Adebayor Move Will Mark Two New Eras

With Emmanuel Adebayor poised to seal his lucrative move to Eastlands where he'll join the longest list of strikers in one city since the 1984 UK miners' strike - does this mark the end of Arsenal's period of dominance inside the top four? And are Manchester City about to take their place...

Similarly to Manuel Pelligrini at Real Madrid, Mark Hughes has been given a blank cheque to lure the cream of European football to the City of Manchester Stadium. And this summer has seen several notable top-class footballers sign on the dotted line to become part of the revolution. But unsurprisingly, none of their latest signings moved for the money. Of course not.

Gareth Barry and Carlos Tevez are the two biggest acquisitions so far, but with Adebayor set to follow and a whole host of other players being linked with the Blues including Mr. Chelsea aka John Terry - reportedly offered a staggering £200,000 per week to help sure up the neglected City defence - anything less than a top six finish will be deemed a failure by the Abu Dhabi hierarchy, who will be expecting instant results for their large investment.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are soon to lose their most prolific striker, whilst Juventus nipped in yesterday to prize their number one target Felipe Melo to Serie A. Rumours that Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero is keen on a move to the Emirates are unfounded as yet, but Arsene Wenger must dust the cobwebs off the Arsenal chequebook and splash the cash if they're to compete for a Champions League place this season.

The injury-prone duo of Robin Van Persie and Eduardo, along with everyones favourite delusional Dane, Nicklas Bentdner are unlikely to provide the necessary fire power to threaten the best Premier League defences on a consistent basis, and whilst Carlos Vela is forging a growing reputation for himself, he is still only 20-years-old.

But Wenger's managerial prowess shouldn't be underestimated and he will begin the season with a team sure to challenge for that top four spot. Whereas the situation at Man City is still very much at the trial and error stage. But Hughes knows there will be little room for error on his part this season if he's to remain in the hot seat come May, but like the new Chelsea under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, the immediate future looks bright for all those of a Manchester City persuasion.

Real Madrid out to Inflict Revenge

May 2009 and Spanish giants Real Madrid had slipped to one of the lowest ebbs in their long and celebrated history. A 6-2 home defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona confirmed to even the most loyal Madridista that their club was in dire need of a radical reform: from the President, to the manager, and finally to the players themselves.

Whilst Pep Guardiola's Barcelona were busy lighting up La Liga and the Champions League with some of the most spectacular team performances ever seen in Spain; Madrid had looked like a team bereft of ideas, passion and most worryingly of all, talent.

The 6-2 hammering at the Bernabeu, along with the embarrassing 4-0 Champions League defeat at Anfield two months earlier, left little doubt that major changes would follow this summer.

The first change was the most crucial, with temporary President Vicente Boluda making way for Florentino Perez, the Spanish billionaire responsible for securing the big-name signings of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Robinho during his first tenure as President of the club.

Back in 2000, Figo was approaching the peak of his career and plying his trade at the Camp Nou. The chances of anyone but Perez pulling off this deal were practically non-existent. Yet, the entrepreneurial Spaniard made it his statement of intent when running for the presidency.

"If you get me elected, I'll bring you the number one player and at the same time humiliate Barcelona," read his brash mission statement.

Perez remained true to his word and captured the services of the Portuguese winger. And in the months and years afterwards, built a team worthy of the 'Galacticos' label with the long list of star-studded players gracing the Bernabeu each week.

And now, nine years on from his first spell at the helm, Perez is using the same technique to ensure Madrid are more than well equipped to not only compete with Barca in the Premera Liga, but the whole of Europe in the Champions League.

Ramon Calderon had promised the fans Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and Arjen Robben if elected. But only Robben would eventually turn out in the famous white strip of Los Blancos under his tenure. The Madrid fans expected more and had to endure a series of false-hopes and empty promises.

Just weeks into his second spell as President of Real Madrid and Perez has already made a typically gutsy impact by signing Kaka for a world record £56m from AC Milan and then, even more sensationally, plucking Cristiano Ronaldo from under the nose of Sir Alex Ferguson in a deal worth a "vulgar" - in the words of Sir Bobby Charlton - £80m.

And with former Villarreal manager Manuel Pelligrini now in charge of the team, it seems that Perez will stop at no length to ensure Madrid win the title next season - as well as the Champions League.

Barcelona may well have been humiliated back in 2000 with Luis Figo's departure, but last season a series of truly embarrassing and humbling moments were inflicted on Madrid.

And like a wounded animal, they'll be out to inflict revenge and make amends for last season's failings - starting with their adversaries, Barcelona.

But off the back of an historic season for the Catalan club and boasting several of the best players on the planet including Lionel Messi and Andreas Iniesta - both of whom not even Perez would dream of attempting to land his hands on - Guardiola will be confident in his own team's ability to mount a serious challenge on all fronts again this season.

Whether or not Real Madrid will immediately achieve success remains unclear, however, one certainty is that the two biggest teams in Spain will be more competitive than ever before, and that can only be a good thing for La Liga and the millions worldwide that follow it.

Ibrahimovic: Genius or Overhyped?

"Ronaldo is a good player but he is certainly not the best.

"For me, Ibrahimovic is the best.''

High praise indeed from José Mourinho, the coach of Inter Milan and the manager of one of European football's greatest enigmas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The 27-year-old Swedish international can at least be relied on to do one thing - divide opinion better than any other striker. Described as 'half ballerina, half gangster' by one Italian journalist, little doubt can be cast that Ibrahimovic is one of the most technically gifted players of the current generation.

His goalscoring exploits in Serie A this season have alerted both Barcelona and Real Madrid, as the Spanish rivals battle to claim the signature of the Italian league's top scorer and the highest paid football in the world.

But for all Ibrahimovic's talents and the exuberant manner in which he plays the game, fierce criticism over his work ethic and failure to produce when it really matters remain, particularly amongst those here in England.

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill famously claimed Ibra was "the most overrated player in the world" whilst working as a pundit for the BBC during the last World Cup - an opinion that seems to have become widespread in this country ever since.

But whilst people continue to doubt the talent of the Inter forward, he's been busy putting in another series of sensational performances for his club, guiding the Nerazzurri to back-to-back league titles.

Since joining from Juventus in 2006, the Swede has scored 57 times in just 88 league matches. A prolific goalscoring record by anyones standards.

However, for Ibrahimovic to truly do justice to the huge amount of talent he possess, he's fully aware that he must shine in the Champions League.

Last season, he was presented with the perfect opportunity to silence his doubters when Inter Milan were paired up with Manchester United in the first knockout round of the competition, one year after he failed to make an impact against Liverpool at the same stage of the tournament.

Barring a few nice touches and mere glimpses of his footballing genius, Ibrahimovic's critics walked away from Old Trafford, left with no reason to change their opinion of the Inter number 8.

With no UK coverage of Serie A available this season, it's easy to forgive those who believe the Swedish international to be an overrated showpony. But with a move to La Liga now heavily rumoured, those opinions may soon set to be changed as his performances reach a wider audience.

And whether it's the royal white of Real Madrid or the famous colours of Barca, Ibra could well be wearing next season, the whole of Europe may finally regard the striker exactly as he should be - as one of the best in the business.


Here's a selection of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's career defining moments:

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqsaDnsEq8 : A YouTube classic and not without good reason. Ibrahmovic beats the entire NAC Breda defence several times before finally taking pity and slotting it into the back of the net.

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T4D43j9RUY: A fantastic strike in the famous Juventus shirt - building his growing reputation as one of the deadliest forwards in Italy.

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3DGEC79ms4 : A wonderfully inventive goal against Italy in Euro 2004.

4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMbLaH1Q-e4 : Inter needed a win against Parma on the final day of the season to guarantee the Serie A title. Into the second half and tied at 0-0, the Swede was thrown on to win the match and the league title. He didn't disappoint.

5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDr71KzFy9c : Voted goal of the season in Italy last season, Ibra puts his taekwondo to good use, by turning in Adriano's cross in typically audacious fashion.

And finally...

The most unorthodox pass which no other player in the world could even hope of pulling off : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eraTrQ90FE

Profile: Edin Dzeko

Wolfsburg will compete in next season's UEFA Champions League campaign for the first time in their 64-year history after claiming the Bundesliga title last month.

It's been a meteoric rise to success for the German side who, 12 months ago, were celebrating a fifth place finish in the Bundesliga - their best finish until this season.

So how exactly did Wolfsburg achieve such a feat?

First of all, full credit must go to Felix Magath, the former Bayern Munich coach who, rather surprisingly, will take charge of Schalke from next month.

Magath was the man who managed to bring in the two key components of Wolfsburg success on the pitch, in the form of 30-year-old Brazilian Grafite and 23-year-old attacking midfielder Edin Dzeko. And it's the highly-talented Bosnian star who we focus our attention on here.

Off the back of a hugely influential season, Dzeko was yesterday named Germany's Footballer of the Year.

His partnership with Grafite led to an incredible 54 league goals being shared amongst the two strikers - making them the most successful strike duo in Bundesliga history. You may recognise Grafite because of his wondergoal scored earlier this season against Bayern Munich (which can be viewed here) but because of his age, it's Dzeko who's set to have the biggest impact in the months and years to come.

With Kaká looking increasingly likely to leave Milan for Madrid to kick-start a second 'Galaticos' Real Madrid era under star-chasing Florentino Perez, the Rossoneri will turn their attention to the Bosnian 23-year-old to step in the shoes of the 2007 World Football of the Year.

Dzeko netted 26 goals in Germany this season, including two hat-tricks against Hoffenheim and Hannover 96 last month to fire the Wolves to their first ever title and tranform his reputation as rising star, to one of the hottest properties in European football.

At 6'3", Dzeko isn't just a threat from set pieces with his aerial prowess. His ability to pick out the top corner from outside the box was displayed on more than a few occasions last season, along with his coolness in front of goal inside the 18-yard box.

His impressive performances have also reportedly caught the eye of several English clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea, as speculations mounts that his future lies away from the Bundesliga.

But whatever happens over the summer and wherever his future may lie, Edin Dzeko is certainly a name to keep tabs on and a player set to make an impact during the 2009/10 Champions League campaign.

Guardiola's Men Secure Legendary Status

As Rome recovers from last night's hugely anticipated Champions League final, and celebrations in Catalonia finally begin to die down, did last night's match live up to expectations?

For the first 20 minutes, it appeared that another classic final was unravelling in front of us. A period of early domination from United indicated that the English side would go on to grab a comfortable victory - just as many of the English tabloids had predicted throughout the week.

However, the turning point - and perhaps the earliest one in the history of Champions League finals - came when Samuel Eto'o beat the off guard Nemanja Vidic on eight minutes to dispatch the ball past the helpless Edwin Van Der Sar.

The expected Manchester United backlash and instant reply, never came.

Instead the United players looked visibly shaken. Whilst Pep Guardiola's men grew in stature in confidence as the first half progressed, the Premier League champions began to sit back and glimpses of their undisputed quality, as displayed in the first eight minutes, were few and far between.

Barcelona's two Spanish maestros Xavi Hernandes and Andrés Iniesta found themselves in possession of the ball with increasing regularity and were, once again, at the centre of everything brilliant the Catalan club were producing. Their effortless expertise on the ball showed a gulf in class between them and Michael Carrick, Anderson and Ryan Giggs. The rare times that United did manage to pick up the ball, possession was inevitably lost as nerves got the better of several of Sir Alex Ferguson's men.

At just 25-years-old, Iniesta has been an instrumental figure in the Barcelona team for the past few seasons, and is finally being recognised for his unrivalled quality in the middle of the pitch. The finest midfielder in the world is comparable to Zinedine Zidane and was last night's Man of the Match by some distance.

The pre-match hyperbole surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to once and for all decide just who is the 'greatest player in the entire world/galaxy/universe etc etc.' was hardly unexpected. And just as what happened a year ago after the 2007/08 semi-finals, the general consensus was that Messi had won the personal duel - despite both players adamantly claiming it wasn't about individual battles throughout the week.

Few could argue that was the case this time around either. Ronaldo may have run the show in the opening few minutes of the match, but his influence began to wane as the Spanish midfielders found the ball, played it around between themselves and never gave anyone in a white shirt the slightest chance of getting it back. To no fault of his own, Ronaldo became an increasingly peripheral figure.

Messi on the other hand, silenced all of his critics by scoring on the biggest stage possible, against an English side, with a brilliantly placed header from another wonderful Xavi Hernandes pinpoint cross.

His first goal against an English side killed United off, who couldn't muster together any sort of reply, as Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes - barring a typically horrible mistimed challenge on Sergio Busquets - all failed to make any impact from the substitutes bench.

Every Manchester United player will wake up this morning wishing they had done more to test Barcelona and will be wondering how nothing went right after the opening minutes of the match. But just as Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea found out: once Barcelona have the ball, it's nigh on impossible to win it back.

The final was always going to portray one side, and one side only, as fulfilling their potential and living up to expectations.

Had United claimed victory, the current team would have gone down as the greatest Manchester United side of all time.

But instead Barcelona won, securing an historic treble in the process as their opponents had done 10 years and one day previously.

Guardiola's side now have a place in history and based on their performances, not only in this year's Primera Liga but also the Champions League - the best side in Europe, the most attacking and exciting team since Real Madrid's Galaticos triumphed in 2002, were last night crowned Champions of Europe.

United Fans Warned: Enter Rome With Caution

One week left then until the most prestigious, showpiece event in European club football takes place and Manchester United fans have been warned steer clear of certain areas within Italy’s capital city.

BBC News Story

How UEFA ever came to the decision that hosting the Champions League Final in Rome was a smart idea is, quite frankly, a rather bizarre mystery.

In recent matches involving English teams in Rome there have been numerous incidents of pretty serious violence. Most notably in December 2007 when five Manchester United supporters were stabbed: BBC News Story

And just two months ago in the first knockout round of the competition, an Arsenal fan was stabbed before the club’s match against the Giallorossi: Guardian News Story

Fortunately, this final won’t feature Roma. But based on previous form, it’s an inevitablity that their fans will be ready to spark more scenes of trouble next Wednesday.

Will UEFA regret their failure to learn from lessons of the past?

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