Neymar finalises his deal with Barcelona.

    Huge reports everywhere that he already signed in an agreement with Barca, Neymar came out and stated that isn't the case.

      He remains under contract with Santos through 2014, huge rumours everywhere that big spending EPL outfit Man City is preparing a bid to offer Santos 55million dollar to sign the striker in their side. Despite such an lucrative offer, Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro has cleared that no amount of money could tempt him into selling their prized asset at this stage. Ribeiro also added that Neymar was happy to remain with the club and has even previously rejected offers from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

     Prior to that Neymar has not any experience of playing with any club outside Brazil so it’s necessary for him to move in Europe for establishing  & bringing himself in the limelight as a frontrunner of international football.

    The Brazilian sensation who turned 21 few days ago, has repeatedly said that he will decide his future after the 2014 World Cup when he is expected to move to a European giant. Spain, with its greater cultural and climatic similarities to Brazil than much of Europe, has long been viewed as his likely destination.

    According to his Brazilian counterpart & Barca defender Dani Alves that Neymar already has signed an agreement with the Catalan giant & supposed to join after his contract expires with Santos in July 2014 & Barcelona already had made a down payment of 14 million euro to secure that deal.

   So it can be easily told that it’s going to be the one of the best combination ever, it would be a delight to watch Messi & Neymar two current best players playing together in a same side.

SANDIP KARMAKAR_ONLINE FOOTBALL JOURNAL. FACEBOOK . TWITTER. LINKEDIN .

Syrian footballer Yousuf Slemen died in a mortar attack in Damascus.

         Syrian footballer 23-year old Yousuf Slemen died & four others injured from a mortar attack inside of Tishreen hotel where players were staying next to the stadium just before their practice session in the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday.

         Yousuf Slemen used to play in the striker position for Al-Wathba team while the four other injured players used to play for Al-Nawair, a club based from the city Hama.

       Yousuf Slemen the victim of that attack was a striker of Al-Wathba club & a father of a six months old kid.

       During the accident the players were collecting their things & about to head to the stadium for a practice session in the meantime they heard the first explosion and the windows were blown off, Yousuf Sleman including 3 other players severely injured by the shrapnel from that mortar said Ali Ghosn, a 20-year-old player.
      Yousuf was hit in the neck. The others ran out to the corridor when the second explosion struck which hit Yousuf  brutally & he fell down bleeding from his neck. he died shortly after he arrived at the hospital. Three other players were wounded, one of them in critical condition.

        The mortar attack was the second in as many days in the capital. On Tuesday, two mortars exploded near one of President Bashar Assad's palaces, causing material damage only.
        But it was the first confirmed strike close to a presidential palace and another sign that the civil war is moving closer to the heart of Assad's seat of power and into areas of the capital once considered safe.

SANDIP KARMAKAR_ONLINE FOOTBALL JOURNAL. FACEBOOK . TWITTER. LINKEDIN .

Star studded Barcelona tamed by AC Milan in the first leg of Champions League.

         Tactically correct AC Milan has shown their class lastnight beating Catalan giant Bareclona by 2-0 margin at their home San Siro  in the first leg of the UEFA Champios League round of 16. Kevin Prince Boateng scored the first in the 56^th minute of the match from a controversial circumstance following a handball from Cristaian Zapata & Sulley Muntary put the final nail on the visitors coffin only 9 minutes to remain.

         It was a battle between two huge experienced coaches Mashimileano Allegri of AC Milan & Tito Vilanaova of Barcelona. This time we almost got the shadow of last year’s Champions League semifinal where Barcelona succumbed against the strategy of former Chelsea interim boss Roberto Di Matteo. This time we got the same defensive strategy from Milan boss Mashimileano Allegri & Barcelona failed to overcome the hurdle once again.

       In the other hand we can say it Milan has taken the revenge of last year’s quarterfinal defeat in convincing fashion against the same opponent. The record says its Barcelona first defeat against any kind of Spanish side since last 7 years last time they were beaten by the same Italian side in the final of Champions League 2004 where Barca was clearly whitewashed by 4-0 margin.

      Everybody knows Barcelona plays on short passed so the strategy of Allegri boys was cutting the link between those short passes in between  Barca’s renowned midfield & forwardline which was exactly executed by Milan players on the field.  As like all other Italian sides Milan started to compose their defence combination heavily against the mighty rival like Barcelona.

         In the absence of Mario Balotelli due to his previous appearance in this same tournament with Manchester City, Allegri started with Giampaolo Pazzini & Stephen El Sharaway in the upfront.

         While Barcelona has all but reclaimed its La Liga title, sitting a formidable 12 points ahead of arch rival Real Madrid in the table, so the Champions League has taken center stage. Lionel Messi geared up for this game over the weekend by scoring his 300^th and 301^st goals for the club, which is downright scary given that the consecutive fourth time Ballon d’Or winner is just 25 years old.

        Both the sides started in a see saw defencive style, both of them tried to compose the defence so not so many  positive chances were created throughout the entire first half, first half ended in a goalless stalemate.

        From the beginning of the second half we got two different sides both of them became positive for the much needed goal.

      The homeside started to attack through two wings, the visitors also started to counter. Result of that Milan got a free-kick few yards outside the box, Montelivo has taken an excellent free-kick, firstly deflected by a Barca player & went in the hand of Zapata, Boateng followed the deflection took a sharp turn & fired past the AC Milan custodian. During that goal the Barca defence remained standstill & appealed for a clear handball but unfortunately the Scottish referee Thompson rejected their appeal & taken the control of the match by showing a yellow card to agitated Gerrard Pique.

          The visitors might have lost their nerves due to swallowing a such kind of goal though they started to regroup themselves in the later stages sometimes reached in the front of the goal but due to the composed defence of Milan they failed to penetrate, they occupied few good free-kicks just outside of the top box but they wasted & ballooned away all of them.

          San Siro crowd erupted once again in the 81^st minute of the game while former Portsmouth player, Sulley Muntari made a darting run into the box in the 81st minute in which El Shaarawy brilliantly lifted over into his path perfectly which was volleyed home for the 2-0 advantage.

            Despite the onslaught of ball possession by Barca (65% to Milan’s 35%) the Italian defensive unit were poised to “park the bus” about 25 yards outside of their box to quell any oncoming danger.  Not only were the defenders highly motivated, but players like Kevin-Prince Boateng and even Stephan El Shaarawy were able to conjure up the energy to add pressure on the likes of Xavi and Iniesta to put them under constant bombardment.

            Lionel Messi the world was eyeing towards failed once again in mega encounter, AC Milan defenders always followed him & put him away from the ball. Along with that the question have raised why a giant club like Barcelon aalways succumbs in front of  pressure repeatedly.

      

         Whatever the door is not closed for Barca yet but it’s a quite tough job to overturn their 0-2 defeat against Milan at Nu-Camp in front of their home crowd in the return leg on 12^th March while AC Milan will start the second leg with a handy 2-0 advantage.

SANDIP KARMAKAR_ONLINE FOOTBALL JOURNAL. FACEBOOK . TWITTER. LINKEDIN .

Statistics between Barcelona & AC Milan prior to today's encounter.between Barcelona & AC Milan.

Statistics between Catalan giant Barcelona & Italian power house AC Milan.

          Prior to today’s match Barcelona & AC Milan clashed 15 times between them, 13times in UEFA Champions League or formerly known as European Cup & twice in the both legs of the final of 1989 UEFA Super Cup, 7 in Nu-Camp, 7 in San Siro & 1 in neutral venue at Olympic Stadium, Athens during 1994 UEFA Champions League final.

          Barcelona has won 6 of them, AC Milan has won 5 times while 4 of them finished in a stalemate.

         Overall they met 13 times in Champions League, they clashed once in the Champions League final of 1993-94 where AC Milan won the triumph by thumping Barcelona by a clear 4-0 margin.

        First time they met in the round of 16 stage or Champions League on 1959-60, Barcelona won that by 7-1 aggregate, first leg at San Siro by 2-0 margin & second leg at Nu-Camp by 5-1 margin.

         Second time they met in the final of 1989 UEFA Super Cup where AC Milan bagged the crown by 2-1 aggregate, first leg at Nu-Camp ended in an 1 all stalemate & AC Milan won the second leg at San Siro by 1-0 margin.

        In the next encounter AC Milan won the 1993 Champions League final hammering Barcelona by 4-0 margin.

        Fourth time they met on 2000-01 in the preliminary group stage of the Champions League, AC Milan won this time by 5-3 aggregate, first leg they won by 2-0 margin at Nu-Camp while the second leg in San Siro ended in a 3 all stalemate.

        Fifth time they met on 2004-05 in the group stage of the Champions League, this time AC Milan won by aggregate on behalf of their one away goal, AC Milan won the first leg at San Siro by 1-0 margin while Barcelona won the second leg at Nu-Camp by 2-1 margin.

        Sixth time they met in the semi finals stage of 2005-06 Champions League which was won by Barcelona by 1-0 aggregate, Barcelona won the first leg at San Siro by 1-0 margin while the second leg at Nu-Camp finished in a goalless stalemate.

         Seventh time they met in the group stage of the 2011-12 Champions League, this time Barcelona won by 5-4 in aggregate, first leg at Nu-Camp ended in a 2 all stalemate while Barcelona won the second leg at San Siro by 3-2 margin.

         In the same edition of 2011-12 Champions League they met once again in the quarter stage of  which was once again won by Barcelona by 3-1 margin, first leg at San Siro ended in a goalless stalemate while Barcelona won by 3-1 margin at Nu-Camp.

        Whether record is concern AC Milan is the second successful team after Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League formerly known as European cup, AC Milan have won it seven times in 1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003 & 2007. Only Real Madrid, with nine triumphs, have won it more times than AC Milan.

        In the other hand Barcelona have won the competition four times in 1992, 2006, 2009 & 2011.

SANDIP KARMAKAR_ONLINE FOOTBALL JOURNAL. FACEBOOK . TWITTER. LINKEDIN .