybe Ancelotti didn't feel that he was respected enough, so this could be his personal revenge.

I have always hated Real Madrid, but I like Ancelotti too much to hate his team, so I wish him (and Real Merdarid) good luck in La Liga.

[GeoTav]

In a way I could understand Carletto's decision because as a squad Madrid is more equipped to challenge for UCL than PSG. That said, he already started his project for a year and a half in collaboration with a director that he already knew, bringing in many top quality players he wanted. Now he needs to start from scratch because as good as Madrid are, this team and its best player are basically moulded to suit Mourinho's brand of football (counter-attacking from the wings) which is quite different to his style.

And not to mention Madrid's fans and the press are much more demanding. Pellegrini brought in goals galore and record total points but was sacked a year later.

One of the problems is there ... Leonardo isn't a director he knows, he's a person he used to know in a less important role in Milan !!

In PSG, Leonardo is more important than the coach as he does the mercato of the club, and it's another problem : Leonardo brought some players that Ancelotti never asked.

Leonardo seems to be such an egocentric character ... He wants to be the main guy, the boss, and that's probably what made him fail with Berlusconi, maybe that's what made him fail in Inter then (as the only reason he went to Inter was to get revenge against us actually), and that's what's going to make him fail again in PSG (already got problems).

Actually, I'm glad that Leonardo left Milan and has nothing to do with us anymore.

About Ancelotti, he's been the dream of Perez for years, and Madrid has been his dream for so much time now ... It's maybe the perfect time for him to go to Madrid, I don't think Perez will fire him if he doesn't get the expected results from day 1, and I think he's going to build a strong squad there, unfortunately for us*.

* Because each time other teams start real projects (Barcelona, Bayern to write only two of these clubs), that means the work allowing us to step up and come back among the best European clubs is going to be even harder.

[xudong]

don't know where to post it. but since he is joining Barca (perfect match may I say ), so here it is.

[GeoTav]

don't know where to post it. but since he is joining Barca (perfect match may I say ), so here it is.

Yep, the guy has the perfect style for Barcelona ... A mix between the Barcelona players and C.Ronaldo : the most irritating player to watch.

[Androgynous]

What you can't see in Xu's gif

[ACMILAN1983]

lmao, that fits so perfectly!

[xudong]

I have Messi to thank for Barca job says new boss Martino
July 23, 2013

Gerardo Martino believes fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi had a say in his appointment as the new Barcelona coach.

The Spanish champions confirmed today they had reached an agreement for Martino to take over the reins at the Nou Camp on a two-year deal.

The 50-year-old former Paraguay boss succeeds Tito Vilanova, who stepped down from the role on Friday after one season in charge as he continues his battle with cancer.

Both Martino and Messi are from the Rosario region of Argentina and the four-time Ballon d'Or winner has spoken in glowing terms about his compatriot in the past.

And Martino reckons Messi put in a good word for him with the Barcelona hierarchy.

"I don't know the details of the situation, (but) I have no doubts that Messi spoke with the club directors. I'm sure that Jorge (Messi's father) and Leo have had some weight in this decision," Martino said in a press conference in Rosario this evening.

"They've given their opinion and we've arrived at this end.

"How much weight their opinions held in the decision I don't know but I'm grateful."

He added: "To coach Barca us an extremely important opportunity. I'm very grateful that Barcelona have gone for me and my coaching team."

A host of managers were linked to the vacant position with the Spanish champions, including Luis Enrique, Andre Villas-Boas, Marcelo Bielsa, Michael Laudrup and Guus Hiddink, who yesterday resigned as coach of Anzhi Makhachkala.

However, Martino emerged as the favourite over the weekend and the former Argentina midfielder was today confirmed as Barca's new boss, subject to the drafting and signing of his contract with the Catalan club.

Martino, who led Newell's Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season but recently severed ties with the club, admits Barca's approach had caught him off guard.

"Of course it took me by surprise," he said.

"I had virtually prepared myself to take a break and wait for the right job opportunity to arise."

Looking ahead to his new life in Spain, Martino said: "It's a big challenge to join a club of this magnitude and to try and do a good job. As with every big club, I want our team to be serious candidates to win every competition.

"We understand the institution that were going to, its history, how they have a defined style, and we are the ones who must insert ourselves into that and see how we can make our contribution to a squad that is very good and which has done great things in recent years.

"I don't know when I'll take charge of my first match, first I must adapt and finish with the contractual matters."

Martino also denied there will be an option in his contract which would free him to take over national team duties with Argentina, saying: "I don't put clauses in my contracts."

Martino has a reputation as an attack-minded coach and Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta believes he will fit in with the club's football philosophy.

"Whatever the club decide is the best for Barca. I think he will fit in with our model,'' Iniesta told Marca while at a promotional event today

"If the club have decided on him, then he's the ideal coach for us."

While Martino spent a short spell with Spanish side Tenerife as a player, he has never before coached a European side but he has enjoyed success during a 15-year career as a manager in South America.

At club level, aside from last season's title with Newell's, he also won various trophies with Club Libertad and Cerro Porteno in Paraguay.

He also enjoyed a hugely successful four-year spell in charge of that Paraguayan national team, guiding them to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup and the final of the 2011 Copa America.

Paraguay had never before gone beyond the last 16 of the World Cup while the last time they made the Copa America final was in 1979.

Martino, who as a player represented local club Newell's in three different spells while also turning out for Lanus in his homeland, Barcelona SC in Ecuador and O'Higgins in Chile, becomes the fourth Argentinian to coach Barca, following in the footsteps of Helenio Herrera, Roque Olsen and Cesar Luis Menotti.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/i...42846.html

Who is the boss?