Posts Tagged ‘Real Madrid’

If scoring was to be a single man contest, then we will have a problem, gladly is a whole different story and a perfect example of it are the forwards David “El Guaje” Villa from Valencia and Barça’ Samuel Eto’o. Between both have fired the nets 18 times in what’s been of La Liga’s campaign.They are renowned for their goals, but both players are poles apart. Villa is famous because many teams want him, but cannot meet the expense for such a player and the other (Eto’o) is infamous because his own team wants him out, but still now he is the reason why the squad achieves great victories. Last weekend, on the October 26th match, the Spaniard player tied the game against Valencia in Recre’s ground, the Nuevo Colombino; while Cameroonian striker Eto’o did the first season “hat-trick” in the Barcelona victory 5-0 against Almería.One facet that characterizes these two players is the fact that both were very close on leaving their teams at the beginning of the season, however for different motives. David Villas’ luck and financial problems changed thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo, after Real Madrid failed on sign the superstar. As a result the doors opened up for Villa as the team offered $56 million for the mighty Euro Cup scorer, but Valencia, after some deep thinking decided to keep the player, as it was better for financial and fan purposes. At the end Villa improved his contract with Valencia, who at this point and time is top leader in the Spanish premier league (with just 1 point above Barcelona and Real Madrid), while the forward is worth more day after day.On the other hand, Samuel’s case is filled with polemic, the Barcelona club tried to sell him as soon as possible due to his controversial and outspoken style, but at the time no team wanted to take such a financial risk on a bold player. At the end the player had to stay in the team who at this moment has 24 goals in 9 games, the highest number in the big European leagues. Eto’o does have a big ego, but for a good reason, after all he is an exceptional finisher. In his fourth season with FC Barcelona he just keeps getting better and better, with extreme speed and a magical eye for goals.After being announced transferable, Barças coach Josep Guardiola, gave the player a chance and to this day has taken action amazingly on the field, nevertheless unfortunately for the media he has remain distant and silent. His last comments about being nothing without his team backing him up and about the fact that they trust him was the important thing and not his outstanding 3 goals on the match against Almería, is making everyone think that there’s a brand new Eto’o. At this precise moment only a few players could outpost Villa and/or Samuel _that is if we leave the controversy and arguments behind. Both players come from a “genetically engineered” football generation and as days go by they keep getting superior and enhanced.There is much more to go on the European football for 2008-09 and maybe we will see these amazing strikers dispute some of the best football battles in the field, perhaps against each other.

Criminals are indeed using football for money laundering and tax evasion. They increasingly use huge amounts of money transfers and frequently tend to use complex accounting to make any attempt to trace origin of the money very difficult, if not impossible.

Money laundering is a process that takes illicit or “dirty” money generated from illegal activities and puts it through a cycle of transactions so that it comes out at the end as apparently legal or “clean.” In general, the money is generated from a range of criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, murder for hire, theft, robbery, embezzlement and fraud. The process conceals the true source, ownership or use of funds.

A recent report issued by the OECD’s Financial Action Task Force (FATF) revealed that football clubs are seen by criminals as an attractive money-laundering opportunity and a perfect vehicle to move illegal funds cross border. The report also shed light on human trafficking, corruption, drug trafficking and tax evasion. It highlighted more than 20 cases of money laundering after conducting a questionnaire in 25 countries.

In one case the authorities spotted an attempt to launder money through the purchase of a famous Italian football club using funds supplied by a criminal gang operating in central Italy.

Helped by globalization and lucrative television rights, the amount of money in football soared turning clubs into huge business enterprises. For example, the enormous sums paid for top players reached unexpected levels when Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract for $131.5 million to transfer to Real Madrid.

What makes criminals find football clubs an attractive mean to launder money could be attributed to the weak management of the clubs. Many clubs are run by armatures and can easily be acquired by dubious investors. Big money could move unspotted in and out and inflated agent fees and betting networks can all help criminals to mask the origin of dirty money and acquire it the legitimate appearance. This explains why suspected criminals run after clubs in financial difficulties and provide them with money to settle their debts. Furthermore, football is a way for criminals to acquire social respectability which is needed to provide criminals with cover to hide the illegal activities.

Criminals may get their washed funds back by selling the club’s equipment and services at very high prices, or through sales of media rights, tickets, players and products.

One may ask if criminal associations in Egypt or the Middle East ever think of using football clubs and players as a vehicle for money laundering?  There is a strong conviction that it is very unlikely. In this part of the world football does not pose the same degree of money laundering risk as opposed to Europe for several reasons;

In Egypt there are several talented professional football players playing for European clubs. The list includes Amr Zaki, Ahmed Hossam, Essam El-Hadary, Hany Ramzy among others. No one raised brows at the deals to transfer them to European football clubs. The amounts involved were too small in comparison to what was paid to top players!

In a nutshell, we may conclude that football clubs business is not an attractive conduit for money laundering in Egypt. Still, the risk cannot be totally ignored.

Many choose to spend their summer vacation at the beach and especially the popular areas of Costa del Sol and Mallorca are much visited – but recent years have city breaks in Spain have become more and more interesting for many people. It’s easy and convenient and it is close to all the sightseeing’s and you can use public transport and you do not need a car. For example offers Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga everything needed for a perfect city break – here you can also enjoy the beach. A perfect and economically way to experience the cities are to rent a holiday home in Spain.

The five largest cities in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Malaga and they all have their own traditions and charm. But common to them all is that they are worth a visit and you get caught by the Spanish culture and especially their wonderful cuisine.

Madrid is Spain’s capital and the most important city in the country. Madrid is the only Spanish city experienced an increasing number of tourists in 2009 compared to 2008. The most impotant attractions include the Royal Palace, Teatro Real, Prado and Thyssen museums and of course Real Madrid as the city’s proud football team with players as Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and has for many years been interested in self-government. Today, Catalonia is partially in depended but is still dependent on the head city Madrid. Barcelona has plenty of attractions and the city’s famous son Antonio Gaudi has its strong track in the city as particularly La Sagrada Familia and Parque Guell. The Gothic part of the city is beautiful and charming and there are also a myriad of good restaurants. FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi should also be mentioned in this context.

Valencia is a more unknown destination than the two big cities in Spain. It’s actually a shame because Valencia has plenty to offer. In recent years the city has attracted attention in the form of Formula 1 and America’s Cup, but also the beautiful Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias is worth a visit. Valencia is also the place where you can enjoy the best paella in the world and we recommend a visit at the beautiful beach and one of the many restaurants where you can try paella. Valencia also has one of Europe’s best soccer teams with David Villa in the lead.

Seville is the capital of Andalusia and contains a special atmosphere. The city is beautiful and lively and there are also plenty good restaurants and tapas bars. Especially in the historic city center close to beautiful Cathedral La Giralda you will find plenty of attractions and Christopher Columbus is buried in the Cathedral. The Easter and the Fair in April is the city’s absolute peak season and especially Easter is mentioned as one of the best places to see the Easter parade. If you like soccer we can recommend you to go see a match on the stadium Sanchez Pizjuan which is the stadium of FC Seville. Malaga is the little brother to Seville in Andalusia. The city currently undergoing major changes and now they are building the new port area, Metro and many of Malaga old building in the historic center will be renovated. H.C. Andersen went through Malaga and expressed great enthusiasm for the city and although there have been major changes since then – Malaga still has its charm. Pablo Picasso is Malaga’s most famous citizen and you can still visit his birth home and the magnificent museum. The Cathedral is an impressive sight both outside and inside. There are plenty of good restaurants and bars. Malagueta is the city’s beach and recommended a trip to Pedregalejo where you can enjoy your dinner at one of the many seafood restaurants.

Diehard soccer fans can now watch live 3PM Saturday Premiership football from England anywhere in the world on a personal computer, a mobile phone or a digital box connected to a television thanks to www.statesidetv.net.

Fans will be able to select a range of live international league games from UK Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga and South American Soccer.  Numerous games are shown; often much more than is currently available on Sky UK, Canal Digital or Sky Germany.  3PM Saturday UK Premiership football matches are ideal for Europe as UEFA rules are there to protect attendances at grounds.

Fans will be able to follow their favorite players such as Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney, Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Villa.  High definition (HD) European matches will cover teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Intermilan, Real Madrid and Barcelona and many others.

Whatever your tastes in soccer, it’s all available all the time, 24 hours a day.  To find out more please visit http://www.statesidetv.net for a no cost, no obligation free trial today!

About Stateside TV

Stateside TV (www.statesidetv.net) provides high quality television programming live and direct from the US to subscribers who have had limited or no access to this content previously.  Stateside TV offers a broadband enabled service that will allow our customers to view live linear TV, on-demand news, movies and shows, on either a PC, mobile phone, or digital set top box connected to their television. Our mission is to provide worldwide access to high quality television content in a clever but simple format wherever our customers want to view it.

It took less than 30 minutes for Barcelona to score two goals and put the match beyond Inter Milan’s reach when the two met at the Nou Camp. The win not only propelled Barcelona to the top of their group but also secured them a spot at the first knock out round of the UEFA Champions league.The battle of who else will qualify in that group will be staged at the San Siro where Inter Milan will host Rubin Kazan, in a winner take it all.At the start of this week, Barcelona had emphasized the importance of their next two matches by saying that the games will stop the world. The win against Inter Milan has put one foot in that quest and their cross hairs have now been directed to aim at their archrivals Real Madrid, who they will be meeting next weekend, in a match popularly known as the El Classico.Although both clubs are the most successful and dominant teams in Spanish football, Real Madrid has a superior head to head record both in Europe and La liga, all due to the high number of silver wares they have won. However, some thing that unsettles Real Madrid is the attractive possessive ball Barcelona uses to overcome their opponents. This has branded Barcelona as the masters of controlling the ball, continued to increase their fan base around the world and increased their financial income.Last season Barcelona had their most successful season in history by winning the La liga, Kings Cup and the Champions league. The same season they defeated Real Madrid both home and away scoring a total of eight goals and conceding two.In a bid to counter all these, Fiorentina Perez, Real Madrid president, sanctioned a lot of money to be spent in order to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema. It will be the first time Galactico II players will feature against Barcelona. Many Real Madrid fans will view this game as a good moment for their club to demonstrate their credibility in ending Barcelona’s dominance, in the La liga and also Europe.

Spanish viewers can now watch their favorite TV shows anywhere in the world on a personal computer, a mobile phone or a digital box connected to a television thanks to www.statesidetv.net.

Viewers will find a great blend of news, Spanish-language movies, children’s programs, comedy, Spanish music and music videos, sports, and top family entertainment.  The choice and quality of programming enables various viewers to watch popular channels such as TV Chile, Ecuavisa Internacional, TyC Sports, ESPN, CentroamericaTV and Azteca America along with many other Spanish channels.  

Spanish audiences can also enjoy a range of international football including the UK Premier League, South American Soccer and the La Liga Spanish League.  Fans will be able to follow their favorite players such as Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Villa.  High definition European matches will cover teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona and many others.

Whatever your tastes in Spanish TV, it’s all available all the time, 24 hours a day.  To find out more please visit http://www.statesidetv.net for a no cost, no obligation free trial today!

About Stateside TV

Stateside TV provides high quality television programming live and direct from the US to subscribers who have had limited or no access to this content previously.  Stateside TV offers a broadband enabled service that will allow our customers to view live linear TV, on-demand news, movies and shows, on either a PC, mobile phone, or digital set top box connected to their television. Our mission is to provide worldwide access to high quality television content in a clever but simple format wherever our customers want to view it.

The draw for the world cup has been made and it’s looking good for England. They’ve been drawn in what’s considered an easy group so hopefully it will be an easy route through to the knockout stages. England may have an easy group, but the 5 time world cup winners Brazil don’t have such an easy ride. Brazil are drawn in group G with Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.

Ivory Coast, they have only qualified for the World Cup once before in 2006 so though they are relative new boys to the competition they aren’t to be underestimated. The team has a number of Premier Leagues stars, including Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Salomon Kalou and the brilliant Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. They are known as being a tough team to beat and Brazil won’t be underestimating them.

Portugal who only qualified through the plays offs so were un-seeded. However they are still considered one of the strongest teams in Europe and have a host of top class players including Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2008 World Player of the year and the most expensive player ever bought when Real Madrid paid £80million for him in the summer of 2009. The Portugal team still include players from the 2006 team which made it to the World Cup semi finals, with Brazilian Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

North Korea will be considered the easiest team to beat as they have less stars than the others, with pretty much their whole team plying their trade in Korea. It’s only the second time North Korea have qualified for the world cup with the first time being the world cup in England in 1966. They did cause an upset in the tournament by beating Italy 1-0.

Though Brazil have been given a tough draw it’s still a group they should easily qualify, being the number 1 seeded country in the world. This Brazil team may not have the flair that you expect from a Brazilian team but they still enough world class stars to rival any team. The player Brazil really will be relying on to produce the class is former world player of the year, Kaka. From his midfield position Kaka can boss the whole game and produces moments of genius every time he plays. He’s not the only star of the team though, adding some flair to the team is Robinho of Manchester City, Dani Alves, the attacking full back from Barcelona and Ronaldinho who on the top of his game is unbeatable. The difference with this Brazilian team is as well as the flamboyant players they have a core of solid reliable players and this has made the 2009 team the strongest Brazilian team defensively for some time.

There’s no doubt it’s going to be a great world cup and there will be many betting on Brazil to win the cup. So get your football shirts and world cup Havaianas Flip Flops and get supporting your team. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel Jane Williams

That Valencia striker David Villa is a sought after player comes as a surprise to no-one. Barcelona seems to be the obvious choice for the 27 year old and the club has admitted to having had negotiations with Valencia and even placing a bid for him. Valencia on the other hand, would of course hate to loose a player as important as Villa but it is worth keeping in mind that the club battled serious financial problems during the last season and there were rumors about the club selling a large amount of players just to cover up for their debts. It’s probably safe to say that Valencia was hoping that Villa would be one of the hottest players on the transfer market this summer and that several clubs all over Europe would be trying to outbid each other in order to get him. Unfortunately for Valencia, this is not exactly what happened. Only Real Madrid were interested up until a while ago and made two offers that were to be taken seriously, out of which Valencia ended up turning both down. Interest in Villa outside of Spain has been almost non existent and several sales seem to have been put on hold after the record breaking transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, so if Villa is to be sold anywhere, it is likely that it will be within Spain. Real Madrid is still said to be interested in Villa but after the huge sums that Real has already spent on the likes of Cristiano Ronald and Kaka it appears as though Valencia is not content on settling for much less. Therefore, a Villa move to Real Madrid seems quite unlikely at this point, particularly as Real has only recently signed the Frenchman from Lyon, Karim Benzema, who plays in the same position as Villa. Villa as one of the F.C. Barcelona signings could be highly beneficial to both parties: for Villa because of the opportunity to play alongside the finest in the world and the chance to win domestic and international titles – an unlikely reality for the now financially challenged Valencia, but also just as important for Barca, which with the potential signing of Villa will gain a top form striker at the peak of his career. In fact, such transfer could ultimately prove to be crucial for Barca in the rather likely event that Samuel Eto’o does end up leaving the club (rumors have already linked the striker with almost half of the Premier League sides) and/or that Thierry Henry suffers from injuries or a drop in form, as a result of his age. Therefore it should not surprise anyone if in the next few days we should learn that David Villa has become the newest of the F.C. Barcelona signings.