Lady Luck Smiles on Barça.

After months of battling adversity, FC Barcelona have reclaimed what belonged to them; top of La Liga. Prior to the New Year, with rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid breathing down Barça’s necks, it seemed Lady Luck was nowhere to be found. However, after a series of nail-biting encounters, fortunate breaks, and sheer resilience, it appears Lady Luck was smiling as Barça are in pole position for domestic and possible European glory once again.

This current season under Hansi Flick has been anything but boring. After 11 matches, the Blaugrana enjoyed a 6-point lead over Real Madrid and a 10-point lead over Atlético Madrid. Six matches later, Barça’s lead all but evaporated and were in third place in La Liga standings, with a soul crushing 2-1 loss at home to Atlético before the winter break. However, Barça are back as La Liga leaders, ahead of Real Madrid because of a tiebreaker and four points ahead of Atlético Madrid.

Lady Luck smiled on Barça as Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid squandered an eight point and six-point lead respectively, allowing the Blaugrana to capitalize and reclaim the league’s top spot. With eleven rounds to the end of the competition, Barça control their destiny again.

Lady Luck also continued to favor Barcelona in the Champions League. Barça finished second in the League Stage, with late wins against Borussia Dortmund and then the last second winner in the penultimate match against Benfica where they managed to overcome a 4-2 lead by scoring three times in the final 22 minutes. Their luck carried with the knockout stages draw where Barça avoided a clash against Paris Saint-Germain and other European heavyweights and instead landed a more manageable path with rematches against Benfica in the Round of 16 and then Borussia Dortmund in the Quarterfinals and then either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan looming in the Semi-Finals.

Thankfully, the rematch with Benfica was not as insane as their last encounter. Barça survived a Cubarsi red card early in the match that put them at a serious disadvantage in Portugal. However, the Blaugrana dug deep and withstood relentless pressure from the Portuguese side, Lady Luck smiled again when Raphinha scored at the hour mark from outside the box, with a bit of help from a slight deflection, and Wojciech Szczesny putting in a brilliant performance. The return leg was drama free as Barça won the second leg comfortably 3-1 and now await Borussia Dortmund in the Quarterfinals.

Lady Luck continued to smile on the Blaugrana during the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals.  In a wild encounter, Barça found themselves down 2-0 after just six minutes. However, they did not hang their heads down and instead battled back and scored four unanswered goals. It was then Atlético’s turn to have Lady Luck shine on them when they scored twice to force a draw with all to play for in the second leg in the capital.

Barcelona’s fighting spirit shone through in that game and the recent match away to Atlético where they found themselves down 2-0 again with 20 minutes to go courtesy of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. Once again, Barça refused to play and scored twice to pull level with Atlético before Lady Luck smiled when Lamine Yamal’s effort took a wicked deflection to take the lead in stoppage time. Ferran Torres then scored the fourth and final goal of the game that also gave them the head-to-head tie breaker against Atlético.

Unfortunately, Lady Luck can’t always be there. Casado and Cubarsi are already injured and one can only hope that there won’t be any more injuries, especially with La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League still up for grabs. With a couple of months to go before the end of the season, we shall see if Lady Luck will continue to smile on the Blaugrana.

Barça are Finally Ruthless.

Throughout this past decade, Barça have entertained us and disappointed us. Along with the highs, there have been lows that have frustrated the fan base. One of my major complaints about this team, dating from Guardiola to last season, was their lack of being ruthless. However, under Valverde, it appears that this team has figured out how to be ruthless at the perfect time.

Besides the treble season under Luis Enrique, Barça had this tendency to let up instead of be ruthless. Time and time again, we would witness Real Madrid go through a crisis while their manager is on the hot seat. A victory over their bitter rival would have sent the Blancos into turmoil. However, instead of going for the kill, Barça would allow Real Madrid to escape their clutches and grab a victory in El Clasico that would give them some momentum and avert disaster.

This year however, Barça finally discovered how to be cold blooded. Real Madrid had already fired one manager, Lopetegui, after Barça defeated them 5-1 at the Camp Nou back in October. Under Solari, Real Madrid were facing Barça in three matches while trying to clinch a spot in the Champions League Quarter-Finals, a spot in the Copa del Rey Final, and try to stave off elimination from the league chase. The final two matches were going to be played in Madrid’s stadium and any positive result was going to inspire them onwards.

Fortunately, Barça managed not to lose all three games while also subjecting Real Madrid to suffer back to back defeats to their arch enemy in front of their own fans.  The consequences of these results saw Real Madrid then crash out of the Champions League following a 4-1 crushing defeat at home to Ajax Amsterdam. As a result, Solari was fired and Zidane was brought back. However, the damage was done. Madrid’s season ended in March and they had nothing left to play for.

Barça finally showed that they knew how to go for the kill and proved it a few weeks ago when Barça also defeated Atletico Madrid to increase their lead atop of the league standings while Atletico’s league aspirations suffered a terrible blow. A loss would have reduced Barça’s league lead to just five points between them. Instead, it’s now an 11-point cushion and it would take a total collapse for the Blaugrana to not win the league title. Barça’s momentum carried on outside of Spain when they defeated Manchester United for the first time at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Champions League Quarter-Finals.

The quest for the treble still is alive and Barça need to remain sharp and focused as the season comes to an end. Hopefully they can continue to be ruthless and continue to go for the kill. This is their moment and they must seize it and never relinquish it, and they can only do that if they continue to remain ruthless.

Qué Pasa La Liga - February Edition.

Qué Pasa La Liga is a quick roundup about what’s going on with La Liga.

Barça are still in the driver’s seat for success as they set the record for longest unbeaten run; 29. Barça are still in the driver’s seat for success. The quest for a consecutive treble is still possible and they just clinched a spot in the Copa del Rey Final for the third straight year. Arsenal is the first obstacle towards repeating as Champions League winners. Now if they could only stop getting threats of law suits and find a sponsor for the shirt.

Atlético Madrid are still in second place and proving to the naysayers that La Liga is not a two horse race. Everyone had to be happy and relieved that Fernando Torres finally hit the 100 goals milestone. The club must be ecstatic that their summer signing flop, Jackson Martinez, was sold to a Chinese club for €42 million. He cost them €36.75 million and they went ahead and sold the disappointing player for a profit.

Real Madrid still have to deal with the old issues even under a new manager. They still look unconvincing away from the Santiago Bernabéu. Zidane has not been tested but faces a tough test ahead with matches against Athletic and Atlético in Spanish League and Roma in the Champions League. Injuries to Marcelo and Bale do not help Zidane’s cause where their pursuit of a league title could be over in March.

Villarreal continue to be one of the best run teams in Spain and quietly cementing a place in Champions League playoff spot. Ever since gaining promotion, they have been competitive and fiscally responsible. That is a rarity nowadays.

Sevilla and Celta face for the third time in a week. Sevilla’s 4-0 first leg win means they will be Barça’s opponents in the Copa del Rey Final. Both clubs are separated by two points for one of the Europa League spot. Does Sevilla have another Europa League run in them this season?

Athletic, sandwiched between Sevilla and Celta, in 6th place, travel to Madrid in Zidane’s first toughest match at the Santiago Bernabéu. This is always a big game but also a big test for both clubs.

Eibar continue to be the surprise of the season as they currently occupy 8th place. La Liga’s version of AFC Bournemouth with their small stadium and exceeding everyone’s expectations about survival. They received a stay of execution after they were relegated then promoted when Elche got relegated instead for not being fiscally responsible. The club is making the most of a second chance with José Luis Mendilibar.

Deportivo seem safe from the drop right and things keep improving under Víctor Sánchez since rescuing them from the drop last season. They barely survived the drop last season and slowly progressing.

Malaga also continue to exceed expectations. Javi Gracia continue to do an amazing job with very little to work with. Malaga went from big spenders to penny pinchers and yet remain competitive.

Real Sociedad is another team on the up after bringing in Eusebio as David Moyes’s replacement. Only time will tell if they can continue to get the right results to avoid a relegation battle.

Getafe and Real Betis are two clubs were not much were expected of them and the final stretch of the season will be only about surviving the drop.

Valencia are the biggest disappointment of the season. The Gary Neville project has been a disaster. Juande Ramos and Rafa Benítez rumored to be next in line to replace Neville. Foreign ownership has gotten it wrong so far this season and they are only four points from the relegation zone.

Rayo Vallecano continue to be La Liga’s swashbucklers under Paco Jemez who does not settle for draws. That
attitude is commendable but will it be enough for them to survive the drop?
Sporting Gijon are struggling after gaining promotion. The rest of the season will be about survival and enjoying the young starlet, Alen Halilović, who is on loan from Barça.

Espanyol is this season’s sinking ship. New ownership came in with the aim of qualifying in the Champions League. Right now, their concern must be avoiding a bottom three finish.

Las Palmas, Granada, and Levante are fighting for survival. Valiant efforts were on display from Granada and Levante this past weekend against Real Madrid and Barça, yet many claim the big dogs of La Liga have it easy against the bottom teams.

@IBES16

Crunch Time for Barça.

Barça’s chances at the treble are very legit now. A victory today against Atlético Madrid means they win the league title with two more to go.

What a week it was for Barça. Although they suffered a 3-2 loss in Germany to Bayern Munich, their 3-0 first leg result last week pretty much ensured that they would heading to the Champions League Final in Berlin in June. The chase for the treble is officially on and Barça can win the first title today in Madrid with a victory over Atlético Madrid.

Ironic that it was one year ago to this day when Atlético Madrid came to the Camp Nou and played Barça to 1-1 draw in the final match of the season for the league crown. Today, Barça can exact revenge by winning the league title on Atlético Madrid’s turf. With only two matches left on the schedule, and a four point lead over Real Madrid, it would be best for Barça to get the job done today and rest their players for next week’s final league match against Deportivo at the Camp Nou.

Barça have gotten this far thanks to the excellent form of the front three of Messi, Neymar and Suarez. They have all contributed in the big games and we expect them to continue to do so in these next three big games. The first final is today and the next two are on May 30th against Athletic Club for the Copa del Rey trophy at the Camp Nou and then for the Champions League trophy in Berlin on June 8 against Juventus.

This is the third time Barça and Athletic meet in a final in recent history while this is the first time Barça and Juventus meet on the European stage since 2002-2003 season. However, as Pique reminded everyone on Friday when he said, "The way people are talking it's as if we'd already won the treble, and that's not the case. The finals are against two historic clubs and we still haven't won anything yet. "We're close but and we have to keep our feet on the ground." He is right. Barca need to take it one match at a time and focus solely on today and not look ahead.

Time for Barça to be Ruthless Again.

Another big test for Barça is at hand today when the exciting Clásico rears its head again. Barça have Real Madrid right where they want them but can they be ruthless and finish them off?

Back in October, that gut-wrenching 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish capital left a lingering taste of disappointment in Luis Enrique and the Blaugrana players. We knew Barça were good but we were not sure if this team had the intestinal fortitude to be great. Times have changed since then.

Barça have had a superb 2015 with outstanding overall performances in all three competitions thus far. They got a favorable draw on Friday when they got paired with PSG for the Champions League Quarter-Finals while Real Madrid got paired with Atlético Madrid. Talks of a treble are still premature and part of it is because of this match today.

Barça’s recent history against Real Madrid has been something of a yo-yo, especially at the Camp Nou. Since the 2010-2011 season, Barça have won 2 of their 4 matches at the Camp Nou in league Clásicos. Today will be their fifth league home match of the decade. A win today would put them four points ahead of Real Madrid with ten games to go. A win today would also put more pressure on Real Madrid and their manager Carlo Ancelotti and would put Los Blancos in disarray.

Barça have squandered precious moments like this in the past where they had their foot on Real Madrid’s neck and somehow allowed them to get back up and gain some momentum. Today is another test to see if they can add more to Real Madrid’s misery or will they somehow stumble and give their arch rivals a boost to their self-confidence. Barça must become ruthless again and begin exerting their dominance against their rivals much like they had under Pep during his first three seasons as Barça manager. Today will be a telling sign if Barça can be that ruthless again and finish off Real Madrid.

Is it time to end the Diego Costa Experiment?

With only a handful of matches with the Spanish national team, is it time for Vicente Del Bosque to end the Diego Costa experiment? There clearly is a clash of styles and one has to wonder if Costa’ presence is a hindrance on the team as they plan on getting over their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward that many teams would be lucky to have. He commands the attention of opposing team defenders and is the type of player you would rather have on your team than face. In other words, you’d hate him if he was on any other team except your own. Nevertheless, it seems that Spain and Diego Costa are not hitting on all cylinders which is perhaps a sign that this experiment was not meant to be.

Diego Costa’s inclusion to the Spanish national team prior to the 2014 World Cup seemed like a masterstroke by Del Bosque. He managed to obtain the services of one of the most dangerous forwards in the game and at the time same, deprive a contender of his services. One has to wonder what might have happened if that was Diego Costa out there, and not Fred, playing for Brazil this past summer. However, one team’s loss was not another team’s gain.

Diego Costa, along with many other players representing Spain, suffered a grueling a domestic campaign that saw Atlético Madrid capture the league title and make it to the Champions League final. However, Diego Costa was forced to leave the pitch in two pivotal matches at the end of the season, very early into the game, because of injuries. It was no surprise that he was a non-factor for Spain at the World Cup afterwards. Yet, watching Costa play for Spain is like putting a square peg in a round hole.

As I indicated before, he has played a handful of matches for Spain. However, in the five matches he has played he has failed to score and quite frankly offer anything. To be fair, Diego Costa did indicate that he needs to adapt to the team’s style.  Del Bosque also indicated that the team must connect with him.  However, that train of thought is hurting Spain’s progress from their recent World Cup fiasco.

Diego Costa is a dangerous forward as evidenced by his four goals already with Chelsea in just three matches. He has shined under Diego Simeone and is likely to do well for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. However, those two managers are known for relying on a style of football that is quite the contrast that Spain has relied on over the years. The two styles cannot mesh together and deliver a beautiful product.

Thus, it’s time for Del Bosque to admit defeat and pull the plug on this experiment.  He does not have to drop Costa off the team but perhaps he can bring him on as a plan B substitute much like he used Llorente against Portugal in World Cup 2010. Speaking of Llorente, what happened to him and why does Del Bosque not even call him anymore is another mystery in itself.  One mystery at a time, but the solution to what’s ailing Spain was shown in their victory over Macedonia.

Spain just needs to go back to basics and rely on players who can move around the pitch in a way that gets teams dizzy. False number nine or not, their style is only suited for those who can adapt to it. Diego Costa’s style is more suitable for the direct approach which clashes with this style and hence it cannot work. Even though Metallica managed to make heavy metal and symphony orchestra work, you cannot expect it to work all the time. That is why Del Bosque needs to do away with the Diego Costa experiment and stick with what made this team successful in the first without experimenting.

Barça’s Final Shot At Redemption.

 

In less than 24 hours, Barça will bring down the curtains on another league season. The league crown is at stake where anything but a victory will see Barça relinquish the league title to Atlético Madrid. For this group of players, this is the end. After many seasons of ups and downs, this could be the last time we will see some of them in the Blaugrana shirt inside the Camp Nou. This will be their final shot at redemption.

 

By midafternoon tomorrow, the Blaugrana faithful will be either happy with another league title or be happy that this season is finally over with. The disappointing performances under the management of Tata Martino coupled with the inept running of the club by Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu has not left Barça fans very happy. However, that can all change if they defeat Atlético Madrid.

It’s been a tough season for the players what with former manager Tito Vilanova passing away, Iniesta losing his baby to a miscarriage, Messi and the tax stories and insults from Madrid media, Neymar’s transfer controversy, Puyol and Valdés leaving the club after Saturday and other club distractions regarding the scandal surrounding the hierarchy. One final victory will not replace the hurt that these players have suffered but sure would help.

So the league comes down to whether or not Barça can defeat Atlético. This will be their sixth and final encounter. Sadly, Barça have yet to taste victory against the Rojiblancos. Nevertheless, that should mean it’s all doom and gloom for the Blaugrana. Barça defeated Real Madrid twice in the league yet failed to defeat them in the Copa del Rey Final. Remember when everyone kept bringing up the fact that the Brooklyn Nets completed a season sweep of the Miami Heat yet it was Miami who bounced the Nets out of the playoffs by winning four games and losing only once.

Thus, this is it for our boys. They get to ride into the sunset in less than 24 hours. They can either ride into the sunset with their heads down or with their heads held high. This is their last hurrah together before the incoming squad is disassembled, so here’s to them going out on top and redeeming themselves with their 23rd league title. Visca Barça. 

La Liga to be decided at Camp Nou.

After 37 matches, the league crown will be decided this Saturday in Barcelona between Barça and Atlético Madrid. The gunfight at the Camp Nou will take place at high noon for these two gunslingers. Both teams have had their ups and downs but managed to stay in the hunt till now. Just like every classic Western showdown however, there can only man left standings. Will it be Barça or will it be Atlético?

Christmas is the season of giving but La Liga has shown us these past few weeks that it still takes place in May too. First Barça dropped points against Getafe and then Atlético followed suit by dropping points the next day against Levante. Real Madrid were presented with the opportunity to grab the league all for itself thanks to its game in hand. Well, Madrid grabbed a late equalizer at home against Valencia right after Atlético’s loss and then conceded a late equalizer against Valladolid a few days which all but ended their chances at the league crown. Fast forward to this past Sunday and Barça once again dropped points after playing to a scoreless draw away to Elche and Atlético played to a 1-1 draw against Malaga. Real Madrid threw in the towel and lost to Celta Vigo 2-0 to end any remote hopes of winning the league and a shot at the treble. It seems that no one wanted to win the league title.

So this Saturday will bring down the curtain on a very memorable season. Barça will face Atlético for the sixth and final time. Barça have failed to defeat the Rojiblancos in their last five encounters. However, Barça need to put that behind them and wipe the slate clean. Barça defeated Real Madrid twice this season and yet lost to them in the Copa del Rey Final. Thus, Barça, and their fans, should learn from that defeat ahead of this Saturday’s clash and not rule themselves out just yet.

Finally, whoever wins the title this Saturday certainly earned it. I have never been a fan of people saying this club deserves or doesn’t deserve a title even if they win it. If Barça wins the title on Saturday, even after some awful performances down the stretch, then they earned it. The same would apply if Atlético end up being the league champions this weekend. Nothing is deserved or given; just earned. 90 more minutes left and this hellish season will come to an end and that’s the best way for it to end.

Barça get a stay of execution.

My, how things can change in one day after thinking all hope was lost. Barça’s disappointing draw to Getafe basically killed whatever chance they had at the title. A day later, Atlético lost to Levante and Real Madrid had to fight back for a draw with Valencia. Suddenly, Barça went from being in the electric chair to getting a last ditch stay of execution from the governor. With two matches left, the Blaugrana can either finish as league champions or find themselves back in the electric chair again.

To say I was livid when Barça allowed Getafe to grab a last gasp equalizer would be putting it mildly. After that horrible result, I was asking for Tata Martino’s head for his inexplicable substitutions and was all in favor of assistants Jordi Roura and Rubi coaching the final two matches. Obviously it’s not going to happen. We’re stuck with the clueless coaching of Tata Martino for two more matches before we are thankfully spared of his inept coaching.

Following this crazy weekend, Atlético control their destiny. If they manage to get four points from their last four matches, then the league crown is theirs for the first time since 1995-1996 season. Of course, their final match is away to Barça at the Camp Nou. Now if Atletico stumble, Real Madrid are in the driver’s seat. However, Real Madrid have two difficult away match, Wednesday to Valladolid and this weekend to Celta Vigo coached by Barça legend Luis Enrique, before hosting Espanyol in their last game of the season. The irony is that if it’s still neck and neck, then Madridistas would have to cheer on Barça in the final league match of the season.

Barça’s outrageous season might see them still win this title. If Real Madrid slip up once more, then Barça need to defeat Elche this weekend and then defeat Atlético at the Camp Nou. So let the madness ensue and grab your antacids of choice because this will be tough to stomach. The problem is that Barça seem to be their own worst enemy so let’s hope this season ends on a good note for us frustrated Blaugrana faithful. 

 

Barça must kill off Atlético in the first leg.

Barça and Atlético Madrid renew acquaintances when they meet in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals clash. Barça will be hosting the first leg at the Camp Nou and with their chase for the treble still ongoing, they cannot afford to make things complicated. Therefore, Barça has to kill off Atlético in the first leg to ensure passage to the Semi-Finals.

Barça should only look at Real Madrid in how they eliminated Atlético when they met in the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals. Madrid defeated their cross town rivals 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu and made the second leg a foregone conclusion. Barça find themselves in a similar situation and by all means should obtain a similar result and avoid a difficult second leg at Atlético’s grounds.

Barça had done so at this stage in the past. Barça defeated Bayern Munich 4-0 at the Camp Nou during their first leg of the 2008-2009 UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals stage. They also demolished Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 in the first leg of the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals. Coincidentally, they ended up winning the competition both years. Barca also defeated Atlético 3-1 away in their first leg of their Copa del Rey clash back in 2008-2009 that basically sealed the Madrid club’s fate.

Barça can ill afford a negative or close result against Atlético in the first leg. If this club claims to be back in form, then they have to prove it. Beating Atlético would basically make it up an uphill journey for their opponents in the second leg but would also put other teams on notice. The month of April will be a demanding one for the Blaugrana and what better way to kick off a month than with a convincing win.

So Far So Good For Barça.

Barça’s first half of the season is nearly over with two league matches left to go, Elche today and Atlético Madrid next weekend, and they have to be happy thus far. After capturing the Supercopa and defeating Real Madrid, Barça are fighting neck and neck with Atlético Madrid for the league crown and are still in contention for the domestic and European cup. However, the second half of the season presents a significant challenge and hopefully Barça will be up for it. 

Tata Martino’s first season as Barça manager has been outstanding so far with the minor hiccups here and there, especially with the lengthy absence of Messi. They already captured the Supercopa and qualified to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. They are also still in contention for the Copa del Rey crown while enjoying being league leaders ahead of Atlético by a better goal differential for the past few weeks.

Barça are still in contention for the treble but if they are not careful, they can find themselves knocked out of the Champions League and Copa del Rey by March. Their opponents in the Champions League are none other than Manchester City. Their opponents in Copa del Rey will consist of Getafe and then the winner of the Levante/Rayo Vallecano tie if they get that far, so they cannot afford any hiccups.

However, challenges await Barça that are reminiscent of the 2006-2007 season. Furthermore, Neymar also has the tough challenge of not joining the ranks of other new Barça signings who have struggled in the second half of their debut season. Barça should hope to learn from their past mistakes or be doomed to repeat history.

The last time Barça was involved in a 3 horse race for the league title was back in 2006-2007. Back then, they battled Real Madrid and Sevilla with Los Blancos capturing the title on the final day of the season. Barça were league leaders halfway through the season through a better goal differential yet finished in second place. Will history repeat itself and Barça succumb towards the end of the finish line and allow Atlético Madrid or Real Madrid to capture the league crown?

Likewise, Barça were eliminated at the first knockout stage of the 2006-2007 Champions League. Back then, they faced an English Premier League team, Liverpool and were eliminated thanks to a careless defensive mistake. Gifting goals has been Barça’s Achilles heel this season and will Manchester City be the first English team to knock them out of this stage since Liverpool did?

Finally, it has been a struggle for players to adapt to Barça upon arrival. History has shown us that some great players struggle to after joining Barça. Notable names such as Mark Hughes, Hagi, Thuram, Baia, Petit, Litmanen, Zambrotta, and Ibrahimovic came with a great resumes and reputations and left the club without much fanfare. Cesc and Ibrahimovic are perfect examples of players who kicked off their careers with Barça with an impressive debut in the first half of the season before disappointing in the second half of the season.

Neymar has impressed many with his 11 goals and 10 assists thus far, but will he be able to duplicate or exceed those numbers in the second half of the season? History does not favor him but he controls his destiny and those pages in the history books are still blank. Tata Martino, Neymar and the club have a difficult second half ahead of them where their pursuit of the treble will be harsher with tougher opponents and less breathing room. Obviously, the backlash will be fierce if Barça stumble along the way. Hopefully everyone will avoid repeating history and rise to the occasion.

No love for El Cholo and Tito?

On October 29, 2013, FIFA released the names of the candidates for the FIFA World Coach of the Year. Upon further review however, there was a head scratcher or two when the names were released. Where was the love for Diego Simeone and Tito Vilanova? Surely they deserved to be on the shortlist over some of their counterparts.

Per FIFA’s official website, the candidates for World Coach of the Year award were Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benítez, Antonio Conte, Vicente Del Bosque, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jupp Heynckes, Jürgen Klopp, José Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Arsène Wenger. I was a bit disappointed not to see Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone or Barça’s former manager, Tito Vilanova on the list ahead of some of these other names on the list.

Tito Vilanova managed Barca to the Spanish league title by capturing 100 points and finished 15 points clear of Real Madrid who were managed by none other than José Mourinho. Both managers got their teams to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by German clubs. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not. Mourinho ended up leaving Real Madrid after failing to win a major trophy while Tito had to step down for health reasons. Yet Mourinho ended up on the shortlist while Tito did not.  For the sake of playing Devil’s Advocate, I’ll give Mourinho his due that his side did not lose to FC Barcelona in the league and Copa del Rey. However, was his season better than Vilanova’s?

Furthermore, how can someone like Diego Simeone be ignored from this list? He has completely turned Atlético Madrid around and made them from laughing stock “Pathetico” to a respected side that are currently second in the league and are off to an excellent start in the Champions League where they have won their first four group stage matches. Simeone continues to build from his side’s third place finish from last season which also saw them defeat Mourinho’s Real Madrid in Copa del Rey final. Since then, they have defeated Real Madrid in their first league encounter, with Ancelotti under the helm, and battled Barça to two draws in the Supercopa that saw them lose out the trophy on away goals rule.

Yet, Mourinho once again is on the shortlist while El Cholo is not. It is very disappointing and appalling that both Simeone and Vilanova did not make the shortlist. These men had a great season and won more than Mourinho. Better yet, can someone explain to me how Wenger made it to this list because I can’t recall what Arsenal won last season.