CNN World Sport » Ben Wyatt

Pedro's POV: And this year's European champions will be ...

tommcgowan — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:06:44 +0000

Bayern Munich face Borussia Dortmund in the first ever all-German final of the Champions League on May 25th.

Let’s face it, if I could predict the future I would not be working as a sports journalist. Considering all the money I could make foretelling events in the coming days, weeks, months and years to come I would ideally work less than a sloth on strike. Clearly then, this is not a superpower I possess. However, though I can’t tell you exactly what will occur in this weekend’s UEFA Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, I can make an informed guess; so that is what I am going to do.

So let’s start with the score. I think Bayern will beat their Bundesliga rivals 2-1 so it will be the Bavarians celebrating their fifth European Crown when the dust settles at Wembley on Saturday night.

Bayern will win because they have been the best team in the competition: simple. They have won nine of their 12 games, have scored more goals and conceded less than any other side. They have shown they can dominate games by hogging most of the possession while also being effective as a counter-attacking team against Barcelona. This is a well-oiled machine, which plays to its strengths and seems to score at will against any opposition.

The key to Bayern’s success this season has been their wing play. Most of their attacks are conducted down both wings and they rely on deadly combinations between the full backs and wingers to create two-on-one situations around the opposition’s box. We all know Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben create goal-scoring chances, but what full backs Phillip Lahm and David Alaba have done is quite extraordinary. They combine for six assists in 12 Champions League games this season.

Ben's stats breakdown: Bayern ...

Bayern Munich are blessed with some of the finest wingers in world football. Dutch flyer Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery of France both have pace, ingenuity and goal-scoring ability. But what makes Bayern particularly potent is the support given by fullbacks Philippe Lahm and David Alaba on the right and left respectively. As the youngest starter in either side, 20-year-old Alaba has been dubbed one of the “biggest talents in European football” by Bayern executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and retained his Austrian footballer of the year title in 2013. Lahm, captain of both his nation and his club, has been one of Germany’s brightest stars for nearly a decade, making the tournament best XI picks for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. The master full back and his apprentice offer solid defence but attack with intelligence, often overlapping on the flank to cross with their natural feet to the likes of Thomas Muller and Mario Mandzukic, while Robben or Ribery cut in to the middle to fire in long-range shots (see tactics board below). The stats back up this assessment too: the four wide men make up five of Bayern’s top crossers in the competition, Bayern have scored more headed goals than any other team in the tournament (5) and Robben (54) and Ribery (34) both make the top five shot takers for Bayern. Crucially coach Jupp Heynckes has instilled a strong work ethic in all four players, even the once lazy Robben, which means there is a good sharing of defensive and attacking duties as demand dictates.

One can’t talk about the German champions without praising Thomas Muller. He has been their most valuable player this season. The young forward has contributed eight goals and two assists while running further than any other Bayern player in the competition. He can play anywhere across the front line and will be crucial to his side’s success this weekend.

If there is one major concern Bayern has heading into this final, it is how they are going to overcome their previous failures. Most of the players who are lining up on Saturday have lost two finals, one to Inter Milan in 2010 and another to Chelsea at home in 2012. So if I am Jupp Heynckes right now, I am doing my best to make sure that the players have learned from their mistakes and forget about their final defeats. Otherwise, the doubt and fear of losing another title match could hinder the players’ performance.

So what about Dortmund, do they stand a chance? Of course they do, but they will have to be as effective as they were in their 4-1 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the semi-finals. The fact is that Borussia are not going to boss the game on Saturday. They are going to rely mostly on quick counter-attacks to inflict damage on their rival’s defence.

Ben's stats breakdown: Dortmund ...

Where Bayern Munich boast a well-oiled winning machine, strong from front to back, Dortmund are blessed with stand-out individuals that can turn a game with a stroke of brilliance and have a youthful, never-say-die attitude on their side. In fact, they’ll be the youngest side to lift the trophy since Real Madrid in 2000 if they clinch victory. Robert Lewandowski has been the Champions League stand-out striker in many ways this season and could become the competition’s top goal scorer if he bags a hat-trick (to surpass Ronaldo’s 12) in the final. He’s particularly dangerous from crosses, scoring one in two goals from this source. What’s maybe more impressive about the Pole is his all-round capabilities; he tops the charts for the whole Champions League in terms of challenges won. When Lewandowski is hot he’s unstoppable, just ask Real who he knocked four past in the first leg of the semifinal with typically predatory panache. Aside from the striker, could the imminent departure of Mario Gotze add impetus to his final performance? Bayern should be worried if it does as the midfield maestro’s stats shows that he has been key to his side’s attacks this season (he tops Dortmund’s crosses, assists and shots assists lists for his side). Keep an eye on Marco Reus, the 23-year-old who is Dortmund’s next go-to man for goals behind Lewandowski. The intelligent attacking midfielder is tireless in application (26 shots assists, 4 goals and 52 shots in total), deft of touch and often moves in positions that are hard to mark for defenders who aren’t cute (see Reaus's heat map from the semifinal first leg below - shooting left to right - that shows his pitch-wide positions). He could prove key in unsettling Lahm from his game. Remember too that on form and on paper Bayern were the favourites against Chelsea last year too, and we all know how that turned out.

Don’t take my word for it, just check out the stats. In the games leading up to the final, Dortmund averaged only 44% possession, only better than four of the 32 teams who played in the Champions League. Their passing completion percentage was also below average, only 66%. So in other words, they normally like to sit back, stay compact, and then launch quick and direct counter attacks depending on the individual talent of their forwards to make the difference.

And when we speak about individual talent, there are three players who I would like to focus on: Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan. Gotze, if fit enough to play on Saturday, will be responsible for creating chances in the final third; Lewandowski will have to find space to be in the right place at the right time to finish those chances; and Gundogan is there to set the rhythm and the tone of his side’s attacking and defending. If Dortmund are going to win this game, then these three players will have to be at their best.

So those are my thoughts heading into Saturday’s Bundesliga Battle. If Bayern win, like I am predicting they will, the Bavarians will take another step towards securing an unprecedented treble: league, domestic cup and Champions League. If they lose, they will have to deal with earning the tag of chokers, as it will have been their third final defeat in four years.

Point of View: Which manager should move jobs?

tommcgowan — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:00:12 +0000

Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti could all be on the move. (Getty Images).

No sooner had the final whistle blown on the semifinal victory by Borussia Dortmund over Real Madrid, than speculation swiftly turned to whether this was also the final whistle on Jose Mourinho’s career at the helm of the Spanish giants.

Never one to miss a trick in tantalising the press, the self-dubbed "Special One" shaped the narrative of the media response to the defeat by suggesting in post-match interviews that he “might not be” in charge of Los Meringues next season.

“England,” he stated, “is where I know … I am loved. I know I am loved by some clubs, especially one.”

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Mourinho is hinting at a return to former club Chelsea, the London side he steered to two English Premier League titles.

Madrid has notoriously high standards of success and it is plausible to think that failing to secure “La Decima” has done for one of the most decorated coaches in modern times.

The rumour, if proved true, could be a catalyst for an almost annual merry-go-round of managerial moves that puts new leaders in charge of Europe’s biggest teams. If you believe some of the most reputable newspapers across the continent this could pan out in the following butterly effect scenario:

1. The Times and Bild both reported that despite Mourinho’s agent having talks with PSG, the Portuguese is destined for a return to Chelsea come the end of the season – a move that would rekindle his love affair with English football

2. This would leave a vacancy at the helm of Real, a job that La Parisien – via sources within the board of PSG – claimed would be taken by Carlo Ancelotti after an agreement was made by the two clubs earlier this year and with the Italian on the way out

3. Such a scenario would fit with reports by the Daily Telegraph this week of boasts by senior figures within PSG of prising Arsene Wenger away from Arsenal to fill the gap Ancelotti might leave

4. And if recent CNN FC pundit and football writer Patrick Barclay is to be believed – writing for the London Evening Standard – any opening at Arsenal should be filled without delay by Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp given the German’s “stature and elegance”

5. Arsenal might not be the only vacancy to fill in England, with rife reports that Roberto Mancini will be unceremoniously dumped by Manchester City after failing to defend the title. Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini could find his way to the Sky Blues according to the Daily Mirror and The Guardian

This is just one scenario of course, built on nothing more than journalist tittle-tattle and theories cobbled together from crumbs of truth; however, the potential domino effect across Europe could be remarkable.

In the modern day Champions League, a small elite group of multi-lingual managers have emerged – able to coach high-profile clubs in different nations – and the big moves of the close season will undoubtedly involve them.

tommcgowan — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:11:14 +0000

#Suarez debate is latest example of player not realizing he's actor in global soap opera. #EPL is a TV drama, behave accordingly @cnnfc

— Ben Wyatt (@BenWyattCNN) April 22, 2013

Are English clubs in Champions League decline?

tommcgowan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:33:28 +0000

Wayne Rooney played a bit part as Manchester United were beaten by Real Madrid (Getty Images).

Almost since its inception, the English Premier League has been lauded by many as the world’s greatest football division. Its mix of history, big-club glamor, international superstars, explosive on-pitch action and passionate fan support have combined to create a product that has fans in Singapore and Sao Paulo salivating as much as those in Salford, Manchester.

However, proving which nation has the strongest top league on Planet Earth is a tricky task; there are so many factors on which to grade them. Whether it’s average attendance at games, money spent on players, the rate of big teams losing to small, goals per game, the ratio of Brazilians per club or whether the Beckham family can be found on the terrace, the options and methods with which to rank such leagues are as endless as the time it takes to decide a new Pope.

Shining like a beacon of truth in this sea of confusion and befuddlement is the European Champions League, a competition whose allure and pedigree stands above all others in world soccer. It’s the elite club competition that has billionaire team owners, the smartest of tactician-managers and the world’s finest footballers straining every sinew to win.

Lifting the big-eared cup is the ultimate confirmation of determination, skill and ingenuity applied consistently at home and abroad by a team that, by definition, has a sum value greater than its individual parts.

Accordingly - and for many including this author - it is the litmus test for the quality of a national franchise: logic dictates that if domestic clubs progress well in the knockout stages they have been well-prepared by their week-to-week league opponents. By this measurement England has a reason to be fearful.

This chart shows when English clubs have reached the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

If Arsenal get knocked out by Germany’s Bayern Munich (avoiding this would surely be a feat to rank alongside Arsene Wenger’s greatest), it will be the first time since 1996 the Champions League quarterfinals are without an English side. Bar Chelsea’s against-the-odds heroics, it would have been the same last year too.

On the face of it this looks like a dramatic demise from the zenith of the 2007-08 season, when three English sides filled the four semifinal slots and Manchester United were crowned champions (the Lions of St. George presumably roared with satisfaction too). But it would probably be premature to write off the Premier League just yet.

The fortunes of football teams are always subject to ebb and flow and it could be argued that English clubs are due an upswing soon. Chelsea are in a transition phase, with Rafa Benitez struggling to cope with a side that still needs to be shorn of ageing limbs. The London side have a very ambitious owner in Roman Abramovich and it is hard to see his spending spree ending anytime soon. Once a stable manager is in place, expect reinforcements and a reignition of European form to follow.

England has had more teams in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final than any other country.

Manchester United were close to knocking out one of the competition favorites Real Madrid last week, so they’re not in bad shape. As long as the health of Alex Ferguson continues and Wayne Rooney stays put, the Red Devils have minimal maintenance work (mainly in midfield and central defense) to compete in order to challenge again.

Manchester City, another side backed with vast wealth, are finding their feet in Europe but have a squad of such strength and depth they will be more than capable of doing damage to Europe’s finest next season. The big question remains as to whether Roberto Mancini is the right man-with-the-plan? Probably not, in City's case.

Arsenal have declined in recent seasons, just ask any Emirates season-ticket holder if you want confirmation. Their quality and superstar quotient is down on the high of the Thierry Henry-years, but they are a club who do have money to spend. Wenger faces the choice of loosening their purse-strings or being regularly usurped by London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The last two seasons may have been disappointing in terms of collective return but there are two good reasons why this Anglo-shortcoming is probably more of a blip than a trend:

1) In terms of overall quarterfinal, semifinal and final appearances, England still outranks Spain, Italy and Germany. Only Spain can change this order this season, such is England's lead.

2) The Premier League has spending power that puts it top in transfer spending of European franchises for the last 10 years. In the modern game, success requires money and England has plenty of it.

So no crisis just yet, but a measure of success England's football bosses might consider is the much higher ratio of homegrown talent currently propelling the finest clubs in Italy, Spain and Germany. Now there is a crisis in the making ...

Vettel, Alonso driving towards F1 greatness?

tommcgowan — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:19:51 +0000

Sebastian Vettel (left) or Fernando Alonso (right) will join an elite band of drivers. (Getty Images)

The 2012 Formula One season may yet have delivered the new drivers' champion, but even before the world's fastest racing cars finish their cylinder-driven samba around the Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo next week we can be certain of one fact ... the new champion will be crowned an all-time great along with this year's best.

Both Germany's Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso of Spain are used to superlatives from motor racing commentators: they are both exceptionally talented and boast back-to-back double-champion pedigree.

And as the two sole pilots left in the hunt to finish top of this year's grid, they also both stand on the edge of joining an elite members' club.

Since the sport's birth in 1950 few have managed to win three world titles; those who did scale these heights are now legends.

Michael Schumacher (seven world titles), Juan Manuel Fangio (five), Alain Prost (four), Niki Lauda (three), Nelson Piquet (three), Ayrton Senna (three), Jack Brabham (three) and Jackie Stewart (three) are all giants on whose shoulders the modern sport now stands.

Notice also, by the way, this list excludes such notables as Stirling Moss, Damon Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Alberto Ascari or Mario Andretti; drivers who - among others - possessed scintillating skill, charisma and speed but were without the car, consistency or fortune to enter the pantheon set aside for the privileged few.

With all to play for ahead of Brazil's finale from the favelas - only 13 points separate championship leader Vettel from Alonso in second, with 25 points available to the winner of the last race - the thought of attaining such an historic triumph must be driving (literally) every competitive sinew the two rivals possess.

Whoever wins, there are few who could argue they would not deserve such accolade. The biggest criticism which could be leveled at Vettel is he has benefitted from driving a Red Bull car far superior to any in the other garages of the pit lane.

In Adrian Newey, Red Bull have a genius of design who has produced a reliable, innovative and super quick package time and time again. But to think that a fast car alone is enough to deliver three titles would be small-minded.

Just ask Mark Webber - who has raced the same car as Vettel to exactly no world titles in three years - or Senna and Prost, who dueled for their championships using the same McLaren car. It takes something extra to be called “number one”.

Whether nailing qualifying to clinch pole by hundredths of a second, as in Bahrain, or driving against the odds from pits to podium to pick up improbable points in Abu Dhabi, or withstanding the mental pressures of leading from the front to leave opponents trailing in his wake (two years in a row in India), Vettel delivers when performance is most needed.

If Alonso were to win it would definitely turn the tables on those who argue F1 is merely down to engineering prowess over driver skill.

Even Ferrari's most ardent fans would admit the “Prancing Horse” was more of a stub-nosed dog at the start of the season, and in a year when Red Bull have again wrapped up the constructors' championship, the Maranello man has arguably performed better than any other driver given the machine at his disposal.

Alonso's against-the-odds points grab this season has been nothing short of remarkable: in Malaysia he drove from 8th on the grid to victory, in Valencia it was from 11th he dragged the Ferrari to a win before securing a memorable 3rd place finish in Monza from a starting place of 10th.

In terms of return, 12 podium places from 19 races is worthy of a separate award for collecting champagne jeroboams.

It also has to be considered that this year's champion would have won by beating a record number of rival world champions to the prize. Could that be said of Schumacher or Prost in their pomp? Whatever the outcome in Brazil the F1 world will celebrate a new triple-champion, the question then will be - given the age of both concerned - whether they can challenge to be the greatest F1 driver in history.

Is swimming's greatest rivalry now dead in the water?

CNNi blog producer — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 21:17:01 +0000

A despondent Michael Phelps ponders what could have been after he came fourth in the 400m individual medley. (Getty)

Michael Phelps can claim to be the greatest swimmer of all-time for the following reasons:

- In 2008, he performed one of the greatest feats in Olympic history by winning eight gold medals from eight events in the pool
- He has set 29 individual world records, which is in itself a record
- He is the most successful swimmer in World Championships history boasting a haul of 26 gold medals
- And his success has transcended and changed his sport

And at the age of 27, the man known as the Baltimore Bullet and the Flying Fish, was primed to add clear water to any pretenders to the throne by netting a further seven golds to his burgeoning spoils of water-based combat at the London Games. The scene was set for history to once again be rewritten and to add to the spectacle Phelps would need to conquer one of the greatest rivalries in sport, on the greatest of stages, to take glory.

The man most likely to end Phelps' gold run was of course Ryan Lochte - the 27-year-old who was the first man to break a long-course world record since the buoyancy suits ban came into place in 2010 and who won five gold medals in the 2011 World Championships by beating Phelps twice in the 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley. The all-American fight for supremacy of the pool has proved a powerful narrative in the build up to the Games.

The question is now, in the aftermath of Phelps' capitulation to Lochte in the men's 400m individual medley, is there any rivalry left? In fact, even to suggest Phelps had lost out solely to Lochte would be disingenuous as the American former champion finished fourth behind Brazil's Thiago Periera, who took silver, and Japan's Kosuke Hagino who sealed bronze.

Lochte, on beating his double Olympic champion-teammate by a full four seconds, told reporters: "I'm in shock right now, but I knew I could win so I'm happy I could do that.

"I know he gave everything he had, so I'll have to have a chat with him and see how he is after that." When he does Phelps may repeat the answers he gave to the press: that he had felt great for the first 200m but after that it "didn't happen".

For the inward-looking Phelps the result will leave him much to ponder. He has been used to being within tenths of a second to his rival, whether in front or behind, so this will need some reflection, especially given the tight nature of the semifinal in which Phelps struggled to come through intact.

Lochte, on the other hand, will take great confidence into Monday night's hyped rematch in the 200m individual medley. His gregarious personality may yet about to be challenged with the rigors of becoming a multiple champion, a test that Phelps' is well used to.

For the neutral, the hope will be that this has not been the last chapter in what has been a captivating rivalry, one where the exploits and exertions of one has driven on the other to further greatness.

Phelps is on record saying he has often thought about leaving the sport, if he doesn't bounce back on Monday maybe those voices will carry the day. Even if the outcome is not quite so dramatic, a key factor for rivalries to work is being close enough in performance to beat each other, a factor that is now is doubt.

Phelps, more than ever, will need to recapture the form that built the legacy at the top of this page just to stay close. Lochte may have his eyes set on building a legacy of his own.

Spain make compelling case as best team ever

tommcgowan — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:36:51 +0000

United in triumph: Captain Iker Casillas (left) and Xavi celebrate an historic success.

The spine still tingles. The sight of Vicente Del Bosque's team of torero's teasing and tormenting an Italian side, whose honest application should have made such subjugation subject to penalty on the grounds of cruelty, was as devastating a show of technical prowess and collective intuitiveness as you're ever likely to see during your time on planet earth.

The superlatives have long been exhausted and the cliches are too simplistic to capture the audacity of winning the European Championship, arguably the hardest competition in international football, by four clear goals against an Azzurri side bestowed with its own array of experienced superstars.

But thrash them they did, and with a swagger too.

The opening goal from David Silva was essentially an exercise from an exhibition match with the Harlem Globetrotters.

A routine created to prove that footballers too can be artists of a sporting aesthetic. The second from Jordi Alba, thrown in to demonstrate how total-football works: defenders can strike, midfielders roam according to instinct and hunt in packs when out of possession, center backs (even goalkeepers) can pass and hold the ball at feet, strikers ... well, in this case, sit mainly on the bench actually.

Though Fernando Torres, in a rare moment away from his bench-warming duties, scored a third by coolly slotting home yet another assist from the Gods delivered via their man on the ground, Xavi.

And then to underline the strong team ethos of the squad, El Niño passed up the chance to clinch the tournament's top scorer mantle by setting up late sub and club teammate Juan Mata for the fourth.

Click to watch video

True Italy were down to 10 men by this stage but even before Cesare Prandelli’s side were at a numerical disadvantage, Spain had shown enough to demonstrate the gulf in class between the two teams.

The victory was a crowning glory for a side who are undoubtedly one of the greatest ever assembled, with no other team having ever successfully defended the European title or won three major international trophies on the bounce.

But are they the greatest of all time?

Before jumping to any rash conclusions, like the many deluded commentators who labelled Spain "boring" in the preceding rounds of the tournament, a few statistics should be considered:

Del Bosque, who has now guided Spain to 52 wins in 60 games, is the first coach in history to have managed a side to World Cup, European Championship and European Champions League glory. In addition, La Roja’s third European title equals Germany's record.

Unbeaten in their last 12 European Championship finals matches, Spain have not conceded a goal in their last five, both competition records. Furthermore, they have kept clean sheets in their last 10 knockout games at the European and World Cup finals. How many sides of the past have combined defence and attack so powerfully?

Incredibly, their last defeat in European Championship play was a 2-0 loss to Sweden in qualifying in 2006, a streak that has created a 29-game undefeated run.

And in a side known for their attacking ingenuity, goalkeeper Iker Casillas has kept a record 79 clean sheets in his 136 appearances.

Click to watch video

What's more, of the starting eleven for the 2012 final, Xavi will be the oldest member at 34 come 2014. As the likes of Paul Scholes, Paolo Maldini and Ryan Giggs will attest, this is an age at which it is still possible to be winning silverware.

The nexus of the team - Casillas, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso - will surely have only formed a greater bond by the time Brazil plays host to the World Cup.

And this is without considering the array of emerging talent Spain has at it's disposal, including the likes of winger Jesus Navas and Alba.

Of the great sides from the ages it is always hard to compare like for like: were Hungary's “Magical Magyars” better than Johan Cruyff's “total” Holland side of the 1970s? Would the Brazil of Pele and Garrincha have beaten Diego Maradona's Argentina of 1986? Or was Zinedine Zidane's French side a finer winner of trophies than the Germany of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller?

In truth, great teams can only be measured by the opposition they conquer, the silverware they claim and the memories they create. And on each of these criteria Spain surely match any of the legends listed above. The strong possibility remains that they're not finished yet either.

Favorites for the 2014 World Cup? You bet. And if they successfully defend their world title you might be celebrating the fact the undisputed greatest team of all time played during your lifetime.

Pep Guardiola – The greatest soccer artist ever?

CNNi blog producer — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:36:20 +0000

Former Barcelona midfielder Pep Guardiola has an awesome record as coach at the Catalan club.

The news had been rumored and speculated upon for weeks within informed circles of the Spanish press, but the reality of Josep "Pep" Guardiola confirming his decision to leave Barcelona is a blow that no amount of advanced warning will soften for the millions of fans who follow the Catalan club around the world.

It says something of the standards the 41-year-old set at the Camp Nou that being knocked out of the semifinals of the European Champions League – a result that relinquished Barca's grip on the continental title – and a defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid which all but ended a compelling fight for the Spanish crown, were deemed failure enough for his trophy-laden tenure to come to an end.

And of course, in typical fashion, it seems the judgment of failure resided almost solely in the mind of Guardiola himself. Among the directors of the club, the players and legions of fans, you would be hard-pressed to find any that would agree with Pep's personal analysis - but such is the burden of the perfectionist complex, one assumes.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has his critics, but the Frenchman's pursuit of flawless football surely pales into insignificance next to Guardiola's compulsive characteristic. For this was a coach who, in his first top-level job, won 13 trophies in four seasons - not bad for a man learning the ropes.

Three back-to-back La Liga titles, twice crowned champions of Europe (and semifinalists of the intervening year), one Copa Del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and three Spanish Super Cups. In 46 months, Guardiola built his side a cupboard full of silverware that other clubs take decades to accumulate.

This success had major implications in logistics alone: such was the Blaugrana's progress in major competitions, Guardiola oversaw 242 matches since 2008. The intensity of this period would always test such an artistic approach.

But the tangible evidence of success was only half the story: it was the manner by which Pep's Barcelona slayed all that came before them, the aesthetic elegance of their play that took the game into a new realm and captured the heart and imagination.

The beauty of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta in their pomp - set free with an ethos of creativity by the manager - has led to passages of play whose audacity and technical prowess defy belief. Messi has scored, on average, over 50 goals per season playing under Guardiola - an eye-watering stat that may never be bettered.

But it wasn't just about three individuals, Guardiola was an innovative tactician too. No team in the world defends like Barca, goading opposition attackers to expend their energy chasing lost causes by diligently passing the ball in areas where the coaching manual clearly states a "boot upfield" is required.

He made the bold decisions of selling Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He turned Javier Mascherano into a centerback and turned defender Gerard Pique into a world beater. His team attacked like mind readers and defended with relentless, energy-sapping pressing. It was a high-risk masterclass that placed ultimate trust in the skill of his players.

This "ideal" touched football fans across the planet and will arguably be Guardiola's greatest legacy. Alex Ferguson, a disciple of the beautiful game if ever there was one, said simply that Pep's Barcelona were the "best team he had ever faced." A magnanimous and powerful assessment from the oracle-like Scot, whose Manchester United side were crushed 3-1 by Barca in last season's Champions League final and 2-0 in the 2009 title match.

Guardiola may not yet have won more trophies than greats such as Bob Paisley, Ottmar Hitzfeld or Marcello Lippi, and he hasn't tested his skills in different countries and been successful like Jose Mourinho, but he arguably got closer to soccer perfection than the "total football" of Ajax and the intuitive attacking of Pele's Brazil.

He promoted a brand of football that was pure and poetic, and that alone has made him an honorary member in the pantheon of great coaches.

Footballers are TV stars, and should act like it ...

CNNi blog producer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:09:05 +0000

Luis Suarez was banned by the FA for eight matches after racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

The ruling by the Football Association to ban Liverpool and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez for eight matches and to fine him $63,000 for racial abuse has proved controversial for a number of reasons.

It is the first time the governing body of English football has disciplined a player on such terms, a move that has been welcomed by many in the game as tangible evidence that talk of "kicking racism out of football" has some teeth.

It also poses an interesting debate on the use of language and the meaning of words within context. Many would argue "negrito" – the term aimed by Suarez at Manchester United's black defender Patrice Evra – is tantamount to a nickname in places like Uruguay and carries no racial association in such regions.

Consequently, is it unfair of a European society like England to place the negative connotations associated with a more familiar "n" word on a similarly sounding, but harmless, moniker?

How much does the location and the audience dictate the definition of the word and indeed the offence? Liverpool, one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world, maintain it should be impossible to cause offence if only Evra heard the word in question. It was considerations like these that made the case so technical and in need of time-consuming assessment.

The fact the news of the 24-year-old striker's disciplining was followed swiftly by England captain John Terry being charged for allegedly using racist language, a criminal offence in Britain, means racism in football is once again making headlines.

Terry has always vehemently denied the allegations. The London-born defender issued this statement: "I am disappointed with the decision to charge me and hope to be given the chance to clear my name as quickly as possible," a sentiment he is sure to push on his day in court on February 1. Either way there will be scratching of heads in the hierarchy of the English game as to how one of the land's most respected players could find himself in such a situation.

The crux of the matter remains, however, that theoretical arguments on applying the letter of the law misses the more serious overarching point: football is no longer just a game.

The sport of soccer is the most popular sport on the planet by a long margin with nearly every region of the world displaying passion for the beautiful game. The broadcasting of live matches holds a captive global audience unlike any other form of entertainment.

The only event that can match the pulling power of the World Cup is the Olympic Games, and that comes only once every four years; football is played year round, week in, week out.

Footballers are the superstars of this drama and like any in-demand entertainer are paid handsomely for their talents. However, unlike other well-paid entertainers, too many footballers seem ignorant to the power of the stage they ply their trade on.

A football pitch used for the English Premier League and the European Champions League is not the same as a pitch at a local park; it is a television set that is broadcast to millions of viewers around the world.

Whether it's racist abuse, foul language or berating referees, is it really too much to ask that footballers comprehend that playing in front of television cameras demands behaviour that is acceptable for family viewing? A simple rationale maybe, but one which, if applied, would see the end of such offences.

There has also been an interesting line followed by both Andre Villas Boas, Terry's manager at Chelsea, and Kenny Dalglish, Suarez's boss at Liverpool, in their unwavering support of their players. Surely there comes a point where the coaches should say racism is not welcome at either club and if the players were to be found guilty or to lose their appeal (in Suarez's case) they will be subject to internal disciplinary action?

Can football chants ever go too far?

CNNi blog producer — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:53:16 +0000

Chelsea fans were condemned by their own club for chants during a game against Belgian team Genk on Tuesday.

Football stadiums can be more than just arenas for the many who frequent the stands to watch their team. Like a church for believers of the faith, supporters flock to the communal ground of the terrace to cheer on the side, reaffirm identity with their "tribe" and to bond with their brothers in arms through shared experience and song.

The sight of individuals acting as a collective is as awe-inspiring in 2011 as one imagines it was in the Coliseum in Ancient Rome; when 10,000 souls sing in unison it is hard – nigh on impossible - not to be affected.

It is why sport, and football in particular, creates such a compelling spectacle for television - the drama on the pitch and the reaction of the crowd spilling forth from the screen to corrupt and convert the viewer, who may well be on the other side of the planet but can no longer ignore the significance of the event.

The forum which stadia provide to cheer, chastise and chant has long made football matches special; some argue such arenas are true bastions of free speech.

In Franco-era Spain, Barcelona's Camp Nou home ground was one of the few places it was possible to speak Catalan without fear of punishment. Dissent towards the Mubarak regime in Egypt existed among the ultra fans of Cairo clubs Zamalek and Al-Ahly long before it spilled into Tahrir Square, and their games after the Arab Spring saw the feelings of change conveyed in song.

Football chants not only provide a vehicle for identity but for the expression of wit and humor too. Playground banter is mixed with wry comment to generate entertaining, if sometimes crude, repartee which has a magic of its own.

When Liverpool played Chelsea in the 1960s, Anfield was beset by a thick fog which obscured the far end of the pitch. According to legend, when Liverpool took the lead fans from the end of the ground cloaked in mist, who had been unable to see the action, chanted to the other end, "Who scored?" The reply came back in song – "Tony Hateley" - to which the fog-obscured fans retorted: "Oh, thank you very much, oh thank you very much!"

But with expression comes an evaluation of what is fair to express and what is not. Some songs go beyond mere support and are there to cause offense. Such is the problem with sectarian chanting at games between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, the Scottish government is currently considering a law that would ban the singing of offensive songs at football matches. A five-year sentence could follow for anyone found guilty.

Samuel Eto'o spoke passionately about some of the racial chanting he was subject to during his time playing in both Italy and Spain, and only time will tell how he fairs now he is plying his trade in Russia.

More recently the English Premier League clash between London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur saw a minority of fans taunt Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor about the gun attack on his national football team before the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in 2010.

Adebayor was always going to incur the ire of fans after moving from one rival to another (with brief stops at Manchester City and Real Madrid in between, admittedly), but to sing songs about an incident in which three people died was beyond the pale for the clubs.

In a rare moment of unity between the two sides, a joint statement was issued which said: "[We] were extremely disappointed to hear the chants from supporters. Neither club tolerates foul language, racist chanting, homophobic chanting or any anti-social behavior from its supporters.

"We shall be working closely with each other to identify the individuals involved." Spurs added they would ban fans who were involved.

The fans were rightly admonished for their actions, and some would argue this is a good precedent to set for a derby game which has seen supporters from both teams - who both have a tradition of Jewish backing - subjected to notorious songs about Nazi gas chambers down the years.

The difficulty with the precedent for football more widely is in the determination of what constitutes an offensive song and a passionate, if witty, chant? How many soccer fans could honestly say they have never crossed the line?

It is a question that many of the Chelsea fans who traveled to support their team in a European Champions League clash against Genk on Tuesday should ask of themselves.

Chelsea captain John Terry is being investigated by both the English Football Association and London police over his alleged racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand during a west London derby against Queens Park Rangers last month. Terry was seen using a racial insult in video footage of the match, but the England captain insists he was telling Ferdinand that he did not use that phrase.

In response, hundreds of Chelsea fans in Belgium sang: "Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are."

For so many supporters to revel in a situation so serious it is being investigated by British police, and to sing a song that would condone the worst findings of any investigation, is nothing short of appalling.

It suggests there is still much work to be done to eradicate the expression of racist sympathies from the terraces.

And though it is a difficult area to police, especially when the chants - as with the Chelsea example - do not actually use offensive terminology, it is surely the responsibilty of every soccer fan to stay on the right side of the lines of good taste if any progress is to be made.