A day after his sacrifice enabled the signing of Eric García and Memphis Depay, Piqué headed home the latter’s free-kickGerard Piqué was 13 or 14 the day the Barcelona manager came to tea. When his grandfather proudly introduced him as the future Camp Nou centre-back, Louis van Gaal walked over and, without a word, pushed him to the floor. Standing over him, he looked down at this kid lying there and delivered a devastating verdict: you’re too weak to play for Barcelona. Twenty-one years, 567 games, eight leagues, eight cups and four European Cups later, a World Cup and a Euros too, he’s not just still standing; he’s carrying the club on his shoulders. Well, someone has to.That was how...
Two modern stars will do some heavy lifting for their clubs this season as they strive to emulate the legendary Gerd MüllerThe Bundesliga never does things quietly. It returned with – at least some – supporters in the stands in its typical character of cut, thrust and confusion, but there was some clarity amid the mayhem. On a weekend which ended with German football in mourning at the passing of the legendary Gerd Müller, the elite centre-forwards from the current competition showed they are pulling out all the stops to be worthy successors. Related: Gerd Müller was world class but his brilliant legacy is too often forgotten | Scott Murray Mönchengladbach 1-1 Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund 5-2 Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg...
At first glance the Bayern Munich and West Germany striker’s work was underwhelming – until you realise he was doing it every week, season after seasonComparisons are odious, and nearly always absurdly reductive, but here we go anyway. In 2012, Lionel Messi set a new record for goals scored in a calendar year. Let’s not try too hard to be iconoclastic: his tally of 91 for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012 was one of football’s monumental achievements, a jaw-dropping effort over the long haul, even if the only silverware it earned him that year was the Copa del Rey. Poor Leo didn’t get too much bang for his buck there.The previous mark had been set by Gerd Müller. In 1972,...
Ligue 1 looks unhealthily one-sided and it is not alone: the domination of the game’s super-clubs is only just beginningIt gets to Sunday evening. You’ve done your chores. You’ve had your dinner.You’re tired. You have work on Monday. You just want something to stick on the telly while you flick through the papers or doze on the sofa. These days you have choices. Next Sunday, for instance, if you have a comprehensive satellite package, you could watch Levante against Real Madrid, Roma against Fiorentina or Nice against Marseille. Which are you going to choose? Related: Grealish and Lukaku deals expose inequalities of the Premier League Continue reading...
Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos are gone, while Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid will fancy their chances of back-to-back titlesZinedine Zidane was the first one out, so early it feels like a lifetime ago. Then Sergio Ramos departed, the full-time whistle finally catching up with him. Now Lionel Messi has gone, flying back into Barcelona to find the contract he had come to sign was no longer there. Arguably the three most significant men in Spanish football over the past decade, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, all gone in a single summer. And Ronaldo had already left three years earlier.This week, Ramos contacted Messi to say he could stay at his place if he liked. There was always respect there – well,...