Barcelona have reached an agreement for Argentinian Gerardo Martino to become their new coach.
The 50-year-old, who led Newell's Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season but recently severed ties with the club, has agreed a two-year contract at Barca where he will replace Tito Vilanova.
Barca announced on Friday night that the 44-year-old Vilanova was stepping down as he continues his battle with cancer.
The first problem area for Barcelona is in the centre of defence. While their rivals Real Madrid have set themselves up well with the combination of Sergio Ramos and Rafael Varane, Barcelona have an aged Carles Puyol and an ineffective Gerard Pique. Call it controversial if you will, but Pique has been Barcelona’s least Barcelona-like player, and the big Spanish defender has made one unforgivable error too many for both his club and his national team. Pique signed with Barcelona in 2008 and quickly made his way into the starting line up, but in the last two seasons, he has failed to perform at the same level that made him so valuable during the start of the Tiki-Taka revolution.
His consistency has suffered and his ability to defend one-on-one and on set pieces has been poor. Pique’s time at Barcelona may not be up just yet, but the club needs to find a central defender to at least compete with him for a spot in the starting line up. Meanwhile, both Puyol and Javier Mascherano have shown a lack of speed necessary to maintain a position in the centre of defence and, though they have done well in their time with the club, maintaining a spot in the starting line up means Barcelona is risking their backline with slower, older and injury-prone defenders whereas Madrid has a wealth of options in which to both rely upon to start and to call up from the bench. The likes of Pepe and Raul Albiol alongside Varane and Ramos give Madrid a strong core of central defenders for a long season.
Now, Barcelona has options, too.
The club has been linked repeatedly to Paris Saint-Germaine’s Thiago Silva. The Brazilian defender showed he is a capable and smart centreback, so much so that he took an average Brazilian defensive line and made it competent enough to win the 2013 Confederations Cup. Truly, a backline made of defenders like Marcelo and Dani Alves should have been exposed more often than it was, a testament to Silva’s strong vision and physical ability. He, alongside Alves, would be the perfect fit for Barcelona. It’s why he’s being courted by the likes of Manchester United, too.
Curiously, David Moyes’ Manchester United team is also looking at Cesc Fabregas in an effort to, one must assume, replicate Arsenal in some fashion. Barcelona simply cannot afford to lose Fabregas, having already sold Thiago Alcantara to Bayern Munich. Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez are only human, so selling long-term players at this stage is detrimental to the overall success of the club. It’s the centre of midfield that is the next area Barcelona need to target.
Young Sergi Roberto is the latest Barcelona B product to make his way up the ranks at the club, but with Thiago gone, Barcelona have little to call upon throughout the season. There is, of course, the established trio of Iniesta-Xavi-Sergio Busquets, and Fabregas is a constant in the starting line up as well, but on the bench, Barcelona have, well…Alex Song. It’s not enough, certainly, for a club that requires a consistently honed attacking midfielder.
As legs grow tired throughout the season, so too will Barcelona’s midfield, should the club not find a suitable player to compensate the contributions Xavi and Iniesta offer. In this position, Barcelona has options, too, though one less since Madrid swooped in for Malaga midfielder Isco one month ago. However, Barcelona should look not for a young Spanish player to fill in at midfield, rather, an older one: Xabi Alonso. He is, at once, a familiar, competent player whose time at Real Madrid may be up. Linked with moves to England, Alonso would make an excellent addition at Barcelona – he is already comfortable playing alongside the majority of the team and would finally, finally give Barcelona another option other than the ordinary Sergio Busquets in defensive midfield. Finally, Barcelona needs to figure out who the third forward in the 4-3-3 will be. The club has gone through forwards so regularly that running down the list of failed forwards over the last five years is actually rather depressing.
Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic played enough games with Barcelona to be considered suitable options yet each were shipped off without much thought, and for good reason – younger, stronger options. It’s why David Villa has been sold to Atletico Madrid for so little – his place in the team, as well as his time, was no longer assured, and, with young options like Cristian Tello and that Neymar fellow waiting in the wings (literally), Villa was excess to requirements. Now, Barcelona know for a fact that Lionel Messi at centre forward is not going to change – it works far too well to tinker with. Neymar on the left wing seems to be the consensus, which means Alexis Sanchez and Pedro will need to duke it out for a spot on the right wing. Let them compete. Meanwhile, Barcelona should look to find a real number nine, to play contrast to Messi’s “false nine” position.
This player, though not a starter, is completely missing at Barcelona and though the club has done well without a big target man up top, it will be increasingly difficult to find success in La Liga without one, as more and more teams figure out the Tiki-Taka style and combat it with physical defenders who boss around Barcelona’s smaller wingers and midfielders. Barcelona need not look far for an option – Roberto Soldado.
The Valencia forward has scored consistently in the league for years now and he would be a perfect forward for a team requiring something up top when under pressure. Barcelona is a side that, like a well-composed piece of music, flows from start to finish, but the club – or, rather, the core group of players – have shown that frustrating their style can result in an ineffective counter attacking measure.
Soldado coming in off the bench can give Barcelona another style of play, forcing the wingers to stop making runs and, instead, aim for a target in the centre of the box. Soldado is one option, Alvaro Negredo, the other. Both would work, and in reality, any player in this mold, such as Brazil’s Fred, could give Barcelona anotherdimension in attack. So, Thiago Silva, Xabi Alonso and Roberto Soldado, three players who would breath life back into the Barcelona XI and assure that a club in transition stays in a position of dominance. While these names may not actually grace Camp Nou, they are symbolic for the kind of players the club needs to target in this summer transfer window; a strong centreback, a depth midfielder and a target forward make for a well-rounded injection of reinforcements for Barcelona.
The future of Manchester United target Cesc Fabregas will be among the priority issues for new Barcelona head coach Gerardo Martino.
Barcelona confirmed they have struck an agreement for Martino to take over at the Nou Camp on a two-year deal.
The 50-year-old Argentinian succeeds Tito Vilanova, who stepped down from the role on Friday after one season in charge as he continues his battle with cancer.
It is not yet known when Martino will begin work at the Nou Camp, but it seems likely the transfer saga surrounding Fabregas will still be rumbling on with United reluctant to throw in the towel.
United have already made two bids for the former Arsenal captain but, with Barcelona continuing to insist the Spain midfielder is not for sale, the Red Devils could return with a third offer.
Fabregas was not on the agenda as Martino held a press conference in Rosario where he admitted Barcelona's interest had come out of the blue.
The former Paraguay coach also believes fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi had a say in his appointment.
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.
Martino suspects 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,'' said Martino, who is looking forward to working with the world's top player.
Lionel Messi insists he had nothing to do with the appointment of Gerardo Martino as Barcelona coach.
Martino said in a press conference on Tuesday night that he was sure fellow Argentinian Messi and his father Jorge had put in a good word for him with the Barcelona hierarchy before the Catalan giants offered him the job.
Both Messi and Martino are from Rosario and Messi has in the past spoken in glowing terms of his compatriot.
However, the four-time Ballon d'Or winner has said he had no influence in Barca's decision.
"I have nothing to do with Martino's signing nor do I have to give any explanations. It was down to president (Sandro) Rosell and the club. I said before that he seemed a good coach, but I don't have to explain anything," he was quoted as saying by AS following Barca's friendly defeat to Bayern Munich.
"I don't know him personally, I've never met him. Not him nor Luis Enrique, the other one they've been talking about.
"I think he's a good signing, he showed at Newell's and with Paraguay what he's capable of. Hopefully he'll be good for us."
Martino, who led Newell's Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season and guided Paraguay to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup and final of the 2011 Copa America, has agreed a two-year contract with Barca and will be presented on Friday lunchtime.
The 50-year-old replaces Tito Vilanova, who stepped down from the post last Friday as he continues his battle with cancer.
Pep Guardiola's former team meets his current employers in Wednesday's friendly when European champions Bayern Munich host Spanish giants Barcelona, who are on the hunt for a new manager.
Barcelona arrived in Munich without a head coach after Tito Vilanova resigned on Friday, as he battles against cancer, but the Spanish giants are expected to announce his successor soon.
Vilanova's assistant Jordi Roura will be in charge at Munich's Allianz Arena and the 45-year-old took charge of Barcelona from December to April when Vilanova was receiving treatment.
After Guardiola won 14 titles between 2008 and 2012 at Barcelona, the pre-season run out has added spice, especially given recent events which have strained relations between the two European powerhouses.
Guardiola took charge of Bayern last month, amid great fanfare, after the Bavarians lured the 42-year-old to Munich following his year's sabbatical in New York.
Guardiola has already poached Spain Under-21 captain Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona to bolster his star-studded midfield which includes Holland's Arjen Robben and France winger Franck Ribery.
But Guardiola stirred up bad blood with his former bosses earlier this month when he accused the Barcelona board of trying to "damage" him.
Guardiola lashed out in a press conference, making allegations against the board, which were later refuted, that he had snubbed Vilanova while he was being treated for cancer in New York.
"I will never forget that they used Tito's illness to cause me damage, because it's a lie that I never saw him in New York," he said.
With relations strained off the field, there is plenty of spice on it, although both teams are likely to name weakened teams.
Bayern's Germany stars Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Goetze are both recovering from injury, while neither team is expected to have their Confederations Cup stars in action.
Both Barcelona's new Brazil star Neymar and Spain's Carles Puyol, who is working his way back to fitness after knee surgery in March, are expected to sit it out.
Senior stars Javier Mascherano, Adriano Correia, Alex Song and Alexis Sanchez are likely to feature among a host of reserves, while Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi is set to play some part.
Barcelona have something to prove against Bayern having been humbled 7-0 on aggregate in last season's Champions League finals when the Germans backed up a 4-0 win in Munich with a 3-0 rout at the Camp Nou.
Having already chalked up wins over Bundesliga opposition Hamburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in a pre-season tournament over the weekend, the Barcelona friendly is a big test for Guardiola's new-look Bayern.
He has introduced a 4-1-4-1 system, from the 4-2-3-1 formation which won last season's treble, and switched Germany captain Philipp Lahm from right-back into midfield with France winger Franck Ribery up front.
The game's kick-off time has been brought forward to 1830 local time (1630 GMT) to allow home-team fans to watch Germany's women in the semi-final of the 2013 European Championships.
With the departure of Tito Vilanova, due to his battle with cancer, the position of manager has become vacant at the helms of one of the greatest clubs in world football. The lucrative chair at the Nou camp looks set to be filled by the beginning of next week. As you can imagine speculation is rife as to who will be named as Vilanova’s predecessor, with Tottenham’s Andre Villas Boas numero uno with the bookies to take over.
However maybe Barcelona may opt to do what they have done with their last two managerial appointments and promote from within. This would most likely leave two people at the club as options for the Barcelona board to ponder over. Jordi Roura and Eusebio Sacristan.
Jordi Roura, for those that don’t know, is Barcelona’s current assistant manager. For those that do know you will probably only be thinking one thing. “wasn’t he the chap that was in charge when Barcelona we’re humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final earlier this year.” Well yes, he was. But don’t let this fool you into thinking that is his only credentials! He has far more to offer.
He began his managerial career at CE L’Hospitalet at the start of the 07-08 season, I would now like to say he led them to promotion, however he didn’t. In fact he lasted just a few months before being fired in December. He then moved to Barcelona in 2009 and became a part of Guardiola’s technical staff, becoming assistant manager to Vilanova following his appointment as manager.
However there is another string to his bow, he has had experience of working alongside Carles Rexach in Japan, at Yokohoma Flugels, as part of his coaching staff. For those of you unaware Carles Rexach is a former Barcelona player and Assistant Manager alongside the legendary Johann Cryuff. let’s hope for Jordi’s sake that he learnt much from the man during his time in Japan.
Second on the list Eusebio Sacristan is the current Barcelona B manager. Eusebio’s playing days were somewhat successful, like Roura before him, he played for Barcelona under Johann Cryuff’s leadership and featured in a European Cup Winners Cup victory. After retiring in 2002 he opened a Coaching school in Valladolid, his home town, and gained his coaching degree. He then went on to become a part of Frank Rijkaard’s staff at Barcelona.
His only first team managerial experience comes in the form of being the head of Celta in the second division. After 15 months in charge he was dismissed from his post, even though he did succeed in keeping them up that season. He then went on to coach Barcelona B at the start of the 2011 season.
Now on paper neither of these two look like the most promising of propositions. But they could just hold exactly what Barcelona need, and to see why we must first look at the other side of the coin, Villas Boas. Villas Boas as mentioned earlier is the number one contender for the role at Barcelona, however does he fit the description needed by the club?
To begin with we have to look at Villas Boas at both spurs and Chelsea where he opted to play a 4-2-3-1 formation for a majority of his games. I have nothing wrong with this formation however if he is to move to Barcelona he will have to adopt a 4-3-3. Within Barcelona is continuity in coaching and tactics. Every coach in their youth system up coaches the same brand of football. The 4-3-3. This way players are never out of place on the pitch, this means that from the first time to pull on the Barcelona shirt in La Masia to stepping out for the first team at the Camp Nou they are never unaware of the position that they are playing.
On the other hand this may not be as much of a problem, as Villas Boas already looks set on implementing the 4-3-3 formation at White Hart Lane. He began using the formation towards the end of last season and with the arrival of Paulinho it is more than likely he’s planning on playing this 4-3-3 style for the 2013-14 season.
The second problem that Barcelona face with the appoint of Boas is a switch in coaching staff. When moving to a club, many managers prefer to bring their own staff than work with those already around, regardless of their success at that club. An example would be David Moyes’ culling of many of the back room staff at Old Trafford after his arrival earlier this year. With many changes in personal on the
pitch already apparent for Barcelona, with David Villa and Thiago already out the door and other stars being hounded by European elites it is important that Barcelona keep continuity within their staff. However this is difficult with the appoint of an outside manager as you must balance this need for continuity with the task of settling in a new face. Barcelona will find it difficult to keep all parties happy.
The third problem in the appoint of a Boas is his lack of Barcelona football. Barcelona sits within Catalonia, a Autonomous community of Spain. Catalonia has a proud heritage and FC Barcelona is one of the main identities of Catalans in recent years. Being a former player of Barcelona or having a tie to the region creates a level of rapport with the fans. Guardiola had this being a former player of Barcelona, as did Johann Cryuff. Tito Vilanova may never have played in their first team however he did play for Barcelona B, and he is a Catalan. True, you may look now at Frank Rijkaard, the last manager who was neither Catalan nor a former Barcelona player. However his appoint came immediately after the appoint of the new Barcelona president Joan Laporta in 2003. Laporta won the presidency race for Barcelona that year based on many things. However being a Catalan certainly didn’t inhibit his chances, quite the opposite.
Now I’m not saying that Barcelona shouldn’t hire someone who has never played for the club or who isn’t a Catalan. What I am saying is that if you have these two boxes ticked, the die hard fans at the Camp Nou would certainly appear to be happier.
Whoever the new manager of Barcelona ends up being, with the odds of who is the favourite changing regularly, (as I write this it appears that Villas Boas now appears to be second favourite with Gerardo Martino taking his position as the safe bet, by tomorrow it may be someone completely new) I believe Barcelona could save themselves a lot of trouble by simply appointing one of the two applicants mentioned above. Although their previous managerial careers don’t show themselves as standout candidates they still could be the perfect fit for the position at the Nou Camp.
If Barcelona do choose to hire from outside, they could still save themselves a lot of trouble by hiring someone who has been a former player, and former coach for the club. Can anyone say Luis Enrique?
Gerardo Martino has emerged as the likely replacement for Tito Vilanova as Barcelona coach.
According to widespread media reports in Spain, the Argentinian is set to be confirmed as the next Barca boss on a three-year contract following talks on Monday.
The 50-year-old led Newell's Old Boys to the Argentinian Clausura title last season but recently severed ties with the club.
Barcelona have made no official announcement.
The Spanish champions are searching for a new coach after announcing on Friday night that Vilanova was stepping down from the post as he continues his battle with cancer.
The 44-year-old, who led Barca to the Primera Division title in his only season in charge after replacing Pep Guardiola last summer, had a tumour removed from his throat in late 2011, but suffered a relapse a year after.
He underwent another operation on his parotid gland in December before beginning a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in New York.
Cancer-stricken Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova quit on Friday to undergo further treatment for his illness, the president of the Spanish champions, Sandro Rosell, said.
The 44-year-old Vilanova had a tumour removed from a salivary gland in his throat in November 2011 and in December 2012 he suffered a relapse.
He underwent surgery again followed by 10 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in New York.
Vilanova returned to the helm of Barcelona in March and led the club to the Spanish league title.
"After evaluating the results of routine rests this week Tito Vilanova has been presented with the option of carrying out a treatment to continue to control his illness which will make it incompatible to carry out the role of first team coach from now on," Rosell told a news conference.
"I want to ask everyone, especially the media, in the name of his family to show the maximum respect for the privacy of the whole process which will start now," he added.
Vilanova's replacement will be announced "probably in the beginning of next week," Rosell said.
Club officials met with the squad and the team decided they would not travel to Poland to face Lechia Gdansk in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, he added.
"I want to say that life goes on, this is a huge blow, a very hard blow, for Barcelona but Barcelona has suffered many blows and we have always overcome those blows and today will not be an exception," added Rosell, who was flanked by the club's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta.
Several Barcelona players, including Argintine forward Lionel Messi and veteran defender Carles Puyol, attended the press conference in their kits.
Vilanova, who was under contract with Barcelona until June 2014, took over from Pep Guardiola as manager in June 2012, having previously worked as his assistant.
Last week Guardiola, who now coaches German and European champions Bayern Munich, accused Barcelona officials of using Vilanova's illness "to damage" him.
Without saying who exactly had made the accusation, Guardiola denied that he had missed a chance to visit Vilanova while he was being treated in New York for cancer. "I will never forget that they used Tito's illness to cause me damage, because it's a lie that I never saw him in New York," he said. Guardiola was living in New York at the time while on a year-long sabbatical after leaving Barcelona. Vilanova hit back at Guardiola's comments during Barcelona's first pre-season press conference on Tuesday, saying no one on the Barcelona board had used his illness to attack him.
"People aren't interested in personal matters, but Pep got it wrong and I'm surprised by his comments. No one on the board used my illness to attack him. The club tried to help me as much as possible," said Vilanova, who wore the collar of his white t-shirt raised so as to cover his neck.
"He visited me once in New York when I had just arrived, but during my recovery from the operation I was there for two months and I didn't see him. He's my friend and I needed him, but he wasn't there for me. I would have done things differently. I won't say anything else about this."
Barcelona have called a news conference for later on Friday amid news reports that coach Tito Vilanova is to step down because he has suffered a relapse of cancer.
The 45-year-old had a cancerous tumour removed from his throat in November 2011 and in December 2012 he suffered a relapse and underwent surgery again followed by 10 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in New York.
He returned to the helm of Barcelona in March and led the club to the Spanish league title.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and the club's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta will give a press conference at 8:30 pm (1830 GMT), the club said on its website without giving further details.
But several Spanish media outlets said the club would announce that Vilanova has had a relapse and was leaving his post.
"The coach has recently undergone tests which confirmed the bad news," the online edition of Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo said.
Top-selling daily El Pais said Vilanova's latest tests "revealed complications of the disease".
Vilanova replaced Pep Guardiola as manager in June 2012, having previously worked as his assistant.
Barcelona are set to appoint their new coach at the start of next week after Tito Vilanova had to step down for health reasons.
The Catalan club confirmed on Friday night that Vilanova would not be able to continue in the role as he continues to receive treatment for cancer.
Vilanova, who replaced Pep Guardiola as coach of Barca last summer, had a tumour removed from his throat in late 2011, but suffered a relapse a year later. He underwent another operation on his parotid gland in December before beginning a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in New York.
Club president Sandro Rosell announced the news at a press conference, which was held with members of Barcelona's first team in attendance.
A successor will be appointed in the coming days.
"In next few days the vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta will present the new coach, probably at the start of next week," Rosell said.
Rosell said the results of tests Vilanova underwent this week prompted his decision.
He said: "After evaluating the results of the routine follow-up tests, taken by Tito Vilanova this week, he has been presented the option of being able to undergo a treatment to continue managing his illness which will be incompatible with him being the head coach of the first team from now on.
"I want to ask everyone, especially the media, for him and his family, for the utmost respect for the privacy of all in this process which starts from today."
He added: "It's a tough blow but Barca have suffered many blows and we've got through them."
Tito Vilanova has expressed his gratitude to Barcelona's players and staff for the support shown to him throughout his reign and vowed to continue working for the club he loves in some capacity after stepping down as head coach.
The Catalan giants confirmed on Friday that the 44-year-old would not be able to continue in his role as he continues to receive cancer treatment.
In an open letter published on the club's official website, Vilanova wrote: "After five wonderful years as part of a team that has made dreams come true for any coach, it's time to face a change in my professional life and focus my energy on continuing to fight the disease I was diagnosed with a year and a half ago.
"The doctors recommend that, with the treatments that I must follow from now on, I cannot devote 100 per cent to the tasks of head coach as required by FC Barcelona. But I will continue to work closely for the club that I love on other sporting tasks."
Vilanova was Pep Guardiola's assistant before being promoted to the top job last summer when the record-breaking coach decided to take a one-year sabbatical from the game after winning 14 trophies in four seasons.
In his one campaign in charge of the club, Vilanova led Barca to their fourth Primera Division title in five years, becoming only the second team after Real Madrid to reach the 100-point mark.
He acknowledged it was difficult to stand down from his position, saying: "It is not easy to leave this very special group of players, fellow staff and friends with whom I shared many memorable experiences. I'll be eternally grateful for everything you have given me and the affection you have shown."
Vilanova had a tumour removed from his throat in late 2011, but suffered a relapse a year later. He underwent another operation on his parotid gland in December before beginning a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in New York, where Guardiola was taking a year-long sabbatical after leaving the Nou Camp hot-seat.
Vilanova, who earlier this week claimed Guardiola "wasn't there for me" during his rehabilitation, went on in his letter to thank club officials and doctors for their support.
"I also want to especially thank the president (Sandro Rosell), the board and the sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta for the confidence they put in me and, above all, the unconditional support, both sporting and personal," he wrote.
Former Newell's Old Boys and Paraguay national team manager Gerardo Martino is set to become the new Barcelona coach, numerous sources in the Spanish media reported on Monday.
It is expected that the Argentine will arrive in Barcelona on Tuesday to sign a three-year deal with the Catalans, who have moved quickly to replace Tito Vilanova after he was forced to resign on Friday due to on-going ill health.
Martino, who hails from Rosario, the same city where Barca star Lionel Messi grew up, recently left Newell's despite leading them to the Argentine Clausura title and to the Copa Libertadores semi-finals.
Previous to taking over at the Argentine club, the bulk of Martino's managerial experience had been in Paraguay, where he won four domestic championships with Libertad and Cerro Porteno before going on to lead the national side to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and the Copa America final a year later.
Indeed the 50-year-old had been strongly linked with a move to Real Sociedad earlier last month before deciding to stay on to manage Newell's until the end of their Libertadores campaign.
And it now looks as if he will land a significantly bigger job as the unfortunate timing of Vilanova's departure less than a month before the start of the season left the Spanish champions with few other options.
Anzhi agreed to terminate Hiddink’s contract upon his request. Hiddink claimed that this job would be his last when he took on the challenge a year ago, but the bookmakers now have got Hiddink at 1/3 favourite for the Barcelona job. The odds have amazingly slashed from 33/1.
Now, it does look like the bookmakers know a little more than we do about this, so I would be expecting an announcement in the near future. The Dutch wizard is one of the most experienced coaches around, taking charge of some of the most high profile clubs such as Chelsea and Real Madrid as well as having vast experience managing international team’s such as, Russia and Turkey.
Guus Hiddink is without a doubt one of Europe's leading coaches, and would be seen as an ideal replacement for Tito Vilanova, who was sadly resigned as Barcelona head coach recently due to a further relapse of throat cancer.
It’s already been announced by sky sports that former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen will take over from Hiddink at Anzhi.
Barcelona's leaders teamed up against the club's ex-coach Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, denying his charge that the club used his successor's cancer illness to criticise him.
Club president Sandro Rosell and Guardiola's successor as coach, his old friend Tito Vilanova, both denied claims made by Guardiola of sly dealings by directors.
Guardiola, now coaching German and European champions Bayern Munich, accused Barcelona at a news conference last week of using its current coach Tito Vilanova's illness "to damage" him.
Without saying who exactly had made the accusation, Guardiola denied that he had missed a chance to visit Vilanova while he was being treated in New York for salivary gland cancer.
Guardiola was living there during a break after leaving the club.
"Pep wasn't correct, and I have to admit that what he said surprised me," Vilanova told a news conference on Tuesday. "I don't think they used my illness to attack him."
He added that on a first visit to New York he saw Guardiola but when Vilanova spent two months there later for surgery they did not meet "and it was not my fault. He is my friend and I needed him".
Rosell made a conciliatory move, denying Guardiola's claims but hailing him as the club's greatest ever coach.
"We were very surprised by his comments. What he said about the board of directors and about Tito is completely false," Rosell said in an interview broadcast on Catalan television channel 8TV.
"In the press archives you will see how the club has treated him, the best coach in the history of the club."
Rosell urged supporters not to let the issue become a cause of division as he said disagreements with its legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff had been.
"I ask that there not be Guardiolistas and non-Guardiolistas," he said.
Guardiola, 42, whipped up a media storm last week with his rant.
"Using Tito's illness to damage me is something I will never forget," he said.
Vilanova had been Guardiola's assistant at Barcelona for five years and he led the Catalan team to what Guardiola called their most successful league win in history last season.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has said that Manchester United target Cesc Fabregas wants to stay at the Spanish champions.
On Monday, United made a bid for the midfielder, who has failed to secure a regular starting spot at Barca since returning to the club from Arsenal two years ago.
However, Barca insisted the 26-year-old was not for sale and Vilanova has now confirmed that Fabregas is not wanting to move on either.
Vilanova said at a press conference: "I'm aware there have been offers, I had a conversation with him and he told me that he wanted to continue here and that he didn't want to go to another big club.
"He wants to succeed here."
Confirmation that Fabregas is committed to the club will come as a boost to Vilanova following the departure of rising star Thiago Alcantara.
The Spain international is currently finalising his move to Bayern Munich after the European champions reached an agreement with Barca last weekend to sign the 22-year-old for a fee which could rise to 25million euros (£21.6m).
More good news for Barca came with the announcement that midfielder Sergio Busquets has signed a contract extension which ties him to the Nou Camp until June 2018.
Barcelona's president Sandro Rosell moved to calm a row with its ex-coach Pep Guardiola on Tuesday, denying his charge that the club used his successor's cancer illness to criticise him.
Rosell hailed Guardiola as the club's greatest ever coach, in a conciliatory move after Guardiola's comments last week pointed to a deep rift between them.
Guardiola, now coaching German and European champions Bayern Munich, accused Barcelona at a news conference last week of using its current coach Tito Vilanova's illness "to damage" him, without elaborating.
"We were very surprised by his comments. What he said about the board of directors and about Tito is completely false," Rosell said in an interview broadcast on Catalan television channel 8TV and posted online on Tuesday.
"In the press archives you will see how the club has treated him, the best coach in the history of the club."
Rosell urged supporters not to let the issue become a cause of division as he said disagreements with its legendary former player and coach Johan Cruyff had been.
"I ask the Barcelona fans to learn from the past, from what happened in the time of Johan, when the club was divided between 'Cruyffistas' and non-Cruyffistas," he said.
"I ask that there not be Guardiolistas and non-Guardiolistas."
Guardiola, 42, whipped up a media storm last week with his rant.
Without saying who exactly had made the accusation, Guardiola denied that he had missed a chance to visit Vilanova while he was treated in New York for salivary gland cancer.
"Using Tito's illness to damage me is something I will never forget," he said.
Vilanova had been Guardiola's assistant at Barcelona for five years and he led the Catalan team to what Guardiola called their most successful league win in history last season.
Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets has extended his contract at Barcelona until the end of the 2017/18 season, the Liga champions annuonced on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old will remain at the Camp Nou until June 30 2018 with the option to stay another year, director of football, Andoni Zubizarreta told a news conference.
The player's buyout clause remains at 150 million euros ($196 million, £130 million)), the club added on its website fcbarcelona.com.
Busquets has made 238 appearances for the first team, scoring eight goals, and is considered one of the mainstays of the side.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi on Tuesday said he was unconcerned about accusations of tax avoidance on income generated from the sale of his image rights and was confident his lawyers will solve the case.
Last month the 25-year-old and his father Jorge Horacio were ordered by a Spanish court to appear for questioning in September as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud.
"I'm not worried, I'm always on the sidelines of all of that, just like my dad. We have our lawyers and our advisors who handle these things. We trust in them and they will solve the issue," he said.
"I don't understand anything about all of that, this is why we have people who handle these issues," he added at a news conference at the club's training ground.
Spanish financial crimes prosecutors filed papers with a court on June 12 accusing Messi and his father of defrauding the tax office of over four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million) in income related to the use of his image from 2006-2009.
Messi and his father aimed to deceive the state by ceding the player's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay so they would pay no tax in Spain, according to the prosecutor's complaint filed at a court in Gava, a Mediterranean coastal town near Barcelona.
The prosecutor's complaint also alleged the four-time World Player of the Year and his father drew up deals related to his image rights in Britain and Switzerland, ensuring that the income went straight to the tax havens without any tax being paid.
The accusations of tax fraud are a huge blow to the prestige of Messi, who has long been seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers -- in particular his fierce Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's lawyers office, Juarez Veciana, have said the player "scrupulously complies with Spanish legislation" and will "pay any amount that he is eventually found to owe".
French defender Eric Abidal has claimed that Barcelona didn't offer him a new playing contract after recovering from a liver transplant because they didn't want to assume the risk that something would happen to him whilst on the field.
The 33-year-old returned to first-team action in early April after 14 months out due to the transplant, but he went onto make only four more appearances for the Catalans before the end of the season.
"They considered there was a risk that something could happen to me, they didn't want to assume this supposed responsability," he told Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Sunday.
"I want to continue playing whilst the doctors give me permission. I don't think it is the moment to leave it, I want to try and reach 35 before retiring."
Abidal spent six years with the Catalans, winning two Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles, but he insisted he didn't have any bad feelings towards the club and welcomed the offer to return as a technical director in Barca's football schools once he retires from playing.
"I would have liked to continue and this is not what I had in mind, but I go with good memories. Barcelona has been my second family.
"I like the offer because I love the kids and I want to teach young people what I have lived. It is a luxury to have this future, it will be a pleasure to work here, but only once I retire."
News that the Spanish tax authorities intend to pursue World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi on charges of avoiding more than four million euros ($5.2 million) tax on income from his image rights has captured world attention.
The Spanish taxman's focus on the previously squeaky-clean Argentine superstar is in keeping with a more robust approach to the world of football when it comes to paying their dues to society in a time of economic crisis.
On the surface, the health of Spanish football looks rosy. The national team are world and European champions and all 11 players chosen in FIFA's 2012 team of the year played in La Liga.
But beneath that healthy exterior is a mountain of debt that clubs below the big two are struggling to cope with.
At the end of the 2011/12 season the total debt of Spanish clubs stood at an incredible 3.3 billion euros, much of it owed to the tax authorities.
Latest figures released in March showed that although the debt to the state had fallen by 8.2% in the past year, there was still some 690.4 million euros outstanding - 535.8 million of which belonged to teams in the Primera Division.
The authorities claim the reduction in the debt is thanks to their firm stance, with repayment plans in place with a number of clubs.
The Spanish Professional Football League has also begun to take serious measures to curb the culture of debt amongst its members.
Clubs will have to lodge with the league their budgets for the upcoming season along with their operating costs and the amount they are due to repay tax authorities over the season.
The league will then set a limit that the club is allowed to spend on its first-team squad and management team.
Moreover, from the 2014/15 season clubs will have to deposit 35% of their income from television rights with the league, and it will then be used as security against them failing to pay the tax authorities on time.
The long-term goal of these measures is to clear the clubs' tax debts by 2020.
The regulations will also coincide with UEFA's newly implemented Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules which threaten clubs that fail to balance their books with expulsion from European competition.
However, there has been scepticism as to whether bigger clubs who fail to meet such obligations will be punished as harshly as smaller fry.
Stefan Szymanski, professor of sport management at the University of Michigan and who has written extensively about the economics of European football, points out that tax authorities often struggle with clamping down on big clubs with huge fanbases and significant power to influence governments.
"Tax authorities the world over will go after a well-known player or football club once in a while as it is a very strong way of sending a message that everyone is liable for tax.
"The problem comes when big football clubs are too big to fail. Governments don't want big clubs to go bust so try to tell tax authorities to lay off a bit."
That is a particularly relevant point in Spain where football forms a significant part of the culture.
Moreover, there is the intangible aspect of what Spanish football, particularly the national team, has offered as a morale boost within the country and as a positive image of Spain abroad at a time where the news agenda has otherwise been dominated by financial doom.
However, the economic crisis has already began to take its toll.
Falling attendances, reduced sponsorship, a television deal heavily weighted in favour of the big two clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, and a need to service debts mean other clubs can no longer afford to hold onto their better players, while their ability to compete in European competition is also greatly diminished.
Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has signalled his intent to put himself forward for re-election in 2016 and attacked the current Barca board on a number of issues, including their decision not to renew defender Eric Abidal's contract.
"I feel prepared and every day I am more excited to return to being president of Barcelona," he told a press conference on Monday.
"To present yourself for elections you have to be motivated and I am. But I have to wait until there are elections. When they are close I will reflect more."
Abidal was signed during Laporta's previous reign as president in 2007 and he claimed that not renewing the contract of the Frenchman after he had returned to playing following a liver transplant had damaged the image of the club.
The 33-year-old was instead offered an ambassadorial role in Barca's football schools rather than another playing contract, which he has refused at least until he has finished his playing career somewhere else.
"The Abidal case has not been handled well. It has damaged the image of Barcelona and disappointed the player.
"The club has shown a contradictory attitude and I think they should have extended Eric Abidal's contract for another year."
Laporta also criticised the current Barca administration, led by president Sandro Rossell, for not doing enough to keep Pep Guardiola at the club when he resigned to take a year out of the game at the end of the season.
Moreover, he believes that Guardiola's influence on the club over the years has been devalued by the Barca board and that current coach Tito Vilanova needs to take a more active role in the formation of the squad for next season.
"I have a very good relationship with Pep Guardiola. I am grateful to him because he was the only person to publicly stand up in our favour. Now they are trying to minimise his work, but Guardiola had a vital importance.
"The academy, the foundation, key people in the history of the club, like Guardiola, all this is being distorted at this moment.
"A coach of Barca cannot simply be a spectator to sporting questions of the club. It surprised me when Tito said that the Barca board will give him the players and he is solely dedicated to training. He has to have a criteria."
Club spokesman Toni Freixa meanwhile refused to respond to Laporta's criticism but insisted there were no plans to call a presidential election before 2016, despite rumours it could be brought forward.
"We respect the opinions of all the members and Laporta is a distinguished member," he told a press conference.
"Our intention is to fulfil our mandate, which finishes in the year of 2016."
Cesc Fabregas has reiterated that he has not received any offers from any clubs to tempt him away from Barcelona.
The former Arsenal man has been linked with a return to the Barclays Premier League following a difficult season with the Catalans last term, with Manchester United believed to be keen to take him to Old Trafford so he can join up with his former Gunners team-mate Robin van Persie.
But, during an interview with Movistar, Fabregas insisted: "People talk a lot but the truth is that no-one has spoken with me. I want to triumph in Barcelona, that club is my home and I always dreamed of playing there, so I will try and succeed there as long as I can."
Next year Fabregas will be playing alongside new signing Neymar, who joined Barcelona earlier this month.
The Spaniard believes the Brazilian has the capabilities to light up the Nou Camp but said he must be given time to bed in after moving club, league and country.
"Neymar will need time to adapt because he is coming from a completely different type of football from what he will find here. We need to help him settle in and grow so that he can give us great nights," said Fabregas.
He also dismissed talk that there could be a clash of egos between Neymar and Leo Messi.
"The egos are very controlled in the team," he said. "Messi has won the Ballon d'Or four times and is probably the best player of all time but when you see him every morning he doesn't seem like it."
Although Neymar cost Barcelona an estimated 57million euros, Fabregas raised alarm at the possibility of the club's biggest rivals Real Madrid spending 100million to buy Gareth Bale from Tottenham.
"For me spending 100million on Gareth Bale is foolish, I don't know how any club could spend that amount of money in these circumstances," he said. "He is a great player with all the right attributes, but we will have to see if Madrid sign him and if he can perform there."
Brazilian sensation Neymar is warming up in spectacular style for displaying his talent at his new home – the football powerhouse of Barcelona – alongside another phenom, Lionel Messi. Neymar has scored in each of the three league games for Brazil, twice before the tenth minute of the match and has rounded it off with a spectacular free kick against Gianluigi Buffon’s Italian side.
3 consecutive Man of the Match awards outline the role he is donning in overseeing his team to dominating victories. With his performances, the new Brazil Number 10 has also grabbed the headlines of his rejuvenated national team which is slowly winning the hearts of the fans again.
Neymar’s arrival in the La Liga will be a challenge for Tito Villanova as he would be faced with the prospect of handling two of the best footballers in the world with a big reputation for their goal scoring prowess. But Neymar’s humble assessment of Messi as the better player and his willingness to assist the Argentinian to continue to be the best football player on the planet could actually aid Villanova’s cause on the positive side.
With the Confederations Cup semifinals beckoning against formidable opponents in Diego Forlan’s Uruguay, Neymar will certainly look to find the back of the net again and achieve the immediate goal of seeing Brazil lifting the cup – something he might have to fight for against the men who just might spoil his party, Del Bosque’s gladiators in red.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi denied stunning allegations Wednesday that he and his father engaged in tax fraud worth more than four million euros ($5 million).
The 25-year-old Argentina international and four-time World Player of the year expressed shock at the accusation by Spanish financial crimes prosecutors.
"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account.
"We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation," Messi said.
The player said he had just heard of the move against him through the media.
Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were accused of fiddling the taxes in a legal filing lodged by financial crimes prosecutor Raquel Amado, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
"It is all a mistake, you have to speak about this to the tax experts and lawyers who need to clear it up," the player's father told Spanish sports daily AS.
"I don't understand what is going on. I don't manage these matters, I am resident in Argentina," he said.
The father said he had not spoken to his son about the reports. "I don't need to since it is a mistake. Why would I shock him?"
The allegations were filed in a court in Catalonia, where Messi is resident, but judges could yet refuse to let it proceed, a judicial source told AFP.
If it were to go ahead, it would represent a huge blow to the prestige of Messi, who has long been seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers and particularly his Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world, however.
Indeed, the Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21m from endorsements alone.
The player and his father are accused of three crimes of defrauding the state of taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.
The allegations centre on tax declarations made in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.
They drew up deals related to his image rights in Britain and Switzerland, ensuring that the income went straight to the tax havens without any tax being paid, it said.
Messi and his father acted with "total opaqueness" towards the Spanish authorities, the filing said.
The complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused them of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.
The father was accused of being the brains behind the scheme, allegedly setting it up in 2005 before his son turned 18 on June 24 of that year.
The prosecutor said Messi later agreed with his father's tactics so that he would avoid any taxes on income from the use of his image rights during the period.
The income related to his image rights included contracts with FC Barcelona, Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Kuwait Food Company.
Messi's net income from image rights amounted to 2.56 million euros in 2007, 3.82 million euros in 2008 and 3.80 million euros in 2009, the complaint said.
Factfile on Lionel Messi, who was on Wednesday accused by Spanish financial crimes prosecutors, along with his father, of tax fraud worth more than four million euros ($5 million):
Full name: Lionel Andres Messi
Nationality: Argentinian
Birthdate: June 24, 1987 - age 25
Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Height: 1.69m (5ft 7in)
Club: Barcelona (ESP)
Major honours: Three Champions Leagues, six league titles in Spain, two Spanish Cups, two Super Cups, two Club World Cups, Olympic gold (2008), World Under-20 (2005)
Personal honours: Four Ballon D'Or awards (2009-12), La Liga leading scorer 2009-2010 (34 goals), 2011-2012 (50 goals) and 2012-13 (46 goals)
Four times Champions League leading scorer (2008-2009: 9 goals; 2009-2010: 8 goals; 2010-2011: 12 goals, 2011-2012: 14 goals)
Record for goals in one Champions League campaign (14 in 2011-2012)
"Record" for goals scored in a calendar year: 91 (2012) - though it hasn't been ratified by FIFA owing to unreliable statistics for other players in previous eras.
2008 Olympic player of the tournament
Best player of World Under-20 tournament (2005)
Leading scorer World Under-20 tournament (2005), 6 goals
International caps: 81 (32 goals)
The sporting world was shocked on Wednesday by the news that four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi is being pursued by the Spanish tax authorities for an alleged fraud worth over four million euros ($5 million).
Messi is rightfully the world's most lauded and admired footballer as, on the pitch, he has achieved feats barely plausible in the modern game, such as his 91-goal haul in the calendar year of 2012 that overhauled German Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old European record.
However, in contrast to many of his contemporaries, it is his camera-shy, humble attitude away from the pitch that has allowed many to warm to him.
And that image is precisely why Wednesday's news came as such a surprise.
Messi, who is accused along with his father Jorge Horacio, strongly denied the allegations via his Facebook page, saying that he had not even been informed by the tax authorities of the complaint.
"We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities. We are surprised about those news, because we have never committed any infringement," he said.
Ironically, given his squeaky clean image, it appears to be how he has handled money earned from image rights that the authorities are challenging.
They claim that the player and his father used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying tax on image rights from a number of the player's huge endorsement deals.
The pair are accused of defrauding the state of taxes related to that income in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, the year the Argentine won the first of his four Ballons d'Or.
Since that time Messi's exceptional performances on the field have seen his value as a marketable commodity soar.
He scored in both the Champions League finals of 2009 and 2011 as Barca overcame Manchester United to claim their third and fourth European crowns respectively.
Meanwhile, his individual goalscoring feats have become legendary. His 91 goals in 2012 helped him smash Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record of 40 goals in a La Liga season, as Messi registered 50 in the league and equalled the record number of goals in a single Champions League campaign with 14.
Those feats allied to the winning of his fourth Ballon d'Or in January saw him move up one place in this year's Forbes list of highest-paid athletes to 10th with an annual income of $21 million from endorsements alone.
Off the field, things appeared to be going very smoothly for Messi too as his long-term girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo gave birth to their first child, Thiago, in early November.
And the 25-year-old's relatable image was evidenced once more when he carried his seven-month old son around the Camp Nou field as Barca celebrated winning their fourth Spanish title in five years last month.
However, this latest news rounds off a frustrating few weeks for the world's best player as his brilliance on the field has also been tempered by injury.
A hamstring problem forced him to watch on from the sidelines as Bayern Munich hammered Barca 3-0 in the second-league of their Champions League semi-final to seal a record 7-0 aggregate defeat for the Catalans.
And a recurrence of the injury against Atletico Madrid early in May forced him to miss Barca's last four league games of the campaign.
He returned just in time to take part in Argentina's two World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Ecuador in the past week, but again his lack of fitness reduced his role to merely that of a substitute for the last half-hour of both matches as La Albiceleste could only manage two draws.
As a result, they are still a few points short of mathematically sealing their place at next year's World Cup in Brazil.
And on the very day on which he was due to start his holidays after an exhausting 10-month long season, the Argentine star now must face up to the first serious scandal to affect his career.
Barcelona's club doctor Ricard Pruna said on Wednesday that he was hopeful that Carles Puyol will be fit to start pre-season training after the defender had a cyst removed from his knee.
The operation was just the latest in a long list of injury setbacks for the 35-year-old, who has not played since undergoing more serious knee surgery back in March.
But Pruna was confident that the Spanish international has overcome the worst of his injury troubles and will be ready to start training with his teammates when they return from holiday next month.
"The objective is that Puyol will be able to start training on July 15 or 16 with the rest of the squad," he told a press conference.
"Puyol interrupted and sacrificed what remained of his holidays to end the problems that have dragged on. He wants to arrive at pre-season at 100 percent."
Pruna meanwhile was also asked about the physical condition of Barca's latest big-name signing, Neymar.
The Brazilian wonderkid, who is currently on international duty with his country at the Confederations Cup, cost the Catalans 57 million euros ($76.2 million, £48.6 million) to buy him from Santos.
However, concerns remain that the 21-year-old may be too lightweight for the transition to European football and Pruna admitted that he may need to bulk up once he arrives back in Barcelona.
"We did a medical at full speed and the weight is just another statistic. Throughout the season we are going to get to know the player and we will be constantly taking data," he said.
"With this we can determine what is his ideal weight. The first impression is that a weight of 64.5 (kilos, 142 lbs, 10.2 stone) is on the low side and perhaps he needs a kilo more, but I can't say exactly how much."
Barcelona's latest superstar signing Neymar looks set to make his debut against his old club Santos, after Barca announced on Friday that the Brazilian side will be their opponents for the annual Joan Gamper trophy match.
"Santos will be the opponent for the Joan Gamper trophy that will be played on August 2 at 21.30 at the Camp Nou," said a statement on the Barca website.
The Catalans hectic pre-season schedule gets underway against Polish side Lechia Gdansk on July 20 but Neymar is not due to meet up with his new colleagues until July 29 because of Confederations Cup duties.
The friendly is part of the deal between the clubs that brought the 21-year-old to Barca last month, with another match to be played between the two in Brazil at a later date.
Neymar scored 136 goals in 225 games for Santos during his five seasons at the club and also guided them to their first Copa Libertadores success for 48 years back in 2011.
Spanish archrivals Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off in October in next season's first "El Clasico", a highly charged football clash that stops the nation.
The dates were decided by a draw held by the Spanish football federation Tuesday, which set the fixtures for the 38 match days of the 2013-14 season running from August 17 this year to May 18, 2014.
Real Madrid, under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, will head to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona on the weekend of October 27, with the return match in the Santiago Bernabeu on the weekend of March 23.
Ancelotti will be hoping to improve on his predecessor Jose Mourinho's performance last season when Real surrendered their league title to Barcelona by 15 points and won no silverware other than the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona's talismanic defender Carles Puyol, who has been plagued by a spate of injury problems, said Wednesday he has no intention of retiring and was instead hoping to extend his contract with the Spanish champions.
The 35-year-old Spanish international has not played since he underwent a serious operation on his right knee in March.
He had another operation on the same knee in May to remove a Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst - a benign swelling that occurs behind the knee joint - prompting speculation that he could put an end to his football career.
But asked by Catalan sports daily El Mundo Deportivo if he was going to retire, Puyol said: "Now is not the moment. I am not going to retire. As much as I have suffered, the excitement and the eagerness to play remain.
"If next season I am not fit and something similar happens to me I will consider it,but right now I feel that I want to carry out my contract and, if I can, extend it," he added in an interview published in the online edition of the newspaper.
"I am recovering slowly but progressing very well. This operation is not like the others. The post operation period is more painful but the recovery is faster."
Puyol, whose current contract with Barcelona runs until June 2016, said he was not sure if he would continue to make international appearances for Spain.
"My plan is to recover from my knee surgery and next season we will see. I will always take the decision that is best for Barcelona. I have a good relationship with (Spain coach Vicente) del Bosque, I will not take a final decision (on his international future) or say anything until I talk to him," he said.
Puyol is a product of Barcelona´s youth academy and has spent his entire career at the club.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the best chance for Lionel Messi to show the planet what he’s made of, but even with four years of dominating performances behind him, all eyes will be on Neymar, instead.
It’s an interesting sight to see: football’s two flashiest players stealing the spotlight from one another. The Barcelona duo may never even meet in the tournament, but between them is a developing storyline that could very well take over the World Cup come 2014.
How will Neymar fit at Barcelona?
For Messi, Neymar’s arrival marks the arrival of the first player to directly threaten his rule at the Camp Nou. To this day, Barcelona is a function of talented players doing their job to ultimately make Messi succeed. Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and David Villa, Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, each player plays a specific role that, more often than not, splits opposing teams apart for Messi to run through and score against.
Neymar is not a role player – far from it. He is a solo player who requires his midfield teammates to pick the ball up when he runs into traffic and quickly give it back to him. Xavi, however, is a player who receives the ball and then sends it off in another direction. If one of the two needs to change their style of play, it’s not going to be Xavi.
Like Ronaldinho before him, Neymar is a player who, at his best, can dominate entire teams, and at his worst, forces defenders to dedicate at least one player to mark. Leave Neymar alone, and he will punish you, as Japan showed in the first match of the Confederations Cup. Give Neymar an open canvas and he can create problems.
Therein lies the key to Neymar’s success. He has the support of an entire squad dedicated to making his life easier. At Barcelona, a similar set up exists for Messi. The question then becomes, can Xavi, Iniesta and company really handle two similar superstar forwards?
Tactically, FC Barcelona has embraced the 4-3-3 and, though they have deviated on a single-game basis from time to time, the club’s structure remains very much fixed from top to bottom. Assuming that the club continues using the 4-3-3, there are a few players who are already locks for certain spots: Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta have an established midfield trio that has worked for several years.
Unfortunately for one player, that three-pronged midfield means no guarantee of a starting role: Cesc Fabregas’ move to Barcelona commanded a hefty fee but did not lead to a starting role in a midfield trio comprised of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets. Instead, Fabregas saw his early role in the team split between occasionally starting or coming off the bench. Now, typically, shelling out several million dollars for a player assures that they will start for the club, but that’s not the case for Fabregas.
He is not alone in this regard; David Villa, Alexis Sanchez and Pedro are all players who are not assured a spot in the starting XI. While they feature predominantly for the club, they are also cycled amongst each other, based sometimes on form, other times on the coach’s preference. It’s not a unique situation to Barcelona alone, but it does show the club’s tendency to rotate the squad.
Then there’s Cristian Tello, a young Spanish forward who has featured regularly for Barcelona and managed to score eight goals in 2012. Like Busquets and Pedro before him, Tello has risen from the Barcelona B team and has become a viable option coming off the bench. Simply put, Barcelona has too many options to choose from, now that Neymar has signed for the club.
The only player whose spot on the forward line is basically guaranteed is Messi, partly because he’s considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and partly because he’s scored over 200 goals for the club at 25 years of age. It’s stats like that that keep a player in a starting line up!
Now, Neymar prefers the role of centre forward, too, but he has played at left wing for the Brazilian national team. Yet, Neymar is not a traditional left-winger, in the sense that, much like Arjen Robben, he likes to cut in and run on the ball, before taking a shot from outside the box or slipping in a through ball. Neymar is also adept at connecting on long crosses and finding space for himself and others on the field.
Neymar’s arrival complicates the starting line up even more. Since Messi, Villa, Pedro, Sanchez, Tello and Neymar can’t all play at the same time, the squad will need to rotate between them all throughout the season. The alternative is to sell off a few of these players, lest they rot away on the bench. In a long season filled with numerous competitions, it’s not unreasonable to have a ton of bench depth, but when you put good players who deserve starting roles on the sidelines you ultimately hurt their game.
Messi has never had to compete against a player like Neymar in terms of sheer star power, either. Neymar is a versatile attacking player who is most comfortable at centre forward, and, like Messi, likes to fall back into the midfield and control the build-up play, too. In this regard, they are similar players and one will need to change their game to accommodate the other. However, Neymar is also superstar material, who has shown up in viral videos, hung out with famous musicians and has generally been the guy at Santos and for Brazil.
His appearances in the Camp Nou alone drew a stadium full of supporters, eager to just get a glimpse of their new footballing hero. Neymar revelled in the spotlight, wearing the famous blue and red shirt for the first time. He has already chosen the number 11, which was worn by Thiago last season, a sign that Barcelona has plans on marketing the player and number together. Taking another player’s number is not a common sight in football, but if the “Neymar 11” shirt is popular enough to sell, you can bet the club will make that change.
Messi has had a pretty comfortable ride at Barcelona, never facing much in terms of head-to-head competition off the field, and for good reason; his skill and talent put him above many players but his humble nature and his journey make him a fan-favourite, too. It’s something that Messi has worked hard to create and something that is not so easily taken away from him. The most likely scenario is that Messi and Neymar will co-exist, with Neymar enjoying more of the media attention and Messi putting up better numbers. However, this two-star set up hasn’t worked in the past.
Take, for example, the case of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose time at Barcelona came to an abrupt end as Messi’s time at centre forward began to take shape. As Messi transitioned from winger to centre forward, Ibrahimovic was fazed out from Barcelona. Since leaving, Messi has taken the centre forward role and has not yielded it to any other player – it is his and his alone.
And, as humble as Messi may seem in interviews, he is still a player who gets very upset when he does not play a game, even if it’s a meaningless offseason friendly against a team in the United States. He likes playing, he enjoys the spotlight and he revels in his ability.
With Neymar at left wing and Messi at centre forward, the right wing can be opened up for Sanchez, Tello, Pedro or Villa, but whoever takes the spot will face stiff competition. Rumours have Villa exiting the Nou Camp, however, and a move to England may be on the near horizon for Spain’s most prolific goalscorer.
Whether Villa stays or leaves, the fact remains that Neymar’s arrival at Barcelona forces the club to change things up for the first time in a while. There are many new variables to consider, in terms of formation, squad selection, media attention, morale, role freedom and style of play. Barcelona may have picked up football’s next hottest superstar, but they have also added the first major variable change in their modern era of dominance.
The question is, how will Neymar fit at Barcelona? The answer may simply be that he will not.
Perhaps Barcelona will have to change for Neymar.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell is convinced of Lionel Messi's innocence following reports the Spanish tax authorities are investigating allegations he and his father defrauded the state of four million euros (£3.4million).
Messi on Wednesday released a statement denying any wrongdoing after allegations the four-time reigning World Player of the Year and his father, Jorge Horacio, were suspected of filing fraudulent tax returns between 2007 and 2009.
Rosell told a press conference on Thursday afternoon: "Messi's family is calm. They have all of our support. I do not doubt their innocence."
The 25-year-old Argentinian, currently on international duty in South America, revealed he was "surprised" by the news.
In a statement on his official Facebook page, he wrote: "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities.
"We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement.
"We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation."
Messi arrived at the Nou Camp as a 13-year-old in 2000, made his first-team debut three years later and has gone on to establish himself as one of football's best ever players.
He has won six Primera Division titles, three Champions League crowns and two FIFA Club World Cups with the Catalan giants, and in 2012 netted a record 86 goals for club and country.
Before the start of the Confederations Cup, there was a lot of expectation on Neymar. Is he as good as people say he is. A tournament in his home country was the perfect opportunity for Neymar to show his potential.
Brazil's golden boy is rated very highly by some. His summer switch to Barcelona only enhancing his ever growing reputation.
But for others, people don't see what the big fuss is about. Every time the Brazilian has played in Europe he has been poor. There have been very few glimpses of the YouTube star that many people have seen.
Neymar is a massive name around the world let alone just in his native Brazil. He is the most marketable footballer in the world and is the poster boy of Brazilian football. Everyone has heard of Neymar and everyone has an opinion on him.
But what people have seen of him so far hardly deserves the comparisons to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that he regularly gets. He was quiet in the Olympics in 2012 as Brazil eventually lost in the final to Mexico. In 2011, Neymar was part of a poor Brazilian showing as they lost in the quarter finals of the Copa America to Paraguay.
Pressure was on for Neymar to perform. A competition in his home country where he is adored by everyone and failing in his previous tournaments. Neymar also wears the number 10 jersey, made famous in Brazil by the man he gets compared to regularly, Pele.
In the opening game against Japan, Neymar and Brazil got off to a flyer. A searching ball from Marcelo was chested down into Neymar's path by Fred. Neymar done the rest. From 20 yards, Neymar rifled a half volley past the despairing goalkeeper. The Maracana erupted and Brazil would cruise to a 3-0 win.
Next up was Mexico and again Brazil and Neymar got off to a flyer. A cross from the right was poorly cleared. The ball was sent looping into the air and Neymar watched it all the way and hammered a left footed volley beyond Corona in the Mexico goal. But his assist for Jo's last minute goal will be something that people will see for a long time. Neymar was heading down the line and was up against two defenders. A few stepovers and a change of direction and Neymar left two defenders for dead. After a great piece of skill, Neymar needed an end product and he delivered by squaring the ball to Jo for him to tap it in.
An exciting game against Italy saw Brazil eventually come out 4-2 winners. Neymar was at it again and scored a great free kick, albeit Gianluigi Buffon may have done better as he was beaten on his side of the wall. But Neymar was given the man of the match award. An award he had received in all three of Brazil's matches in the Confederations Cup. Had the Neymar that many people rave about finally arrived on the world stage.
A tough semi final saw Brazil face fellow South Americans Uruguay. Neymar was at the heart of both goals as a late Paulinho header saw the Brazilian's progress to the final.
In the final, Brazil would face current World and European Champions Spain. A side that had not conceded a goal in knock out football since losing to France in the 2006 World Cup.
It would take Brazil 90 seconds to break the Spanish down. A team clearly fired up after the Brazilian national anthem was blasted around the ground before kick off. A moment that had to be seen to be believed. A capacity crowd in the Maracana joined the players on the pitch in singing their hearts out.
Spain just couldn't get to grips with Brazil. Their passing was poor and Brazil dominated the game. The poster boy of Brazilian football came to the party late in the first half. Neymar had been given Alvaro Arbeloa a torrid time in the first half. Neymar lost Arbeloa again as Oscar slipped the ball through, there was still a lot to do, but Neymar rifled a left footed shot into the roof of the net as it beat Iker Casillas at his near post. The Spanish keeper had no time to react.
Brazil ran out 3-0 winners and the win has given the country hope that they can yet again be the best team in the world.
For Neymar, it was a brilliant tournament. He had a chance to shine and he took it. He ended the tournament with a winners medal, was voted player of the tournament, named in the team of the tournament and received the bronze boot for scoring 4 goals.
Neymar finally performed against good opposition. He caused the Italians problems all night and ran Arbeloa ragged. But the tournament was on home soil. It will be different when he moves to Barcelona and faces tough European opposition in the Champions League. Defenders will need to be wary of not giving him too much space. If they do, Neymar can turn and run at you and cause you problems. But sticking tight and keeping his options limited, the full backs night might be a lot easier.
It will be interesting to see how the Brazilian copes being in Messi's shadow. Messi is the best player in the world and is the main man in that Barcelona team. But Neymar can learn so much from the Argentinian and the two of them can cause other teams so many problems.
Neymar has definitely silenced some of his critics. But there's a lot that still remain. A lot of people will hold judgement until he plays in the Champions League to see if he really is one of the best players in the world.
Barcelona playmaker Cesc Fabregas has described speculation linking him with a move away from the Nou Camp as "absurd".
Fabregas has been in and out of the Barca first team following his return to the Catalan club from Arsenal in 2011 and that has led to reports that several Barclays Premier League clubs might try and tempt the Spain international back to England this summer.
However, the 26-year-old has been keen to stress he sees his future at Barca and re-iterated that stance in an interview with Marca, as he said: "If someone says anything that isn't that I want to play at Barca, it's completely absurd."
He added: "I've always said that I'm happy at Barca. Whoever says that I'm leaving doesn't know me and has never spoken with me nor with my agent, because he knows that I don't want him to talk with other people about me.
"I'm very private and I don't even talk about these things with my family."
Lionel Messi has been summoned to appear in court on 17 September, following allegations of tax fraud.
Spanish authorities claim the 25-year-old, and his father Jorge, have evaded payments totalling more than €4m (£3.4m) due from the sale of the Barcelona star's image rights.
Summons were warranted following a complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado, which was filed with a courthouse in the Gava district of Barcelona on 12 June.
Both Argentineans deny the allegations, and a statement from Messi issued via Facebook earlier this month said: "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities. We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement.
"We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation."
According to Spanish news agency Efe, the four-time World Player of the Year could face up to six years in prison if convicted.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has had a lawsuit filed against him for avoiding tax payments.
The 25-year-old striker, along with his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are both accused of three offenses against the public purse for allegedly defrauding more than €4million in income tax returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado - a state prosecutor for the northeastern region of Catalonia, was submitted for trial at the courthouse in Gava, where the €11million a-year Argentine lives.
A judge at the courthouse must accept the prosecutor's lawsuit before charges can be brought against Messi and his father.
Barcelona declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Barcelona captain Carles Puyol is to undergo knee surgery to remove a cyst, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
"Carles Puyol will on Wednesday morning undergo a surgical intervention to remove a Baker's cyst that he has in his right knee," said a statement on the club's website.
A Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst, is a benign swelling that occurs behind the knee joint.
Barca did though confirm that the player should only be out of action for three to four weeks, meaning who could return in time for the start of the club's first pre-season friendly against Lech Gdansk in Poland on July 20.
Puyol has endured a frustrating season with a variety of injuries restricting him to just 22 appearances.
And the 35-year-old even admitted last month that he could even consider retiring in the coming months should he fail to recover from more serious knee surgery he underwent back in March.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and his father Jorge will attend a Spanish court in September as part of an inquiry into alleged tax fraud.
The pair have been summoned to appear in court in Gava, Catalonia, on Tuesday, September 17 to answer questions relating to claims that they defrauded the Spanish tax authority of four million euros (£3.4million) between 2007 and 2009.
A statement from the ministry of justice read: "Court number 3 of Gava has agreed to open proceedings on the lawsuit presented by the public prosecutor against Lionel Andres Messi and Jorge Horacio Messi for three alleged crimes against the ministry of finance, related to income tax, for tax years 2007, 2008 and 2009."
The statement went on: "The judge has called the accused to present themselves on September 17, 2013 to make their declarations. For the investigation to advance, a series of proceedings will take place, such as the taking of declarations from necessary people to clarify whether or not a crime has been committed."
It remains to be determined whether Messi and his father are to be charged with any offence. Argentinian Messi, 25, last week issued a statement on his official Facebook page, denying he or his father had committed any wrongdoing.
The FIFA Ballon d'Or winner said in the statement: "We have just known through the media about the claim filed by the Spanish tax authorities.
"We are surprised about the news, because we have never committed any infringement. We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants, who will take care of clarifying this situation."
When contacted by Press Association Sport, FC Barcelona declined to comment on the matter.
Messi arrived at the Nou Camp as a 13-year-old in 2000, made his first-team debut three years later and has gone on to establish himself as one of football's best ever players.
He has won six Primera Division titles, three Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups with the Catalan giants, and in 2012 netted a record 86 goals for club and country.
Barcelona new boy Neymar Jr. has been told he needs to put on a few pounds ahead of the La Liga campaign next season.
The Brazilian ace passed his medical with Barca earlier this month after a €57million move from Santos.
However, Barcelona doctor, Richard Pruna, says the slender striker needs to gain a few pounds in order to keep with European football’s physical nature.
Speaking to the Spanish media, Pruna said: “My first impression is that Neymar needs to gain a pound or two.
He weighs 64.5 kilos and he has a tendency to lose weight. Perhaps he needs to add a kilo or two, but I can’t say how many.”
Hopefully we’ll see Neymar follow in the footsteps of the great Cristiano Ronaldo.
Like Neymar, Ronaldo arrived in to a physical league with hardly any substantial threat about him.
“A thin wiry boy” as Gary Neville recalls. Then over summer, Ronaldo proceeded to bulk up and add a whole new side to his game. He continued to burn through defenders, whilst holding them off if need be.
There is no doubt that Neymar has an immense amount of ability and don’t forget, he’s still only 21-years-old.
But, I feel, for Neymar to make the cut in Europe, It’s vital that he builds upon the physical side of his game.
Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.
Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).
"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.
"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.
Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.
The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.
"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.
In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.
The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.
The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.
The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.
"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.
"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."
Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.
The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.
But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi denied stunning allegations Wednesday that he and his father engaged in tax fraud worth more than four million euros ($5 million).
The 25-year-old Argentina international and four-time World Player of the year expressed shock at the accusation by Spanish financial crimes prosecutors.
"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account.
"We have always fulfilled all our tax obligations, following the advice of our tax consultants who will take care of clarifying this situation," Messi said.
The player said he had just heard of the move against him through the media.
Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were accused of fiddling the taxes in a legal filing lodged by financial crimes prosecutor Raquel Amado, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
"It is all a mistake, you have to speak about this to the tax experts and lawyers who need to clear it up," the player's father told Spanish sports daily AS.
"I don't understand what is going on. I don't manage these matters, I am resident in Argentina," he said.
The father said he had not spoken to his son about the reports. "I don't need to since it is a mistake. Why would I shock him?"
The allegations were filed in a court in Catalonia, where Messi is resident, but judges could yet refuse to let it proceed, a judicial source told AFP.
If it were to go ahead, it would represent a huge blow to the prestige of Messi, who has long been seen as a more humble figure than most top-class footballers and particularly his Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world, however.
Indeed, the Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21m from endorsements alone.
The player and his father are accused of three crimes of defrauding the state of taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.
The allegations centre on tax declarations made in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.
They drew up deals related to his image rights in Britain and Switzerland, ensuring that the income went straight to the tax havens without any tax being paid, it said.
Messi and his father acted with "total opaqueness" towards the Spanish authorities, the filing said.
The complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused them of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.
The father was accused of being the brains behind the scheme, allegedly setting it up in 2005 before his son turned 18 on June 24 of that year.
The prosecutor said Messi later agreed with his father's tactics so that he would avoid any taxes on income from the use of his image rights during the period.
The income related to his image rights included contracts with FC Barcelona, Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Kuwait Food Company.
Messi's net income from image rights amounted to 2.56 million euros in 2007, 3.82 million euros in 2008 and 3.80 million euros in 2009, the complaint said.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has had a lawsuit filed against him for avoiding tax payments.
The 25-year-old striker, along with his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, are both accused of three offenses against the public purse for allegedly defrauding more than €4million in income tax returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The complaint, signed by prosecutor Raquel Amado - a state prosecutor for the northeastern region of Catalonia, was submitted for trial at the courthouse in Gava, where the €11million a-year Argentine lives.
A judge at the courthouse must accept the prosecutor's lawsuit before charges can be brought against Messi and his father.
Barcelona declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Messi is enjoying a day off after playing for his national team in Quito, where Argentina was held to 1-1 by Ecuador in a qualifying match for the World Cup.
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has said Messi was expected to be included in the line up for a friendly against Guatemala on Friday.
Spanish archrivals Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off in October in next season's first "El Clasico", a highly charged football clash that stops the nation.
The dates were decided by a draw held by the Spanish football federation Tuesday, which set the fixtures for the 38 match days of the 2013-14 season running from August 17 this year to May 18, 2014.
Real Madrid, under new coach Carlo Ancelotti, will head to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona on the weekend of October 27, with the return match in the Santiago Bernabeu on the weekend of March 23.
Ancelotti will be hoping to improve on his predecessor Jose Mourinho's performance last season when Real surrendered their league title to Barcelona by 15 points and won no silverware other than the Spanish Super Cup.
Before the start of the Confederations Cup, there was a lot of expectation on Neymar. Is he as good as people say he is. A tournament in his home country was the perfect opportunity for Neymar to show his potential.
Brazil's golden boy is rated very highly by some. His summer switch to Barcelona only enhancing his ever growing reputation.
But for others, people don't see what the big fuss is about. Every time the Brazilian has played in Europe he has been poor. There have been very few glimpses of the YouTube star that many people have seen.
Neymar is a massive name around the world let alone just in his native Brazil. He is the most marketable footballer in the world and is the poster boy of Brazilian football. Everyone has heard of Neymar and everyone has an opinion on him.
But what people have seen of him so far hardly deserves the comparisons to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that he regularly gets. He was quiet in the Olympics in 2012 as Brazil eventually lost in the final to Mexico. In 2011, Neymar was part of a poor Brazilian showing as they lost in the quarter finals of the Copa America to Paraguay.
Pressure was on for Neymar to perform. A competition in his home country where he is adored by everyone and failing in his previous tournaments. Neymar also wears the number 10 jersey, made famous in Brazil by the man he gets compared to regularly, Pele.
In the opening game against Japan, Neymar and Brazil got off to a flyer. A searching ball from Marcelo was chested down into Neymar's path by Fred. Neymar done the rest. From 20 yards, Neymar rifled a half volley past the despairing goalkeeper. The Maracana erupted and Brazil would cruise to a 3-0 win.
Next up was Mexico and again Brazil and Neymar got off to a flyer. A cross from the right was poorly cleared. The ball was sent looping into the air and Neymar watched it all the way and hammered a left footed volley beyond Corona in the Mexico goal. But his assist for Jo's last minute goal will be something that people will see for a long time. Neymar was heading down the line and was up against two defenders. A few stepovers and a change of direction and Neymar left two defenders for dead. After a great piece of skill, Neymar needed an end product and he delivered by squaring the ball to Jo for him to tap it in.
An exciting game against Italy saw Brazil eventually come out 4-2 winners. Neymar was at it again and scored a great free kick, albeit Gianluigi Buffon may have done better as he was beaten on his side of the wall. But Neymar was given the man of the match award. An award he had received in all three of Brazil's matches in the Confederations Cup. Had the Neymar that many people rave about finally arrived on the world stage.
A tough semi final saw Brazil face fellow South Americans Uruguay. Neymar was at the heart of both goals as a late Paulinho header saw the Brazilian's progress to the final.
In the final, Brazil would face current World and European Champions Spain. A side that had not conceded a goal in knock out football since losing to France in the 2006 World Cup.
It would take Brazil 90 seconds to break the Spanish down. A team clearly fired up after the Brazilian national anthem was blasted around the ground before kick off. A moment that had to be seen to be believed. A capacity crowd in the Maracana joined the players on the pitch in singing their hearts out.
Spain just couldn't get to grips with Brazil. Their passing was poor and Brazil dominated the game. The poster boy of Brazilian football came to the party late in the first half. Neymar had been given Alvaro Arbeloa a torrid time in the first half. Neymar lost Arbeloa again as Oscar slipped the ball through, there was still a lot to do, but Neymar rifled a left footed shot into the roof of the net as it beat Iker Casillas at his near post. The Spanish keeper had no time to react.
Brazil ran out 3-0 winners and the win has given the country hope that they can yet again be the best team in the world.
For Neymar, it was a brilliant tournament. He had a chance to shine and he took it. He ended the tournament with a winners medal, was voted player of the tournament, named in the team of the tournament and received the bronze boot for scoring 4 goals.
Neymar finally performed against good opposition. He caused the Italians problems all night and ran Arbeloa ragged. But the tournament was on home soil. It will be different when he moves to Barcelona and faces tough European opposition in the Champions League. Defenders will need to be wary of not giving him too much space. If they do, Neymar can turn and run at you and cause you problems. But sticking tight and keeping his options limited, the full backs night might be a lot easier.
It will be interesting to see how the Brazilian copes being in Messi's shadow. Messi is the best player in the world and is the main man in that Barcelona team. But Neymar can learn so much from the Argentinian and the two of them can cause other teams so many problems.
Neymar has definitely silenced some of his critics. But there's a lot that still remain. A lot of people will hold judgement until he plays in the Champions League to see if he really is one of the best players in the world.
