La Liga Competiveness

With scores of 8-2 (Real Madrid/ Deportivo) and  5-0 (Barcelona/ Levante), is the La Liga getting weaker or the stronger teams just get more stronger? With Real Madrid and Barcelona winning at least one title every decade, just how many trophies do the teams want?

Football: Early Liga boost on offer for old foes Real, Atletico

MADRID: A seventh Madrid derby of the year tops the bill as Spain's four Champions League representatives face off on Saturday (Sep 13) ahead of the kick-off of their group stage campaigns in midweek.
Real Madrid and La Liga champions Atletico meet again at the Santiago Bernabeu for the third time already this season with Atletico having emerged victorious over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup last month.
Los Blancos' victory over Atletico in the Champions League final in Lisbon meant both teams from the capital ended the season happy. But Atletico boss Diego Simeone claimed his side's triumph in breaking Real and Barca's hegemony of the Spanish title was the greater achievement.
"For me to win the league is as good as it gets because it is what the fans live day-by-day," Simeone told Argentine newspaper Clarin. "A league is 38 games competing against two enormously powerful teams. To maintain their rhythm is almost impossible and we managed to do it."
Atletico's 1-0 win at the Bernabeu 12 months ago proved the launching pad to their title run and they could move four points clear of Real should they repeat the feat this weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti's men endured a horror show in San Sebastian just before the international break as they let a 2-0 lead slip to lose 4-2 to Real Sociedad. Madrid were without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo due to his ongoing knee problems for that defeat, but he is hopeful of returning to face Atletico having also sat out Portugal's shock 1-0 reverse to Albania.
Real's other injury concern surrounds right-back Dani Carvajal, who had to pull out of Spain's 5-1 thrashing of Macedonia due to a hamstring problem. The 22-year-old is not expected to recover in time and, according to Spanish press reports, Ancelotti will switch one of centre-backs Raphael Varane or Sergio Ramos out to the flank to help combat Atletico's height advantage at set-pieces.

FIFA World Cup: Brazil 1, Chile 1 (3-2 pen)

The hosts are through to the quarter-finals, but it was far from convincing.
Brazil barely survived a difficult Round of 16 matchup with Chile on Saturday, winning 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1 to advance to the quarter-final.
Neymar scored the winning goal in the shootout, and Júlio César made two stops for Brazil.
Though they’re through, the Brazilians still look problematic all over the pitch. They seemed to run out of ideas in attack after Chile’s Alexis Sánchez evened the match in the 32nd minute, cancelling out a David Luiz header in the 18th. And the defence looked very shaky yet again, which doesn’t bode well ahead of a matchup with either Uruguay or Colombia.
Normal time ended with the score at 1-1.
Mauricio Pinilla nearly won it for Chile a minute away from the shootout, ringing a shot off the bar as Brazil keeper César could only watch and hope.

UEFA CHAMPIONS

REAL MADRID WINS!!!

Manchester City wins Premier League for 2nd time in 3 seasons

Manchester City won the Premier League for the second time in three seasons on Sunday, completing its campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over West Ham that lacked any of the drama of its previous title.
Unlike the stoppage-time comeback required in the 2012 title decider, goals either side of halftime by Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany provided a more serene end to what had been an exhilarating season.
"You can't repeat what happened last time," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said. "This year, we've really come on strong at the end when we needed to."
Two years ago, City won the title on goal difference ahead of neighbour Manchester United after coming from behind to beat Queens Park Rangers on the final day. Sunday's victory, though, meant Liverpool's 2-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield was meaningless as City finished two points above the Merseyside club.
As soon as the final whistle was blown, thousands of fans flooded onto the Etihad Stadium pitch, setting off blue flares. For a club that has spent so much time in the shadow of United — last year's champion — it was just the fourth time in its 134-year history that fans could celebrate a league title.
Just 15 years ago, City was playing in the third tier of English football, but the club's fortunes were transformed after the influx of Abu Dhabi cash following a 2008 takeover.
Making this victory all the sweeter is the fact that United, which beat City to the title by 11 points last May, ended this campaign in seventh place after imploding in the post-Alex Ferguson era.
Although City spent just 15 days at the summit during a campaign when the lead changed hands 25 times, Manuel Pellegrini's side surged to the top when it mattered most. The 60-year-old Chilean is ending his first season in English football as a double winner, having already won the League Cup victory over Sunderland in March.
However, the league title looked out of reach for City just weeks ago after losing to Liverpool at Anfield. However, Liverpool collapsed toward the end with a loss to Chelsea and a draw at Crystal Palace which meant City only needed a draw at the Etihad to secure the title.
But after an edgy start, Nasri scored with a shot from outside the area in the 39th minute and Vincent Kompany added the second from close range shortly after the break to let fans celebrate for much of the second half.
"Liverpool's game against Chelsea, I think that's the twist of the season," Nasri said.
All City required was a draw, but after an edgy start this energetic and attacking team seized on the opportunity to finish the season in style. Against an uninspiring West Ham, City was in complete control, calmly knocking the ball around the pitch.
However easily City unpicked the West Ham defence, finding a route to goal was proving more difficult. David Silva, so dynamic in this title-winning side, lashed the ball over from distance and Aleksandar Kolarov had a long-range strike tipped over by goalkeeper Adrian.
But the goal that settled nerves in the stands came in the 39th minute, with Yaya Toure teeing up Nasri, who took two touches before curling the shot into the net off the inside of the post.
Although Silva was denied by the woodwork in stoppage time, City's second came just four minutes into the second half. From a corner, the ball bounced off striker Edin Dzeko, and the unmarked Kompany swept in City's 102nd league goal this season from close range.
The captain slid across the pitch in celebration, and the party truly started in the stadium. Unlike the rollercoaster season finale against Queens Park Rangers here two years ago, it was job done for City.
West Ham was never going to spoil these celebrations, and City is at the pinnacle of English football once again. The challenge now is retaining the trophy for the first time, and replicating the electrifying domestic form in Europe to conquer the Champions League.
These title celebrations, though, could be short-lived in the City boardroom, with UEFA on the verge of imposing sanctions on the club for overspending in breach of Financial Fair Play rules.

Manchester City captain Kompany pleased to see off 'intense' Everton

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has praised his side for their victory over an "intense" Everton at Goodison Park.
Edin Dzeko notched a brace as City secure a gripping 3-2 win to edge ahead of their opponents' local rivals Liverpool on goal difference at the top of the table.
An Everton victory would have left Liverpool well placed to secure a first title for 24 years, leading to suggestions of mixed emotions in the Goodison Park stands on Saturday.
That was certainly not the case on the field as Everton threw everything at City in a thrilling finale, but saw their hopes of Champions League qualification ended.
"It was hard and very intense as well - I was thinking that the Everton players have got a lot of friends at Liverpool," Kompany joked when interviewed by Sky Sports after the match.
"It was tough and we ultimately got a great result."
Sergio Aguero cancelled out Ross Barkley's superb opening strike to set City on their way to ending a run of four straight defeats at Goodison - a streak their captain attributed to Everton's competitive spirit and a lack of luck.
"To be honest we've not had a lot of great results but we’ve never really had took many bad games either," Kompany said.
"It's just one of those places. When we take the lead it’s never finished - they always find a way to make it difficult and they always find a way to score a goal that put them back in the game.
"Today was the same. I thought until the last minute both teams had to keep giving everything they had to keep in the game."
City have passed up a handful chances to take a firm hold on the title race since February's 1-0 home loss to Chelsea, seemingly in the most damaging fashion when they slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Liverpool three weeks ago.Now wins in back-to-back home games against Aston Villa and Chelsea next week will give them a second Premier League crown in three seasons.
But the dramatic manner in which his team clinched glory against struggling QPR in 2012 means Kompany knows nothing can be taken for granted.
He added: "We've had a lot of tough times during the season but I think that we've had a lot of wonderful games.
"The most important thing is to pick up the form at the right time and if we can carry on like this in the next two games, hopefully it should be enough to win those two games. I guess the past will tell us to be careful."

Madrid denies involvement in Neymar investigation

Real Madrid has issued a statement denying any involvement in the investigation into Neymar's transfer from Santos to Barcelona.
The Spanish High Court is continuing its probe surrounding the alleged misappropriation of funds  by the club's former president Sandro Rosell- who resigned last week- in securing the signing of the Brazil star.
His replacement, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has since revealed that Barcelona paid Neymar's parents 40 million euros of the total €57.1 million transfer fee.
This news was then followed by suggestions from a Catalan journalist, Xavi Bosch, that Madrid was responsible for sparking the investigation - claims fiercely denied by los Blancos.
A statement on the club's official website read: "Given the serious demonstrations last night by RAC 1 journalist Xavi Bosch, the president of Real Madrid Florentino Perez wants to state the following:
1. It is flatly a false assertion that aims to involve absurdly the president of Real Madrid with the judicial process initiated following the complaint filed by a member of FC Barcelona against president Sandro Rosell.
2. Real Madrid president demands that the journalist author of such misrepresentations rectify those claims in the same medium of communication clearly and immediately.
3. If this correction does not occur, the president of Real Madrid will file suit against journalist in defense of the right to honor, privacy and self-image. This has already been sent to the lawyers the content of the allegations made."
Barcelona board member Jordi Cases was the man responsible for initially raising concerns over the small print of Neymar's transfer and has refused to drop his complaint.

Toy Story: Old Favourites Fight Rise of the Tablet

The big players in the traditional toy market have come out fighting in Britain as little fingers are increasingly occupied by iPad-type devices at playtime.
Previously seen as the preserve of grown-ups, tablets are increasingly top of children's wish-lists.
The best-selling toy in Britain last year was the Furby, the cuddly robotic "pet" that has irritated millions of parents with its constant chatter. But tablet computers designed specifically for kids came close behind, according to the NPD market research group.
With toddlers frequently more nimble on touchscreens than their parents, major players including Samsung are cashing in with tablets designed for the lucrative and tech-savvy youth market.
At this week's London Toy Fair, manufacturers of traditional toys insisted they face a bright future -- but admitted the rise of tablets means they're in for a tough fight.
"We have to recognise these days that there's a place for tablets and for technology," said Jamie Dickinson, marketing manager at Playmobil, the German-based brand that has produced some 2.6 billion plastic figures since 1974.
"When children grow up and go into the adult world, they need to know how to use the technology," he told AFP as he stood in front of a display of Playmobil figures at London's Olympia exhibition centre.
"But there are lots of other skills that they need to learn, which only traditional toys can give them."
Playmobil is resisting the digital onslaught, with its global sales increasing by 5.3 percent to 531 million euros ($726 million) last year.
In the British market, the building sets and action figures markets will enjoy a 10-percent jump in growth this year, NPD predicts, partly thanks to toys linked to the football World Cup in Brazil.
Many of the toy firms displaying their wares in London were counting on the support of parents with an instinctive suspicion of the Internet and, by extension, tablets.
Metal construction kits by Meccano have been a boys' favourite since they were invented in England in 1909 -- and are "still very popular, especially in the eyes of parents, grandparents and those who buy gifts", said Kevin Jones, European marketing director for the brand's owner Spin Master.

Figures Show Neymar Cost Barcelona 86.2 Million Euros

Josep Maria Bartomeu insisted Friday that Neymar cost the Catalan club 57.1 million euro, but figures revealed in the Barcelona president's first press conference showed the total outlay was in fact 86.2 million euro.
Outgoing president Sandro Rosell resigned from his post on Thursday, just a day after it was announced that a complaint by Barca socio Jordi Cases for misappropriation of funds in the deal would be investigated in the Spanish High Court.
Cases' lawyer, Felipe Izquierdo, then revealed on Thursday that the complaint could be extended to include both Bartomeu and the club's economic vice president, Javier Faus
With that in mind, Bartomeu came prepared Friday for his first meeting with the media and presented a series of documents showing the breakdown of the fee.
"I want one thing to be absolutely clear," he told the media at a press conference at Camp Nou. "Neymar's transfer cost 57.1m euro."
That is the figure that has been quoted by Barcelona from the outset, and the club was sticking to its story Friday. However, a total breakdown of the money paid out by the Blaugrana showed the Catalans had in fact invested 86.2 million euro in the Brazilian forward, without including wages.
The 86.2 million euro can be broken down as follows: 57.1 million euro for the transfer itself (of which 40 million euro went to the player's parents), 10 million euro in the form of a signing-on fee, 2.7 million euro in commission, 4 million euro in marketing, 2.5 million euro for Neymar's foundation and 9.9 million euro in scouting and collaborative deals with Santos.
"I guarantee we have not lied," Bartomeu said, claiming the other figures were not included in the transfer itself. "Football games are won on the field of play, and we have always been highly responsible in the way we have dealt with our contracts. My colleagues have a high level of expertise."
The new Barca chief was asked on a number of occasions why the club had chosen to reveal the figures now and not while former president Rosell remained in charge.
"We had a confidentiality agreement, and we were unable to disclose that information until now," he said. "It is thanks to Neymar's father, who got in touch with us earlier today, that we have been able to reveal these figures. He called us and allowed us to reveal the information because he thought the club's current situation was unfair."
Barcelona also revealed that Neymar will earn 56.7 million euro in wages over five years. He will also receive a 2-million-euro bonus for finishing in the top three on the Ballon d'Or shortlist but currently has no agreement to claim any extra money for winning titles with the Catalan club.