Iker Casillas and the Tragic End of an Era

The summer Liverpool parted ways with Steven Gerrard, Xavi said farewell to Barcelona, and Bastian Schweinsteiger left Bayern behind was a tearful one, because many great teams had to say goodbye to some of their best players. However, of those breakups, none sparked so much argument as the departure of Casillas from Real Madrid, the club he had spent 25 years of his career at.

Yes, you heard it right 25 years. It’s long enough that we can say Casillas spent the entirety of his career in Real. In 1990, at the age of nine, the Mostoles-born boy was admitted to the Real Madrid young talent team. He made it to the main team when he was in high school, and has not experienced any other football environment since. With three Champions League cups, five La Liga championship victories, and many other winnings, Casillas was one of the best players in Real’s long history. On a larger scale, Casillas can be considered one of the legendary goalkeepers of the world, with two Euro Cup championships (2008, 2012), and one World Cup grand finals victory (2010), all of which he played in as the team captain.

   

His career was not without setbacks, though, for he was the topic of debate in his last years in Bernabeu. The team itself was thrown into a small civil war, with players and fans alike taking sides to fight over whether Casillas was a “topo” (spy) or not.

It all began following Jose Mourinho’s press conference in late 2012, after a game with Malaga where Real lost 2-3. Mourinho insinuated that Casillas who was on the reserve line in that match was a spy who informed the press about the team setups prior to the match. The resulting war-like relationship between Mourinho and Casillas turned Madrid itself into a battlefield. Casillas even went so far as to meet Real Madrid’s chairman in person to give him an ultimatum: either the Portuguese coach left, or he would.

Casillas’s downfall

Ever since his 2012 “topo” scandal, Casillas forever lost his image as the perfect player in the eyes and the hearts of his fans. He became just another man clinging hopelessly to his position on the team. Mourinho clearly did not win the Madrid civil war, but neither did Casillas. When Real went on a Decima streak with its victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League grand finals last year, Casillas was blamed by fans and the media alike for his terrible plays, which led to Atletico’s first goal, bad plays that, in his final two years playing for Real, he made over and over again in every match.

Casillas went on to be the goalkeeper of the Spanish national team participating in the 2014 World Cup as the then standing champion, and partly due to his bad judgments, the Spaniards had to pack up early in the elimination rounds. People expected Casillas to leave, as he should, but he insisted on staying, forcing Real to sell Diego Lopez to AC Milan. Lopez - another player solely trained by Real, just like Casillas - bitterly said on his last Real day, “Everyone knows I am the best, right?”

Real then recruited Keylor Navas, La Liga’s best goalkeeper at the time, who had just had a successful World Cup tour with Costa Rica, but even Navas had to watch as Casillas played (and failed). The next few matches were disastrous for Real, and fans would have no more of Casillas. They claimed that its “obsolete” goalkeeper was the main reason for Real’s defeats, sparking the beginning of the end of the reign of Carlo Ancelotti. 

Casillas loved Real, and in his departure from Real to Porto, he, more than everyone else, suffered. If only Casillas knew when to stop, he would have remained a dominating champion. After Man United went on its historical hat-trick in 1999, Peter Schmeichel chose to leave the team. Xavi also chose to depart from Barca after its glorious domination the previous season. Philipp Lahm said goodbye to the international football field after his awesome performance in the 2014 World Cup grand finals. It seems that they did the right thing, and Casillas’s decision to stay in Real was what ruined his career and reputation.

By holding on to his goal, he failed to keep it, and had to look as it rusted and crumbled. He was once the “Iker God” but that didn’t help when his beloved team fell into a civil war because of him. He was no longer praised, and more often than not, he was to blame for his team’s failures. His long time teammate and friend, Alvaro Arbeloa, even said that Casillas was “like a turmoil that Real should get rid of.”

Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and preserve your image. Casillas failed to do this, and he himself undid all of his achievements, gained over than twenty years. Having stayed with Madrid for so long, Casillas, more than anyone else, should have known Madrid’s policies when it came to dealing with bad players (and good players, for that matter). He played for a team that fired Fabio Capello after two La Liga championships, kicked Jupp Heynckes after its first Champions League victory in 32 years, and made Vicente del Bosque and Fernando Hierro go into exile after a very successful season. Real Madrid fans loved Fernando Redondo, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria, yet these players were sold without a second thought. Casillas had nobody to blame but himself; he should have known that he had pushed his luck too far.

At Real Madrid, what you have done in the past has nothing to do with your value in the present. This applies to everyone, be it Raul, Guti, Casillas, or any other future legend. This is the nature of professional football, and of Real, the team that builds its glory with the sharpest swords of the time and does not hold on to past victories.

Casillas’s parents strongly criticized the way his son was treated by the Real Madrid board of management, but in hindsight, maybe Casillas himself is to blame for his hopeless battle of past glory in a team that always pushes forward.

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Andrea Pirlo - The Preacher of Football Strategies on American Soil

In 1971, “the King of football”, Pele, came to the US and stayed there for 6 years, becoming the pioneer for Football in a land under the gripping rule of Grid Iron, Basketball and Baseball. In 2007, David Beckham went to Los Angeles Galaxy, and with his fame, turned the MLS into a world renowned championship. 2015 saw the arrival of Andrea Pirlo to New York City.

Unforgettable career

Andrea Pirlo is not as big a name as Pele, and does not show up on the media as much as Beckham. What he brought to the MLS was new, and different: strategies. He took to the US a football strategy bearing his name. At the position above the defender line, a brain manipulating the whole field. A defensive midfielder…only not so defensive. A classical number 10, pulled low to avoid the might of the “Makeleles”. In Ancelotti’s words, Andrea Pirlo is “the smartest play I’ve ever coached. And you think you can give order to Pirlo when he’s on the field?”. 

Until now, the tifosis (followers) of AC Milan still bear a grudge against Allgeri for losing Pirlo to Juventus. The fans lost an icon, and Milan never again saw the light of a championship victory, since the day Pirlo left San Siro. 

But there is a deception the Milanistas have been imbuing themselves with: that Pirlo’s departure that day was unavoidable. Why? Because Massimiliano Allegri was a genius strategist, truly gifted, unlike Leonardo before him. While Leonardo only took after Ancelotti, Allegri could develop strategies and tactics according to his own philosophies in Milan. This caused  a divergency between him and Pirlo, Milan’s “strategy gateway” in the early 21st century. To change the strategies of the team was to remove Pirlo. To use him was to revolve the team’s strategies around his. Allegri knew that, and chose to let Pirlo go. However, had Allegri known that Milan’s board of management wouldn’t provide him with the materials needed to develop his philosophies, and if he knew that Antonio Conte from Juventus would be able to see the potential sleeping within of Pirlo, he certainly would not chosen this direction. The rest, as we know, is history.

In 2005, the football magazine World Soccer voted Pirlo as one of the 21 faces that changed the world of football. This distinguished Pirlo from the likes of Kaka, Steven Gerard, Frank Lampard or David Villa who came to the MLS earlier, since with Pirlo came a whole strategy system, which would show the Americans the power of football thinking and human revolution. Long ago, when the classical number tens were being destroyed in Europe, Pirlo with his deeply defensive positioning helped AC Milan and Italy win the world’s most prestige victories, including the Champion’s League championship and a final victory at the 2006 World Cup, all of which was achieved in the world football’s transitional period, before the formation of tiqui-taca in Spain, which would rule the scene in the following years.

A void will remain in Europe

With the departure of the grand icons of skills and awe, whose victories made up the world football scene in the last decade, the likes of Gerrard, Xavi, Pirlo. Gerrard and Xavi at least have both had successors, while Italy could find no worthy successor for Pirlo. Long ago, when Roberto Baggio left the scene, the boot-shaped country still found comfort in Paolo Maldini, Del Piero, Totti, Inzaghi. Pirlo filled the Italians’ hearts when Del Piero and Inzaghi left them behind. Now it’s Pirlo’s turn to leave, and what’s left is a void in the heart of the fans, whose love for football was devoted almost wholly to him.

In contrast to the scene in Europe, a complete fulfilment will be the case in the land of the free. After being made known by the renowned football-priests of the world, whose fame imbued the MLS with the experience and personal skills of top-tier players of the world, now the championship will see something new: strategies. 

The Americans had Jurgen Klinnsmann as a couch; now they have Pirlo. How will the football scene in Uncle Sam’s yard develop? That, nobody knows. We do know one thing, though, that is a country is like a man, it’s all about the skills. Talking about skills, well, it’s hard to find any country better than the US. It’s the same with football, nobody plays football with a way of thinking quite like Pirlo’s.  

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How has David Beckham contributed to American Soccer?

David Beckham аrrіvеd іn America a few years аgо on a mission tо trаnѕfоrm fооtbаll across the роnd. 

He lаіd оut a mission ѕtаtеmеnt іn his first рublіс uttеrаnсе, saying,  “I’m not ѕауіng mе coming оvеr to thе Stаtеѕ іѕ gоіng tо mаkе ѕоссеr the biggest ѕроrt іn America, but I wouldn’t bе doing thіѕ if I didn’t thіnk I could mаkе a difference.” 

He was ѕіgnеd bу L.A. Gаlаxу іn a whopping £130 mіllіоn mеgа-dеаl аnd tasked wіth rеvоlutіоnіzіng thе "MLS" Major Lеаguе Sоссеr. Bесkhаm went on to hеlр hіѕ team wіn thе сhаmріоnѕhір twісе. But dіd hе ѕuссееd in рrоmоtіng thе bеаutіful gаmе tо a nаtіоn thаt рlауѕ fооtbаll wіth аn оvаl bаll? 

David Beckham dеfіnіtеlу hеlреd mаkе Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer better. Anуоnе whо dеnіеѕ that іѕ a fооl. 

There is the dіrесt impact whеn уоu tаlk about L.A. Gаlаxу’ѕ increased value, ѕроnѕоrѕhір, TV rеvеnuе, ѕhіrt аnd tісkеt sales and, of соurѕе, trорhіеѕ, but thеrе іѕ аlѕо the іndіrесt іmрасt, ѕuсh аѕ nеw frаnсhіѕеѕ, ѕtаdіumѕ, іnсrеаѕеd salaries and top рlауеrѕ соmіng frоm оvеrѕеаѕ to рlау іn thе MLS. Whаt he hаѕ done is made thе Gаlаxу and MLS rеlеvаnt іntеrnаtіоnаllу. He hаѕ shown a ѕроtlіght on the league and it wаѕ only one hе соuld dеlіvеr. It sent a mеѕѕаgе аrоund thе wоrld thаt the lеаguе hаd thе ability and wіllіngnеѕѕ tо рау hugе аmоuntѕ оf money tо get tор ԛuаlіtу players. When Beckham was ѕіgnеd, it turnеd оut tо be a ѕuссеѕѕ, but not without сhаllеngеѕ. His celebrity was nоt a Hollywood сrеаtіоn; hе already had іt whеn he аrrіvеd thеrе іn 2007 tо play for thе Galaxy. 

A celebrity was what Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer nееdеd. MLS was dоіng juѕt fine before Bесkhаm аrrіvеd, but it was bеttеr оff by thе tіmе he dераrtеd lаѕt winter. His сhаrm and dash brоught both mаіnѕtrеаm media attention tо the lеаguе аnd lаrgе сrоwdѕ everywhere the Galaxy vіѕіtеd. He hаѕ changed thе perception оf thе game іn the U.S. аnd changed thе way people аrоund thе wоrld lооk аt thе league. Mаnу kіdѕ іn the Stаtеѕ give uр ѕоссеr іn their teens in favor of other ѕроrtѕ. Thеу mіght рlау оn because of Beckham, but раrt of hіѕ legacy wіll be thаt whеn he was оn thе field, he delivered. He wаѕ as gооd аѕ аnу signing thе Gаlаxу have еvеr mаdе. 

I wаѕ vеrу proud fоr thе Galaxy and thе lеаguе to hаvе thаt mоmеnt whеn thеу lіftеd thе MLS Cuр іn his fіnаl gаmе lаѕt tіmе. Thrоughоut hіѕ fіvе-уеаr tеnurе іn America, Bесkhаm соntіnuеd tо аѕѕіѕt ѕuсh drаѕtіс rіѕеѕ іn аttеndаnсе, іnсludіng thе 2012 ѕеаѕоn. Hіѕ lаѕt уеаr іn MLS, whеrе thе league recorded 18,807 ѕресtаtоrѕ per game, increased by 3,300 people ѕіnсе Beckham ѕіgnеd wіth thе Gаlаxу. 

Ovеrаll, amongst thе 19 tеаmѕ, Bесkhаm hаѕ assisted a 300 реrсеnt rіѕе іn attendance since hіѕ аrrіvаl іn 2007. In addition, since Bесkhаm аrrіvеd іn Amеrіса, thе league wеnt from 12 teams іn 2007 to 19 tеаmѕ іn 2013, with thе addition оf a 20th tеаm in Nеw Yоrk City in thе wоrkѕ fоr a 2015 inaugural ѕеаѕоn. Thе соrrеlаtіоn between Beckham’s аrrіvаl and the grоwth of рrоfеѕѕіоnаl ѕоссеr tеаmѕ in America іѕ not соіnсіdеntаl; rаthеr, it is a dіrесt еffесt оf thе еxроѕurе Bесkhаm has gіvеn to cities асrоѕѕ the соuntrу. 

David Beckham dеfіnіtеlу hеlреd mаkе Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer better.

Bесkhаm’ѕ influence оn the lеаguе’ѕ popularity lеd to grеаt financial prosperity fоr Amеrісаn ѕоссеr. Major Lеаguе Soccer’s еѕtіmаtеd $350 million loss іn bеtwееn 1993 tо 2004 hаѕ since been  оvеrѕhаdоwеd bу thе gаіnѕ rесеіvеd frоm wіllіng sponsors whо, thanks tо Bесkhаm’ѕ рrеѕеnсе, vіеw the lеаguе as profitable. Sponsors have ѕuрроrtеd the trаnѕіtіоn frоm American fооtbаll stadiums to ѕоссеr ѕресіfіс ѕtаdіumѕ bearing their company nаmе, іnсludіng the Los Angeles Gаlаxу’ѕ Hоmе Dероt Center, FC Dаllаѕ’ Pizza Hut Pаrk and Cоlоrаdо Rаріdѕ Dісk’ѕ Sроrtіng Good Stadium.

Thаt popularity extends bеуоnd thе pitch аnd into the realm оf рор сulturе. Rubbing еlbоwѕ with сеlеbrіtіеѕ lіkе Tоm Cruise, Bесkhаm hаѕ raised soccer's mеdіа profile іn Amеrіса. Tо bоrrоw a line frоm USA tоdау, "Hе came, he ѕоld аnd hе conquered."

Muсh of thаt соnԛuеrіng happened оn the ріtсh, аnd most of thаt came wіth bасk-tо-bасk league tіtlеѕ іn 2011 аnd 2012. But as аlwауѕ іѕ the case wіth Bесkhаm, the full ѕtоrу іnvоlvеd hіѕ іntеrnаtіоnаl сеlеbrіtу and hіѕ unmаtсhеd аbіlіtу tо аttrасt attention іn multiple wауѕ.

Beckham dіd nоt have to соmе to America аnd lеаvе top European сlubѕ in thе duѕt. Ultimately, hе was раѕѕіоnаtе аbоut hеlріng thе American gаmе grоw tо new heights аnd, lооkіng back оn hіѕ іmрасt, Bесkhаm dіd a phenomenal job of ѕhаріng soccer’s сultіvаtіng ѕuссеѕѕ in Amеrіса.

Suсh a соmbіnаtіоn is unique tо the modern era оf soccer, and thаt іѕ an аррrорrіаtе соdа tо Bесkhаm'ѕ influence оn thе sport іn America. Bесkhаm hаѕ nоt turnеd thе wоrld'ѕ ѕроrt іntо America's nеw раѕtіmе, but he has hеlреd іt rеасh nеw hеіghtѕ by playing a rоlе hе wаѕ unіԛuеlу ԛuаlіfіеd for.

Thоugh Bесkhаm'ѕ time іn thе U.S. began unрrоmіѕіnglу аѕ hе wаѕ ѕіdеlіnеd bу injury and thеn ѕkірреd ѕеvеrаl Galaxy gаmеѕ tо рlау on lоаn with AC Mіlаn іn Itаlу, hіѕ еvеntuаl іnfluеnсе on thе ѕроrt еxtеndеd well bеуоnd his performances оn the fіеld.

Thе fоrmеr Mаnсhеѕtеr United рlауеr, whо bесаmе ѕоссеr'ѕ first household nаmе in the Unіtеd States ѕіnсе Pеlе, wаѕ іnѕtrumеntаl in hеlріng рорulаrіzе thе game іn a соuntrу where іt traditionally struggled fоr mаіnѕtrеаm аttеntіоn.

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Sergio Ramos - The best soccer defender in recent time

There is a man who lights up the football spectacle, the amazing Sergio Ramos, the best soccer defender in the game right now. 

Football is one of the most globally revered sports and it’s time we discussed one of the key elements in this game, the team defenders. There is a man who lights up the football spectacle, the amazing Sergio Ramos, the best soccer defender in the game right now. Sergio Ramos Garcia is a Spanish footballer who plays for the Real Madrid club in squad number 4 and Spain is his National team. This football star was born on 30th March, 1986. He made his first appearance in football at the age of 18 and has never looked back. He became the youngest player to ever reach 100 caps, which is a soccer term referring to the number of international matches one has engaged in and played for his country.

The soccer player has been in a relationship with journalist and presenter Pilar Rubio since September 2012 and both have confirmed the story on numerous occasions. The pair has been blessed with a son, Sergio Ramos Rubio, who was born on 6th May, 2014. The pair has, however, not been officially wedded. The football star is also a fan of bull fights, which is a common sport in his hometown of Camas, Spain.

Sergio Ramos’ international career sailed to great heights and brought him into the limelight in 2004 when he played in Spain's under-21 and participated in about six international matches. His good crossing abilities give him great advantage in his soccer matches. He has good control of the game and a great personality.

He has been in Real Madrid since his move from Sevilla in 2005 and remained there since; this shows his loyalty and commitment to his team, which is not usual for the players. Sergio Ramos has a fast pace that every football player would kill to have, and due to his loyalty and impressive performance, he has become a pillar of strength for both his club and his country. It is therefore no wonder that this highly versatile player is the team captain for Real Madrid.

He hardly makes any costly errors, which makes him a valuable asset for his team. He displays an admirable goal scoring instinct and picks a win for his team almost every time. This talented guy is a jack of all trades in that he can fill in almost any position for his team, having played as a center back, right back and a defending midfielder earlier on in his career. It is a great profile for any sports man.

Sergio Ramos is an admirable defender in that he never moves out of his position, a mindset every player should keep to avoid disastrous outcomes. He is good at headers and this guy goes all out to secure a win for his team. He is not scared to put himself in front of the ball during defense. Some may say he is aggressive, but he does everything in his might to protect his team’s net. I do not think that is not aggressive; it is exceptional and commendable. You better watch out when you’re trying to break Sergio's defense!

He is a utility player in that he has been able to score over 50 goals alone as a defender compared to others. He has shown immense tactical skills and charisma in all his matches at the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Championship matches, and has won various awards and accolades for himself, including Castrol Index Winner 2012 FIFA World Cup and Castrol Edge Index Winner in UEFA EURO 2012. He has also been voted as player of the tournament. All of the above attributes make Sergio Ramos the best soccer defender. I sure hope Rafael Benitez, the club’s coach, treasures his assets.This guy is one to keep!

Sergio Ramos’ solid contribution to the game has made him a favorite among soccer fans all over the world. Keeping in mind that he is one of the youngest players in the game right now, Sergio Ramos is sure to make many more headlines and celebrate many more successes. This is but the beginning. I reserve one word only for this guy, SUPER PLAYER! Now let’s go cheer him on his team's next game and many more others to come. After all, when he is present, a win is most likely inevitable!

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Marco Reus – The true lover of Borussia Dortmund

Marco Reus is a name that resonates passion for the game of football. Whenever you hear his name, you will definitely associate it with Borussia Dortmund’s current most loved player. He makes many ladies swoon with his good looks and makes men whoop in admiration whenever he scores a goal. Clearly, Marco Reus is not just about looks, but rather a person with pure talent in the field of sports – football.

Born on May 31, 1989 in Germany, the 26-year-old star player was raised in a household along with his two sisters. He started his career as early as 1994 when he played for his hometown club, Post SV Dortmund. In 1996, he joined the youth ranks of Borussia Dortmund and played for the team until he left in 2006 for the U-19 team of Rot Weiss Ahlen. His goals during the last day of the season brought his team to the 2. Bundesliga.

His breakthrough for a professional football career opened when he was just 19 years old with 27 games and 4 goals in 2008-2009. He was signed a four-year contract with Borussia Mönchengladbach and helped the team achieve wonders. This caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund, who signed him for a €17.1 million five-year contract. He returned home to Borussia Dortmund, and he became one of its notable key players that led it to the top of the Bundesliga table after six games.

During his first appearance on the Champions League, he scored a point that paved to a draw, 1-1, with Manchester City. He also opened a score on a 2-2 draw game with Real Madrid held at Santiago Bernabéu. Following the event, he scored the first goal for Dortmund in a 4-1 win against AFC Ajax, which secured their spot to qualify for the Round of 16 as Group D winners. At the end of the 2012-2013 season, Reus helped his team to a draw against Wolfsburg after they were two goals down.

In the 2013-2014 season, he kept getting better on the field. He scored the opening goal at the 2013 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich and closed the game to a 4-2 win. On a second game against Eintracht Braunschweig, he shot a penalty kick for a 2-1 win. He also got another penalty shot right when he scored and won against SC Freiburg. With his impressive standing on penalty shoot-outs, Reus confirmed that he would be the penalty taker for his team. However, he allowed his teammate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to take a penalty shot once, which led the entire team to qualify for the next round of the DFB-Pokal. With several other games in the season, he finished with an impressive 23 goals and 18 assists.

During the second match against Augsburg during the 2014-2015 Bundesliga, he scored a goal and assisted in another that had an ending score of a 3-2 win for Dortmund. However, he suffered an ankle injury in September, which required him to rest and recover for awhile. He returned on 22 October, 2014 for the Champions’ League group stage against Galatasaray in which his team nailed a 4-0 win. He also scored the only goal his team had when they played against Bayern Munich at a 2-1 loss. Reus bravely led the Dortmund’s fight against SC Paderbon 07 to a 2-0 amidst his injuries, but his condition worsened and he was led off on a stretcher during the second half of the game, which paved way for the opposing team to draw the match at 2-2. Reus was then advised to rest up until January 2015.

During this 2015-2016 season, Reus played well for his team. He scored a goal on their 5 August, 2015 fight against Wolfsberger AC and won 5-0, which helped them advance to the 2015-16 Europa League play-off round. He also scored the opening goal against his former team, Borussia Mönchengladbach. He also scored a hat-trick, which made them win a 7-2 game against Odds BK for qualification to the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League.

Having said all of this, I strongly believe Marco Reus is his team’s lucky charm. He is doing such a great job, but what’s admirable with this guy is the fact that he is loyal to his current team. He rejected appealing offers from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City, but signed and extended his contract with Dortmund until 2019 and said the club wins and falls together, and that his dedication to it can be considered his life’s decision. So really, with all these talents and winning streaks that Reus brought to his team plus the added dedication and loyalty that he is showing made me admire this person both on and off the field. Who wouldn’t, right?

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Del Piero - A true gentleman for “The Old Lady of Turin”

Del Piero went through the darkest days to revive a ragged, post-Calciopoli Juventus, and the day the team reclaimed its place as a major force was the day when Del Piero had to leave a team where he no longer belongs.

Delle Alpi, 4/12/1994, Juventus’s Gianluca Vialli faced Fiorentina’s Gabriel Batistuta. Fiorentina was winning 2-0 when Vialli scored two goals to make it 2-2 for Juventus. The match seemed bound to end an even one. At the last minute, however, a young, unknown striker from Juventus did the unthinkable when he shot a ball right in the air at an incredible angle and speed. The ball flew with such a beautiful curve and extreme force that all that Francesco Toldo, Fiorentina’s goalkeeper, could do was to stand there and watch, as the match ended with a 3-2 victory for Juventus.

The whole stadium exploded in an uproar. The hero of the match had seen his 20th birthday just one month earlier, and he was merely standing in for the great Roberto Baggio, who was injured that day. The young man’s name was Alessandro Del Piero. That final score was one of the many great moments this legend has dedicated to Juventus’s fans. He began as a stand-in for Roberto Baggio, and went on to eventually replace the “God-like Horsetail” as a champion who spent almost all of his career at Juventus. 

Andrea Pirlo once told an interviewer that he liked to work with great people and absolutely professional players. Those two qualities sadly don’t seem to ever exist in one player, but Del Piero is an exception. When Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2004, Del Piero was eventually pushed out of the main team and into the reserve team, but he never complained, not a word. When the Caliopoli scandal was exposed, Juventus’s ranking went down the drain, and the team’s players left one after another. Del Piero, however, decided to stay and fight under the Juventus flag in the Serie B, because “a true gentleman never abandons his Old Lady.” In his last season at Juventus, while being confined in the reserve line, he never complained, and always played with true passion whenever he was called to the field.

This near-perfect Greek statue of a football player doesn’t know how to give up, no matter how much pain he has to endure. In 1998, his knee cross ligament snapped, and this was such a severe injury it could end his career right then. It could not, in the end, and Piero played on. In 2000, when Italia fell before France in the Euro 2000 grand finals, Del Piero was a sinner in the eyes of most Tifosis, or, to be precise, the Italian team’s sacrificial lamb. However, he quickly earned back the love and forgiveness of his fans with his humility, charisma and football skills. Two months earlier, in a rainy night in Perugia, Juventus lost the Scudetto to Lazio in the final round.

It’s easy to list Del Piero’s achievements because his goals are beautiful and plenty. The pain he had to go through to achieve such greatness is not so obvious. Andrea Pirlo wrote in his biography, “I think, therefore I play,” that Del Piero’s final season at Juventus was a tearful one. 

Del Piero once said he was proud of his father, who was an electrician, and his mother, who kept the floors in Conegliano clean to earn the money to raise him up; they gave him a beautiful childhood despite the difficulties, and it was their struggle that gave him the willpower to keep pushing forward.

Five years after the Calciopoli, Del Piero was still the soul of Juventus. No Juventini could forget that day, on November 6, 2008, three days before Del Piero’s 34th birthday, on the Santiago Bernabeu soil, when he scored two goals past the line of Iker Casillas, the second of which was a superb penalty shot. Those two goals made Del Piero one of the only three people to ever be cheered by fans of the opposing team, after Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho.

Casillas, in a later interview, said, “I knew he was a good player, but what he did was beyond my wildest expectations.” Del Piero was an excellent player, but he could not, however, save Juventus from collapsing after the Calciopoli storm. His goals were not enough to give a weak and wounded Juventus a chance against strong teams both in Italia and elsewhere in Europe.

Juventus didn’t see the light at the top of the scoreboard until five years later, in the 2011-2012 season, and it was all that Del Piero could do for Juventus, before he retired. He went through the darkest days to revive a ragged, post-Calciopoli Juventus, and the day the team reclaimed its place as a major force was the day when Del Piero had to leave a team where he no longer belongs.

In his nearly two decades playing in the black-and-white colour of Juventus, Del Piero went through 705 matches and scored 290 goals. He helped the Old Lady claim 16 championships of all kinds, and he earned the respect of not only the Juventisi, but also that of the fans of other teams, for his pure dedication to his only team.

Del Piero later went to Australia and India, and still played football every now and then. His place in the heart of true football fans still lies unchallenged, as one of the greatest names in the flow of Calcio. 

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Anfield, Gerrard’s unfulfilled love story

Steven Gerrard dedicated the zenith of his youth to Liverpool’s cause, but his departure will never be a rosy end to that dedication, no matter how hard we try to make it emotional.

Steven Gerrard’s whole career in Liverpool can be summed up with Liverpool’s shattering 3-1 defeat before the unknown Crystal Palace: a nice, romantic love story, full of sweet, emotional moments, which ended abruptly and bitterly for both lovers.

Sweet moments, bitter moments.

It took more than 10 journalists to capture all of the feelings of the fans, as well as everyone involved, when Steven Gerrard played his last match on 16-05-2015. That match was played on the very field on which Gerrard played his debut for Liverpool 17 years earlier (Liverpool won 2-0 against Blackburn; 2 goals scored by Paul Ince and Michael Owen). 

The shops outside the field were full of Gerrard’s images. Everything in the stadium went live on television, from Gerrard’s three daughters to the letters “S8G” formed by fans standing in lines, to the epic music commemorating Gerrard’s great career as a football player. 

The match was Gerrard’s personal show, named “The Sound from Anfield,” in which more than 10 emotional songs were played to commemorate the great captain of the Merseyside Red Devil. Everything was perfect…until the match began.

Liverpool went down 1-3 against the basically unknown Crystal Palace. Gerrard was the attacking midfielder of Liverpool, but other than a shot that missed the goal by 10 metres, he could do no more. It was a shocking and scarring end for a great career, much like the end of Romeo and Juliet’s love story, abrupt and unexpected.

A beautiful love story is an unfulfilled one?

Steven Gerrard, in Zinedine Zidane’s words, is “Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, but, yes, I think he just might be.” With his skill level, Gerrard is deserving of a great career with an open path for the great player he was.

The path G8 walked was full of emotional flavours. Sadly, it was one without prizes and titles, other than the only Premier League Champion’s Cup that Gerrard and his team won after a “miraculous” and “unbelievable” game. 

Gerrard collected few champion’s cups, and failed to get a final hoorah in his last match on Anfield. In every second of that match, we could see a spark of disappointment in his eyes, and a few sighs here and there on his lips. His face, naturally grave, was made more austere that day. He dedicated the zenith of his youth to Liverpool’s cause, but his departure will never be a rosy end to that dedication, no matter how hard we try to make it emotional.

Maybe we should finally let it go and look at things in another perspective. Gerrard won little at Liverpool, but that will help keep the Merseyside Red Devil in his heart. His feelings toward the team will be bittersweet, and he will forever remember the regretful feelings he had when he said goodbye to The Kop.

5,643 days, 254 games, one love story

Steven Gerrard’s final game on Anfield as Liverpool’s captain was the 5,643th day since the first time he stepped on Anfield’s grass (on November 29, 1998, Liverpool vs. Blackburn). After that debut, Gerrard took part in 254 of Liverpool’s games on Anfield. He held the captain position in Liverpool for 12 years before saying goodbye to the Devils. He may have won few trophies, but his place in the heart of true fans is the biggest trophy he won in his years of being a legend.

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Buffon - The strikers’ bane

To truly be amazed by how great Buffon is as a goalkeeper, one has to watch his plays in more than 800 pro games and pay close attention to how tightly he guarded his goal.

Gianluigi Buffon’s greatness can be seen when one looks at statistics reports from the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) in which he has been nominated Best goalkeeper for the years 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The specialists in the IFFHS have analysed Buffon’s statistics so much I can’t tell if they are boring or interesting. In the years 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012, this “Superman” claimed this federation’s title of “Best goalkeeper of the last 20 years,” four times.

They gave him the top spot when it comes to goal-keeping in the first decade of the 21st Century (2001-2011), and even went so far as to praise him as the best goalkeeper of the 21st Century, though the 21st Century will be lasting for many more decades.

Buffon has quite a personal collection of prizes, with 5 Scudettos with Juventus (excluding the two that got withdrawn in 2005 and 2006 in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, one of which was returned to Inter), as well as many other national prizes (with Juventus and Parma). In his youth, Buffon singlehandedly brought Parma to the UEFA Cup in the 1998-1999 season.

This legend reached the zenith of his career when he became the hero who secured Italia’s world championship in Berlin in 2006. That was also when fans around the world got the first chance to behold Buffon’s astounding personal skills. 

To truly be amazed by how great Buffon is as a goalkeeper, one has to watch his plays in more than 800 pro games and pay close attention to how tightly he guarded his goal with fast reflexes, timely moves, and cunning as well as confidence in face-to-face scenarios. This man has always been his teammates’ inspiration, and truly, it is hard to find another goalkeeper as skilled and talented as he. 

Gigi Buffon, with 139 matches in the Italian colour and only missing 114 goals, has claimed his rightful place as a World Cup icon. He was the best goalkeeper in the 2006 World Cup, where nobody could put a ball in his goal in non-penalty scenarios (except for, sadly, his teammate, Cristian Zaccardo, in a match versus the U.S. team).

Gigi has been to five World Cups with Italia. He was in France in 1998, and was picked by Coach Trapattoni four years later in Korea-Japan. Another four years saw him raise the champion’s cup in Berlin in 2006. In South Africa in 2010, he was heavily injured after just 45 minutes of Italia’s first match, and along with Azzurri, he was hurried back to Italia for his treatment. He would return to Brazil in 2014, but with little luck, and he had to watch as Italia fell before Uruguay’s might in the last match of the elimination phase. 

Up to now, there are but three people who have been in five World Cups: the German legend Lothar Matthaeus (1982-1998), Mexico’s Antonio Carabajal (1950-1966) and Gigi Buffon.

World Cup 2018 will see Buffon in his 40th year; it might even see him playing for Italy in his 6th World Cup if his health allows it. Dino Zoff, Juventus’s legend before Buffon’s time, kept Italia’s goal in the 1982 World Cup final when he was 40 years and 133 days old. Buffon might very well stand in front of Italia’s goal in Russia in 2018.

If that is the case, we will have much more to talk about regarding the legend of “Buffon the Superman.”

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Roberto Carlos - The thunder-foot defender

Roberto Carlos has done more than enough in his career, and collected more prizes than any players could dream of. He was a true legend. 

The departure of Coach Gadzhi Gadzhiyev and the appointment of Coach Anzhi Makhachkala in February put an end to Roberto Carlos’s career. He only played 32 matches in a year and a half. At the age of 39, he became the unwanted piece of the chess set. Carlos has a strong attitude, and being put into reserve was unacceptable to him. He announced his retirement shortly after and is likely to become the Vice Coach to Coach Guus Hiddink in Anzhi.

Carlos has never been known to surrender. When he started his career playing for Inter in 1995, Carlos got into an argument with Coach Roy Hodgson: “It was a disaster. I needed freedom to play, but Hodgson forbade me from crossing the midfield line.” Hodgson was a traditional British footballer and he didn’t want his defenders to be on the offensive, so he made Carlos choose to play either as a true winger or as a dedicated defender. Carlos found this outrageous, and said he “wanted to be free to move across 80 metres rather than be confined within 20 metres.” This divergence resulted in Carlos being transferred after one season, despite him leaving a good impression at San Siro on his first day with a beautiful 30-metre goal. 

Roy Hodgson failed to understand Carlos, but Fabio Capello is different. In Real Madrid, Carlos became “El Hombre Bala,” whose speed, stamina and perfect skills were unrestrained by Capello. No other defender was as good as he was, having scored 66 goals in his 11 years playing for Madrid. Free was his spirit, though, and he left Madrid in 2011 when he was blamed by the Corinthian fans after a team’s defeat.

A strongman on the field

Roberto Carlos is no mere footballer; he is a warrior on the field. He made fans all over the world scratch their heads and drop their jaws when he landed a ball in the French goal in 1997. It was a shot from nearly 40 metres away; the ball simply flew in a curve and past the goalkeeper at an incredible speed and with astounding accuracy. People tried to look for the magic behind the shot, but there was no magic. “About the truth, I chose a target, closed my eyes and kicked as hard as I could”. One time when he was practicing kicking penalties prior to a match with M.U in the Champions League, Carlos broke a chair half a field away with a ball shot.

People became curious, because Roberto Carlos’s strength was abnormal for someone 5’5” (168 cm) tall and weighing 63 kilos. His secret: his giant-sized thighs, with the left thigh diameter being 58 cm and the right one being 61 cm. To put it into perspective, Carlos has thighs as big as Muhammad Ali’s. 

Roberto Carlos went from a poor boy in a family whose biggest asset was a bicycle to one of the best defenders of all time. At the age of 19, he helped the Brazilian national team become the World Cup champion. He won the La Liga four times and seized three Champions League silver cups under the Real Madrid flag. He won the UEFA title of “Best defender” in 2002, and was proclaimed one of the best 100 football players of all time by FIFA. He was loved by the Madridistas, and the Fenerbahce fans shouted, “I love you, Carlos,” in his last match in Turkey. He put his name in history with his score against Barthez and his field-side low angle shot past Tenerife’s hands. He has done more than enough in his career, and collected more prizes than any players could dream of. He was a true legend. 

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