“We’ll win it for David Villa” was the message from Barcelona as they prepared for the final of the World Club Championship in Yokohama. The vast outpouring of support from his fellow players, especially his teammates from the Spanish national team, is testament to the popularity ‘El Guaje’ enjoys within the game. The fractured tibia, suffered during Barcelona’s semi-final win over Al Sadd, means Villa could be out for nearly six months and though he insists otherwise, he may not make it back in time for the European Championships in the summer. Though his form in recent games has been patchy, over the past four years Villa has arguably been the most influential member of the Spanish … [Read more...] about An unlikely solution to Spain’s striking conundrum
raul gonzalez
Raúl González
Slower than a snoozing turtle. Too bossy by half. A training ground grump. Yes, yes, all of that may be true, but love him or hate him, Raúl is a legend: 323 goals for Real Madrid over 16 years. This striker never had any deadly weapon in particular other than unshakeable self-belief, which might explain why he is now enjoying a fruitful semi-retirement at Germany’s Shalke 04. … [Read more...] about Raúl González