It was only the other week we reported that Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was signing a contract extension until 2020. But just a matter of days later, Zidane is facing a very uncertain future. Football is a fickle business where one week you are king and the next in line for the boot, but the signs have been poor for awhile despite the man at the helm guiding Los Blancos to a successful defence of their Champions League title and a 33rd La Liga title just eight months ago. However, eight months in football is an eternity and now Zidane has found himself in the arduous … [Read more...]
How do you solve a problem like Malaga?
It was not that long ago that Malaga were supposed to be the next super club set to take over European football with a wealth of investment and promise of future glories. In 2010, then club president Fernando Sanz took to Qatar to seek investment in a club that had spent its entire existence yo-yoing between divisions. Determined to establish Malaga as a force in Spanish football, Sanz struck a deal with sheikh Abdullah ben Nasser Al Thani in which Al Thani ended up taking over the club and being appoint club president a month after the take-over was completed. Suddenly talk of Malaga … [Read more...]
Zidane Signs Until 2020
Despite many suggesting the Real Madrid hierarchy have been a little unsettled of late with Los Blancos trailing arch rivals Barcelona by sixteen points at the half way stage in the league, head coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed to press last night after his sides 2-2 Copa Del Rey draw that he has signed a contract extension until 2020. "It's signed, I'm enjoying what I do every day, because that's the way it is. I can't imagine myself as a coach in two, three years, because things are not like that. I know how it goes, nothing more, even with this contract it does not change anything." … [Read more...]
La Liga Mid-Season Betting Tips
We are just around the half way point in La Liga season and it is fair to say that Barcelona are outstanding candidates to win their 25th La Liga title. As it stands, they are nine points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid and, perhaps more crucially, 11 points ahead of bitter-rivals Real Madrid after winning the most recent el clássico. The leading UK bookmakers have installed Barcelona at a price of 1/20 to be champions, and it is hard to argue with their logic. However, there are some other odds-on bets for the La Liga season that really should be treated with caution. We will … [Read more...]
Will 2018 be the World Cup year for Lionel Messi at last?
The unthinkable almost became a reality on October 10, 2017, when just 40 seconds into the World Cup qualifier between Ecuador and Argentina in Quito, Romario Ibarra fired the home side into the lead. For the first time since 1970, the Argentine national team was facing the genuine prospect of failing to qualify for the World Cup finals. The footballing pride of an entire nation was at stake, and the pressure was on. The 2018 World Cup was looking like it might not feature arguably the best player on the planet, but of course, Lionel Messi had other ideas about that. Captaining his side and … [Read more...]