UEFA Champions League

 the massive matchup between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The match up is the second part of the two game series. The first was played last week at the Santiago Bernabeau in Madrid, Spain.

Barcelona won the first leg 2-0. Leo Messi was the star of the victory and Barcelona looked untouchable. They passed, dribbled around Madrid as if they were training cones.

Jose Mourinho will have to sit out Real Madrid's
second champions league game at El Nou Camp
due to his rant after his sides loss

The game brought major controversy when Pepe, Madrid Midfielder, was handed a red card for a challenge on FC Barcelona’s right back, Daniel Alvez. With Madrid a man down, there was no chance of containing the all-star

Controversial Manager of Madrid, Joes Mourinho, had lots to say after they lost but would say nothing previous to this match-up. When journalists discovered he was remaining silent over half of them left. One Italian journalist, Filipo Ricci, stated, “What happened was Mourinho decided not to come to the press conference, the usual press conference before the Clasico, and to send out Aitor Karanka.

The press didn't like this decision and decided to quit the press centre as he was coming in.

The surprise was that Mourinho also came into the press centre, but when the press officer said Mourinho wasn't getting any questions, at that moment around half to three-quarters of the press centre left.”

It’s interesting to see Mourinho so quite this time around. After the last loss, the coach complained of Barca’s theatrics. Accusing them of diving and going as far to say they have gathered video evidence to prove there was no contact on the foul Pepe was red carded for. Mourinho and co. also accused a player of shouting a racial slur towards their defender, Marcelo. They demanded a two-match ban for the accused, Sergio Busquets. They also called for several other players including Javier Mascherano to be banned for at least one match.

Leo Messi and Barcelona look to knock Madrid out
of the champions league this season. Messi scored two
in the first game at the Santiago Bernabeu

Mourinho and Madrid claim there has been a pro-Barca and anti-Madrid bias this season and there is also one amongst the UEFA governing body.

Mourinho had this to say after the last UEFA Champions League game:

“Afterwards Mourinho told reporters: "Josep Guardiola is a fantastic football coach, but he has won one Champions League which would embarrass me after the scandalous goings on at Stamford Bridge (in 2009).

"This year if he wins it again it will be after the scandalous goings on at the Bernabeu'.

Wayne Rooney looks to continue his run in outstanding
form and slide past the German side Schalke 04. Rooney and
Manchester United take on Schalke at Old Trafford in
Manchester on Wednesday

"I don't know if it's the UNICEF publicity or the friendship of Villar at UEFA, where he is vice president, I don't know if it's because they are so nice, but they have got great power. The rest of us have no chance."

We’ll see what happens today when the teams face off at El Nou Camp in Barcelona, Spain. Don’t forget to watch the other semi-final tomorrow, Wednesday, featuring Manchester United and Schalke 04!

PFA Player of the Year Highlights

Two highlight videos from the PFA Young Player of the Year, Jack Wilshere and PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale:

Gareth Bale Wins PFA Player of the Year

The Professional Footballers’ Association has announced the player of the year and the Premier League first team of the year.

Gareth Bale of Tottenham Hotspur was announced as the player of the year for the 2010-2011 English Premier League Season.

Gareth Bale and the Spurs look to continue their run
into the premier league's top four and qualify for another
champions league campaign

"I am more than delighted, really," he said. "It is a massive award and it is a great honour to receive, especially from other fellow professionals. It is an honour, really, when you look at the names that have won it before and it just makes you go 'wow'. – Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder

Tottenham Hotspur Manager, Harry Redknapp, was extremely proud of Bale. He is only the fourth player from Tottenham to win the award in the clubs history. He is the fourth to win behind players like Pat Jennings, Clive Allen, and David Ginola. Bale is well on the path to becoming a Spurs legend and this is a great start down that path. Redknapp has vowed he will not be selling big name stars when the transfer window opens up over the summer.

"It is great for him, he deserves it,'' Redknapp said. "It is a great award for him to win and I could not be more pleased.”

The PFA footballer of the year is won by accumulating votes from all the other professionals in the league. The people Bale plays against week in and week out are the ones who voted him, and Bale believes that these are the guys who know you and your playing best.

The 21-year-old beat out Charlie Adam, Samir Nasri, Scott Parker, Carlos Tevez, Rafael van der Vaart, and Nemanja Vidic. Player of the year was not the only award Bale was up for; he was also nominated as the PFA Young Player of the Year.

However, he was beat out by Arsenal FC’s Jack Wilshere. Wilshere is a 19-year-old midfielder who has also recently won a few caps for the senior English National team.

Jack Wilshere and the Gunners have a lot of work ahead
if they wish make a challenge for the premier league
regular season title

"It is my first full season and it is a massive award, especially from my fellow players," he said. "It is amazing. I am very proud to be the fifth recipient from Arsenal; it is good to keep this history going. Arsenal is a good club for bringing youngsters through and they keep proving it so I would like to thank the manager as well. I am delighted just to be in the team." – Jack Wilshere Arsenal FC Midfielder

Apart from these two special awards, the Premier League Team of the Year was also announced last night. The team of the year included players from five teams in the English Premier League.

Premier League Team of the Year as follows: Edwin Van der Sar (Man Utd), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Kompany (Man City), Nani (Man Utd), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Carlos Tevez (Man City), Dimitar Berbatov (Man Utd).

Amazing Penalty Kick

Check out this wild penalty kick that takes place in Baar, Switzerland. You may need to watch it twice!

One of the most difficult things about soccer can be refereeing. Check out this referee bloopers video!

Protecting Referees; The Final Straw!

English Premier League to crackdown on referee abuse.

The English Premier League has announced its plans to cut down on player and manager abuse of league referees.

The campaign is set to begin with next year’s premier league season. The clubs of the English Premier League have unanimously voted to support next year’s Respect campaign.

EPL CEO Richard Scudamore
announces the plan for the respect campaign
set to begin next season. EPL is aiming
to end referee abuse

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore announced plans for the campaign last Thursday March 31^st. 

“I think we do need to concentrate on the player and manager relationship with the referee this time, as everyone of us knows that there have been elements of unacceptable behavior.” – Richard Scudamore

Scudamore and the rest of the clubs agreed something must be done in regards to high number of attacks on referees. Most recently Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, was handed a five game sideline ban for his comments about a referee. He was not allowed to be on the sideline for the next five games Manchester United played in the Premier League.

“You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that.  I must say, when I saw who the referee was I feared it. I feared the worst.” – Sir Alex Ferguson said about the referee following Man U’s 2-1 loss to rival Chelsea FC

Referees have faced much scrutiny this season. Some have had their integrity and honesty questioned publicly. The respect campaign is a great step forward in defending and protecting professional referees.

West Ham United boss Avram Grant
has been suspended two matches for his
comments regarding the refereeing following
West Ham's March 13th FA Cup loss to Stoke City

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal FC manager, was suspended earlier this season for his “abuse” of match referees. Wenger, Ferguson, and Avram Grant manager of West Ham United have all been hit with some kind of suspension and/or fine this season in regards to referee abuse. Avram Grant is the most recent and is suspended for two games and fined £6,000 for his comments about the referee following West Ham United’s FA Cup loss to Stoke City.

"I think maybe this is the reason the referee started the second half very strange. Until they scored [the second] goal he gave fouls, a penalty, everything for them.”

"It was a penalty for us at the end which he didn't give. What happened with Tomkins was more bushido [the Japanese code of conduct for samurai warriors]. Maybe he felt a little bit guilty. I think it was the effect of the first goal for us." - Avram Grant

Wayne Rooney has been the center of
attention quite often this season. Rooney will
be serving a two match ban due to another mishap

The FA is not only coming down hard on coaches for their dissent, but also on players. Wayne Rooney was just handed a two game ban for saying the f-word on camera following a goal he scored against West Ham United. Rooney tallied a hat trick in the Red Devil’s 4-2 win over The Hammers.

Scudamore has reassured everyone in the Premier League he is very serious about the new respect campaign and others could be seeing harsher punishments for ref abuse.

"As to what we think is unacceptable; it's vitriolic abuse towards match officials and that has on occasions gone unpunished; the surrounding of referees is unacceptable; the goading of referees into trying to get opponents sanctioned we think is unacceptable; and also the undue criticism, where it spills over into questioning the referee's integrity or his honesty is also unacceptable." – Scudamore added

La Liga Strike!

Spanish La Liga and a possible a strike

Is there a possible strike looming ahead for La Liga?

For now a court in Madrid says no, but there could be in the future.

David Beckham has law named after
him in Spain. The law was introduced in
2005 to attract foreigners to live and work
in Spain.

Several Spanish clubs that were looking to maximize benefits from TV revenues proposed the strike.  There is also a huge advantage for La Liga clubs in comparison to their rivals in other European countries. Foreigners who live and work in Spain are only forced to pay a twenty four percent income tax while natives are stuck with a hefty forty three percent income tax.

This law was introduced in Spain as the David Beckham Law and was designed to help attract foreign executives to better run some of the countries top business firms.

With the tax law as is, Spanish clubs can save up to £2 per year when compared to their English counterparts. Chelsea FC heavily considered signing Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero, but they were turned away when they learned the true cost of what his wages would be in England. Aguero’s weekly wages in England would have been £200,000, but due to the taxing laws in Spain he only costs Atletico Madrid £160,000 per week.

The English tax for high earners is also set to have a possible increase, sometime this April, to fifty percent.

Chelsea had plans to spend big money
on Sergio Aguero but how much is to much
for the football giants?

The possible reformation of the tax law has many big club presidents worried. The reformation of the tax laws could cost nearly €100 million for the league as whole. Real Madrid would undertake a £2 Million per year fee for taxes on Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract.

Many are also worried there will be other complications that stem from the clubs having to accept these massive tax fees.

'This could bring very negative consequences. It would prevent La Liga from being the best of the world and would have negative impact on other aspects, such as the amount of people in stadiums and it would make our product less attractive to television. We have calculated that this reform would add 100m euros to the bill for Spanish football.' – LFP President Jose Luis Astiazaran

There are many others who support Astiazaran, claiming that the tax break for foreigners is what gives La Liga its competitive advantage over all football leagues in Europe.

"The strike would have been a stab in the heart of football, Football only sells hope and, if we kill people's illusions, we will kill football. There are no winners or losers. The big winner is football.” – Villarreal General Manager, Jose Manuel Llaneza

Cristiano and co. have some work to do if they
plan on catching current La Liga leaders Barcelona

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo added - "I sensed that the games were going to be played. Imagine what would have happened. Luckily, everything has been solved.

"The court decides the official calendar for the first and second divisions should remain unaltered for the next round of matches." – Madrid Court Document

For now the courts have decided the league schedule will be played as arranged and nothing will change. The hope is that La Liga will solve their problems without any disruptions and their clubs will continue competing at the highest levels of world football.