Messi: "Rijkaard was the most important coach in my career"

Leo Messi was only 17 when Frank Rijkaard decided it was time to make the leap to the First Division of Barcelona . La Pulga, who by then only painted for crack, and came crashing in Barca B and Dutch coach did not hesitate: on 16 October 2004 sent him to the court in the Catalan derby against Espanyol . From that day she never came out again.

In an interview with Egyptian television channel MBC, the Pulga said the Dutch coach over the rest of the coaches who went because it was the "trusted" him and made him "debut" in the top flight.

" All the coaches I had in Primera let me things, but I think the most important thing in my career was Rijkaard " he said. He explained: "If he had not decided to get in the first team to train and play perhaps it had never reached the first team I always said it was for me a very important person because he trusted me, I jumped at the right time." .

In Barcelona, ​​Messi served under Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola , Tito Vilanova , Jordi Roura and Luis Enrique . In the Argentina team it was led by Jose Pekerman , Alfio Basile , Diego Maradona , Sergio Batista and Alejandro Sabella . In addition, it was directed at both teams for Gerardo Martino .

Atletico Madrid has no defense

Atletico Madrid reaches the most delicate moment of the season, in which his future playing in the Champions League and the few options remaining in the league, in an extreme situation . With the lack of goal still unresolved, the team had based its entire stake in a strong defensive unsurpassed throughout Europe. Holders in the rear have been consolidated among the best in the world and meet guarantees alternates every time he touches them.

However, Simeone will accumulate problems in central defense . Godin , the great reference, had to leave early on the back of the tie against PSV due to a thigh problem. His compatriot Gimenez suffered a similar injury in the last league match, defeat in Gijon. Savic , the usual replacement, it takes a month off from the first leg against the Dutch, also for muscle aches. The central room of the workforce, Lucas Hernández is the greatest concern, since he returned from his commitment to the France Under-21 with a fractured vertebra.

There is confidence that the Montenegrin and the oldest of Uruguayans recover in time, but the fact is that, today, there is one central healthy in the template . What's more, Saul Ñíguez , which has had to fill the post of necessity on occasion, is also touched, as he suffered a sprained ankle playing with the lower categories of Spain.

So, facing the four parties that have the Atleti from here to 13 April (two league against Betis and Spanish, and other international goals against Barca ), there are three options. The first, shorten recovery times forcing the maximum and risking severe relapses. The second, improvise adapting the position of any other member of the team (Gamez? Gabi?), At the risk of their performance is not ideal and that other areas of the country remain weak. And the last, of course, resorting to the quarry , that it is ... but perhaps the jump Third Division to compete against Messi , Neymar and Suarez is a bit abrupt.

Banished (please) the victimista topic of bad luck and "pupae", who would be accused of such a delicate situation? For once and without a precedent, it does not seem that the offices have direct responsibility , since the preparation of the template seems adequate and four plants should be sufficient, although a fifth element would have been no more .

Yes you can accuse them of certain indolence in defending the interests of the club on schedules , with accumulations of games in a short time which require extraordinary efforts. But that negotiated deals Mr. Thebes , who is public and notorious sympathy for the other team of the city and, if anything, on the other club in the league that supposedly gives television profitability. Likewise, it is not the responsibility of the Atleti the excess irrelevant team matches cluttering further schedule already collapsed.

So it is organized football in this country and on this continent, and while these structures do not change, there is no way, except for sporadic miracles, compete on truly equal terms . For now, one of the few, very few teams across Europe who had dared to stand up to Barcelona is seeing, by chance, your options are reduced at the most inopportune moment. Still, no one would ever dare to rule out in advance a team coached by Cholo.

Isco: "I do not think all the blame is James and me"

Alarcon Isco, Real Madrid midfielder said they are living "a very difficult season" in his club and defended arguing that not all the blame can be Colombian James Rodriguez and his.

"It's been a very difficult season and not think that everything is the fault of James and me. I do not feel it pointed out to me. Never in my life after a defeat I've gone out there," said Cope before explaining that his anger in Las Palmas it was not against Zinedine Zidane.

"After the game against Las Palmas I was angry with myself. I do not think it was the first player who has done that," he added.

Isco ruled out a departure from Real Madrid at end of season. "Going to Juve ?. I am very happy at Real Madrid and want to fulfill the two-year contract left me."

After concluding goalless draw against Romania the two parties with the Spanish team, Real Madrid midfielder already thinking about the Classic Camp Nou.

"We need to vindicate on Saturday against Barcelona after the bad image that we gave in the Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu. I'm butt for the game. I have not played much with the team, I'm not tired. Winning at the Camp Nou would be an injection of very large moral, "he said.

Wales accuses the absence of Bale and Northern Ireland beat Slovenia

The Welsh team remains winless since closed the qualifiers for Euro France Monday after falling 1-0 to Ukraine in a friendly at the British they accused of excessive absences player Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale - Real Madrid.

Without the presence of its two main stars absent in Kiev due to injury, the Welsh assembly was unable to bend to resolve Ukraine did know the low Sevilla playmaker Yevhen Konoplyanka.

A goal from Andriy Yarmolenko 28 minutes of play certified the defeat of Wales, who has failed to win any of the three friendlies he has played since he won last October historic qualification for Euro France

-Holland Two defeats (2-3) and Ukraine (1-0) and a draw, the harvested last Thursday against Northern Ireland (1-1), that Chris Coleman will try to amend, and with the expected presence Bale and Ramsey, on 5 June against Sweden in the last friendly that "dragons" played before starting the final phase of the European Championship.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland, which like Wales next summer appear among the twenty-four teams that will contest the European Championship in France, she won today by Slovenia 1-0 in a game in which the visitors squandered a penalty for equalize the contest.

Veteran goalkeeper Roy Carroll Northern Irishman, who turns 39 next September, stopped in the 66th minute penalty Milivoje Novakovic launched by.

Stop asserted by the both Conor Washington, who advanced to Northern Ireland the lead after 41 minutes to beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak Atletico Madrid.

Andorra 0 - Moldova 1

Liechtenstein 2 - 3 Faroe Islands

Ukraine 1 - 0 Wales

Northern Ireland 1 - 0 Slovenia

Infantino says it is "favorable" to global organize among several countries

The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, said today in Asuncion that is "favorable" to global organize between several countries for future editions.

Infantino made the remarks at a press conference at the headquarters of CONMEBOL in Asuncion, asked about the possibility that Argentina and Uruguay jointly organize the 2030 World Cup.

"An important issue is whether the world will have to play only in one country or has to play in more than one. The FIFA has so far been quite contrary to the co-organization, but I am personally very favorable" he said.

Nevertheless, he stressed that before reaching 2030 FIFA World Cup will define the headquarters for 2026, and reiterated that the agency will not decide two offices in the same vote, as had indeed happened before.

Infantino said that in 2030 it will no longer be president of FIFA, because the world football governing body has defined the mandates of its leaders are of limited duration.

He stressed that the World Cup 2030 will be "very important" because it will mark the centenary of this competition, which was first held in Uruguay in 1930, and stressed that "history must always be respected."

Meanwhile, the president of CONMEBOL, Alejandro Dominguez, also present at the press conference, was convinced that in 2030 the World will be held on South American soil.

"President (Infantino) not going to vote, but know that the World Cup 2030 will be in Argentina or Uruguay," he said.

Infantino arrived in Asuncion in the context of his first South American tour as president of FIFA, which from Tuesday will take you to Uruguay, Bolivia and Colombia.

Declining of Laporte, the most difficult to fill for Valverde

The decline Aymeric Laporte, practically and safely until end of season, by the serious injury sustained on Thursday with the Under-21 national team, is the most difficult to fill for the coach Athletic Club, Ernesto Valverde, who has the French center as one of its basic parts.

The absence of Laporte Athletic gets caught in one of the positions where scarcer effective anda Atletico squad, otherwise virtually two players per position.

Although it is also true that, in addition to the specialists, Xabi Etxeita -the other owner and Carlos Gurpegi usual, Valverde can fall back on, and as it has done in the past, players like Mikel San José medium centers and Gorka Elustondo and even the side Eneko Vault.

But none of them is left-handed, like the French. And outputting the game from behind perhaps only to equiparársele San Jose. If anything well, although to be seen, Vault. Etxeita is irregular and Gurpegi, who has had good years after injury last season has not recovered from its previous performance.

The truth is that supply Laporte is more complicated, because it is a left-handed center that dominates almost every facet of the game in position. Its shortcomings, if any, have more to do with issues such as concentration or sufficiency strictly qualities of the game.

The Under-21 international footballer is high (1.89 cm.), Powerful, aggressive, fast motion, quick on the long runs, dominates the air balls in the two areas -this year and 5 goals- leads; and start the game with a lot of quality, either short, long or sometimes driving.

This makes him, according to various rumors and information, appealing piece for the most powerful clubs in the world economically. Thus, his name has been linked in various media entities dimension of FC Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, Manchester teams, United and City, or Bayern Munich.

And also desired by the Spanish player selection, as has publicly confessed Vicente del Bosque, in case you can not find a place in the French Didier Deschamps absolute and decide to take another international road.

Therefore, the termination clause of the contract is 50 million euros, the highest in the red and white template with the Inaki Williams, as he was born in 1994. Although the front is later appearance in the elite.

The San José option as a substitute for Laporte might seem the right one to address the lack of French at the output of ball. But seeing somewhat complicated because it is difficult to think of a return to a position of Navarre plant that seemed natural hers but which did not give the expected level is.

It has been the move to midfield which has made San Jose almost indisputable Beñat Etxebarria with eleven Bilbao holder, and the first relay Sergio Busquets of Barcelona in the selection.

In both fights he has leapfrogged Ander Iturraspe, once a key player for both Valverde as before to the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, who delayed Javi Martinez central to accommodate the talented vizcaíno pivot.

Perhaps the possibility of juntarle with Iturraspe in the team may decide to delay Valverde to San Jose. Although it is something not usually do but duty during the game due to injury or expulsion of a colleague.

Even when it has given rest to Laporte, rarely, the Txingurri has chosen Gurpegi, Elustondo and even Vault, I barely knew the position.

Declining Laporte has also uncovered the lack of central Athletic on a short and medium term hypothetical future if the French surrender at the end of a manifestly more substantial deals in the economic and Gurpegi, which this summer 36, decides terminate his career.

There are plants in Athletic Bilbao with some projection, as Jonas Ramalho (22 years), Yeray Alvarez (21) and Oscar Gil (20), common in the eleven 'Cuco' Ziganda. But none has managed to make the own area "Comanche territory" for opponents.