Category: Football

The Best Tennis Players of 2022

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 14, 2023

Football

The year 2022 concluded with no shortage of surprises in the tennis world: unexpected victories and unexpected successes. In the meantime, however, Spain dominates, taking the first two positions in the ATP rankings in 2022. By the way, who were the best tennis players of 2002? Let’s take the official ranking as a reference and retrace the successes of the current top 5 in the world of tennis.

Top 5 tennis players of 2022: the year’s best

Carlos Alcaraz is the best tennis player of 2022.
Total points: 6820

Today, in first place in the ATP rankings, is Carlos Alcaraz. Are you wondering how old he is? More than normal: he has only recently been in the spotlight, but he has already established himself as one of the best in the world, ready to take up the legacy of the Big Three. Alcaraz was born in 2003 (yes, you read that right: 2003), is only 19 years old, and is the youngest tennis player to ever reach the first position in the ATP rankings. Not a negligible detail: in 2022, he moved from the 32nd to the 1st position. An incredible upgrade for this extraordinary player.

The Spaniard succeeded thanks to a leading year: he is the tennis player who has won the most ATP Tour titles (5), and he is also the one who has won the most finals (7). As a result, he is the one who has amassed the most points and the most… earnings (almost 7.4 million dollars). Surely the most important and significant victory was the one at the US Open in the final against Casper Ruud.

Rafael Nadal

Total points: 6020

Rafa Nadal has gone from being a student to a master. He is always near the top of the ATP rankings. The Spaniard won the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, thus reaching 21 Grand Slams in his career. Nadal also triumphed at Roland Garros, which is his specialty; in his career, Rafa has achieved 14 triumphs at the French Open. And now there are 22 Grand Slams in all. Yet another extraordinary result from a tennis player who never ceases to amaze.

Casper Ruud

Total points: 5820

Casper Ruud also holds the 2022 record for the number of ATP finals played together with Alcaraz, but the Norwegian stops only in third place in the standings. Right in the final, he surrendered to Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros, while in the last act of the US Open; the aforementioned Carlos Alcaraz defeated him. Djokovic always stopped him in the final of the ATP Finals.

Next year he will try again, aware that he is one of the best tennis players around.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Total points: 5550

For Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, seven finals were also played: no Grand Slam ring, but plenty of substance for another memorable tennis player. The success achieved in Monte Carlo during the April Masters 1000 stands out. In Italy, we got to see him nearly win the Internationals in Rome; in that case, he had to give up in the final against Novak Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic

Total points: 4820

So let’s close with Nole: 7 finals for him too, with the most important victory undoubtedly being won at Wimbledon. In addition, there, Berrettini’s absence (outside the Covid cause) made itself felt, fortunately for Djokovic, who instead was able to participate and win as the favorite he was. The successes were different (the last one came in the aforementioned ATP Finals), but the functioning of the ATP ranking is ruthless. Nole knows it well, and for this year, he has to settle for fifth place. But young tennis players are warned: the Serbian still has a lot to give…

Football

Highest-paid head coaches in 2022

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 14, 2023

Best-paid head coaches in 2022

To be more specific, the position of the coach is one that is accorded a great deal of significance in the sport of football. If they are not led by an experienced and capable coach, even the most gifted team can struggle to live up to their potential and end up suffering a defeat as a result. Because of this, clubs will always make an effort to hire the most skilled coaches that are available, even if it means providing them with outrageously excessive salary packages.

It is a well-known fact that if one desires to be at the very top of their field (or at the very least, one of the finest), they must be willing to pay their dues. This article is a ranking of the five highest-paid coaches in the world based on the findings of our research.

The ranking of the highest-paid coaches in the world:

Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid): 24 million euros
Pep Guardiola (Man City): 23 million
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool): 17.5 million
Antonio Conte (Tottenham): 17.5 million
Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus): 12 million

The highest-paid coach in the world is Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid.

Yes, Simeone is the one who makes the most money out of all of them. Cholo, who has been working in Madrid for a few years, has a yearly compensation of 24 million euros in net pay. Atletico Madrid has the potential to become a team capable of competing at the highest levels after signing a magnificent contract with one of the most brilliant managers in the game. This is demonstrated by the fact that they were successful not only in Spain but also in all across Europe. The Cholo is tireless in his efforts to persuade the other members of his team to devote everything they have to the cause in which they believe.

The second-highest-paid coach is Pep Guardiola.

Second place, although not by a wide margin: the monetary difference between Simeone and Guardiola is only one million euros. The City of Manchester has come to an agreement with Pep to pay him a salary of 23 million euros (net) per season. This is due to the fact that Pep is widely recognized as one of the very best managers in the world. His skill, in the meantime, continues to impress supporters, and he hasn’t given up on his dream of winning the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp completes the list of the world’s highest-paid coaches.

Jurgen Klopp, who is known for his signature counterpressing technique, is one of the highest-paid coaches in the world. He is also one of the most successful. The club has decided to keep the Liverpool head coach due to the extraordinary results that he has produced: the club won both the Champions League and the Premier League, which are two examples of the success that a competent and well-prepared coach can achieve anywhere. The Liverpool head coach earns a net salary of 17.5 million euros per year.

Conte and Allegri: two Italian specialists, round out the top five.

Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, two Italian coaches, are standing right below the podium and close to it. Both have a past with Juventus, but only one is currently working in Italy for a team that includes Son and Kane. He will work hard to get the Spurs back to the top of the league and earn them a championship trophy, both of which have been out of reach for a very long time.

The second, on the other hand, after taking a break last year, went back to the “blacks and whites.” His realistic approach to football can nevertheless produce results and victories, despite the fact that there are some unknowns.

Football

Predictions 11-15-01.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 11, 2023

Football

Manchester City vs Everton | EFL Cup

11/01/2023 20:00

Prediction: 1-2

When Southampton plays host to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, the Saints want to pull off a major upset. It was good for the home team that they won 2-1 over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Saturday, but you can guarantee that they’d rather have three points in the league. After suffering six straight losses, Southampton is currently in last place in the Premier League. Since October, they have only been victorious in cup contests, but it appears that they will not be able to prevail in this endeavor. The success that Southampton has had in cup competitions will hopefully instill some confidence in the team and lead to an improvement in their play in the Premier League. This season of the Carabao Cup, Southampton has been successful thus far, claiming victories over three teams competing at lower levels. After falling behind in the first two minutes of the game, they were able to fight back and win away at Cambridge United, as well as at home against Sheffield Wednesday (in a penalty shootout) and Lincoln City. The Saints have only been victorious in one of their last eight league and cup matches when playing at home for the full 90 minutes. They suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City earlier in the season.

Over the course of the last five years, Manchester City has taken home the Carabao Cup on four separate occasions. They are currently in second place in the Premier League and come into this match having dropped only one of their previous 12 matches across all competitions while winning four of their most recent five matches. Even though City will almost certainly play with a depleted lineup, the fact that they have such a quality team means that it won’t make a huge impact. Even if Erling Haaland started on the bench for them against Chelsea in the FA Cup match on Sunday, they would still have a good chance of winning comfortably. Throughout this season’s cup events, City has been consistently dealt difficult draws. They were victorious in the previous round of the Carabao Cup, beating Liverpool 3-2 at home. Prior to that, they had a 2-0 victory over Chelsea. Since 2016, City has not dropped a Carabao Cup away game in the first ninety minutes of play. It looks like we’ll pick up another victory on the road here.

Only one of Southampton’s last eight games played at home has ended in a victory for the Saints.
With the exception of matches decided by penalty shootouts, City has not been eliminated from the Carabao Cup on the road since 2016.
Over 90 minutes the last nine games that Manchester City have played in the Carabao Cup, they have won.
Southampton has defeated three teams from lower leagues to reach this quarterfinal.

Real Madrid vs Valencia | Supercopa

11/12/2023 20:00

Prediction: 3-1

The Spanish Super Cup starts in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, January 11. The formula includes two semi-finals in a “dry” match: the first is between Real Madrid and Valencia, and the second will see Barcelona and Betis Seville on the field the following day. The two winners will play for the trophy in the final on Sunday, January 15. Los Blancos come to the match with a great desire for redemption after the defeat against Villarreal and the consequent overtaking of Barcelona at the top of the La Liga standings. A difficult period for Gattuso; his Valencia team started 2023 poorly, and they are only eleventh in the league, eight points out of qualifying for European competitions.

Real Madrid comes to meet Valencia after defeating Villarreal 2-1 on the last day of the championship. The merengues were returning from three victories in a row, two in the league with Cadiz and Valladolid and one in the Spanish Cup with Cacereno, but they interrupted the streak. Valencia has had a difficult post-World Cup restart, having lost twice in La Liga to Villarreal 2-1 and Cadiz 1-0, and having won only two of their last nine official matches: one with Betis in the league and one with Little La Nucia in the Cup.

Real Madrid have won three of their last four games.
Over 1.5 goals have been scored in ten of Real Madrid’s last eleven games.
Valencia have lost three of their last five competitive matches.
Real Madrid has won all three of their previous meetings by scores of 4-1, 2-1, and 2-0.

Real Betis vs Barcelona | Supercopa

12/01/2023 19:00

Prediction: 1-2

On Thursday, January 12th, in Saudi Arabia, Betis Seville and Barcelona challenge each other in the second semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup; the first will be played the previous day between Real Madrid and Valencia. Whoever wins passes the round and will reach the final; whoever loses will say goodbye to the competition. The Blaugrana arrive at the match in full swing after becoming the solitary leaders of La Liga. Betis has started 2023 in the best possible way, but this is not enough for bookmakers who see Xavi’s team clearly favored.

After a difficult 2022 final, Betis Sevilla started the New Year without defeat, with a 0-0 draw against Athletic Bilbao, a 2-1 success over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, and a 4-1 win against Ibiza in the Spanish Cup. The Andalusians continue to fight for a place in the Champions League in La Liga, but Barcelona did even better thanks to the 1-0 draw against Atletico Madrid last weekend, who flew alone to the top of the Spanish league standings. Xavi hasn’t lost a game since October 26 and has collected 6 wins and a draw in the last seven games.

The first and third best defenses in La Liga face off with 6 (Barcelona) and 13 (Betis) passive goals, respectively.
Problems in attack for Betis, who have only scored in one of their last three matches in the league.
Barcelona is back from four Under 2.5s in the last five La Liga matches.
The Blaugrana have conceded just two goals in their last six league games, with four clean sheets.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona | Supercopa

15/01/2023 19:00

Prediction: 1-1

We will have the pleasure of having a Classico in this final of the Spanish Supercup. The kick-off of the match will be at 7 p.m. on January 15 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. Indeed, this Super Cup was again relocated to Saudi Arabia this year. Real will put their title back into play for this 2023 edition against their great rival. In the first leg this season, on behalf of the 9th day of La Liga at home at the Santiago Bernabéu, it was Madrid who won (3-1). Last season, in the semi-finals of this same competition played here, Real Madrid won (2-3) in extra time, a psychological advantage in favor of Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Real Madrid triumphed in a penalty shootout against Valencia on Wednesday. It was the French Ballon d’Or Karim Benzema who had given the advantage to Madrid on a converted penalty shortly before halftime (the 37th), but on returning from the locker room, Gennaro Gattuso’s men managed to equalize from the start (the 46th) to thwart the White House’s plans. Then, neither side was able to gain the upper hand in extra time. This qualification allows Real to erase the defeat suffered against Villareal in the league last weekend (2-1), which places them 3 points below their Barcelona rivals in La Liga.

Barcelona faced the same challenges in qualifying against Betis Sevilla in the semi-finals on Thursday, but it was a productive and uplifting match.Indeed, on their only shot on target in the first half, thanks to Robert Lewandowski, it was the Catalans who led the score, but in a more messy second half, the former Lyon forward, Nabil Fekir, equalized (77th). In a fairly contested extension, Fati restored the advantage to Barça before Betis came back to score again 8 minutes later. Two Sevillian shooters failed in their attempts, sending Barcelona to join their nemesis in the final of the competition. It’s worth noting that the Blaugrana are playing their eighth game in a row without losing a single point.

In direct confrontations, the two clubs remain unbeaten 6 consecutive matches with more than 2.5 goals scored.
Real Madrid has seen over 2.5 goals scored three times in their last 5 games.
Barcelona have seen the “over 2.5 goals” prediction validated in 3 of their last 5 matches.
Barcelona has scored more than 2.5 goals in four of their last five away games (including neutral ground).

Football

The Best Soccer Players in the World

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 5, 2023

Football

Who is a star player? The definition helps, even when it comes to football. That is, someone who has such outstanding qualities or performance that they cannot be placed in a ranking due to their manifest superiority. Yes, because it’s easy to talk about “champions,”, but when you enter the ranks of champions, you have to be very careful. Putting too many players in the category would reduce its value, making it less than average.

Serial Winners
The Era of the Galacticos
The hand of God
Cruyff and others
The O Rei throne

That’s why for each “era” of football, a lot of players can be identified, who are then punctually pitted against each other from a media point of view, even if perhaps they have very little in common.

Serial Winners

The last fifteen years, marked by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are the best example of an era of two undisputed champions. It would be enough to think that from 2008 onwards, all but one of the Ballon d’Ors ended up on the Argentine’s palmaris (7), or on that of the Portuguese (5).

Even if their teams didn’t always win, their numbers and performances were so above average that it’s better not to include them when compiling a list of the best in the world, because Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo definitely make history in their own right, whether we’re talking about Messi’s 50 goals in La Liga in the 2011/12 season or CR7’s 17 goals in the triumphant 2013/14 Champions League. Sure, there were plenty of other notable players during this time, but to even think of comparing them to the two “aliens” is far too much.

The Era of the Galacticos

The previous era is what, if you wish, can be defined as “the era of the Galacticos,” because many of the champions of that period ended up playing for Real Madrid. But who were the real champions of football between the late 1990s and the first part of the 2000s?

Ronaldo Nazario is a name that everyone agrees on, for all… the phenomenon. The Brazilian amazed the world in his early twenties with Barcelona, cried with Inter for injuries and disappointments on the pitch, won with Brazil, and then made the difference in Madrid as well. And if it hadn’t been for those fragile knees, he would have done even more.

Near him? It is difficult to find someone at the same level. Champions like Zidane, Figo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho are undeniably great, but what the phenomenon has represented all over the world, even in terms of image, is… out of this world.

The hand of God

The eighties and the beginning of the nineties were undoubtedly the era of Diego Armando Maradona. The Pibe de Oro began to show his greatness in Barcelona and then became a legend in Naples. Under his guidance, the Neapolitans have become a powerhouse of Italian and European football, also thanks to the possibility that Diego would win the games by himself.

Not to mention the performances with Argentina, which were literally dragged to the victory of the 1986 World Cup with the cleverness of “the hand of God” in the middle, but also the Goal of the Century, both of which arrived against England. Two colleagues keep him company at two different times.

In the early eighties, the other champion was French, and his name was Michel Platini. The transalpine was a symbol of Juventus, who managed to win everything and led France to victory at the European Championships, the first international trophy for the French national team. Then, when he retired, his place among the champions was taken by Marco van Basten, a Dutchman with fairy feet and fragile ankles.

The Swan of Utrecht, along with three other Ballon d’Or winners like Roi Michel, represented Milan of the Immortals with his goals, but also the Netherlands national team, which in 1988, as an outsider in the markets that had already regulated betting, conquered Europe. As for the phenomenon, all that’s left for him is the regret of having a physique that’s too weak…

Cruyff and others

In the 1970s, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruijff were the champions. West Germany under the “Kaiser” and Ajax under the “Prophet of Goal” dominated the decade in terms of results, trophies, and individual accolades.

The Teutonic embodied the pure German football mentality, and his adaptability allows him to play in the strongest defenses and midfields ever. The Dutchman is the contemporary player whose most dazzling performance allows space for the most helpful. Both were champions and top coaches. No coincidence.

The O Rei throne

From 1958 to 1970, no one in the world was able to destabilize O’Rei’s throne. Pele has been the world’s strongest, most famous, and most loved footballer for over a decade. When we talk about football’s first global celebrity, we must certainly refer to the Brazilian, who, despite having played almost his entire career in his home country (and then in the USA), crossed all borders and was the point of reference for at least a couple of generations.

He can’t locate a rival. Gianni Rivera, Bobby Charlton, George Best, and Lev Jain come to mind, but it’s difficult to match Pele’s level. As you go back over the years, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify the champions. Undoubtedly, the new means of communication have favored a 360-degree view of football, making it possible to establish who is really above each category and who is close but still remains a step below. There are a few names, however, that almost everyone agrees date back to the 1950s.

Like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, the stars of Real, the first of five consecutive European Cups. After all, even in the twenties or thirties of the last century, someone must have tried to remember who had come before. Because every era has its champions.

Football

Cryptocurrency and football sponsorships

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 5, 2023

Cryptocurrency and football sponsorships

Virtual currencies are very real forms of currency. The advance of cryptocurrencies, which are defined as a digital representation of value used as an investment or a means of exchange, has spread across the whole planet, including the world of football.

Crypto enters football with Arsenal
The problems with crypto
NFTs and fan tokens
Players’ investments in Sorare

Crypto enters football with Arsenal

Over the last few years, the companies in the sector have invested a lot in football, obviously starting from the most flourishing market, the English one. The first club to link to a cryptocurrency was Arsenal, which signed a partnership with Cashbet Coin in 2018, but many other types of agreements have since arrived.

At the moment, half of the Premier League clubs, including the ones at the top of the sports betting table, have partnerships with cryptocurrency companies. Some are main sponsors, some use sleeve space, and others are just corporate sponsors.

As a result, the English Premier League has seen a nearly 300% increase in the value of cryptocurrency sponsorships, from 27 million pounds in 2021 to 104 million pounds in 2021.

Yet, strange to say, the paradise for cryptocurrency sponsorships is Serie A. The Italian championship has been practically invaded by offers from companies in the sector. After all, given the squeeze on sponsorships by betting companies, made impossible by the state, the clubs definitely needed a new type of income, especially in light of the crisis that has hit the entire planet in the last two years.

And therefore, despite more than a few doubts on the part of the authorities (and of the Premier League itself, which at the end of 2021 decided that any similar agreement would be checked with particular attention), cryptocurrencies have become important, indeed, fundamental, in terms of revenue for top-flight club advertisers. The numbers, after all, speak for themselves.

The problems with crypto

But because of the fall of cryptocurrencies in the past few months, there have been problems that have especially affected Inter.

The agreement with Digitalbits has already been criticized for late payments, which led the team to remove the sponsor’s logo from the scoreboards at the sports center and then from the uniforms of the women’s team in the summer. They also threatened to sue and end the contract on their own for Lukaku and his teammates’ shirts, which did not happen, for the record.

NFTs and fan tokens

Also because the agreements are not limited to the presence of logos on the uniforms. Indeed, many teams also exploit the cryptocurrency system in other systems, primarily that of non-fungible tokens, more commonly called NFTs.

As the name suggests, these are (obviously digital) tokens that can be bought. In reality, they are real, non-exchangeable digital certificates that can be used to buy both digital and real assets.

Among these, the so-called “fan tokens” are the most popular in football. They function as small shares of the club and allow those who own them to have their say regarding corporate decisions or access exclusive content.

Players investments in Sorare

Without forgetting that the applications of the blockchain technology on which cryptocurrencies are based can be even more imaginative. This is the case of Sorare, a mix between fantasy football and video games, in which players’ “virtual cards” are purchased, which give away points depending on how the player behaved on the pitch.

Among the investors in the project are great champions like Griezmann and Piquè, with the Catalan putting up a good 3 million euros in 2020. As often happens to him, the Barça defender seems to have hit the mark in business: the second round of investments has garnered the adhesion of Masayoshi Son, the second richest man in all of Japan, who some time ago invested “just” $580 million in the company’s assets, which according to the latest estimates have recently reached a value of more than 3 billion euros.

Of course, this is a market that, as recent developments have confirmed, is particularly volatile and not without risks.

In any case, before dismissing cryptocurrencies and blockchains as nonsense with nothing to do with football, let’s do some math!

Football

Predictions 31.12.2022-03.01.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 31, 2022

Football

Manchester City vs Everton | Premier League

31/12/2022 15:00

Prediction: 3-1

Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, maintains its lead over Arsenal. The citizens are five miles from the gunners, and on Saturday, they will challenge Everton at home. Haaland and his companions restarted after the World Cup with a clear 3-1 success against Leeds away, the fourth in the last five matchdays, and they fly thanks to the best attack of the tournament (43 goals).

Everton are fourth from bottom in the table with 14 points, plus one on the relegation zone, and are in full crisis after three defeats in a row, including a 2-1 loss at home to Wolverhampton in a head-to-head crucial to the race to stay in the Premier League.

Manchester City has scored more than 3.5 goals in eight of the fifteen games played.
The citizens have the best attack in the league with 43 goals in 15 days.
Guardiola’s team has won 11 out of 15 matches and four of their last five in the Premier League.
Everton have now lost four of their last five away games.
Manchester City have won their last ten games against Everton, with five of them ending in Over 3.5 goals.

Brighton vs Arsenal | Premier League

31/12/2022 17:30

Prediction: 2-1

Saturday, December 31: A high-flying Premier League clash with Arsenal leading with 40 points, plus five on Manchester City, who face De Zerbi’s Brighton, seventh at 24 and fighting for a place in Europe. The Italian coach is not making Potter regret it; in the championship, he has won three of the last four games, including the first after the break for the World Cup, 3-1 on the Southampton field.

Arsenal are a near-perfect machine going into their 16th league game with 13 wins, one draw, and just one defeat. If this weren’t enough to make the Gunners favorites, there is still a streak of four wins in a row (against West Ham, Wolves, Chelsea, and Nottingham) left.

Arsenal have the second-best attack in the Premier League with 36 goals in 15 games.
All of Brighton’s last five games in the Premier League have finished with the Over 2.5.
The last two precedents have ended with at least three goals, including the one played on November 9 in the Cup (3-1 for Brighton).
Brighton have scored ten goals in their last four Premier League games; Arsenal have scored 11 in the same period.

Barcelona vs Espanyol | La Liga

31/12/2022 13:00

Prediction: 2-1

The resumption of La Liga after the World Cup immediately gives fans a very interesting challenge: The Catalan derby between Barcelona and Espanyol is scheduled for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022, at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana, coached by Xavi, must defend first place from the attack of Real Madrid, the only team with which they will most likely fight for the title given that the third team in the standings, Real Sociedad, is already 11 points behind the top. Barça closed the first phase of the season with a 1-2 victory at Osasuna. Espanyol, on the other hand, is once again engaged in the race for salvation, and in the last league match before the break, they lost on their own pitch against Villarreal 0-1. Coach Diego Martínez’s team then played two matches in the Copa del Rey, winning both, and on December 20, they already made their official return to the field, winning against Atletico Paso, also in the cup, 0-1.

Barcelona returns to play an official match more than a month and a half after the last one. Before this match, they obtained 4 consecutive successes between the championship and the cups. Taking only the Liga into consideration, the Catalans won the last 5 games, conceding only one goal in the last match played in Pamplona against Osasuna. Espanyol played two Copa del Rey matches between November and December, winning both away games without conceding a goal. In the championship, on the other hand, he hasn’t won for 5 rounds, and in this part of the season, he has totaled 3 draws and 2 defeats.

Barcelona has won 12 of its last 13 league games.
Espanyol has won only 2 of its last 21 league games.
Barcelona has won their last three games against Espanyol, taking the lead early in the first half.
In the last 6 home games against Espanyol, Barcelona have never conceded a goal.
Barcelona have won the last 6 league games played at the Camp Nou and have not conceded a goal in the last 7.

Football

The Greatest Footballers Never to Play in a World Cup

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 29, 2022

Football

Playing in the World Cup is the dream of all kids who kick a ball, but there are few who manage to make it happen. And it doesn’t even mean that becoming a football champion necessarily leads to taking the field in the world championship event.

This is demonstrated by the stories of many players who, despite being among the best of their generations, have not had the opportunity to play in a World Cup. And the reasons are different. There are those who were limited by a non-leading national team, those who were great at the wrong time, and those who, more simply and practically, sabotaged themselves.

The stories of Weah, Giggs, and Litmanen
The legend of George Best
Cantona is not a prophet in France.
The cases of Schuster and Nainggolan
Haaland will play in the next World Cup.

The stories of Weah, Giggs, and Litmanen

Among those who have had the problem of the non-competitive national team, there is certainly George Weah. The Ballon d’Or 1995 could have played with France and probably would have been the center forward in the World Cup won by the Transalpines in 1998, but the fact that he had chosen Liberia way back in 1987 prevented him from being able to even imagine taking part in the World Cup.

For King George, there were four attempts to qualify with the national team (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002), but unfortunately for him, the only real chance to make it in 2002 slipped away on the last day.

Ryan Giggs has a similar story, as he has always missed the World Cup due to team and family obligations. The Manchester United legend, who was always favored among the Champions League odds, could have worn the glorious shirt of England, but he should have been known as… Ryan Wilson, or rather, like his father. But because of how bad his relationship was with his father, he had to take his mother’s last name and nationality.

Thus was born Ryan Giggs, who in his career will never be able to help Wales qualify for the World Cup. And to think that in 2022 he could have been on the bench as a coach if his problems with justice hadn’t forced him to leave the selection committee!

Another nineties star also never had the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. Jari Litmanen was the most important player for European champions Ajax for many years and also wore the Barcelona shirt during his career, which spanned more than two decades.

It’s too bad that Finland has never been able to give him a great team that could help him try to qualify for the World Cup, especially when there were fewer teams competing.

The legend of George Best

Another Ballon d’Or winner who was unable to play in the World Cup is George Best. The Northern Irishman was born… too late to play for the 1958 national team, which advanced to the quarterfinals.

At the same time, when Northern Ireland returned to the World Cup in 1982, he had already begun his downward spiral, and he retired in 1986.

In the end, “The Best” went to Spain in 1982 anyway, but… as a commentator to follow his national team!

Cantona was unlucky with France.

Eric Cantona was also born at the wrong time. The Frenchman is twenty when he plays in Mexico and is not yet on the national team.

The French team then missed two consecutive qualifiers, in 1990 and 1994. In 1987, he publicly insults the coach, Henri Michel, and is excluded from the selection. Platini takes him to the 1992 European Championships, but then Houllier arrives, and the transalpine team fails to qualify for the American World Cup with him.

Maybe Jacquet would also call him in 1998, but by then, the famous number 7 had already retired.

The cases of Schuster and Nainggolan

Then there’s the other side of the coin: the players who instead played (or still play) for competitive national teams but were always left off the lists when it came to starting the World Cup due to issues with the coaches.

One of the most famous is certainly the German Bernd Schuster, who won the European Championships with West Germany and who, with clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid), brought home several trophies. However, there are federation issues with the national team, which erupted when a player refused to play against Albania because his child was born. And therefore, not even 25-year-old Schuster leaves the Mannschaft.

A more recent example is that of Radja Nainggolan. The Belgians lost both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Good performances with Cagliari and Roma are not enough to fly to Brazil, while in 2018, he was one of the best midfielders in Serie A and a more than credible option, even as a goal scorer, for the Champions League odds. The friction begins with CT Martinez, who does not appreciate his behavior off the pitch and decides not to call him up.

And now that Belgium has played in Qatar, the Ninja has moved away from the football that matters.

Haaland will play in the next World Cup.

In this discussion, one cannot help but ask one thing: will the hat-trick specialist Erling Haaland be able to play in a World Cup?

The Norwegian finds himself playing with a national team that is not of the highest level, but he can benefit from the next enlargement of the 2026 World Cup from the current 32 participating teams to 48.

When we consider the growth of the Scandinavian nation’s movement, it is possible that the Manchester City cyborg will appear in future editions. And if not, he will still be in excellent company.

Football

The new regulation for players’ agents

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 23, 2022

Football

The new regulation for players’ agents

The never-ending battle between FIFA and the players agents continues. Over the last few years, the international federation has attempted to limit the influence of player agents while also attempting to reduce the cost of commissions, which have recently become one of the major expenditure elements for clubs, particularly high-level clubs.

As a result, FIFA has created a new regulation for the agent profession, which will go into effect in June 2023. So here’s what will change compared to the current situation:

The prohibition of multiple representation
Commission limit
The reintroduction of the register
The Football Forum and the agents

The prohibition of multiple representation

The prohibition on multiple representation is perhaps the most important point.In fact, there are quite a few cases in which an agent represents not only the player but also the club that sells and/or buys, thus earning commissions from all parties involved. From June 2023, this will no longer be the case, with the agent having to represent only one of the three positions.

The only exception is the possibility that an agent represents both the player and the selling team, but always on the condition that multiple representation is specifically accepted by both parties, which, therefore, in terms of regulation, can no longer be “imposed.”

Since the payment must go through FIFA’s clearing house, it can only be made by the agent’s client and not by anyone else involved in the negotiation.

Commission limit

From an economic point of view, the big change instead comes with a precise limit on commissions. Depending on the litigant represented, there is a cap on how much the attorney can earn.

If the agent is working for the player, the maximum commission is 5% for salaries of less than €200,000. If the salary is more than €200,000, the commission drops to 3%.

The values are the same even if the agent represents the club that buys the player. So, in the case of agreed-upon double representation, the highest commission is 10% if the salary is less than €200,000 and 6% if the salary is more than €200,000. When the agent instead represents the club that sells the player, the maximum commission allowed is 10% of the operation’s cost.

The reintroduction of the register

Lastly, the latest step toward making the job of agents more stable is the return of the register of agents, which requires a test and an annual fee to be paid.

FIFA, which over the last few decades, i.e., since the players’ agents began to have a certain influence on the market, has changed its mind several times, first by creating the register, then by abolishing the examination, and finally by allowing free representation.

The Football Forum and the agents

The goal is now (again) to write down the names of those who can actually work in the environment while also imposing legal and moral registration requirements.In fact, it will not be possible to become an agent if you have been convicted of serious crimes or if there are cases of conflict of interest.

In short, the conflict continues, with FIFA attempting to limit the influence of the agents, while they, paradoxically, believe they have little influence and have created Football Forum, an association imagined by the late Mino Raiola and on which, they will work constructively with the chosen heir Rafaela Pimenta, whose goal is to improve relations with other football interest groups.

Football

Players who have scored a hat trick in the World Cup final

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 23, 2022

Football

In the history of the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé became the second player to ever score a hat trick in the final. Leo Messi capped off an incredible career by leading Argentina to victory in the World Cup. On the other hand, the other number 10, Kylian Mbappé, entered the stage as well. The French talent showed itself after approximately 80 minutes had passed with only one shot, which went just wide of the goal and a bit more.

However, despite his remarkable incisiveness, it was not enough for him; still, the albiceleste climbed to the top of the world by winning the penalty shootout lottery. Speaking of hat tricks, there was also another player in the history of the World Cup to score three goals in the final before the Frenchman.

World Cup: Players who have scored a hat trick in the final

Kylian Mbappé is only the second player in the tournament’s history to have the ability to score three goals in the final game. As was mentioned earlier, the PSG star did not show his true potential until the final match. He scored a brace in fewer than 90 seconds to put his country back on track with a goal of exceptional workmanship for the second goal.

Mbappé displayed the utmost composure and scored the 3-3 penalty a few minutes from the conclusion of the second extra time, which enabled his team to advance to the penalty shoot-out and win the match. Despite this, Mbappé also had a hand in extra time and played a crucial role in the game. Due to the errors committed by Coman and Tchouameni, the Albiceleste won the eleven-meter shot lottery.

Despite this, Mbappé’s performance was outstanding, even though he did not win the World Cup for the second time in his career despite being only 23 years old. However, despite being only 23, he is now the footballer who has scored the most goals in the history of a World Cup final. After scoring the game-winning goal against Croatia in 2018, he now has four goals to his name. Behind him are four of the greatest players of all time: Pelé, Zidane, Vavà, and Hurst.

Geoff Hurst is the only other player besides Kylian Mbappé who was capable of scoring three goals in the World Cup final. Mbappé has already accomplished this feat. The match was between England and Germany. After equalizing the initial German lead in the 18th minute of the first half of the 1966 World Cup final, Hurst reactivated only in extra time, scoring in the 101st and 120th minutes to give his England the only Cup of the World in its history and the only trophy won by the senior England national team to this day.

The World Cup that ended a few days later did nothing but confirm how much Mbappé had the potential to become something even bigger and, at the same time, unmanageable for the opponents in the middle of the field. His accelerations that tear apart the field and leave defenders speechless have become more constant; his dribbling has improved, becoming more unpredictable; and the accuracy and quality of the shot have become impressive.

Nevertheless, there is one element about his cold blood that, more than anything else, takes us by surprise. The frantic behavior that he displays physically in the middle of the field is completely at odds with his spirit, which is calm and is never put under any kind of pressure.

During the final against Argentina, Mbappé was glacial on several occasions, such as during the three penalties he kicked and converted. Now the Frenchman has gone from being a wonderkind to being a superstar: a celestial body with a gravity so strong that it absorbs light. On the pitch, he outshines others with an uncontrollable flair while attracting all the attention of defenders to himself. It is thanks to this exaggerated power that Mbappé could take home the Ballon d’Or in 2023.

Football

The new list of the world’s ten highest-paid players!

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 22, 2022

Football

With the transfer to Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo becomes, by detachment, not only the highest-paid player in the world but also the athlete who earns the most from his seasonal contract.

The 189 million that the Saudi team offered him allows him to easily overtake even the stars of sports made in the USA, with LeBron James slightly exceeding the 100 million emoluments from the Lakers. When compared to colleagues, the gap is enormous: the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will earn twice as much as the runner-up in the standings in Saudi Arabia, and nearly ten times as much as those in the top ten…

The podium belongs to Ronaldo, Mbappè, and Messi.
Positions are being gained by Neymar, Salah, and Halland.
Lewa is overpaid by Barca, and Real has the Hazard problem.
Iniesta and KDB round out the Top Ten.

The podium belongs to Ronaldo, Mbappè, and Messi.

The number two on the list is, in fact, Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman, strengthened by an expiring contract, has definitely forced his hand with Paris Saint-Germain. In order to keep him under the Eiffel Tower, the club in the French capital had to make a considerable economic effort, making him sign a three-year contract that brings the remarkable sum of 104 million euros per season into the pockets of the transalpine.

The great rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi completes the top three. La Pulce’s income didn’t change much when he moved from “his” Barcelona to PSG. The French club offered him a contract very similar to the one that created so many budgetary problems for the Blaugrana. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in the Ville Lumiere earns 61.5 million euros a season.

Positions are being gained by Neymar, Salah, and Halland.

Out of the top three, and this is quite newsworthy, the last of the PSG golden trio. In 2021, after a long back and forth with the club, Neymar renewed his contract until 2026 (with the option to make it last even another year longer), increasing his salary. For the Brazilian, bought from Barcelona in 2017 for 222 million euros, the new agreement speaks of 52 million euros per season.

The others then appear, starting with another player who recently renewed his contract. In July 2022, Mohamed Salah announced that he would remain at Liverpool until 2025. The figures of the agreement are very important because the former Roma player has put his signature on a contract that guarantees him 33.2 million euros all year long.

Very similar figures for what is definitely the most important purchase of the 2022 summer market. Erling Haaland didn’t cost Manchester City much, given that the English “only” had to pay 60 million euros to pay the Norwegian’s release clause to Borussia Dortmund.

However, when there was talk of a contract, the figures definitely increased, considering that the former Salzburg center forward, an extraordinary striker for football betting, has signed an agreement until 2027 that allows him to earn 33.1 million euros per season.

Cristiano RONALDO-189M
Kylian MBAPPE-104M
Lionel MESSI-61,5M
NEYMAR Jr-52,0M
Mohamed SALAH-33,2M
Erling HAALAND-33,1M
Robert LEWANDOWSKI-25,6M
Eden HAZARD-25,5M
Andrés INIESTA-23,6M
Kevin de BRUYNE-23,6M

Lewa is overpaid by Barca, and Real has the Hazard problem.

Another fairly recent transfer is that of Robert Lewandowski, who left Bayern Munich to settle in Barcelona for around 50 million euros. And the signing of the Polish center forward is not cheap either for the Blaugranas, who accepted a very important offer that brings in a good 25.6 million euros every season.

There is also room for what can, without any hesitation, be defined as a flop. When in 2019 Real Madrid buys Eden Hazard for $100 million (which will later turn out to be even more) from Chelsea, the idea is that they have secured Cristiano Ronaldo’s heir.

And the Belgian, who also takes the number 7 shirt, signs a monstrous contract. Hazard is the only one to be included in the “Ballon d’Or” category of the Blancos and gets a deal worth 25.5 million euros per season until 2023. Given the results, it was not exactly a forward-looking choice by Real.

Iniesta and KDB round out the Top Ten.

Rounding out the top 10 are two great midfielders, who have the same salary but are in decidedly different situations. The first is Andres Iniesta, who is enjoying life in Japan with his Vissel Kobe shirt.

The Illusionist decided to fly to the land of the rising sun in 2018, and he did so with an important deal that allows him to earn 23.6 million euros per season. How does the Japanese club allow them? Easy, there’s Rakuten, whose image man Don Andres has been for years, who lends a hand (and creates multimedia content for the 2010 world champion).

And finally, there is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian also earns 23.6 million euros a year at Manchester City, but his story is decidedly particular. The midfielder has in fact decided to fire his agent and manage the negotiations for the renewal of his contract on his own.

And he presented himself to the management with a series of reports and statistics to mathematically demonstrate (if needed) his centrality in Pep Guardiola’s team. Convincing arguments brought him a renewal worth its weight in gold!