Posts Tagged ‘Lionel Messi’

Lionel Messi is Worth €254m… Spanish Tax Laws Say So

Friday, February 6th, 2009

This story’s almost two weeks old, but the first time I read it I thought “Great, another journalist/football expert/crazy fan is trying to put a ‘I-wouldn’t-sell-him-not-even-for-$$$$$$$$$$$$$$’ tag on Lionel Messi”. After the whole Kaká-to-Man-City BS, it’s understandable why the good folks at Barcelona would snub a €120m+ offer (that’s how much the Brazilian midfielder was worth, according to the EPL emirs) and claim their Messi-ah is worth a helluva a lot more.

Only, it turns it that there are elaborate economic & financial calculations behind the latest “Messi is worth €254 million” claims.

(more…)

UEFA Soccer Team of the Year 2008

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

After 3.3 million votes cast by 256,000 online users (slightly less than last year), the uefa.com Team of the Year 2008 was revealed earlier this week.

As can usually be expected with these things, this starting eleven will please many and disappoint others (especially those whose favorite player was not selected) but this being said, there’s quality oozing all over in this team. I personally prefer the journalist choice of L’Équipe’s Best 11 Soccer Players of 2008, but “the people have spoken” as they say…

Nevertheless, feel free to give your 2 cents (and fire away your insults) in the comments section.

(more…)

L’Équipe’s Best XI Soccer Players of 2008

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

L’Équipe: Equipe-type mondiale 2008

It’s that time of the year again. With the days fast approaching December 31, awards for the “Best XI” of 2008 are being handed left and right. The biggest one (at least as far as us Europeans are concerned) probably being UEFA’s Team of the Year (voting is still open on uefa.com here).

While we wait for the UEFA popular vote (winners announced in January), let’s have a look at what the main sports newspaper in France has in store for us this year. Here’s L’Équipe‘s All-Star XI Football Players for 2008.

And once again, don’t be surprised if Premiership elements are leading the way and Serie A is snubbed…

(more…)

Golden Ball 2008 – C-Ron Gets B-D’or, Italy Gets Nothing

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Chalk up one more trophy for CR7, this one the biggest and most important one of them all.

In a decision that surprised no one given the player’s outstanding performances over the past year (both domestically and in Europe), French magazine France Football has handed its prestigious Ballon d’Or award to Cristiano Ronaldo.

C-Ron was a clear winner, collecting 77 first-place votes from the 96 journalists judging the award (asked to choose their top 5 candidates in order, awarding between 1 and 5 points to each). It must also be noted that Ronaldo was cited by all 96 journalists, collecting a total of 446 points which placed him very far ahead of his rivals. Barcelona hitman Lionel Messi (third last year) finished second this time around with 281 points, followed by Liverpool’s Fernando Torres on 179 to complete the podium.

(more…)

Lionel Messi: Napoli’s Forbidden Dream

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

Napoli is having forbidden dreams these days. Big dreams. Very big. 2nd-ranked-FIFA-Player-of-the-year big. According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, the Italian club are attempting to find the finances to make a mega-offer for Argentine and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, as they believe he could bring the club back to the glory days of Diego Armando Maradona. Delusions of grandeur or very sincere hope for the future? Better yet… is this just another ridiculous rumor that is so far-fetched it is not even remotely possible? When Neapolitans dreams, they dream big, but some of them have already woken up and started working to make this dream a reality.

El Mundo Deportivo’s printed edition - Napoli quiere a MessiAccording to El Mundo Deportivo (which by the way is a traditionally pro-Barcelona newspaper), the Neapolitan project is being spearheaded by the Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis (a well-known Italian cinema producer), with the objective of turning the club into a Scudetto contender, just like the good old days of Maradona. Not only is there a very concrete project to bring Azzurri captain Fabio Cannavaro back to his old colors at the end of the 2007-08 season, but a large number of Neapolitan investors have identified Lionel Messi as the ideal booster rocket for the city’s economy, much to the liking of Maradona in the mid 80′s.

The whole idea came from a Napoli supporters site a few months ago, who (probably jokingly) suggested to bring the Argentine wonderkid to Southern Italy. However, some of the higher powers of the Biancoazzurri club didn’t find the project to be entirely so far-fetched, and apparently have put a plan in motion to convince Messi to the highly-unlikely Napoli transfer. El Mundo Deportivo mentions that Messi was already approached by Napoli emissaries, who on top of a substantial contract offer have also put the attraction of the unique boost to Messi’s self-image onto the table. Indeed, if La Pulga Atómica were to arrive in Southern Italy, he would be instantly idolized by the entire city of Napoli much like Maradona was back in his time.

Lionel Messi with Diego Armando MaradonaThe only problem? Messi seems to have no intention of leaving Barcelona. and despite he is seen by many as Maradona’s heir at international level, he does not want to follow in his hero’s footsteps by moving to the Stadio San Paolo. As mentioned on Goal.com, “[Messi's] loyalty to Barcelona is well-known as the club brought him over from Argentina and gave him the medicine he needed to grow, while honing his skills on the pitch“.

The buy-out clause in Messi’s contract is believed to be around €125m, but that hasn’t scared Napoli. In fact, the users of the official site’s forum have just suggested the idea of asking all the citizens of Napoli for a small contribution. Now let’s see…  the population of the entire Neapolitan area is about 3 million people… if everyone donates €40 they should reach €125m in the blink of an eye. Right? :)

Messi with a Napoli shirt… wishful thinking?