Breaking the Offside Trap 04.29.08: Headline Makers

Posted by Matt Snelling on 04.29.2008

Football is the most popular sport on the planet, creating headline after headline that captivates billions worldwide. With Euro 2008, the Champions League final and of course the speculation and rumour of the transfer market; once again the key footballing issues are set to make headline news. These are four men who you are set to hear a lot about over the next few months and who will be creating the stories that will get the world of football talking.



1. Jose Mourinho

The enigmatic one, the controversial one; the special one. Undoubtedly this summer Jose Mourinho will be the ‘in demand one' with a host of Europe's top sides set to do battle off the field in order to secure his signature. Come the summer, it will be pretty much an entire season since Mourinho left Chelsea, and it is arguable that far more than any player, his is the name that will be most keenly fought over.

The giants of Milan, Barcelona and Madrid, a club where league titles are not enough to ensure job security, are all possible locations for the Portuguese who is actively seeking a route back into management after his 8 month sabbatical. The top sides of the European game may end up this June having some vastly different seasons, particularly in the amount of silverware they have won but at all four, no manager would appear safe in his dugout.

Both Roberto Mancini and Bernd Schuster look likely to bring titles to their respective clubs, yet despite this their positions at Inter and Real appear far from secure. For both, failure in the Champions League casts a dark shadow over potential domestic glory. While both sit atop their respective divisions, and both look like claiming that trophy, neither has been convincing. Inter had been romping away with Serie A until their quarter final defeat in Europe to Liverpool. Following their elimination they look set to just about manage to limp over the finish line, ahead of a stretched Roma. Madrid have also had their continental woes, with a 2nd round elimination from the Champions League for the 5th successive season. They are currently 10 points clear, although this says more about the failings of Barcelona than anything else.

In recent weeks Inter Milan have seemingly appeared to take poll position. While it would appear harsh to relieve Mancini of his duties after ending the club's long wait for the Scudetto, for many he has been found wanting when it has come to the pitting of his wits against the tactical thinkers he has encountered in the Champions League. Mourinho is a man who has proved he has what it takes to succeed at the highest echelons of world football. This is a man who has been called arrogant indeed he appeared to openly embrace the moniker of the Special One. Yet his record is almost exemplary and his credentials hold up with the best. He dominated football in his homeland with Porto and memorably, in his last match in charge of the team secured an unlikely Champions League triumph. His spell at Chelsea has further cemented his position as one of the premier managers in club football. 2 league titles, 2 league cups and FA cup were all brought to Stamford Bridge in his 3 full seasons in charge. He may have been heavily backed by Russian millions, yet the experience of his most likely destination; Inter, shows that money alone cannot achieve success.

Mourinho is an intriguing character, a captivating blend of ego, confidence and ability. He is a man that exudes a charisma that can hold and mesmerise a room. His successor at Chelsea, Avram Grant is still living in his incredibly large shadow. He is a man, who in his time in England delighted the headline writers with his enthralling press conferences and sharp one liners. Yet do not be mistaken, the man generates far more column inches with his winning sides. With that all in mind it is not difficult to see why one of this summer's leading stories could be the scramble for Jose's signature. His is the signing the top clubs would like to make. If indeed, Inter Milan is to be his chosen destination then the whole of Europe should sit up and take notice. The potential combination of Mourinho, backed by Inter President Massimo Moratti's vast wealth and Inter's already strong and talented squad should send out a warning to the rest of Europe. The Special One will be back, and he has a few old scores to settle.



2. Ronaldinho

It is hard to find a summer when Ronaldinho is not one of the headline makers of world football. Since 2006 however, these have been mainly for the wrong reasons. The blame for a poor showing from Brazil, the overwhelming favourites to win the 2006 World Cup in Germany seemed to be laid at the feet of the then world player of the year, and it is arguable that it has all been downhill from there. Last season, despite boasting a team crammed full of individual talent Barcelona somehow managed to throw away the league title, being overtaken on the penultimate weekend by a rejuvenated Real Madrid. During this 2006/07 season he still managed to return a seemingly fantastic 23 goals however, only 1 off his best ever total.

The stats in this case though obscured a number of disappointing performances, with the overwhelming majority of those goals coming from free kicks or penalties. On top of that there were constant allegations of skipping training sessions, and at times he looked far from match fit. This year has been even worse. While still proficient from a dead ball, he has appeared unable to influence a match and has lost a lot if his physical strengths. At many times he has looked slow and overweight and too often failed to turn on the magic when Barca have needed it. Most damning of all have been the stories in the Spanish press about his unpopularity in the dressing room, his unwillingness to train and his strained relationship with the manager Frank Riijkard. His days at Barcelona appear up, yet this summer for his accomplishments in the past he will still rightly be hot property on the open market.

For Ronaldinho is still only 28. He is still a player of immense talent and ability, who in his first three seasons at the Nou Camp was sensational. Not only did he inspire Barcelona to 2 league titles and the Champions League in 2006, he was responsible for reinvigorating a club which had appeared to lose its way. Barcelona were becoming also runs in La Liga, and success seemed far, far away. Ronaldinho however was the catalyst for a revival of a club's identity and this must never be underestimated.

For now though the love affair is over and this summer Ronaldinho will be in demand. The many millions of Roman Abramovich have always been a fan, but it would seem that the city of Milan will be a far more likely destination. Both AC and Inter are extremely interested, with Milan at the time of writing having seemed to agree a deal with the player. Ronaldinho was the best player in the world not too long ago, and don't be surprised if it is not to long before he is again. A fresh start and a fresh environment may just be the thing to reignite the fire within the man and take him back to the top. Regardless of where he lands up, maybe even the City of Manchester Stadium, he is set to once again be the talk of the footballing world come this summer.



3. Jurgen Klinsmann

This summer, Germany are amongst the favourites to bring home the trophy from Switzerland and Austria and claim a record 4th European Championship. In part, a lot of this has to do with the revitalisation of the German national team under Klinsmann, who took the country to the semi finals of the last world cup on home soil.

Just how far Klinsmann was directly responsible for that triumph is open to debate, with many claiming that the man currently in charge of Germany, Klinsmann's former assistant Joachim Low was the real brains behind the operation. Notwithstanding this fact, the former Bayern, Tottenham and Inter Milan striker did much to improve the morale of the country and worked hard to rebuild a confidence around the national team that had been lacking for many years. Klinsmann it could be argued is responsible for the smile being put back on the faces of German football fans.

Come this June, Klinsmann is sure to be focussing a lot of his time on Euro 2008, although it will be with his new club in mind as he takes his first forays into club management when he will join Bayern Munich. It is highly possible that he will be taking over a team that has just completed a treble of trophies, if Bayern can secure the UEFA Cup, to add to the German Cup and league title which is almost in the bag, but Klinsmann's brief is to return the German giants to the top echelons of the European game. That means success in the Champions League.

Over the past decade or so, the side from Munich have had the moniker of ‘FC Hollywood' and it will be intriguing to see how Klinsmann faces up to the egos in the Bayern dressing room. Many of the explosive characters that Klinsmann himself played alongside may have moved on, yet the pressure that comes with being in the Bayern hot-seat is constant. As seen from the trophy haul they are set to bring home this season, the Bavarians are far from in poor health. The team was invested in lavishly last summer as Munich sought to revitalise themselves and the signings of Luca Toni and Franck Ribery added real class. The task for Klinsmann however, will be to formulate a way in which Bayern can step up and tackle the other traditional powerhouses from Europe and the economic might of the clubs from the Premier League.

Bayern last won the Champions League in 2001, yet since then the club has been overtaken and surpassed, notably by those sides from England. German football in general has struggled to compete with their continental counterparts over recent seasons, with few sides troubling either European competition post Christmas time. Bayern have not usually settled for being also-rans in their history, and it will be intriguing to see if Klinsmann can take on the best.

During his spell in charge of Germany Klinsmann brought in several new techniques to training and match preparation. He brought people on to the coaching staff with skills that expanded away from just football, embracing different methods in order to get the best out of his players. When he was appointed as the coach, one of his first tasks was to hire American fitness guru Mark Verstegen and he was openly ridiculed for his desire to borrow from American sports like basketball. Indeed Klinsmann brought in two sports psychologists before the World Cup, something that had never been done by the German national team before.

Klinsmann's approach then was unorthodox, but his great attention to detail and ability to embrace new ideas and techniques was what has convinced Bayern that he has what it takes to take them to the top of the pile. Despite their position as Germany's richest club, and the outlay that we saw on signings last summer, the Bavarians are still mismatched when it comes to those regularly competing for the Champions League trophy over the last few seasons.

The 43 year old won plaudits at the last World Cup, for his sides attacking football, played at a strong pace. His team was based on performance rather than reputation. It is this adventurous, dynamic, indeed almost ‘un-German' like philosophy to the way that he wants his teams to play when combined with the new techniques and styles of management that no doubt inspired Bayern when it came to his appointment. The Munich team is a talented one, and when it comes to Germany their squad is strong. When it comes to competing against Europe's elite however they may still be found lacking. Jurgen Klinsmann it is hoped then will be the difference, the man whose new techniques and adventurous style could just lead to Bayern to be the ones to end the Premiership, La Liga and Serie A hegemony that currently exists.



4. Karim Benzema

Chances are that if you are a keen and avid follower of football that you are already aware of the name of Karim Benzema. The name of the 20 year old striker, currently plying his trade with Lyon in his native France is already on the lips of many a top European scout or manager and he is coveted by a whole host of the usual suspects. Indeed in the run up to Lyon's second round clash with Manchester United in this season's Champions League, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had some very kind words to say about the Frenchmen:

'Benzema plays as a lone striker and he's a goal threat because of that. The manner in which Benzema took his chance [against United] tells you he can score out of nothing and you worry about players who can score out of nothing.'

Rather cynically it has been suggested that Sir Alex's compliments are merely a pretext for a potential transfer to Manchester United in the future but it is clear that Ferguson is just one of many fans of Benzema's game. Typically it takes a lot for Ferguson and his perennial rival Arsene Wenger to see eye to eye on something, however in their assessment of the Lyon striker, they are both very much singing from the same hymn sheet.

'I think Benzema could emerge as the big surprise of Euro 2008,'

the Arsenal manager said recently.

'He is fantastically efficient in front of goal. But he is not only a good goal scorer; he is also a good link player.'

Wenger's comments reveal a lot about why Benzema is set to be such a headline maker this summer. Firstly, it is abundantly clear that Lyon have an exceptional talent on their hands. Like all top players he can adapt to several positions on the pitch and has fit in well to the 4-3-3 formation adopted by Alain Perrin at Lyon, by being able to perform on either wing. Unquestionably though his strength is through the middle, and it is as a central striker where his explosive talent is at its most dangerous. Last season's return of 24 goals from 37 games tells its own story.

This season has seen Benzema continue to develop and the chance to play in Europe's premier club competition has been a great boost. When Lyon were placed in a ‘must win' situation in their final group game away to Glasgow Rangers in order to qualify for the next round, Benzema was sensational, tearing the Scottish club apart and adding the 2 late goals that sealed the French sides passage. His goal in the next round against long time admirers Manchester United showed exactly why Ferguson would love to take him to Old Trafford. Receiving a ball on the edge of the box the 20 year old swivelled and lashed an unstoppable rasping drive from 20 yards, beyond the despairing grasp of Edwin Van Der Saar.

Benzema is justifiably coveted by all the top clubs in Europe, but Lyon president Jean-Michael Aulas has made sure that his star man recently signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2013. In turn this reportedly made the 20 year old the highest paid player in French football taking home around 400,000 Euros a month. While a move away this summer then seems unlikely, Benzema would seem on course to make headlines as a key player for the French national team; he could very well end up being the star of Euro 2008. The tournament itself appears wide open, lacking a clear favourite that people are getting behind. France, perennial contenders may be placed in the so-called group of death alongside World Champions and old foes Italy, but in Benzema they have a man capable of lighting up the tournament.

At the last world cup in Germany there did not appear to be an outstanding striker when it came to selecting the players of the tournament, defenders and goalkeepers dominating. Young Benzema though, seems well placed to put the headline focus firmly back on the goal scorers. His former manager at Lyon, Gerard Houllier has likened him to a dangerous combination of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. The former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker is the young Frenchman's idol and come this summer, Karim Benzema may well be living up to his idols accomplishments and be the name in all the headlines.