Xabi Alonso hails 'amazing' Pep

Bayern Munich player, Xabi Alonso has done an appraisal of his former
boss, Pep Guardiola who now holds the forte at the Etihad Stadium.
In three months in charge, Guardiola has won all of his 10 competitive
matches and even equalled the record set by former coach, Carlo
Ancelotti and this has left the ex-Real Madrid player in awe.
He told Marca.”Pep
has a natural talent to understand football and to then transform that
understanding on to his players.”

“He likes to have the ball and for his players
to show courage and you can just feel this. What he has done at Manchester City
over the past two months is amazing. The desire his players have to prove
themselves to the fans and the coach is the result of Pep’s work. He is very
demanding and methodical.”

Meet Marca's top 10 players of 2015

Spanish paper, Marca today released a list of top 10 players of 2015.  The players were selected based on reader’s votes.
The list was dominated by La  Liga giants, Barcelona with 6 players of the team occupying the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,6th and 7th positions.
Needless to say Barcelona has had a really tremendous year, winning 3 trophies last season and the club world cup a week ago.
Marca top 10 players
10. Paul Pogba (Juventus)
9. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
7. Claudio Bravo (Barcelona)
6. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
5. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
4. Anders Iniesta (Barcelona)
3. Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
2. Neymar (Barcelona)
1. Leo Messi (Barcelona)

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Messi and coach Luis Enrique haven't been on talking terms for 7 weeks


According to reports, the spat between Barca playmaker, Lionel Messi and coach Luis Enrique is yet to be resolved. The feud started after the Blaugrana’s loss to Real Sociedad several weeks back. The Argentine attacker was so angry with the coach for introducing him at half time that he refused to turn up for training the following da‎y.
Barca’s heavy defeat to Malaga during the weekend seems to have worsened matters. Spanish newspaper reports that Enrique hasn’t spoken to his players after it. His relationship with Messi hasn’t been better as both parties have reportedly not spoken to each other for 7 weeks. 
Luis F. Rojo of marca.com writes, 
It is a fact that the Barcelona manager is not very keen on talking to his players after a match, but the Málaga game was out of the ordinary. And as he did not speak with the players, he did not speak to Leo Messi, as in any case they have not spoken for some time. In fact, not since the defeat against Real Sociedad at Anoeta when they became estranged. Since then their relationship has been non-existent. The situation has been helped by a run of good results, but now Barcelona have lost again it remains to be seen what will happen.

Spanish newspaper slams Luis Suarez, calls him toothless.

For failing to score ‎in seven league games after making his £75m move to Barcelona, former Liverpool player, Luis Suarez has been described as ‘toothless’ by spanish newspaper, Marca. Well, we all know where the ‘toothless’ idea came from.
The Uruguayan who has scored twice for for the Blaugrana at the UEFA Champions League is still struggling to find the net in La Liga.
Here’s what Marca wrote.

Having won the Golden Shoe for his exploits in front of goal last term, Suarez seems to have been unsettled by the ban that saw him start this season later than his new team-mates.

“The stats are even more surprising when compared to historical data: over the last 50 years, only three other forwards signed by Barcelona have had the same difficulty as Suarez in breaking their league duck.
“Those three are Christophe Dugarry, Luis García and Maxi Lopez, who all spent indifferent spells with the ‘Blaugranas’.
“This stat places Suarez alongside some of the worst ‘Cules’ performers in recent times, and increases the doubts and speculation about whether or not his signing was good value for money for the Catalan club.”‎

Cristiano Ronaldo on his relationship with Lionel Messi, "Our rivalry is good."

Both are world’s greatest footballers, break and create new records every now and then and have so much in common as far as soccer is concerned but really most people are interested in knowing the kind of relationship they have outside football.
Like, what they say when they run into to each other in a shopping mall (don’t think their paths cross that much), do they ever hang out (we know that’s not possible), exchange emails etc. Spanish newspaper, Marca caught up with the Cristiano Ronaldo and here’s what he said about his rivalry with his nemesis, Lionel Messi.

“It’s not at all true that we have a bad relationship. We are colleagues and have a professional relationship. We don’t have a relationship outside of football like I have with some other players. He tries to do his best for his club and national team and I do the same. There is a certain rivalry where we are each doing our utmost for our teams.

“This rivalry is part of my life. It is only normal that people compare us. The same happens in Formula 1 with Ferrari and Mercedes. I’m used to it. This has been the case not only since I joined Madrid, but already when I was still at Manchester United. I hope that we can both laugh about all this. Football is a game, it’s something fun and something we both like. We must face this rivalry in a positive way because it is a good thing. Football is something beautiful that all the fans enjoy.”

You won't believe the number of bodyguards accompanying C Ronaldo in Brazil

According to Purelyfootball, 29 year-old Portuguese footballer has about 50 bodyguards, yes you read right, 50 bodyguards accompanying him in Brazil.

That’s a big Wow!

A statement on their website reads thus, “MARCA report that a minimum of 50 bodyguards are accompanying Cristiano Ronaldo at any moment, and that in order for the team to move from one place to the next, they count on: 2 armored vehicles, 9 motorcycle escorts, a helicopter, and the help of the Sao Paulo Traffic Police.”

Yaya Toure on Jose Mourinho. "He talks more than before"

I really don’t know the correlation between his team’s recent defeat at the UEFA Champions League and Jose Mourinho’s input. Manchester City midfielder, who insisted the game would have favoured them if a “good referee had officiated” has slammed Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho for always talking about everyone. (coaches, players and teams I guess)
According to Marca, the three time CAF award-winner said, “I think he talks more than before, perhaps because the English press likes it. He is a coach and he must give respect a little bit. He is always talking about everyone and that is not the correct way. That is why Barcelona always beat Madrid when Mourinho was here in Spain.”
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