Raphaël Varane Scouting Report

 

Who is he?

Raphaël Varane was born in Lille in the north of France, on the 25th April 1993. He is a centre-back who plays his football for Madrid giants, Real Madrid. He has been playing there ever since his move away from French outfit Lens in 2011. The 21 year old only has 7 international caps to his name for France but he has been a regular starter at this World Cup. He could be compared to as the next Sergio Ramos but one thing that he has that Ramos doesn’t have is discipline.

He started playing for his local football club AS Hellemmes at the age of 7, before joining professional club RC Lens two years later. He was sent to a football training centre nearby where he would train on weekdays and play with Lens at the weekend. He then returned full-time to Lens and it didn’t take him long to progress through the ranks; he became part of a nice looking youth set up which included now Chelsea player Thorgan Hazard.

Style of play – 

Varane is a typical young centre-back as of late. With enough pace to catch up to the more quicker strikers, solid tackling capabilities and immense strength to show his presence on the field. He stands at 6ft 3 inches and he uses his height to his advantage as he has an amazing ability to head the ball away from his own goal and occasionally into the opposing team’s goal.

Playing in Spain it is essential to have an ability to pass the ball. Varane has that. He is a strong passer of the ball and this was shown in France’s 2nd World Cup game where he made a sublime pass to Giroud who assisted their 3rd goal.

Finally as a defender it is key to be able to intercept the ball to break up attacks and to be able to stay with and mark your opponent. Varane does this with ease.

What does his future hold?

Varane is contracted to Real Madrid until 2017 and I can’t see him leaving there any time soon if he keeps up his current form. However if he gets the opportunities like he has done in the past season where he played in the Champions League Final then he could be off on his way. However he is already at the current best team in the world and it would be silly for him to move teams when he is already receiving ample game time. For him, the best thing to do would be to work on and improve his game.

He could be the next world class defender.

Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoyed our latest Scout Report.
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Antoine Griezmann Scouting Report

Given the responsibility of taking Franck Ribery’s place in France’s starting XI, it was a big night for Antoine Griezmann yesterday against Honduras. Born in Macon but spending his key developmental years rising through the ranks at Real Sociedad, Les Bleus wanted a touch of Spanish class to add to their already fine forward line. In our latest scouting report we analyse the young forward.

Performance against Honduras

A lesser team would have been provoked by Honduras’s approach and fall apart in frustration but Griezmann was a perfect example of Didier Deschamps’s side rising above their opponents’ rough play with composure and enterprise. Though he had no direct part in any of his side’s three goals, the Sociedad star was diligent and precise, starting on the left flank but flitting around the opposition half. Impressively, Griezmann was more confident the further up the pitch. He touched the ball only 44 times but chose each of them well, with a passing accuracy of 91 per cent and a deceptive 100% success rate in the air. It was an adept performance that impressed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who was commentating for French television. “What Antoine Griezmann has done has been just amazing,” he said on TF1, waxing lyrical about his teamwork and accuracy.

He’d be perfect for…

Arsenal are the obvious first consideration. Wenger has long been a confessed fan and, should reports of a return to north London for Carlos Vela be borne out, Griezmann would be able to link up with both a former Sociedad team-mate and a fellow France international in Olivier Giroud. The Gunners could certainly use a little extra punch up front – although what they need most of all is a centre forward as an alternative to Giroud, rather than a partner in crime. The 23-year-old has scoring credentials, though, with 16 in La Liga over 35 games a fine record for a wide player outside of the top three. Paris Saint-Germain are said to be among the continental giants also chasing him and a link-up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic would suit Griezmann’s energetic approach, while Liverpool might struggle to afford him but would get plenty of joy out of a forward so capable of fluidly interchanging positions and shooting from a variety of angles.

What does the future hold?

Arsenal have reportedly made an initial move for the winger and look the most likely Premier League club to sign Griezmann, if any. Whatever happens, it is hard to imagine the France international staying at Sociedad this summer. His stock is high in Spain right now and, with Vela also set to leave, now looks the best time to get a big move. Reports in Spain have credited Real Madrid with an approach for Griezmann, while PSG remain in the discussion for a player who is rated in the £25 million range. After France’s bright start on Sunday, it could be a summer to remember for the young forward.

Written by Nadeem – @nadz_robbani//@100PercentAFC

Shocking transfers that nearly happened

With the World Cup well under way, there has been a lack of transfer activity taking place. Therefore in order to make up for that, we thought we should highlight a number of transfers that so nearly went through. Here are the Top 10:

1. Ronaldinho to Manchester United

This transfer was about to happen when Ronaldinho was still playing for the French club PSG. At that time, the Red Devils sold David Beckham and wanted to replace him with the Brazilian legend. However things did not proceed as they wished as they were outbid by Spanish giant Barcelona where the famed dribbler became a massive hit for the club.

2. Radamel Falcao to Aston Villa The Colombian striker nearly joined the Villains in January 2008, when they decided to bid for him whilst he was still playing for former club, River Plate. They made an initial bid of £5M which was rejected. They did not up their bid for the Colombian striker and he later became one of the world’s most expensive players and is currently playing for AS Monaco.

3. Yaya Toure to Arsenal One of the best midfielders in the Premier League right now, Yaya Toure could have been a Gunner in 2003. He had a trial with the North London club and a deal around £1.3M was arranged but the transfer did not happened as the Ivorian midfield powerhouse could not get a work permit in order to play in England.

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Arsenal Another big miss for the Gunners as Arsene Wenger offered a trial to the Swedish striker but he refused and said “Zlatan doesn’t do auditions”. The skilful striker preferred instead to sign for Ajax and did not take up Wenger’s offer of a trial. He later became one of the world’s best strikers and now currently plays for French side PSG.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo to Liverpool Former Reds boss Gerard Houiller was on the verge of signing the Portuguese in 2005 before the transfer fell through. The Liverpool board could not agree on the wage demand for him and did not go through with the transfer. Ronaldo was then bought by rivals Manchester United and became a massive hit for the club before moving to Real Madrid for a then record fee.

6. Zinedine Zidane to Newcastle The former Juventus man was offered to the Magpies in 1996 for a fee of £1.6M from Bordeaux. However they could not recognise his talent and turned down the opportunity to sign the French superstar. He was signed by Juventus where he proved his worth before moving to Real Madrid.

7. Gareth Bale to Manchester United  In 2007, the Red Devils were very interested in former Southampton player, Gareth Bale. However they could not find an agreement over the fee for the player, hence the transfer therefore broke down. The Welsh wizard was later transferred to Tottenham for a fee of £10M. He did superbly well for the Spurs with a number of match-winning performances, before he was sold for a fee of 100M Euros to Real Madrid last summer.

8. Didier Drogba to Arsenal Another opportunity missed by the Gunners, after Arsene Wenger revealed that the Ivorian superstar could have been bought by Arsenal for a fee of £100k but did not take the risk as he was not sure whether Drogba could cope with English football. He must have got some regret when Chelsea bought him for £24M from Marseille and the lethal target-man did superbly well in the Premier League and became a Chelsea legend.

9. Michael Essien to Burnley 

In 1999, Burnley missed the opportunity to sign Essien for free. This could not happen as one of the club’s rules stipulated that a youth player could not be on a wage higher than £60 a week. In 2005, Essien joined Chelsea from Lyon for a fee of £26M and went on to win the league with them.

10. Robert Lewandowski to Blackburn Rovers

This transfer was bound to happen in 2010 when Robert Lewandowski was still an unknown footballer. Blackburn Rovers were on the verge of completing the transfer before a volcano eruption in Iceland created a huge cloud and all flights was cancelled including that of Lewandowski to England. The transfer therefore broke down and Lewandowski was signed by Dortmund where he became one of the most prolific strikers in Europe.

Written by Nadeem – @nadz_robbani // @100percentAFC

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Bale: Boy to Champions League Winner

Gareth Bale celebrating his goal in the Champions League final

This year’s Champions League winners Real Madrid fought in a unbelievable battle beating fellow Madrid rivals Atletico Madrid. The game finishing 4-1 after extra time. Gareth Bale scored in the first half of extra time, 110mins with a header from close range. Gareth Bale has won his first Champions League under his first season with Real Madrid. Gareth Bale moved from Spurs in early September 2013, with a world record move  to Real Madrid with a €100mil (£85.3mil) beating the previous world record fee of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gareth Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left back at the age of only 17 and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. He accumulated a series of 40 games for Southampton with a total of 5 goals. After one season with the Saints he moved to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £7mil. During his time at Spurs, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform from a left back into a more attacking role playing as a left winger, right winger or behind the striker. With Spurs Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010/2011 Champions League scoring his first hat trick against Milan giants Inter Milan.  He was named PFA Player’s Player of the Year in 2011 and 2013, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2011 and 2013. Following his successful campaign with spurs in the 2012/2013 season Gareth Bale wasn’t enough as Spurs failed to qualify for Champions League football although coming 4th in the Premier League. As Chelsea won the Champions League that year, this meant that they were able to play and Spurs were not. Bale scored 42 goals in 146 appearances for Spurs. Following his spectacular performances and the collapse of guaranteed Champions League football Bale could not resist playing for Real Madrid.

His tremendous speed, free kick ability, great crosses and exceptional physical qualities lead to the World Record fee to Real Madrid. Gareth Bale suffered a shaky start to his Real Madrid career with injuries forcing him not to play at the beginning off the season. Although Bale is the world’s most expensive player, he was in the shadow of the World’s Best Player Cristiano Ronaldo.

The first half of Bale’s season was hampered by injuries, of Real Madrid’s first sixteen games after his summer move, Gareth Bale missed five and was substituted on or off in six others, playing only five full games in 16 appearances, this lead to doubt in the Madrid fans minds. Bale scored on his Real Madrid debut, a goal coming in the 38th minute against Villareal, before being substituted later in the game for Angel Di Maria. Bale’s second appearance for Madrid came in a 6–1 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions league. Bale made his El Classico debut on 26 October, but was substituted in the 61st minute. However bitter rivals Barcalona won the game 2–1, and Bale’s performance drew criticism from certain sections of the media. On 16th of April, Real Madrid played Barcalona in the Copa Del Rey Final. Ronaldo was injured so it was up to Gareth Bale to prove himself and steal the limelight. Bale scored the winning goal for Real Madrid with a superb solo effort running from his own half, running off the pitch and pacing out Marc Bartra, and with a cheeky nutmeg to finish off his goal. The goal was his 20th of the season and his first in a El Classico fixture.

Let’s wait and see what Gareth Bale has in store for next season and stay with us.

Thank you for reading, for more of the latest transfer rumours, club news, scout review and previews follow @FutbolAfterDark.

Shaquille – @ShaquilleJ29

The Real Kings of Madrid

Marvin-@truebluetalk

Real Madrid are victorious and the famed “La Decima” is now complete as the European know how of Real Madrid was enough to guide them through to a record 10th Champions League Trophy.

The tactician Ancelotti has master-minded a quite miraculous win in this Real Madrid’s first final appearance since 2002. The game however began with a clear game plan by Atletico this however to thwart any source of attack posed by Real Madrid. Atletico’s game plan limited the threat of Bale, Ronaldo and Di Maria. One effort from Bale which narrowly missed the post was the reflection of their first half. This being threatening to do things with the ball but not having enough fire power to break down atleti. Atletico however were hampered by Costa having to limp off early on to be replaced by Adrian he showing through his performance that he was more meriting of a start than Costa was. Atletico got the rub of the green when a cross met Godin’s head and an out of position cassilas could do nothing to stop it.

In the second half a continued influx of pressure from Real Madrid was met by Atletico panick as tired legs could not lead the counter attacks people have found typical of atletico’s game. In the dying embers of the game with Aletico virtual victors Ramos places an important header into the unmarked right hand post to spark a frenzy of celebration and extra time. Real Madrid’s Di maria really came into his element when extra time begun as continued lung busting runs rendered Aletico incapable in the marking of him. One of his jinking runs drew a save from Cortouis which was gleefully nodded in by Bale of whom which had been unusually quite in this game. A Marcelo solo goal and Ronaldo penalty led to a cruel scoreline of 4-1.

Unfortunate scenes at the end where Simeone is seen as to losing the plot due to Varaane celebrating right infront off him.This however took nothing away from a well deserved victory and a memorable Champions League Final.

Messages from the team on the final are as follows Shaquille “Real Madrid have yet again showed us how superior they are defeating their bitter rivals. Hamza states “Football < Money” and Nadeem says “Commiserations to Atletico they were 90 seconds away from winning the game”

Madrid: A City Divided

Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid. Winner takes all.

The Champions League final. The most prestigious club footballing event of the year. Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid. Ronaldo vs Diego Costa. Bale vs David Villa. Isco vs Koke. Ancelotti vs Simeone.

Fans from across the globe settle down in order to bear witness footballing history before their very eyes and this year is no different. Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will lock horns at 7:45pm in order to decide who will be European Champions of 2014.

Atletico, viewed as underdogs in this tie despite being crowned La Liga champions, will be quietly confident in their ability to win the game and with it, win the cup. A crucial factor that shall play a part in the game is the availability of their talisman Diego Costa. The Brazil-born Spaniard has been fundamental in spearheading their quest to become champions of Spain and Europe. With the former achieved, Atletico will be drawing on the footballing Gods in fulfilling their prayers and hoping the striker is fit in time for the game. . If Atletico were to win this evening, it wouldn’t just be a win for their club but a win for all other clubs and show that you can be successful even without vast sums of money. Therefore, Atletico undoubtedly receive most neutrals’ support as they bid to win the first European cup in their history.

Across the road lie Atletico’s bitter rivals, Real Madrid. Real are a super power in the world of football with some of the world’s greatest players including Ballon D’ Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and the world’s most expensive player, Gareth Bale. Their search for ‘La Decima’ , a 10th European title, has lasted 12 years since a Zinedine Zidane wondergoal helped them defeat Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park and deliver a 9th Champions League success. Since then, it has become an obsession for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to acheive the eluded 10th European title.  One must wonder that failure to fulfil the 12 year wait may cost Ancelotti his job after a below-par season which has seen them finish 3rd in La Liga. As a result, all eyes will be on Ronaldo and co to see whether or not 2014 is the year that the ‘La Decima’ is finally achieved.

The victors tonight will tell tales of how they defeated their greatest rivals on the grandest stage of all. The losers shall never be able to live this down. One thing is definite for both sides; failure is not a option.

Nadeem – @nadz_robbani // @100percentAFC

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