Mundo Albiceleste Author: Juli2014 January 16, 2017 32 Comments Hey everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. Here are some more BAUZA quotes from an interview he had today with TYC Sports in Argentina. “I’m going to watch the Superclasico, and then I’ll go to Europe. I’m going to… Dear Argentina, the Albiceleste fans salute you FIFA World Cup Dear Argentina, the Albiceleste fans salute you Dear Argentina, the Albiceleste fans salute you! From a bunch of true Argentine football loyalist? ?La Albiceleste? We salute you!!! ? Thank You for everything that you have given us, for every footballer that you have produced, for every match that you have won, for every goal that you have scored. You will truly be held high in our hearts! We love you!

by Abhishek Sanyal @iamsanyal Opinion 15 Jul 2014, 06:44 IST A crowd of Argentinian fans greet their national football team upon their return from the World Cup in Brazil It has been an overwhelming experience to have been a part of the vast fan base of Argentina and following their progress at the World Cup. With decades of rich footballing history, the Albicelestes are one of the marquee teams of international football and it is an honour to be a part of a generation that witnessed footballing legends starting from Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, not to forget the greatness of Gabriel Batistuta and other heroes like Hernan Crespo and Javier Mascherano. La Albiceleste were considered to be strong contenders for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and they did not fail to impress their loyalist fan base. Albeit they could not put their hands on gold, but nevertheless with moments of sheer footballing magic this was surely considered as one of their greatest performances in the last 25 years of world football. But alas, the much feared German ghosts of the past did come back to haunt them when it counted the most – the World Cup final.

Group stage and Round of 16 The group stage saw La Albiceleste start off on a 3-5-2 strategy that was criticized despite having one of the strongest attacking lineups in present day international football, especially against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The defence was considered one of the weak points. The talismanic Lionel Messi saw us through the group stage scoring in every game. The dead ball situation against Nigeria brought out the best in him and a free kick which combined accuracy and precision definitely made it one of the best free kicks of Brazil 2014. La Albiceleste started showing their master class gradually as the tournament progressed and breezed through the group stage with ease, despite carrying the burden of a weak defence on their shoulders, and the injury to Sergio Aguero to add to the woes. Lionel Messi scores from a free kick against Nigeria It was in the round of 16 that the Argentines went up against a spirited Switzerland and the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, who were in prime form.

Despite a strong show put up by the Swiss, it was the again the duo of Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria who scored late in extra time to seal the deal. The defence, once again proved to be the weak point, with Sergio Romero nearly letting the Swiss go past him owing to his two minds on whether to attack or stay back protecting his goal. The Quarter-Final Fans began worrying about the performance of the defence should Argentina go up against the likes of Netherlands, Germany and arch rivals Brazil, who were known for their attacking style of play. It was the quarter-finals and Argentina went up against a highly rated Belgium side, comprising of world class players like Eden Hazard, Romero Lukaku and Vincent Kompany. The match started on a tense note and it was Gonzalo Higuan, the underperforming striker, who emerged as the goal scorer as early as the fifth minute, albeit with a stroke of luck but nevertheless got us through to the semi-finals. The defence looked seemingly improved, but one of the stars of the attacking midfield Angel Di Maria limped out of the World Cup with injury. Gonzalo Higuain scores the winner against Belgium.

Up against the Netherlands in the semi-final Argentina was up against Netherlands in the second semi-final; a day after the Germans shattered the hopes of Brazil and left most of the country in tears, storming their way into the final at Estádio Maracanã. The Netherlands had practically ripped apart Spain in their first game, netting the ball on five occasions. Argentine fans were in for a surprise treat when the defence played exceptionally well. They had mastered their weak point and made it their strength, with immaculate marking on the Netherlands attack, with Mascherano and Zabaleta specifically targeting Arjen Robben and laying offside traps for the dangerous Robin van Persie. Even the tactical genius of Louis van Gaal could not find a way through the resilient Argentine defence, eventually carrying the match to extra time and then to penalties to decide a winner. The record of Netherlands never scoring in extra time and Argentina never conceding in extra time were kept intact. With the help of motivating words from Javier Mascherano, it was Sergio Romero who emerged as the hero for the Argentines, denying two penalties from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder respectively.

Javier Mascherano was Argentina’s unsung hero in the semi-final Maxi Rodriguez held his nerve and scored from the fourth penalty kick taking the Argentines to the final against Germany. Fans witnessed an adrenaline-charged semifinal clash between two different cultures of football, with the South Americans emerging as the winners. The decision to substitute Van Persie in such a significant match would definitely be regarded as a crucial factor in the result. The World Cup Final 13th July, 2014. Estádio Maracanã at Rio was the venue for showdown between two of the biggest arch rivals in football. It was the third time that a World Cup Final was being played between Argentina and Germany, with each of them winning it once. La Albiceleste were desperate to win their first final in years and the Germans were looking for their first World cup triumph since the union of their country. The match started with Gonzalo Higuan being presented with a golden chance of scoring early by virtue of a slip-up from Toni Kroos, which he failed to convert skewing the ball wide of the goal, with many touting it as the miss of the tournament.

Nevertheless Higuan was one of the reasons Argentina were in the finals in the first place, by virtue of his strike against Belgium. The first half saw great number of counter attacks by Argentina with most of them terminating deep inside the German penalty box, with glimpses of sheer magic from Lionel Messi. Both teams went close to scoring with a number of chances, with Higuain once again failing to overcome the cunning offside trap by the Germans. The hard working Ezequiel Lavezzi was surprisingly replaced by Sergio Aguero in the second half and Gonzalo Higuan was replaced by Rodrigo Palacio, more famous for his hairstyle than his performance in this World Cup. Even Lionel Messi missed a golden chance to take Argentina home in the second half. Lionel Messi is dejected after missing a free kick against Germany in the World Cup final Argentina failed to score in spite of utilizing most of its substitutions’ thereby taking the match into extra time. It was late in the second half of extra time that Mario Götze, one of the most exiting talents in the German armoury, scored the lone goal in the World Cup final, with André Schürrle providing the assist.

The goal that gave Germany the first world cup triumph after 24 years. Takeaways for Argentina FIFA 2014 Brazil saw a number of talking points for Argentine football. With talks of the tactical transformation from an attacking minded team to becoming a team with a defensive mentality, to the various injuries suffered by Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria. However, the most talked about subject was the comparison between Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi during the World Cup campaign. The comparison between two legends of Argentine football was fueled by the World Cup final clash between Argentina and Germany, with Maradona leading Argentina in 1986 and Lionel Messi leading them in 2014; both of them in similar stages of their respective careers. Though La Albiceleste could not win the World Cup this time, they were successful in impressing their vast loyalist base and they did leave an everlasting impression in the hearts of their fans. One goal might be enough for Germany to win the World Cup, but definitely not enough from deterring Argentina fans to salute their heroes – the era of legends that we saw whilst transforming from infant football fanatics to mature football loyalists. Argentine football is not only about a comparison between Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

It’s about the culture and rich tradition of their football, it’s about the numerous legends who gave their entire lives to playing football, it’s about the numerous Messi and Maradona wannabes in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Rosario, and it’s about the rich history of footballing superstars that carried on their tradition from the time of Maradona to Messi. From a true Argentine football loyalist, “La Albiceleste, we salute you!” Thank you for everything that you have given us, for every footballer that you have produced, for every match that you have won, for every goal that you have scored. You will truly be held high in our hearts. We love you! Lionel Messi says he has retired from international football following Argentina's penalty loss to Chile - Mirror Online Sport Lionel Messi says he has retired from international football following Argentina's penalty loss to Chile The Barcelona star missed a penalty in the Copa America final shootout in his 112th appearance for La Albiceleste Share Click to playTap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Get FC Barcelona updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Lionel Messi has stunned the footballing world by announcing that he is to quit international football following Argentina's penalty shootout loss to Chile in the Copa America final. The 29-year-old missed his spot-kick in the shootout as Argentina lost their third major final in three years, following last year's Copa America final and the 2014 World Cup final. "It's tough, it's not the time for analysis," Messi said. "In the dressing room I thought that this is the end for me with the national team, it's not for me. "That's the way I feel right now, it's a huge sadness once again and I missed the penalty that was so important. "I tried so hard to be champion with Argentina. But it didn't happen. I couldn't do it." Miss: Messi blasted his penalty over the bar (Photo: Getty) "There are four finals, not for me, unfortunately, it was what I wanted. More than ever I wanted to win at least this cup but (it) could not be. "It's very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.

"I tried many times to get a title and failed." Sergio Aguero, Messi's best friend on the team, said he had never seen the mood in the dressing room so low, while Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero is hopeful that Messi may rethink his decision. Dejection: This was Argentina's third final loss in three years (Photo: Getty) "I think Leo spoke in the heat of the moment because we missed that great chance," said Romero. The Copa American final in New Jersey was the Barcelona star's 112th appearance for his country. Messi scored five goals in the tournament, but blasted his penalty over the bar after the game finished 0-0 after 120 minutes. He cut a dejected figure following the conclusion of the shootout, as as Argentina's trophy drought was extended to 23 years. Record holder: Messi has 55 international goals (Photo: Getty) Following the game, Messi confirmed the news on Argentina's Twitter account. Messi hangs up his international boots as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 55 times for his country, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta last week.

Gallery: Chile beat Argentina He made his international debut against Hungary in August 2005 when he came on as a substitute, but was sent off less than a minute later for elbowing an opponent who pulled his shirt. One: Messi following the 2014 World Cup final loss to Germany (Photo: Getty) Two: Messi was denied in the Copa America a year later (Photo: Getty) Three: No third time lucky for the 29-year-old (Photo: Getty) Despite winning everything there is to win in the club game with Barcelona, he has not won a major international honour, expect for a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Under-20 World Cup. Sunday night's Copa America final loss was the third time he was finished as a runner-up in the tournament, following losses in the 2007 and 2015 finals. The forward also suffered defeat in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, when Argentina lost to Germany. Messi won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

Video Loading ESPNFC: Soccer Lionel Messi will return to Albiceleste - Argentina president Mauricio Macri Twitter Argentina president Mauricio Macri said he is certain that Lionel Messi will return to the Albiceleste before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Messi made the shock decision to retire from international football following the penalty shootout loss to Chile in this summer's Copa America final, Argentina's third successive defeat in a major tournament final. New national coach Edgardo Bauza said this week it was his immediate priority to convince the five time Ballon d'Or winner to reverse this decision. He plans to travel to Europe soon to convince Messi to come back for September's World Cup 2018 qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela. Argentine paper Ole on Friday claimed that Messi will accept Bauza's request and the situation will be cleared up quickly. Macri agreed, telling ESPN in Rio de Janeiro that he didn't know whether the Barcelona star would return in time for Argentina's Sept. 1 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay, but had faith that he would return in time for the "next FIFA date" in October.

"He is going to lead our team in Russia and at that World Cup we are again going to be among the best," Macri said. "I think Messi is the greatest player we have ever had and we must show him our appreciation and give him the recognition he deserves in order to feel comfortable." El Presidente argentino estuvo en los estudios #ESPN a solas desde #YoRIOxESPN, para una charla futbolera. - ESPN Fútbol Club (@ESPNFutbolClub) August 5, 2016 The Argentina president, who is in Brazil for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, said that he called Messi after the team lost in the Copa America Centenario final. "I spoke with Messi to thank him and to congratulate him," Macri said. "He did everything that he could, but sometimes, things just don't come together. In three straight championships, we have not lost a single match, that is just crazy. We just haven't had that little spark of luck that we need to win. We have the best player in the world and five, six or seven who go well together.

We must enjoy this team, success has been working against us." The former Boca president and former mayor of Buenos Aires said he was pleased with the choice of Edgardo Bauza as national team coach. He echoed comments he made last month about his trust in Messi's return. Bauza has said he felt Messi's comments about retirement after the Copa America Centenario loss were made in anger and haste. He told reporters he is convinced Messi will change his mind. Football (Soccer)/The Leagues and Teams - Wikibooks, open books for an open world Football (Soccer)/The Leagues and Teams From Wikibooks, open books for an open world The countries, teams and their leagues are organized into divisions as shown in the following map. Football League 3/FIFA Division Cleveland Bulls Cleveland Bears CONCACAF: all of North and Central America, the Caribbean island countries as well as Guyana and Suriname in South America. CONMEBOL: the ten remaining South American countries. UEFA: the whole of Europe plus some countries in Asia. AFC: the rest of Asia plus Australia, which joined on 1 January 2006, having previously been part of the OFC. CAF: the whole of Africa.

OFC: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands including Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Confederations, Leagues And Teams Each division has a confederation which manages a number of leagues within its territory. Let's start with the well-known European confederation, UEFA. Football League 3 Cleveland Bears UEFA UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is the division where Europe's teams are placed. The most famous teams are especially from this region including Germany, Italy, England ,France, Spain and Netherlands. The teams that are most famous are from these countries especially. Here's a good sort of all kings of football according to countries and leagues from Europe. FA Premier League In 1992 the top division of clubs in England formed a breakaway league, enabling them to take a larger share of income from media rights in comparison to the rest of the football league. The Premier League (originally Premiership) currently consists of 20 clubs. The top four teams in the Premier League currently qualify for the UEFA Champions League (at various stages during the qualifying process).

The fifth place club qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, although extra clubs often qualify on the basis of league position depending on the winners of domestic cup competitions. The bottom 3 clubs are automatically relegated. In terms of income, viewing figures and attendances the Premier League is the most successful domestic football competition in the world, and compares favorably across all sports. However many football fans within England are concerned with the vast sums of money involved, while clubs in the lower divisions struggle, with many entering administration and some going out of business. In addition the formation of the Premier League has lead to a generation of fans growing up with football as a TV only activity (as live games become more expensive to cater for corporate hospitality). This has lead to the slow death of the local football culture which developed over the last 150 years in England. Manchester United Manchester United Football Club is an English Premier League football club that plays at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester and is one of the most successful clubs in Europe. The club was formed in 1878, as the team Newton Heath F.C. It joined the Football League in 1892, and have only been relegated once since 1938.

The mean attendances of the games are higher than any English football league team for all but six seasons starting in 1964. The team won 38 trophies under Alex Ferguson. In 1968, Manchester United became the first European Cup champion from England, defeating Benfica 4-1. Their second European Cup came in 1999 as part of the club's famous Treble. Manchester United has been champions of England 20 times, and have won the FA Cup 12 times. Since the late 1990s, Manchester United has been one of the richest clubs in the world. Jose Mourinho is the current manager, with Wayne Rooney being the captain. Manchester's colours are red (home), blue (away), and white (third colours). Manchester United has classic rivalries with Liverpool, Leeds United, and cross town rivals, Manchester City. The club have won 3 UEFA Champions League titles. Surprisingly,the only honour Manchester United has not won is the UEFA Europa League.

Many famous players have featured for the club, such as Peter Schmeichel,Gary Neville,Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Arsenal Known by the nickname of The Gunners, Arsenal are old rivals of both, Manchester United and Chelsea. Arsenal are currently playing in the new Emirates Stadium. They're currently managed by Arsène Wenger. Chelsea Known by the nickname of The Blues, they play at Stamford Bridge and are currently managed by Antonio Conte. They are currently owned by Russian oil-baron Roman Abramovich. Chelsea's squad features some famous players such as John Terry, oscar, Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Falcao, Willian, Pedro, Thibaut Courtois and Cesc Fàbregas. Liverpool Liverpool Football Club is a Premier League football club based in Liverpool, currently managed by Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool F.C.

is one of the most successful clubs in England and has won more European trophies than any other English team with five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, and three UEFA Super Cups. The club has also won eighteen League titles, seven FA Cups and a record eight League Cups. In spite of their successful history, Liverpool are yet to win a Premier League title since its inception in 1992. Liverpool was founded in 1892 and joined the Football League the following year. The club has played at Anfield since its formation. The most successful period in Liverpool's history was the 1970s and '80s when Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to eleven league titles and seven European trophies. The club's supporters have been involved in two major tragedies. The first was the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, in which charging Liverpool fans caused a wall to collapse, killing 39 Juventus supporters and resulting in English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years. In the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a crush against perimeter fencing. None of these tragedies were the fault of Liverpool supporters.

Liverpool has long-standing rivalries with neighbours Everton and with Manchester United. The team changed from red shirts and white shorts to an all-red home strip in 1964. The club's anthem isYou'll Never Walk Alone. League 1 Let's look at some French ruling clubs. Olympique Lyonnais Known sometimes as Les Gones or OL, Lyon are champions and ruling Ligue 1 for 4 years in streak. It has a strong lineup and is widely known throughout Europe which includes the great players such as Anderson and Sidney Gouvou. They play at Stade de Gerland and are managed by Claude Puel. Olympique de Marseille Known commonly as Marseille or OM, this team may not be known well these days but it had a great history. It even includes famous Spaniard Fernando Morientes. They play at Stade Vélodrome and are managed by José Anigo. AS Monaco AS Monaco is one of the more prestigious football clubs in France. A major accomplishment was reaching the 2004 Champions League finals. They play at Stade Louis-II in Monaco. Paris Saint-Germain They play at Parc de Princes and are managed by Unai Emery.

The club has won six Ligue 1 titles and its roster features big names like Zlatan Ibrahimović, Ángel Di María, Marco Verratti, Edinson Cavani, Javier Pastore and Thiago Silva. Bundesliga The Germany had a great history including their players, morale, fan support and the main thing, glory. It is the most watched football league,in 2007 there were 40,775(stadium) FC Bayern München Known sometimes as Die Bayern, they have won 25 league titles. They have five European titles. They currently play their home games at the Allianz Arena in Munich and are managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund is the second most successful club in Bundesliga having won eight titles. Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang plays for Dortmund. Bayer Leverkusen They may now have been forgotten but this club has made the rise to the offensive Bayern Munich by selling the jewels Zé Roberto, Lúcio and Michael Ballack.

Although their form has slipped in recent seasons(03,04) due to the loss of Ballack,Lúcio etc.,the team has played better in 05 and 06 . They play at BayArena in Leverkusen. Schalke 04 They play at Veltins-Arena. SV Werder Bremen They have been raised now and are enjoying this new generation, the Werder Bremen has a variety of good players including Diego and Torsten Frings. They play at Weserstadion. Serie A The Italians do have a number of excellent teams and star players. These are some "Calcio" kings, "Calcio = Italian football" for here. Juventus Juve are referred by many names and are the true Italian kings. They have a beautiful lineup of 5-star players with all offensive and defensive categories including Gianluigi Buffon, Pavel Nedvěd, Alessandro Del Piero, David Trézéguet and many more. They play at Delle Alpi in Turin and are managed by Didier Deschamps.

AC Milan One part of the Milan brothers (Inter & AC), the AC Milan definitely is out-of-question because of their good players, unbreakable morale and glory. They play at Stadio San Siro. Inter Milan The other part of Milan brothers, Inter is likely leveled with their arch-rivals, AC Milan. Playing in the same stadium, San Siro, they also have good players like Diego Militto, Pazzini, Lucio and Javier Zanetti. They are managed by Stefano Pioli. In 2009–2010 season, Inter win the European treble under José Mourinho. La Liga Spanish La Liga is the second most-watched league because of its reputation among other leagues by including many great legends and current players. Here are some Kings, España style. Real Madrid Known as Los Galacticos, Real Madrid is currently the 2nd the richest club in the world, behind that of Manchester United. It has a very well-known and excellent lineup including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, Pepe, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and many more. They have a good history and are still good.

They hold a record of four UEFA Champions League titles and six European Trophies. Their home ground is Santiago Bernabeu stadium. They have achieved La Decima in 2014 winning their tenth European title FC Barcelona Known simply as Barça, they are one of the modern ruling generations of football today. With a strong lineup including Luis Suárez, Neymar, Lionel Messi and many more. They play at Camp Nou (sometimes referred as Nou Camp) and are managed by former player Luis Enrique. Barça is the only club to have won treble twice. Formed in 1899, Barcelona has won 24 La Liga titles and five European titles. (F.) Primeira Liga Although not known so much maybe, but Primeira Liga do consists of great honored teams. Here are some of them. Benfica Benfica is the most successful club in Portugal. It has a average lineup but superb morale. Some famous players are Luisão, Maxi Pereira, Nicolás Gaitán, Júlio César, and others. They play at the Estádio da Luz and are managed by Jorge Jesus. FC Porto FC Porto is the second most successful club in Portugal.

It has a good variety of players with a good morale. They play at the Estádio do Dragão and are managed by Julen Lopetegui. Some famous players are Jackson Martinez, Quaresma, Quintero and others. Sporting Lisbon Sporting Lisbon is the third most successful club in Portugal. It has players with a inspiring hope, not bad. They play at the Estádio José Alvalade XXI and are managed by Marco Silva. (G.) Dutch Eredivisie They may have been forgotten but they are relived. Here are some Dutch teams which are ruling these days. Traditionally, the big three of the Dutch soccer consists of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV. AFC Ajax Amsterdam Ajax is the biggest club of The Netherlands which has got a superior class lineup and good morale. They're managed by Henk ten Cate. In the Netherlands, Ajax is known to play the 'prettiest' football. The youth department of Ajax is considered to be the best of the world.

Ajax won the European Cup in 1971, 1972, 1973 and in 1995, the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the European Cupwinners Cup in 1987. (Former) famous players include Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Jaap Stam and many more. Feyenoord Rotterdam Feyenoord is a team that is known for its good morale and team-building, which makes them sometimes win over better skilled teams. Feyenoord won the European Cup and World Club Cup in 1970, and the UEFA Cup in 1974 and 2002. (Former) famous players include Willem van Hanegem, Mario Been, Ruud Gullit, Ove Kindvall, Coen Moulijn and John de Wolf. PSV Eindhoven PSV is a team from Eindhoven, founded by Philips, which is still the sponsor.

The biggest successes were achieved in 1978 when the club won the UEFA cup, and in 1988, when the club wins the European Champions Cup. Some (former) famous players of PSV are Romario, Ronaldo, Ruud Gullit, Luc Nilis, Ronald Koeman, Arjen Robben,Ruud van Nistelrooy, Philip Cocu and Jaap Stam. The most successful coach is beyond any doubt Guus Hiddink, who worked for the team from 1983 to 1990 and from 2002 to 2006. PSV's nickname is boeren, which means peasants. The fans use this to distinguish themselves from the big clubs from the big cities in the west of the Netherlands. (H.) Other Great European Teams Apart from the leagues, they're also some minor leagues with superb teams that are also known throughout Europe. Here are they. Olympiacos - Greece Olympiacos is a well-known club of Greece. It's mainly rivaled with Panathinaikos. With a lineup including Rivaldo, they're managed by Trond Sollied.

Steaua Bucharest - Romania Steaua has spent all its history in the country's top-flight league, and has finished below the sixth spot for only five times.Steaua made it to a European Cup final, which they won in front of FC Barcelona on penalties.Subsequently, the team never relegated and is currently one of the 2 teams to have only played inside the first league, along with Dinamo București. Panathinaikos - Greece Panathinaikos is clearly a good club of Greece,with 19 Greek championships and 16 Greek cups. Currently it's managed by Jasmiko Velic. Rangers - Scotland Rangers FC are by far the most successful club in the world when it comes to winning the national title. They have achieved this on 53 occasions in their history. Linfield FC (Northern Ireland) are the 2nd most successful with 49. Rangers are managed by Walter Smith, who is managing the club for the second time in his career. In his first term he led the club to 9 titles in a row 1989-1997.

In his 2nd term he took the club to the UEFA Cup final in 2008 where Rangers took the largest ever support to an away game when 150,000 fans travelled to Manchester. He retired from Rangers at the end of 2010-11 season clinching his 3rd title in a row, leaving his position to assistant manager Ally McCoist who is looking to beat the record set by Smith in his previous term in charge. Celtic - Scotland Celtic won the European Cup in 1967, the first British team to do so. They also made it to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, about 80,000 Celtic supporters traveled to Seville, Spain for the final. In 1984 Celtic were ordered by UEFA to replay a game against Rapid Vienna after fans threw bottles at the Austrian players while leading 3-0, Rapid won the replay 1-0. During the match a Celtic fan attacked the Rapid goalkeeper, and was arrested by police. The club's traditional playing colours are green and white hooped shirts and white shorts with white socks. The manager is Brendan Rodgers.

Grasshopperclub Zurich - Switzerland [1] Grasshopperclub Zurich is also very known in their Swiss region. They're the most successful team of the Swiss football with 27 Swiss super league titles and 18 Swiss cups. Shakhtar Donetsk - Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk is also a very good team especially because of their morale. They're managed by Mircea Lucescu.The team has done very well in recent years(they were very close to getting into the champions league second round,but lost to Benfica),having great eastern players such as Darijo Srna and Mariusz Lewandowski. CSKA Moscow - Russia CSKA is a very-well known team from Russia,they became the first Russian team to win the UEFA cup(after the break-up of USSR. They're managed by Valeri Gazzaev.Well-known players currently playing at CSKA Moscow are Vágner Love and Sergei Ignashevich. Club Brugge - Belgium Club Brugge is a well-known club of Belgium which is arch-rivaled with RSC Anderlecht. They're managed by Jacky Mathijssen.

RSC Anderlecht - Belgium RSC Anderlecht is the most successful team in Belgium with 29 league championships,5 European cups in all European cup competitions and 16 cups in Belgium competitions. They're managed by Franky Vercauteren.Well known players are(currently) Daniel Zitka,Olivier Deschacht.And former players are Nenad Jestrovic,Seol Ki-Hyeon and Vincent Kompany. Dinamo Zagreb - Croatia Dinamo is the most successful and famous team from Croatia. Their arch-rivals are Hajduk. The club has been most successful in the '60s, when they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (that would later become the UEFA Cup). They were runners up in 1963 and won it in 1967. They were Yugoslavia champions 4 times, and Croatian champions 11 times. They are regular participants in large European competitions (both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League). Former players include Zvonimir Boban, Davor Suker, Luka Modric and Eduardo da Silva.

CONCACAF CONCACAF (Confederation Of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the division where North America, Central America, Caribbean, and Surinam, Guyana, and French Guiana of South America are placed. The most famous teams are from the power house of Mexico. (A.) Mexican Primera División Mexicans aren't very known but games like FIFA 06 are getting their reputation through others up. Here are some good Mexicanos (amigos).After FIFA 06,their ratings has increased and in 2007 they were the 4th highest football league to be watched(stadiums) Chivas de Guadalajara Chivas is very well-known. Chivas and América are commonly rivalled with each other. They have won many major titles in their history. They play at Estadio Jalisco and are managed by Jose Manuel "chepo" De la Torre. Chivas is the current Champion in the Mexicna 1st division. Club América Club América is very well known in Mexico. It has a number of fans and have won most of the important titles in the league. They play at the famous Estadio Azteca and are managed by Alberto Daniel Brailovsky.

(B.) USA Major League Soccer The USA is an emerging soccer nation in the World thanks to the creation of MLS in 1996. D.C. United The most successful team in the league, has the most number of trophies in the league. 1996 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; 1997 MLS Cup; 1998 CONCACAF Cup and Intra-American Cup; 1999 MLS Cup; 2004 MLS Cup. Currently the team is being coached by international Polish star Peter Nowak and consist of star player Jaime Moreno of Bolivia, Ben Olsen of USA, and Christian Gomez of Argentina. Los Angeles Galaxy An early rival team of D.C. United, it currently holds the most number of wins in the league. During the early years of MLS it was always successful but was mostly stopped by D.C. United when it came to MLS finals. However, with patience its dividends paid off during the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Cup; 2002 MLS Cup; 2005 MLS Cup and Lamar U.S. Open Cup. Currently it is coached by former Chelsea F.C.

and New Castle F.C. coach Ruud Gullit. CONMEBOL CONMEBOL (CONfedración sudaMEricana de fútBOL) {in English: South American Football Confedration} is the confedration that rules the mighty South American region of football, some great emperors have been from this place. Lets explore them. (A.) Argentine Primera División Argentina has a very interesting league with many variable teams (i.e. any team beats the king anytime or sometime). It has actually two halves the Clausura and Apertura. Some Argentines are. Atlético River Plate River Plate is a good team and has the record of winning most season titles. It has a very famous and strong rivalry with Boca Juniors called the "Superclásico" on the Observer it was voted top of 50 sporting thing to do before you die as 70% of Argentina support River Plate and Boca Juniors. They play at El Monumental in Nuñez and are managed by Daniel Passarella.

Boca Juniors Boca Juniors are very famous around the world and is very known because of their platinum legend Diego Armando Maradona know as D10S or "Pibe de Oro" and "el barrilete cósmico". They are highly respected throughout the world. They have won several cups and titles(23 division titles and 17 international titles). They play at La Bombonera and are managed by Miguel Angel Russo. (B.) Brazilian Campeonato (1st Division) Hola Brazil. Although the English invented football, the Brazilians perfected it. Brazil has many variable teams like Argentina. Here are the Kings. Flamengo Flamengo is one of the best clubs in Brazil. These days they have gone down a little bit, because they are organizing their finances, paying the taxes that te other clubs don't. Flamengo is the most followed club of the world, with almost 40 million fans. They have won many championships and titles. They are managed by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, ex-coach of Real Madrid. Corinthians Corinthians is the most popular club in São Paulo. They are rivaled with Palmeiras. They have a very good history in winning leagues and cups.

They won the Brazilian championship in 2005. They're managed by Antônio Lopes. Palmeiras Palmeiras is superior to Corinthians. They are always furious against each other. Marcos, the 2002 World Cup winning goalkeeper belongs to them. They are managed by Émerson Leão. Santos They were famous because of the diamond legend, Pelé. They have been excellent at the era of the legend. São Paulo São Paulo is one of the major clubs in Brazil with winning a lot of championships, getting the fame and putting themselves in the South American map. They are managed by Muricy Ramalho. Ranking the Top 10 Most Iconic Stadiums in World Football | Bleacher Report Ranking the Top 10 Most Iconic Stadiums in World Football Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Robert Prezioso/Getty Images 78 Comments Everyone has their own favourite stadium in the world, perhaps with a particular memory of just why that ground holds a special place in their heart. But what are the most iconic football stadiums in the world, and what criteria does one use to judge this? Well, here are my top 10.

The important factors in deciding this list are the stadium’s capacity and record attendances, what major footballing tournaments and showpiece finals they have held, and what eye-catching and memorable matches took place there. Let's begin... Record attendance: 61,905 (Liverpool v. Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2 Feb 1952) City: Liverpool Home to Liverpool FC, Anfield is renowned throughout the game for the incredible atmosphere that the ground generates, particularly on big European nights, with the Spion Kop behind one of the goals perhaps the most famous stand in world football. Record attendance: 57, 395 (Boca v. San Lorenzo, 25 May 1940) City: Buenos Aires It's full name is the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, but known more commonly simply as La Bombonera (which translates into English as "The Chocolate Box," owing to its odd shape). Due to the La Boca district in Buenos Aires where the stadium is located, the ground has a fearsome reputation as generating one of the most intimidating atmospheres in world football.

Tenants: AC Milan and Internazionale Milano Opened: 19 Sept 1926 Record attendance: 100,000 (25 April 1956, Italy v. Brazil) City: Milan More commonly known as San Siro because of the district in Milan where the stadium is located, the ground was renamed on 3 March 1980 after Giuseppe Meazza, who played for both Milan and Inter. Originally San Siro was only the property of the Rossoneri, until their city rivals also became joint tenants in 1947. In the intervening years, the stadium has had the honour of hosting three European Cup finals (1965, 1970 and 2001), while it also underwent a $60 million renovation for the 1990 World Cup finals. Record attendance: 120,000 (Barcelona v.

Juventus, 5 March 1986) City: Barcelona As the largest football stadium currently in Europe, and the 11th-biggest in the entire world, Barcelona’s home ground deservedly takes its place amongst the top 10, and while it has never hosted a World Cup or European Championship final, it has staged two European Cup finals (1989 and 1999). Tenants: FC Bayern Munich and TSV1860 Munich Opened: 26 May 1972 Record attendance: No records City: Munich Specifically built for the 1972 summer Olympic Games, the stadium was then used to host matches in the subsequent 1974 World Cup finals, including the final itself between home nation West Germany and Netherlands. After that tournament the ground became home to first Bayern Munich and then in the 1990s 1860 Munich, until both Bundesliga sides moved into their own stadiums in 2005.

The Olympiastadion has also had the honour of hosting the 1979, 1993 and 1997 European Cup finals, as well as the final of the 1988 European Championship between the Soviet Union and Netherlands. Record attendance: 100,000 (River Plate v. Racing Club, 1975) City: Buenos Aires Similar to Wembley stadium in England, the Monumental is the national stadium of Argentina (although they do not play all their home games there) and is best remembered for the matches it hosted in the 1978 World Cup finals. These included the final against Netherlands and the eye-catching ticker-tape reception with which the home fans would greet La Albiceleste.

Record attendance: 120,000 (1953) City: Madrid Named after chairman Santiago Bernabeu Yeste, Real Madrid’s home ground is not only one of the most recognisable in Spain, but throughout the world, too, as befits a stadium that has not only been asked to host European Cup finals in four different decades (1957,1969, 1980 and 2010), but has also staged the 1982 World Cup final. Record attendance: 199,854 (Brazil v. Uruguay, 16 July 1950) City: Rio de Janeiro Named after the Rio Maracana, a river in Rio, the stadium was built specifically for the 1950 World Cup finals in Brazil, with the final of that competition between the host nation and Uruguay attracting the largest-ever attendance for a football match in the history of the game (199,854).

Since that tournament, the ground has mainly be used to host matches for club sides from Rio, including the likes of Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama, and its current capacity still makes it the largest ground in South America—although that will be reduced to 78,883 upon completion of renovations for the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 summer Olympic Games. Record attendance: 126,047 (28 April 1923, Bolton Wanderers v. West Ham United) City: London Home of the England national football team between 1923 and 2000, as well as having the honour of hosting more European Cup finals than any other stadium (1963, 1968, 1971, 1978 and 1992), Wembley has also held both the 1966 World Cup final and the 1996 European Championship final.

It was closed in 2000 and demolished three years later in order to build the new Wembley, which was opened in 2007. Regarded by many as being the "home" of football and certainly one of the most famous stadiums in the world, the ground is perhaps best remembered for its twin towers that were once considered to be iconic of the might of the England team. Record attendance: 119,853 (Mexico v. Brazil, 7 July 1968) City: Mexico City As the only stadium to have ever had the privilege of being asked to host two World Cup finals (1970 and 1986), the Azteca stadium is the most iconic in world football, as well as being both the fifth-largest ground in the world and the largest football pitch on Planet Football. Home to both the Mexican national team and domestic side Club America, the stadium is associated with some of the most memorable international matches in the history of the game, including the 1970 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy, and of course the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England which featured both of Diego Maradona ’s infamous goals.

Question: Which international football team are known as ‘The Albiceleste’?
Answer: Argentina