SPAIN 1-0 PORTUGAL: David Villa shoots Spain past Portugal into the quarters (Highlights)

Fantastic performance. By far Spains most complete at the World Cup so far. Portugal set out to stem Spains passing in midfield, flood the centre of the park, and break out on the counter in the sort of devastating fashion that saw them flash seven past North Korea. Unfortunately for Carlos Quieroz and his team, Spain are not North Korea. Not even close. Today they were the same lean mean passing machine that we fell in love with in Austria and Switzerland two summers ago. Xavi was back to his mesmerising best. Xavi Alonso and Sergio Buequets were tireless behind him. Iniesta and especially David Villa buzzed around with menacing intent. The backline was simply impenetrable. Is there a better centre-back pairing at the World Cup than Pique and Puyol?

The only player to raise question marks was Fernando Torres. 'El Niño' is a shade of the player that lights up the Premiership weekend after weekend. Balls bounce of his ankles. He runs up blind alleys. He just looks clumsy. Will the real Fernando Torres please stand up? Perhaps it's simply another case of a star underperforming in the World Cup. There have been plenty. But luckily for Spain, Fernando Llorente was ushered onto the pitch after the hour, and the big man made all the difference. Suddenly Portugals defence looked uncertain. Hesitant. And how 'La Roja' made them pay. Llorente had already had a golden chance to open the scoring from point-blank range, but his header was straight at the impressive Eduardo. Then David Villa struck. Who else? It was a typically-Spanish move. One touch, superb movement off the ball, and 'El Guaje' to finish it off. The final 20 minutes would normally be a nervous affair, but bar a couple of hairy moments, and a dubious sending off for  Spain looked incredibly assured. No team is as comfortable on the ball as the Spaniards.

So next up Paraguay, and you would have to think an easy ticket to the semis. No team should be underestimated...especially after recent results against the United States and Switzerland. But we are at th business end of the tournament now, and Spain are clicking into gear at just the right time. I just cannot see a limited Paraguay side causing an upset. So whilst the fans at home go crazy, Del Bosque and his backroom team would do well to concentrate their efforts on working out how they can edge past their illustrious South American rivals (with all the respect int the world for an electric, youthful German outfit that put my country to the sword so ruthlessly), as I firmly believe (like everyone else!) they will need to beat Argentina and Brazil to lift the World Cup. Both teams look efficient. Both look very very strong. We have some belters to look forward to! VAMOS ESPAÑA!!

PS. Pardon my inexcusable lack of a match report for Spain - Chile. Momentary lapse! :) Basically they played well, Villa and Iniesta scored two beauties and they qualified for the second round!

BET 2010 Awards

I have just viewed 2 amazing performances in the BET 2010 awards, and of course it will appear here ! Just wanna add Chris Brown tribute performance for the late Michael Jackson is unbelievable, really outstanding! No one does it better than him, he showed real emotion at the end by breaking down and murdering "Man In the Mirror" song lol! But hats off to you Chris Brown!

Speaking about murdering a song, i think Keyshia Cole did just that -_____- But thankfully the man showed up and killed the performance!

Update: Oh well, the video's have been removed by BET in YouTube. Better luck next time :/

England cursed once again...

I jumped off my chair, screaming for joy as soon as i saw the ball went pass the line (In my head, the ref cant be that blind to see it not go over, THEY CANT BE THAT BLIND! It's VERY clear, even people from the bench could tell it went over) Then reality hit after 10seconds when i saw the game played on, in disbelief the ref did not count that goal.

ENGLAND 1 - 4 GERMANY

That was the final score.. The scoreline is flattering, yes i admit Germany outplayed England, but the timing of that goal denied was the crucial point. It was just before half time, England got it back from 2-0 to 2-1 and should have been 2-2. Momentum would have carried them during half time break, and they would have played a different style of football in the second half. To all you England haters, yes you can say it would have been 4-2, well let me just say this to you, fuck you because u don't know football then. You should stick ur head in ur mom's ass because you definitely got that football knowledge from her ass. England may suck, i admit, but you don't need to play great football to win, and that's what fans will say, but if you are just there to watch beautiful football matches, maybe you should off the tv when England plays. Bottom line is, no one knows what would happen if it ended 2-2 during half time, but i do accept the fact England played bad football this world cup but its no surprise to everyone eyes.

After all this controversial calls, i find FIFA really fucking dumb for still not implementing a goal line technology, or put a damn ref behind the goal post at LEAST. What's the point having a 4th official at the fucking bench area?? What the fuck are they doing there? Suck a coach dick? Read newspaper? Carry water? ZZzz.. i should just stop writing because the further i write the more i wanna kill the linesman, u piece of shit. You should cut your eyes out and donate it to the blind people because as far as i know you don't use them!

Ghana for the win ! GO GO Ghana win the world cup!

UP

Up's gotta be one of the most heartwarming (if not the most) animated films I have seen.

Within the first 15 minutes, I was literally bawling off. The story about Carl and his wife was so bitterly sweet and sad :( At first, I thought the kid shown was supposed to be the "kid" but then I was mistaken, and the part between Elli and Carl will touch anyone's heart. I hope children will reflect on the reality about old people TT.

I'm just glad that Carl met Russell, at least he became happy even if he's old.

The thing with UP is though it has this "sad" aura (well for me), you'll find yourself laughing all throughout the film. It's a little crazy, I know.

This movie is for everyone, I think everyone should see this, despite the age, it will surely leave a mark. Everytime I see Ellie and Carl, or whenever I see the old Carl alone, I can't help but cry (until now).

Super Fantasies

All of us have our own fantasies.
When I was young, I want to be a scientist, then I want to become an astronomer.

When I became a little bit mature, I dreamed of becoming a surgeon.
I started as an engineering student then shifted to mass communication. See the irony? I never became what I wanted. Still if given the chance, courage and resources, I would still want to be a surgeon, or an astronomer.

I just finished watching Fantastic Four 2, and through wiki, I learned that Reed Richards is included in the top ten smartest comic characters (I think he ranked first).

I have a thing for smart people. Aren't they awesome? I wish I can be a super smart person, I think all of us has thought of that once right?

Also included in the list are Bruce Wayne and Tony Spark.

I'm not a fan of Batman, and honestly I only recently saw Dark Knight, but I instantly fell inlove with Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), isn't Bruce appealing? I mean he's rich, he's handsome, he's smart, and most of all he's Batman.

Then there's Tony Spark. I watched Iron Man last summer, and it became one of my favorite movies, and Robert Downey Jr, one of my favorite actors.

As my friend said (referring to the three characters mentioned): "they are brainiacs and filthy rich...and the missing addend there would be my husband"

Talk about fantasies.

Redemption

England have qualified to the round of 16 !!!! The bad news is that they're meeting arch rivals Germany. After looking at how England played the last game, i would say a complete 360 turn around since their last match against Algeria. They played with pride, heart and most importantly hunger to win. If they play just as well as they did against Slovenia with Germany, i have no doubt England has a great chance to progress to the quarterfinals!

On a side note, if you remember i wrote a post about the favorites in the world cup. Yep my prediction for Italy not to win it has got it SPOT ON. They have just got knocked out the group stage few minutes ago! Slovakia 3-2 Italy, more embarrassing news is they placed last in their group with 2 draws and 1 lost ( ZERO WIN )

COME ON ENGLAND, you are just 4 matches away from the big cup!!! YOU CAN DO IT! God Save the Queen!

Eminem - Recovery

Eminem is back, and better than ever ! LOVE The new album - Recovery. Recently released the first single, "Not Afraid". Music video is out and attached below, enjoy!! There's also another song called "Love the way you lie featuring Rihanna" Awesome!

SPAIN 2 - 0 HONDURAS - David Villa double sets Spain on their way (Highlights)

Thats more like it. Substance to match the style. Goals to match the build-up. Spain blew Honduras away with their attacking, incisive brand of football, but they were indebted to two pieces of clinical finishing from David Villa to grab them the three points they so desparately craved. After a spritely start from the Hondureños, the game slowly grew into a practice match for Spain. But much like Arsenal in the Premiership they tried many times to walk the ball into the net instead of shooting on sight, which inevitably lead to a scoreline which flattered the Central Americans. Vicente Del Bosque changed things around after the shock Swiss defeat, and it worked wonders as Spain looked more like the side that waltzed to victory in Vienna than the one which laboured to wins over South Korea and Saudi Arabia and got beat by Switzerland.

Xavi and Xavi Alonso were superb at the heart of Spains 4-3-3 formation, with Sergio Busquets perfomingly admirably just behind them. I've been a long-standing critic of Busquets, but on this form he more than warrants a slot in the first XI. And with the midfield, minus poor David Silva who seems set for a spell as a sub, clicking into place Spain ravaged a limited yet surprisingly adventurous Honduras side, who were not afraid to knock it around and attack with intent. It could so easily have been six or seven had Fernando Torres not left his shooting boots in Liverpool and Jesus Navas his crossing boots in Sevilla. Not their finest nights, but Torres will be glad to gain some much-needed match time, while Navas was a constant thorn in Honduras' side, regardless of his wastefulness with his final ball.

Sergio Ramos fluffed a couple of chances. Villa smashed the bar with a first-half rocket. Spain had two legitimate penalties for handball turned down and one stroked wide. Cesc Fabregas had a shot cleared off the line seconds after replacing Xavi in the secon half. It really was incessant pressure from La Roja, but they'll be hoping these chances are converted if they beat Chile and make it through to the second round. Profligacy on this scale will be punished in the latter stages. Just as well David Villa scored two beauties either side of half time, the first an absolute peach of a finish after a glorious run into the box. The new Barca striker was a revelation down the left hand side. His second was thanks to a flowing team move involving Xavi and Navas, and took a slight deflection as it shot past keeper Noel Valladares.

So a win against Chile should see Spain top the group and all memories of that opening defeat erased. That said, I can't say I'm as certain now about Spain winning the tournament as I was before it all kicked off. Brazil, while not playing well, look dangerously efficient, with Argentina and Portugal also offering scintillating performances in their second outings. I have an inkling a South American team will walk away as winners. But this tournament, which has fired up in the last few days, is about as unpredictable as any in living memory. The knockout stages promise to offer up a few crackers but first the nervy third round of group matches. I predict a few big guns to fall.

a blog is a blog

Just how many blogs do I own?

5? 10? I lost count. But seriously, why am I still having this blog?

I want to have a blog about my thoughts, a blog where I can freely express myself without having to think of the reaction of others.

I was contemplating on whether it should be wordpress or blogger, but eventually blogger won (since I already have 2 wordpress blogs). I have my tumblr account (and before this, it served as my personal blog), but the thing is, I think tumblr isn't designed to be a blog containing long posts and personal ramblings, as for multiply and livejournal, it sort of have this friend lists (there are people there who may not want to know my crazy side), and well it's a tad difficult to blog freely, knowing that they'll read it somehow (if you know what I mean).

And so blogger came into the picture.

From now on, this will be "my blog". LOLz

England @ World Cup 2010

Probably the worst ever England game i have witnessed in my lifetime. Wayne Rooney looked like he got butt fucked in the ass a million times that it hurt so bad he couldn't run at all. Never in a Man United shirt i have seen him like this, even when he was injured he could run and played with more heart than that. It's unfair to just put the blame on him but honestly, the whole team were SHIT!! I have lost words to even defend 'em, call them toothless lion, lazy performance, uninspiring, no enthusiasm, whatever the words, i will agree with you on that.

England 0 - 0 Algeria

England is still not out of World Cup yet, what better is that they could still top their group if they decide to beat Slovenia in their final group match. The group is still wide open for any of them to go through to the final 16, whatever the outcome, if England do make it and plays like this, they can dream of going past that stage.

Sometimes i wonder why and how this favorites play so bad in the biggest tournament of international football. Do they take it for granted? Are they over confidence? I seriously have no clue... I see the underdogs, the Asians, the new comers plays the match as if it was their last, and thats what national football is all about, show some pride, play ur heart out at least! Thankfully i am not an English man, i could just go on and on..

Okay enough of ranting, i just wanted to let that out. It's 5am, i have lost so much sleep during the World Cup i think its time to take a step back and check in reality. 4years once, and in just a week i am almost fed up with what i saw. I am fooling no one if i say England still has a chance to win the cup, a blind man could even tell how lousy/boring England played by the sound made of the people that watched the game.

Good night

Sad & Boring World Cup

1st round of the group matches have ended, and let me just say how fucking boring the matches have been. Only a team have managed to score 4 and 1 scored 3 if i am not wrong, most of them ended in a low scoring draw.

I have lost quite a number of bets online, hahaha. Gonna take it slow and only play matches that are easier to be won :/

I have stop predicting matches, this world cup has given a number of shock result. Hopefully more goals and excitement starts now ...

Spain 0 - 1 Switzerland: La Roja kick off World Cup with shock Swiss defeat (Highlights)

Who saw that coming? Spain kicked off their World Cup campaign in the most disappointing of fashions as they were downed by a hit and run show from Switzerland. Spain enjoyed a healthy 73% possession, yet a whole host of wasted chances and failed final passes allowed the Swiss to mount a couple of second-half counters that created the only goal of the match from Gelson Fernandes and almost saw their second as a splendid run and shot from Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok rebounded off the foot of the post. Where did it all go wrong? To be honest the Spanish experienced more than a fair share of misfortune. Several chances flying inches wide or, in the case of Xavi Alonsos thunderbolt, crashing against the crossbar. A couple of decisions from Howard Webb went against them, but by no means read anything into the press' post-match witchhunt against the English ref. A shameful attempt to gloss over Spains failings. And then you have that wily old fox, Ottmar Hitzfeld. The ex-Bayern managers tactics were spot on. Round up Xavi Hernandez and you take away Spains heartbeat. Run and defend as if your life depends on it, soak up some intense pressure and hit your opponent on the break and you've always got a chance. The Swiss deserve huge credit.

So let's move onto the Alonso-Busquets dilemma. While the rest of Spain believes that the two cannot start in the same XI, Del Bosque continues to employ them in a five-man midfield. Both play the role that Marcos Senna so admirably carried out in Euro 2008. Break up the play and start attacks. So why start with both? Surely the way forward would be to stick Xavi Alonso between midfield and defence and stick Busquets on the bench, freeing up a position which could be filled by Cesc Fabregas, or start with two upfront bringing Fernando Torres into the equation. In any case, todays midfield line-up looked a little confused, short of ideas and lacking their usual sharpness. Roles were not clearly defined. Andres Iniesta was a constant threat but his influence was nullified out wide. David Villa was out of sorts and even Torres looked decidedly rusty when he came on. Anyhows, it's not the end of the world. Better lose now with two games left then fall at the last group hurdle. Victories against Chile and Honduras will see them through, but a second round match-up against Brazil is looking increasingly likely. That said, if you want to win the World Cup, you'll have to knock out the big guns sooner or later.

So far I have to say this World Cup, in terms of quality, is one of the worst I can remember. USA '94 wasn't great, but at least it had Romario, Roberto Baggio and Ray Houghton in their prime. All excelled in their national teams. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo just look lost. France, Portugal, Italy, England, Argentina and Brazil all looked poor, while only a youthful Germany looked anything like world beaters in their match against the Aussies. Heres hoping things heat up now we've got the nervy openers out of the way.

Maybe?

HAHA Okay, maybe i should just stop making predictions on score, it's totally way off.

World Cup hasn't been great for viewing lately, and especially for me =(

But i'm hoping Slovenia can do me a favor later, please just win by one goal will do!!

Day 3 predictions:

• Slovenia to beat Algeria
• Serbia to beat Ghana
• Germany to beat Australia

Update on predictions so far

3 wrong 3 right

Day 2 South Africa

Alright a quick update for on my prediction for Day 2

• Greece Vs South Korea 1 - 1
• Argentina Vs Nigeria 3-0
• England Vs USA 2-0

PS: So far 1 right 1 wrong this year's world cup, hopefully my winning percentage increase by tonight ;)

South Africa 2010 - World Cup Starts!

The long awaited countdown ENDS!!! In exactly 1 day 6hours i will be hooked on the tv for a month!

Day 1 matches:-

• Fri Jun 11, 2010 22:00 South Africa vs Mexico
• Sat Jun 12, 2010 2:30 Uruguay vs France

(All fixtures are in Malaysia timing)

My Prediction: South Africa 1-1 Mexico / Uruguay 1-2 France

Good luck and have fun guys !! Let's enjoy the beautiful game <3

SPAIN 6 - 0 POLAND: Spanish set off for South Africa in style

After two unconvincing displays against Saudi Arabia and South Korea, Spain came good just at the right time. Poland were knocked for six as Spain recovered that lost razzmatazz that made them so untouchable two years ago in Euro 2008. Passes were crisp and found their man every time. The delicate flicks were back. The backheels, the one-twos, the no-look passes. An absolute joy to behold. Xavi was as mobile as ever, orchestrated proceedings from the centre. Andres Iniesta was simply irresistable, with the first two goals from David Villa and David Silva courtesy of two stunning passes from the Barca man. His scooped pass which set Xavi free to cross for Silva was magical. Iker Casillas answered those doubters who pounced on the Madrid shotstopper after his Arabian error with an assured performance. The defence, with Pique and Puyol at the fore, was rarely troubled. Even Sergio Busquets put in a solid shift alongside his Barca teammate, Xavi.

Things got even better for Spain after Xavi Alonso had put them three up, as Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres put any injury problems firmly behind them with the fourth and fifth strikes. Cescs goal was thanks to a superb threaded ball from Xavi Alonso, and gave the Arsenal man an extra reason to celebrate after becoming the youngest player to reach 50 caps for Spain. As for Torres, a goal on his long-awaited comeback was a sure sign the few weeks lay off hasn't affected his eye for goal. He won't show it, but Vicente Del Bosque must be absolutely delighted. To top this festival of football in Murcia, Pedro came off the bench to chip in his first goal for 'La Roja'. Three caps to his name and he's already on the scoresheet. I've said it a million times. Everyone has said it a million times. But the strength in depth in this Spain squad is nothing short of astounding. So off they fly to Johannesburg with a record of only one defeat in their last 48 matches. If they play like this they have every chance of winning the World Cup. No doubt about it. No-one can get near them in this form. Is this Spains time?

Well, tommorrow I'm off to Berlin for a few days, so this is the last you'll hear from me until the World Cup is already in full swing. I'll be lucky enough to catch the first Germany match against Australia and the England match against the USA before flying back for the first Spain match. Should be fun. So wherever you're from, whoever you're supporting, I wish your nation the best of luck. Enjoy ;)

THE MOURINHO METHOD: Why so many victories?

Ever wondered what sets new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho apart from the rest? Why it is that wherever he goes, silverware is never far behind? Me too. So it was a pleasant surprise to read an article in todays AS about four Portuguese authors who have written a book about the self-proclaimed 'Special one'. The title of the book is 'Mourinho: Why so many victories? and it analyses Mourinhos methods on the training pitch and in the dressing room, outlining ten key factors in his unrepentant search for domestic and European glory. It also provides a fascinating insight into what awaits Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates when they return for training after the World Cup. So, translated into English, here they are, accompanied by quotes from the great man himself:

1. THE ONLY STAR IS THE TEAM: 'My greatest worry is the team. The collective effort. I have no idea where the physical aspect ends and the tactical/psychological aspect begins, but football encaptures both. I can't separate the two, but what I can say is that football is not all about the physical aspect, it's about much more than that. In the grand scheme of things, the physical aspect is probably the least important element. Without organisation and a talent in exploring the different tactical models of the game, your weaknesses quickly become apparent, regardless of how fit you are'.

2. TACTICS ARE WORKED ON FROM DAY ONE: 'The most important thing in football is to have a style of play, a set of principles that offer organisation to the team. For that reason, my focus is on tactics from day one'. Exactly what is required at Real Madrid.

3. THE RUI FARIA METHOD (No circuits, no gyms, no laps around the pitch): 'Have you ever seen a pianist run around his piano before sitting down to unleash a masterpiece? In our methodology we don't send them on laps around the pitch either'. For Mourinho and his right-hand man/physical trainer Rui Faria, the gym is only for recovering from injuries.

4. THE BALL IS OBLIGATORY. TRAINING SESSIONS OF NO MORE THAN 90 MINUTES: 'My training sessions aren't long, they're dynamic and incredibly time-efficient. I like my team to learn to love the ball, and to know what to do with it once they win it back. Three hour training sessions will only serve to bore the players. They would quickly fall out of love with the ball'.

5. A TEAM WITHOUT PEAKS IN FORM: 'Weekly training sessions are solely focused on the next game. There's no plan to come good in December or May, no looking ahead. No plan to play better against the top teams'.

6. MOTIVATION COMES FROM TRAINING, NOT FROM THE BIG MATCHES: During his time in Portugal with Porto, there came a moment when the team were winning everything domestically, with the danger of the players only being motivated for the European ties. Here's how he overcame that potential obstacle. 'With a 4-3-3 formation, space is perfectly occupied naturally, it isn't necessary for the players to be intelligent. They don't have to think too much. With a 4-4-2 they are required to think because the field is occupied irrationally, no-one is naturally open. With a constant need for tactical discipline comes motivation, regardless of the importance of the match.' Real Madrid fans know what to expect there then.

7. THOROUGH STUDY OF THE OPPOSITION. BUT NEVER TO PLAY ACCORDING TO YOUR RIVAL: ' We analyse our rivals and we try to imagine how they will play against us. Using these thoughts we position certain players in certain positions according to the oppositions strengths and weaknesses. But these are only positional details. They don't interfere with our principles, or even with our system'.

8. THE CREATIVE PLAYERS ARE THE FIRST TO DEFEND: 'For me defending well is defending during the least amount of time possible. It's to have the ball among your most creative players for as long as possible. Having the initiative for as long as possible. This takes away the need for defensive actions. But when the need to defend arises, everyone has a role to play. There are those that say the creative players should be liberated of defensive duties. They know nothing about football. All players need to know what to do with the ball and what to do without the ball'. Cristiano Ronaldo, you've been warned.

9. WE BEGIN TO RECOVER DURING THE GAMES: 'After each game I like to give the players a days rest. It may not be the most appropriate thing to do physically speaking, but it allows them to recover mentally. Unfortunately, with so many games during a season this is rarely possible. Therefore as incredible as it sounds, they need to start recovering during the game itself. If the team plays how I want them to, the players will start to recover mentally by having total control of the ball. Instead of finishing the match mentally exhausted, they would come off the pitch in a great frame of mind, raring to go once more'.

10. ONE METHOD FITS ALL -  FROM THE FIRST TEAM TO THE YOUTH TEAM: 'The basic methodological concepts must be instilled in both the elite and the base. At Porto I regularly met with the youth and reserve team directors to explain exactly how all the different teams should play. That way no player gets lost when making the step up. Everything is already trained into his mind'.

What a guy!

Future Funk (America's Got Talent 2010)

From American's Idol, lets move on to America's got talent 2010. I have just witnessed one of the cutest kids around, instant melt even before they performed. Serious shit <3













So from kids, lets move on to the adults. Haspop of France auditioning for America's Got Talent 2010, absolutely incredible, mind blowing dancing.

SPAIN 1 - 0 SOUTH KOREA: Jesus Navas saves Spains blushes (Highlights)

Spain struggled for the second time in a week as 'La Roja' scraped past South Korea courtesy of a scorching goal from young Jesus Navas six minutes from time. Perhaps it's the pressure that comes with being named World Cup favourites by the bookies, but having seen the comments left by various Spanish fans across Marca and the forums, many believe the blame lies elsewhere. One thing is for sure, right now there is something lacking. Many are questioning Vicente del Bosques tactics, playing with a 4-1-4-1 formation which has served to clog up the middle of the park, stemming that natural flow of the ball so characterisitic of Spain in Euro 2008. Today they were slow, predictable and lacking that penache they had in Austria two summers ago. Leaving Marcos Senna at home could be Del Bosques biggest error as Spain coach. The unsung hero who lets Xavi, Silva and co get on with their job of terrorising defenses won't be around in South Africa. And there's no ready made replacement. Sergio Busquets simply doesnt cut it at international level in my view, and Javi Martinez has only just made the leap from club football.  

With Victor Valdes making his long-awaited debut in the second half (strangely ten years to the day since Iker Casillas made his debut), the shining lights in a drab showing were the two young guns Pedro and Jesus Navas. The Sevilla winger a constant threat down the right, and with only Cesc Fabregas' effort which smacked the crossbar to show for their efforts with 84 minutes on the clock, up stepped Navas to thump a cracking effort into the top right corner of Woon-Jaes goal. As the rest of Spain rejoiced, Florentino Perez was cursing his bad luck. That'll be another €10million euros he'll have to fork out for Sevillas electric winger.

So, another friendly win and another lacklustre outing. There's certainly no reason to panic (todays team was a second-string XI remember), but Spain will be expecting more against Poland in Murcia next week.

Spanish Government to restrict reckless spending among La Liga clubs

I'll start this post with a tricky little question. Three Spanish clubs managed to achieve an operating profit during the 2008/2009 season. Real Madrid, Barcelona and one more. Who? With the aim of increasing this number, the Spanish government is set to lay out a new set of rules which will restrict the amount La Liga clubs have to play with when it comes to forking out for players. Jaime Lissavetsky, the countrys Secretary of State for Sport, has proposed that clubs will not be allowed to spend more than 70/75% of their income on transfers and wages, with the measure pencilled in for the 2011/2012 season. It remains to be seen if the proposal will become law or not, but those already worried that Barca and Real Madrid are turning Spanish football into a posh SPL won't be best pleased with what Lissavetsky has put forward.

But something has to be done as the combined debt among Liga clubs rose to €3.5 billion, with the salaries demanded by stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pushing wages to an outrageous 85% of total operating income. Six or seven of the Liga clubs are running bankrupt or in administration, with Mallorca the most recent to enter into voluntary administration as they posted a pre-tax loss of just over €5 million, even after finishing fifth. Spain has even more reason  to act urgently, as UEFA finalise their 'Financial Fair Play' rules which are set to be implemented in 2012/2013, and will require ALL teams to be running an operating profit in order to participate in European competition. 'Florentino summers' may well be a thing of the past.

Read the whole fascinating article, and find out the answer to my initial question, in the Wall Street Journal HERE. Spanish football is in for a rough ride in the coming years, as the sport is forced to come to terms with it's own financial crisis, brought about by reckless spending and dreadful money management.