Valencia has a new manager, not that there’s much surprise in that. Since Rafa Benitez left the club as La Liga champions in 2004, 12 coaches have come and gone in the intervening 11 years, delivering a solitary piece of silverware (the 2008 Copa del Rey) between them.
They’re rivals on and off the pitch, but the latest edition of El Clasico has provoked controversy that pushed the tension between Barcelona and Real Madrid to a boiling point.
Barcelona are currently pursuing a case against Manolo Sanchís and Poli Rincon through the Anti-Violence Commission over comments the ex-Real players made about Isco’s horror tackle on Neymar in El Clasico. The Spain starlet was given a straight red card, Real Madrid lost El Clasico, and that should have been the end of it.
Perhaps the last Real Madrid great game, complete from beginning to end, was the Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich in April 2014. Even though after that game Madrid won its 10th Champions League, the Fifa Club World Cup and had a 22-game win streak, Real Madrid was gradually showing flaws that seem to have become more obvious during the past three weeks.
During the period from the Bayern game to now, the management, led by Florentino Perez, has committed a series of mistakes that may well lead to another trophyless season for los Blancos.
As successful as Barcelona have been with the current Messi, there is no doubt that they are constantly on the lookout for the next Messi.
And they just might have found what the're looking for in Carles Aleña, a 17-year-old Spaniard who plays for the Barcelona U-19s and has already trained with the first team because of injuries. There is serious speculation that he could be the next big thing out of the academy that produced Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Xavi Hernandes, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Thiago Motta, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Sergio Busquets.
It’s long been said that opportunity makes the man, that the big occasion grants its greatest performer an indelible place amongst legends. In today's world of soccer, one man has become synonymous with such moments. Andres Iniesta has consistently provided for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team during their times of greatest need.
The eyes were on Lionel Messi ahead of Barcelona's Champions League match vs Roma. And of course, La Pulga delivered. Scoring the second of Barcelona's 3 first half goals with a classic chip over the goalkeeper. But the person who continued his perfect form? Lucho Suarez. The Uruguayan not only assisted Messi's goal, but he also gave fans a volley for the ages, when he wound up from just inside the box, and curled a left to right rip past the goalkeeper.
He's baaaaaaaack. In his first start since injurying his knee back on September 26th, Lionel Messi found the back of the net with a classic chip over the goalkeeper. The Messi goal vs Roma came after 29 straight touches from Barcelona, with the final 6 coming in no surprising fashion: Neymar-Messi-Neymar-Messi-Suarez-Messi-GOAL. Neymar and Suarez were already in perfect form while Messi was gone, combining for 21 goals and 10 assists.
FC Barcelona stars participated in a FIFA 16 tournament and the resulting video is comedy gold. Claudio Bravo, Arda Turan and Dani Alves faced off against Neymar Jr., Jordi Alba and Marc-André ter Stegen in a winner-takes-all matchup.
Who’d the Barcelona players choose to play as? Well, themselves, naturally. With Neymar’s team sporting Barca’s away kits and the Alves squad in the traditional Blaugrana home shirts, the stage was set for a mini half-Clasico on FIFA 16.
Real Madrid have lost only two games in all competitions this season. They sit atop their Champions League group (one that includes Paris Saint-Germain) and they’ve plundered 33 goals while conceding only 11. Their combined goal difference in La Liga and the Champions League is a resounding +22.
And yet, such is the nature of the beast in the Santiago Bernabéu, all is certainly not right in Madrid.
All the talk surrounding this weekend's Clasico has centered, as it usually does, around Lionel Messi.
Thie difference this year is the talk has centered around whether Messi will play. Messi sustained a knee injury earlier this season, and has been out since September. The date aimed for as Messi's return has been Saturdays match against Real Madrid.