Reuters Soccer Blog

Soccer Break Thursday

Breathe in. Breathe out. The Champions League is over for this week after a tense two days of last 16 drama. And now for Europa League action on Thursday with yet more top sides in action.

First of all however let’s dissect the Champions League from Wednesday where underdogs Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke 04 progressed past their more fancied rivals, AC Milan and Valencia respectively.

The fact Spurs, who lie fifth in the Premier League compared to Serie A leaders Milan, and Schalke sit 10th in the Bundesliga as opposed to their La Liga third-placed victims, can overcome such stiff tests is yet more testament to how unpredictable and ultimately fascinating a competition the Champions League is.

This blog argues AC Milan are becoming the new Real Madrid by their constant failure in the world’s biggest club competition. Agree?

Anyway, bring on next week. What excites you more, the Champions League business end or your national league?

Arsenal’s defeat to Barcelona on Tuesday continued to fill the pages on Wednesday, small wonder after manager Arsene Wenger and midfielder Samir Nasri were charged for improper conduct after the match.

The Europa League perhaps gets a little forgotten after the thrills and spills of its big brother, but not here. Some of Europe’s most decorated sides, Liverpool, Ajax Amsterdam and Porto will be in action later on Thursday. Only first legs mind, but any predictions out there?

Soccer Break Wednesday

A fine Wednesday to you all, and a few statistics to begin with. Attendance at the Nou Camp: 95,486. Estimated crowd noise (in decibels): 121.8. Estimated noise of a referee’s whistle (in decibels): 121.8.

The operative word above is estimated, because of course we have no idea, but a quick dig around on the internet shows some debate about whether Robin van Persie could have heard Massimo Busacca’s whistle despite the defeaning noise at the Nou Camp.

Sending-off or no sending-off, here’s another statistic for you from the Champions League thriller. Completed passes: Barcelona – 738 ; Arsenal – 199. The Londoners did mighty well to hang in there and can be proud of their efforts, but the Catalan team’s superiority told in the end. Few teams could touch them in that mood.

Do you think 11 against 11 would have seen Arsenal through? Or was the red card just a mere sideshow?

In Tuesday’s other action, Shakhtar Donetsk eased past AS Roma 3-0 to book their quarter-final place to become the first Ukrainian side to reach the last eight since Dynamo Kiev in 1999.

So now all eyes will be on another north London team hoping to reach the quarters. Tottenham Hotspur take a one-goal advantage into their clash with AC Milan at White Hart Lane.

Schalke 04, whose manager Felix Magath could leave at the end of the season according to German media, host La Liga side Valencia after former Real Madrid striker Raul salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Bundesliga club in the first leg in Spain.

Clattenburg’s time out exposes crisis in the game

Administrators, managers, players, pundits and journalists should all hang their heads in shame at the news that Mark Clattenburg, one of the best referees in the English game, has felt the need to take a month off in the wake of the relentless criticism of his performances

Last month Clattenburg was in the spotlight after failing to book or send off Wayne Rooney when the Manchester United striker elbowed Wigan Athletic’s James McCarthy in an off-the-ball incident in a Premier League match that eventually led to FIFA and the FA arguing about whether video evidence could be used to penalise a player after a referee had seen and taken action on an incident

On Saturday he was lambasted again for giving a late penalty against Blackburn Rovers that even the club’s complaining manager reluctantly admitted was “technically correct” – i.e. – absolutely right.

Now, heartily sick of the circle of complaint and, no doubt frustrated by the lack of support forthcoming from the people who run the sport, he has opted to step out of the limelight.

The only surprise is that this sort of thing has not happened before as the relentless climate of questioning and undermining of officials at every level is producing anarchy.

English football is by no means alone in suffering from the problem, as the culture of re-running replays of every incident and analysing and criticising refereeing decisions has become a staple of media soccer coverage around the world.

Soccer Break Tuesday

After Chelsea’s vintage performance in a 3-1 win at Blackpool, Tuesday’s edition will start with a look at Fernando Torres.

Poor old Torres. He’s undoubtedly a classy player, but one who seems to be feeling the burden of expectation that has fallen on him after his British transfer record fee of £50 million in January.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said before the match he didn’t think Torres was worth the money. What do you think? And how about Chelsea’s title chances? Win their game in hand and the Londoners would sit six points behind leaders Manchester United.

Without any further ado, there is a game involving Barcelona and Arsenal later on Tuesday. Champions League, last 16, second leg. Club football does not get any bigger than this.

The first leg was a cracker won 2-1 by Arsenal, and there’s some added spice to the second leg as the Catalan giants are upset with the Gunners about the signing of one of their young talents.

Also in Champions League action on Tuesday are Italy’s AS Roma and Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. Read our preview here.

We’ll leave you with two contrasting posts. In bed with Maradona argues for the death of English football. Dirty tackle doesn’t argue the contrary, but I think you’ll agree the sense of humour shown here by the chairman of English Championship club Middlesbrough is commendable and that there is a lot of spirit still to be found in the English game.

Soccer Break Monday

Welcome back after a breathtaking weekend of soccer action around Europe. If you missed anything then read our European roundup.

Now for some blogs. The real drama of the weekend came on Saturday, when FIFA banned the snood (in our picture). Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has said they shouldn’t be worn by real men. What do you think?

Ferguson was on the end of a thumping defeat to a rejuvenated Liverpool, though no one can be hurting as much as Nani, whose shinpad failed to stop a clattering Jamie Carragher tackle which left a nasty gash. Ouch.

Click here for five things we have learnt from the Premier League this season. Do you agree?

Over to Italy, and the Rossoneri blog says AC Milan’s 1-0 win at Juventus is “a leap forward” in their bid for a first scudetto since 2004. Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who visit Tottenham Hotspur in their Champions League return leg on Wednesday, hold a five point lead in Serie A.

Unlike Allegri, Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal is not having such a fun time and the Offside describes him as “Rasputin” and wonders how he is still in a job following their latest woeful result.

And finally, a nice tale about West Bromwich Albion striker Peter Odemwingie and his battle against racism.

Soccer Break – Friday edition

Lionel Messi one day, Cristiano Ronaldo the next. It does not get any better than seeing the world’s best players at the top of the their game after Ronaldo’s hat-trick inspired Real Madrid to a 7-0 hammering of Malaga.

There’s plenty to get your teeth into here, while other Real blogs are debating the future of midfielder Kaka. Could you see him in the Premier League?

Back to England, and not good news for Manchester City after Kolo Toure was suspended after testing positive for a specified sample. The former Arsenal man has been key in the heart of City’s defence this season and they will struggle to replace the Ivorian international if he does get a ban.

North of the border, and Celtic and Rangers passionate yet fiery relationship lives on.

Looking ahead to the weekend and there is so much at stake in all the top European leagues. Read our Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 previews to fill you in on what’s going on.

Enjoy the weekend of football action and see you again on Monday to discuss all things soccer.

Comment on all these topics and other stories in world soccer on the Reuters Soccer Facebook page. And please feel free to send us recommendations for your pick of the day’s stories.

Serie A is not as good as it thinks it is

Serie A leaders AC Milan visit Juventus this weekend in one of the showcase matches of the Serie A season but hardly anyone is expecting a “good game”.

I can count on one hand the number of top class matches in Italy this term where excitement, technical proficiency and flair have won the day.

The rest of the season has been largely turgid and although Milan look like snapping up their first scudetto since 2004, their struggles in the Champions League show they are not a patch on some of the remarkable Rossoneri sides of the past. 

Milan are shaky at fullback, currently have three ballwinners playing in midfield who struggle to find that defence-splitting past while upfront Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Alexandre Pato and Antonio Cassano are all very good but none are “great”.

Once mighty Juventus are enduring another horror season and look like finishing outside the Champions League places again. Their 1-0 win over champions Inter Milan last month should have reignited their campaign but they then went on to lose 2-0 to Lecce and Bologna.

That game against Inter underlined everything that is wrong with Serie A at the moment. Juve doggedly battled for a 1-0 home win but there was no guile on show at all from either side. It was attritional, like Serie A has always been, but the difference is that in the 1990s there was quality as well with the likes of George Weah and Roberto Baggio pulling the strings.

Last weekend’s top-of-the-table-clash between Milan and Napoli turned out to be a damp squib with the Rossoneri winning 3-0 and Napoli barely having a shot. The amount of misplaced passes especially in the first half was unreal. Yes it was raining but these are meant to be the very best players.

Arsenal can do it this time says Nasri

Confident talk from Arsenal playmaker Samir Nasri in a piece by Mike Collett today, looking ahead to the second leg of the Gunners Champions League clash with Barcelona in the Nou Camp:

“We approached the game differently this year. Last year we were a little scared of Barcelona because they are fantastic and play amazing football and we were surprised how good they were.

“This year we said, ‘Look, they are fantastic and if we lose to them it will be normal because they are the best team in the world.’ So there was no pressure on us and we played our normal game and showed everyone we can beat them and be at their level.

“We are more macho, physically and psychologically, Some of us, like Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, even myself, we have all stepped up. “We are stronger. All of our players can compete with all of theirs.

Read the full story here.

Soccer Break – Thursday edition

Good day to you all wherever you may be, and let’s start with some advice from Barcelona defender Dani Alves about his teammate and arguably the best footballer in the world, Lionel Messi.

The fast-passing Catalans snuck past Valencia last night, while over in Germany Raul was making the headlines for scoring the goal that sent Bayern Munich crashing out of the German Cup in the semi-finals.

Could the end be approaching for coach Louis van Gaal?

In other European action, Ligue 1 leaders Lille progressed to the semi-finals of the French Cup, and are being tipped for a domestic double.

News on the owl-kicking footballer is that he is being banned and fined.

And to finish, both sides of the story following Aston Villa’s 3-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.

On the one hand, manager Gerard Houllier was criticised for fielding a weakened side, while the Aston Villa blog says avoiding relegation is their primary concern.

Everton and Moyes running out of options

By James Illingworth

Sympathy for the plight of their rivals may be kept to an absolute minimum by the red and blue halves of Liverpool but even the staunchest of Kopites should spare a thought for David Moyes.

Having seen his side claim partial revenge for their 2009 FA Cup final defeat by knocking Chelsea out on penalties last month, Moyes could not prevent first division Reading ending Everton’s cup run in the fifth round on Tuesday.

Forced to operate a sell-before-you-buy policy and with the club failing to attract investment, the 47-year-old Scot is beginning to cut an increasingly frustrated figure.

“We let the supporters down tonight, we didn’t play well enough and we got what we deserved,” Moyes told Everton’s website. “We didn’t have enough, enough craft, enough guile to break them down. I thought we did try to take the initiative but we weren’t good enough.”

Without star performers Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellani, whose ankle injury will keep him out for the rest of the season, the Blues’ limited squad was exposed against Reading.

They remain a team capable of matching any side on their day, but without significant investment, Everton will surely stay on the fringes of the Premier League’s top teams.