Tag Archives: Barcelona

BARCELONA IN BID TO SIGN MIDFIELDER

Five-time European champions Barcelona are said to be keen on signing Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic at the end of the season. The Croatian international would be a free agent at the end of this season if he does not agree a new Inter Milan deal.

Italian news outlet Calciomercato reported that Barcelona have already informed the player about their quest to sign him as a free agent at the end of this season. The interest of Barcelona has complicated things for the Nerazzuri who were very sure that the Croatian midfielder will sign a new contract at the club. As things stand, Brozovic will need to pick one side. He has to determine if joining Xavi Hernandez as part of his revolution at Barcelona is the next step for his career or staying at the San Siro via a new deal.

Inter have already made an offer for Brozovic, but the midfielder is yet to sign it. The Croatian will be on of the highest earners at Inter with the salary of €6m on a yearly basis. The midfielder has been offered a four-year contract.

Brozovic is a regular in the Inter Milan as highlighted by him missing just one game for the club in all competitions this season. He has played 29 out of the 30 Inter Milan games in all competitions this season. The Barcelona target missed the solitary game due to suspension. He was not in the Nerazzuri squad for the 2-1 extra time win over Empoli in the last 16 as far as this season’s Coppa Italia is concerned.

Barcelona fans would be hoping that Brozovic will sign for them ahead of his current team. The Catalans have been very active in the transfer market this year with the signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore and Ferran Torres.

Carragher: Guardiola Can Revolutionise City like Cruyff at Barcelona

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher reckons that Manchester City have done a Barcelona by appointing Pep Guardiola, as he believes that this appointment is similar to the decision taken by Barcelona with Johan Cruyff in 1988.


The Dutchman is widely credited for changing the entire face of the club. He brought about the total football concept to Catalonia. While the younger generation lauds the team under Guardiola, it would not have been possible without the presence ofCruyff. The Dutchman groomed players like Guardiola when they were coming through the youth teams.

Carragher says that City have the ability to go on and have a similar period with Guardiola at the helm. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager moved to City after resisting offers from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. Widely seen as one of the best managers in the world, Guardiola will be transforming everything at the club from the youth system. Since he wants his youth teams to be playing in a similar way to the senior team, the transformation made by the manager will be evident in the next decade or more according to Carragher. A product of the Liverpool system, Carragher enjoyed a remarkably successful career and made about 700 appearances for the Merseyside club before retiring a few years ago.
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Cryuff Remains A Mentor For Many

Players become mentors for future players as well as coaches. This instance is carried out well by Johan Cruyff.


He has become an inspiration for Pep Guardiola, the coach for Manchester City. The new coach credits Johan to be his mentor. He states that Johan has been his inspiration for a long time. The former boss of Bayern Munich and Barcelona credits Johan to be his mentor and for the inspiration he has on him. The new job has come to Premier League team and it involves a contract for three years. In Barca he has helped two Champions Leagues to be won as well as three titles from La Liga. There are three titles from Bundesliga that he is credited with. He states, however, that Cruyff provided advice that has helped him to put together teams that have won these matches. The influence that Johan has had on him is incredible. He feels that Johan has influenced other coaches in a similar way.
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Southampton’s Ronald Koeman talks about the impact of Johan Cruyff

The late Johan Cruyff and the current coach of Southampton, Ronald Koeman worked together a few years ago when they met at Ajax and later at Barcelona.

It’s been a little over a year since Johan Cruyff passed away after losing his ongoing battle with lung cancer and Koeman has recently talked about how it was to lose one of his most important football figures.


‘I was sitting on a terrace in Nice when the call came. Then everything stopped. Johan’s death, it seemed impossible.Johan walks through my life. I went to the commemoration last week in Barcelona even though it did not suit me.I flew from Nice to Amsterdam to Southampton, and then had 20 minutes to pack some stuff, because I flew back to Amsterdam.’

‘It was beautiful, I am glad I was there. That’s how much respect and love there is for Johan. Everything was right, everyone was there and if you so look around you, you realize again what Johan meant. He was, is and remains the greatest. If Cruyff had played at this time, he would have still been the best.’ Southamptona’s Ronald Koeman said.

The impact and contributions that Johan Cruyff has made to football has been monumental as he helped create Barcelona to the club that they are today, it’s with his playing philosophies that has molded the Spanish club. Continue reading →

Mario Melchiot says that the national team are too reliant on Arjen Robben

Former Dutch defender Mario Melchiot says that the national team are too reliant on Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben and this could force them into missing out on a place in the Euro 2016 finals.

The national team has been encountering a wretched run of form since the World Cup 2014 came to an end on a high after the team finished in the third place by beating Brazil. This tournament also witnessed the departure of Louis van Gaal and the return of Guus Hiddink for yet another term in charge of the national team.

Even though they have managed two wins and a draw from the last three matches, they have been poor up until now and this is close to sending them out of the Euro 2016 finals. Netherlands are already third in the group and they have to make up a five-point deficit in order to catch Iceland. Leaders Czech Republic have another point advantage in the group where only the top two teams qualify for the finals automatically with the third placed team having to play in a tough play-off. Regarded as one of the top teams in the world, it would be a major disaster to see Netherlands crash out andMelchiot thinks it is a real possibility now. Continue reading →

Cruyff or Messi – The Bigger Icon Of Barcelona

The debate over who is the bigger Barcelona icon has been going around for a long time. Some base their opinions on their impact while some on their lasting legacy.

John Cruyff is a man that is synonymous with both clubs and is also a former star of Netherlands. He has been a great player as well as a coach and came out as a legendary figure at the Amsterdam arena and Camp Nou. Argentine Lionel Messi is the current star of Barcelona. At the age of 27 he is just two goals away from making a new record of La Ligaa��s all time record goal scorer.

It has been said that though Lionel Messi is a great player and shall remain one that has ever played for Barcelona, however the legacy of the man Cruyff always surpasses him. Cruyff has always been very inspiring and had inspired his team Barcelona to take part in the championship. The game has always been a very memorable one where they had won 5-0. He has always been capturing the hearts and minds of most of the people and has left a mark always in his career.

He has been a very important entity to shape the cluba��s constitution and to ensure that it becomes a well known institution of football someday. And we all are well aware of the name Barcelona has now achieved. Cruyff has been the man behind shaping and cultivating a lot of youngsters. La Masia housing was a thing that had been his foresight itself. It was the very place where the inborn talents and skills of Messi were schooled and polished. What Messi is now is somewhere down the line partly because of the man Cruyff who had started it all. The best way to put it would be to say that Messi is the idol while Cruyff is the icon.