The Ball Man

Florentino Perez set to break his own record in pursuit of three galacticos Florentino Perez was re-elected as the president of Real Madrid in 2009 and Perez delivered his promises of signing world class players. Real Madrid spent over €250 million in the 2009-10 season, which included the transfer of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, and Xabi Alonso. It was both Perez's and Real Madrid's highest ever spending spree. Since his arrival and till date, Real Madrid has crossed the €1 billion mark after signing Brazilian defender, Eder Militao, for €50 million - who became Los Blancos' most expensive defender in their rich history. Real Madrid has been linked with numerous superstars and Florentino Perez has knocked many doors in search of a world class player. It is an open secret that Perez has promised Zidane three world class signings and he is expected to deliver on that promise. With Brazilians Rodrygo and Militao already set

Bilal Khan set for a move to Kerala Blasters x Khan is all set to become the second signing for the Kochi-based outfit after the appointment of Viren D'Silva as club CEO. The  Yellows  have already  snapped up Indian Arrows' Rahul KP , who also hails from the state of Kerala. The Uttar Pradesh-born Khan was contracted with fellow ISL side  FC Pune City  but never made a senior ISL appearance for the  Stallions . He was then loaned out to newly-promoted  I-League  outfit  Real Kashmir  at the start of the 2018-19 season. Khan is no stranger to Kerala as he turned out for Gokulam Kerala FC in the 2017-18 I-League. The 24-year-old has previously played for Churchill Brothers, Mohammedan Sportingand Hindustan FC across both the top and second divisions in the country. Former U-17 World Cupper Dheeraj Singh, who was primarily the first choice goalkeeper under both David James and Nelo Vingada, is expected to stay at the club. However, it remains to be s

Carles Alena explains how Lionel Messi has helped him at Barcelona Image : Goal Alena says Messi helped him settle and told him how to handle the pressure of playing for the first team. “He acts like a captain and he helped me a lot when I came into the setup. He told me to play quietly because there’s always pressure in the first team, but in the end you play with stars. He made me feel bigger, he’s a really nice guy. “I haven’t gotten used to it, because it’s all happening so fast but I’m enjoying it a lot. I’ve been at the club for 14 years and I’ve seen my idols a thousand times on TV or on the pitch, I share experiences with them now on a daily basis in the dressing room and on the pitch. It’s a dream come true and I’m learning a lot.” Source |  Marca #theballman 

On Cristiano Ronaldo : 'I've never seen a champion as hungry as him', says former teammate. Speaking to Tuttosport(via Goal.com ), Rui Costa praised Cristiano Ronaldo by stating that his former teammate plays every game as if it is his last of the career Said:  "How is he different? In the ambition. Never seen a champion more hungry than him. He lives every game as if it was the last of his career.With Cristiano I played the EUROs of 2004. Then he was a kid, but we were all old. We knew very well that he would become a Ballon d'Or winner" "An anecdote? Cristiano was a crazy dribbler and every training session he showed us incredible things, and always different, with the ball."We almost never succeeded. Unfortunately, I did not have time to serve an assist to CR7." For more short updates on football follow us on facebook.  @InmessionanteFootball #theballman

Sergio Canales was brought by Real Madrid back in 2010 but the Spaniard was unable to make his mark in his only season with Los Blancos. The attacking midfielder has played for numerous clubs since then and currently features for Real Betis. The former Real Madrid player was blown away from Lionel Messi's display and claimed that the Argentine genius is the best player in the world. When asked about how is Messi on the pitch, Canales told Marca: "The best in the world. Not only because of what he did against us at our stadium the other day. He defines matches and does it year after year at a level that has never been seen before.""We're fortunate to have been able to enjoy him for such a long time in our league.""It is the same, but on the television you enjoy him and on the field you suffer. That's the difference." concluded the Spaniard.

So, it will come as no surprise that so many supporters and pundits have been eulogising about the 31-year-old this season. Image via : Inmessionante However, it might be slightly more unexpected to hear that Simon Brundish - a professional sports scientists - has been analysing the Barcelona superstar. A video has surfaced on Reddit of Brundish discussing Messi's statistics during an interview in December 2018, before his numbers became even more impressive. the praise of Brundish really speaks volumes and he referred to the data as pure 'insanity.' "There's only one person. While he's alive, there's only Messi, there's no discussion," he explained to CNN Sport. "Messi has currently a goal or assist every 48 minutes. A game typically lasts 95 minutes so that's almost two every single game. Last season it was 58 minutes. "Normally you're doing well if you get a goal every two games. It's insanity.&

Menotti worried about 'very tired' Messi Image via : Daily mail The superstar has been in fine form, scoring six goals in his past three matches for Barcelona, including netting a hat-trick against Real Betis. But Menotti, who coached Argentina to World Cup success in 1978 and is now the country's director of national teams, is worried about Messi's wellbeing. "I'm afraid that Messi plays," he told FM 94.7. Selección Argentina  (@Argentina)  March 19, 2019 "I see him with important emotional fatigue between the Champions League and the national team. I see him very tired. "If he wants to play with Argentina, better." Argentina will face Venezuela on Friday before taking on Morocco four days later.

Kenya to withdraw from Afcon qualifier against Ghana? Kenya could miss its final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana on March 23, due to issues with funding from the government. The Harambee Stars may not honor the match if the Kenya Football Federation does not receive any funds from the government by close of work today. The players invited for the game have all arrived in camp and are training with the exception of Michael  Olunya who is injured. Kenya is expected to arrive in Ghana on Thursday March 21, 2019 if they able to secure funds from the government. "Government is yet to provide tickets but we are hopeful that something good will suffice by close of business today", Spokesperson of the Kenya Football Federation Barry Otieno told Oyerepa FM. Kenya and Ghana have qualified for the AFCON to be staged in Egypt this summer.

All you ever wanted to know: Champions League hat-tricks Image via :UEFA Players : 5 = Lionel Messi (Barcelona)  8=  Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid 7, Juventus 1)  3=  Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus 2, AC Milan 1)  3=  Mario Gomez (Bayern München )  3=  Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk) In all, 84 players have scored UEFA Champions League hat-tricks. All of Ronaldo's hat-tricks to date came in an 18-month spell between December 2015 and May 2017. Most hat-tricks in one season 3  Cristiano Ronaldo (2015/16)  2=  Cristiano Ronaldo (2016/17)  2=  Lionel Messi (2011/12, 2016/17)  2=  Luiz Adriano (2014/15)  2=  Mario Gómez (2011/12) Ronaldo and Messi hit back-to-back hat-tricks in 2016/17, as did Luiz Adriano in 2014/15 when he scored eight goals across two meetings with BATE Borisov. Hat-tricks for multiple clubs Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid 7, Juventus) Filippo Inzaghi (Juventus 2, AC Milan)  Marco Simone (AC Milan, Monaco)  Roy Makaay (De

Messi hails Ronaldo's 'magical' night for Juventus after Barcelona win Ronaldo scored a hat trick as Juve overturned a first leg loss in Madrid to  beat Atletico 3-2 on aggregate  and book their place in the last eight. Messi responded by scoring twice and adding two assists on Wednesday as  Barca hammered Lyon 5-1  after drawing the first leg 0-0 in France last month. "What Cristiano and Juventus did on Tuesday was impressive," Messi told Catalunya Radio. "It was a big surprise.  I thought Atletico would be a lot stronger, but Juve were all over them and Cristiano had a magical night." Messi's Barca could potentially face Ronaldo's Juve in the last eight if the two sides are paired together in Friday's draw for the next round, but the Argentine would not be drawn on who they would prefer to face in the quarterfinals. "We don't want to choose one [side] because they're all really tough,"

Ronaldo getting frustrated as he longs for Juventus to play more like Real Madrid one of Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus teammates did not push him in the back in the hope. Image : Goal.com "As Juve defended, he [Ronaldo] didn't help," La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote in justification of the 5.5 player rating it dealt out to the 34-year-old in Juve's 2-1 win at Napoli recently, a rare backs-to-the-wall victory. Ronaldo cut an irritated figure, spending much of the second half of Juventus' nominal top-of-the-table clash against Napoli gesturing to his team to push up and join him in attack. At one stage he jumped in the air and threw his hands down by his side, a familiar move to anyone who watches Ronaldo, but rather than performing his trademark celebration -- the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has gone three games without a goal or an assist -- it was a show of frustration at how his teammates were playing. for more short news, trolls fo

Ronaldo can score 3 goals against Atletico Madrid as he did against my team, says a former Wolfsburg boss The former Wolfsburg boss said: "Ronaldo is capable of everything, he can also score 3 goals again as he did against my Wolfsburg. Of course he can" "Atletico has the best defensive phase in Europe and an excellent attack: without Ronaldo, who can inventing goals in any way, it would be impossible, but Cristiano is If I said that Ronaldo is not the strongest player I have ever met, I would lie. "I remember that night I told the team that we should not be afraid neither of him nor of the Bernabeu, but at 17 'we were already 2-0 with a double by CR7, it was monstrous." #theballman

Report: Zinedine Zidane in Turin On Sunday though, reports began to emerge out of Italy that the tactician is in Turin to meet with the Juventus brass over potentially taking over Massimiliano Allegri next season. While Allegri has won four consecutive domestic doubles and is well on the way to winning a fifth straight Scudetto with the Bianconeri, he has yet to lead the Italian giants to Champions League glory. The club signed Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer in hopes of ending their European drought. Image via : Express.co.uk “I left after four years at Milan, this is my fifth year at Juventus and I hope to continue," said Allegri just a couple of weeks ago. Even club management have stated on multiple occasions they are happy with their current coach and do not have any immediate plans of making any changes. “There is an excellent rapport between the Coach and President, as with all the directors. Allegri met with the President, as he often does at this time

Rio Ferdinand believes that Sergio Ramos is a better defender than Virgil van Dijk There can be little doubting that Van Dijk's argument has been bolstered by the struggles of  Real Madrid  this season, sparking a decline in form for Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos. And there lies the crux of the argument as far as Rio Ferdinand is concerned. One of the best central defenders of the 21st Century, Ferdinand was asked whether he considered Van Dijk to be the world's finest centre-back When asked about Van Dijk, Ferdinand answered: “I’d still put Sergio Ramos there. “Ramos, when the big games come up, the trophies are there to be won, he’s normally standing there with his sleeves rolled up. He is not being shifted at the moment. "To be considered the best in the world, you hace got tho win the stuff as well" “You cannot just play well for your team and sit there as runner-up or coming third or fourth. “That’s why, when people talk a

After coaching Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus? Italian journalist  Luigi Guelpa  is the prime source of the news while media houses in Italy are also suggesting that a move is highly possible. Guelpa is suggesting of a four-year-deal between the Spaniard and the Turin-based club, with Massimiliano Allegri also publicly admitting that he fancies a move abroad in the near future. There's hardly a doubt of Pep Guardiola's ability as a manager. Having done splendidly well with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Spaniard has already won his first Premier League title with Manchester City. After arriving in England in 2016, Guardiola could be on his way out as early as 2019, with a move to Italian giants Juventus looming large. If the switch materialises, all hell will break loose in the football world, considering the man who rates Lionel Messi as the ultimate No. 1 will be coaching his biggest rival Cristiano Ronal

Neymar blasts VAR in foul-mouthed rant after defeat to Manchester United Neymar remained helpless while watching from the stands as PSG were sent packing from the UEFA Champions League by Manchester United in the second leg at Parc des Princes. PSG threw away their convincing position after the first leg, where they  bagged a 2-0 lead , to  lose 3-1 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate on away goals. missed both legs through injury, wrote: “This is a disgrace, they put four people that know nothing about football in charge of looking at the replay for VAR. There is no penalty. How can it be a handball when it hits his back! Go f*** yourselves!” "Of course it’s a strong reaction, he was at the field,” Tuchel said. “Sometimes after a big fight you use words and reaction emotionally that you take back some hours later.” “He wanted to come back with us in the quarter-finals and he’s been biting his nails at every game we’ve played, so don’t be too hard

He may be injured. He may still be angry after PSG's VAR-related loss to Man United. But Real Madrid  want  Neymar  and SPORT claim they are willing to spend £350m to land him. Real have had a nightmare week, losing to Barcelona in Copa del Rey and Liga action, then being dumped out of the one competition they have owned for the last few years, the Champions League, 4-1 by Ajax. So what's the solution to such woes? Sign one of the world's best players of course. SPORT claims that "Los Blancos have been in touch with Neymar to explain their intentions" -- which is evidently to, erm, sign him. And his salary will be increased as "Madrid would pay €45m over five seasons," giving him a bump from the €36m he already takes home. If Real are going to spend so much money, why not sign  Kylian Mbappe instead of the 27-year-old Neymar? Well, the paper claims it's because Neymar is open to leaving. Mbappe evidently wants to stay in France.