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MICAH RICHARDS: Aguero is the man I’d choose to score to save my life

If Sergio Aguero had been the face of an advertising campaign, would people be more respectful and appreciative of his talents?

I often wonder whether we realise what a player we have watched for the last 10 seasons. Aguero has had as big an impact on English football as Thierry Henry. 

He might not be as easy on the eye as Henry in terms of style but he is a better finisher than the Arsenal legend.

Micah Richards thinks Sergio Aguero has not received enough credit for his spell in England

Richards believes Aguero is a sharper finisher than the iconic Arsenal forward Thierry Henry

Henry, though, will always command affection. He was the man with ‘Va va voom!’ — he is charismatic and played football with a swagger. 

He gave revealing interviews and had a spell as a pundit before he turned to management. If you didn’t support Arsenal, I bet you still liked Henry.

Most people, on the other hand, wouldn’t know a great deal about Sergio. It makes me think the fact he is a quiet man has stopped him being recognised as one of the greats of the modern era, a striker who Manchester City will never be able to truly replace.

Without Sergio, I wouldn’t have a Premier League winner’s medal. He scored 23 League goals in 2011-12 and was directly responsible for providing nine points to our total of 89, but that simple statistic doesn’t do him justice. It’s better to refer to him as a moment-in-time player.

The amazing thing is, I wondered what all the fuss was about him when he first came into training. 

In those first couple of sessions, following his £35million arrival from Atletico Madrid, I looked at him and thought, ‘Is he that special?’   

Robinho made a bigger first impression on Richards than Aguero at first during training drills

Aguero scored twice and set up another on his debut against Swansea City after coming on

He never did anything other than in second gear. His finishing was good but nothing that made you think, ‘Wow!’ His reputation was huge but I was struggling to get excited about what he might do for us after a few days at Carrington.

It wasn’t like Robinho, who had joined us from Real Madrid three years earlier. He was incredible from the first minute and he looked every inch the superstar.

If he had joined at the same time as Sergio, when the team were more settled, we’d have a much different opinion of Robinho.

Back to Sergio, and when he came on as a substitute against Swansea, I knew within 30 minutes he would go down as the best striker I had played with. 

I watched the highlights of that performance again to refresh my mind and I had goosebumps.

His first goal, a tap-in at the back post, came from one of the best crosses you will ever see (yes, I provided it) but he scored another from 30 yards and provided an assist for David Silva with an overhead kick from the byline after he refused to give up the chase for a ball. 

The win over the Swans convinced Richards that City signed a star striker in Aguero 

Manchester City won their first Premier League after Aguero’s dramatic winner against QPR

I said to him afterwards, ‘Sergio! Where did that come from? In training, I didn’t see this!’ 

He looked back with a smile and said: ‘Training, tranquillo (stay calm)! The game is important!’

How right he was. Monday to Friday, he did what he had to do, but at the weekend a switch flicked once he crossed the line.

He is relentless at closing people down, clever at how he can bring people into play. Some would have you believe he’s just a poacher. 

It’s a ridiculous thing to say. If I had to pick someone to score to save my life, it would be him every single time. 

His goal against Queens Park Rangers to win the 2011-12 title is the best example of his work. 

The goal is the most dramatic in Premier League history and owed much to Aguero’s quality

Aguero waves to the City fans after finishing the 2014-15 season as the league’s top goalscorer

Watch it and see how he feints and takes an extra touch before deceiving Paddy Kenny and shooting to the near post.

By rights, for all he has accomplished, he should have an ego. Most big strikers do but with Sergio it can be disarming how unassuming he is. 

He goes to work, plays football, goes home. There’s not a hint of arrogance about him, just a quiet lad.

The only time I have really seen his emotions come pouring out was after scoring against QPR. 

In the dressing room afterwards he came out of his shell, but most of the time you wouldn’t know he is there. 

It is the quietness that makes me wonder whether he is taken for granted. Some players have been very good at making themselves brands and creating profiles but none of it has interested Sergio. He gets overlooked but he will be missed when he is gone.

His intention has always been to finish his career back in Argentina but I expect now Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension that Sergio will do the same. 

Aguero has continued to evolve under current boss Pep Guardiola as City have gone up a level

Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres will have a tough task matching Aguero’s goalscoring feats

Whether it is for 12 months or two years, it is a piece of business I hope City conclude.

City will sign another striker in the future, and hopes are high for Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres, but there is nobody like Sergio.

There will never be another one like him at Manchester City and there haven’t been many better in the Premier League.

It was my privilege to see his talent first-hand.

Micah’s Man of the Week: Declan Rice

The international break saw Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount all enhance their reputations but let’s not overlook another midfielder.

I had always regarded Declan Rice as a central defender playing in midfield but it seems he has become a permanent fixture in England’s team.

Rice has the ability to move back and become one of the best defenders in the Premier League — but he is maturing in the middle and he impressed me against Iceland, alongside Mount.

Declan Rice scored the first goal as England cruised to a 4-0 Nations League win over Iceland 

It felt like England were more fluent and adventurous and I hope this is the way we line up in all the fixtures against nations that we are expected to beat.

Grealish and Foden get people off their seats but every team needs someone like Rice. He is a really good footballer.

Dementia debate must lead to change… now

I am not an expert on dementia but I do know the impact it can have on families and I was moved by Chris Sutton’s interview in these pages earlier this week.

My heart goes out to him and his family for the plight they are facing with his father, Mike. 

If Sportsmail’s campaign accelerates change going forward, then the issue about tackling dementia should not even be up for debate.

Chris Sutton has spoken about his father’s dementia and is leading Sportsmail’s campaign

It needs to happen.

When I was young, I used to love heading. Going up for aerial battles was a big part of my game and there was something old school about getting stuck in.

You would never show any pain, even on the occasions you knew you had hurt your head.

The long-term effects on the brain of heading a football repeatedly need to properly examined

I don’t regret heading the ball so much but I’m glad I’m now aware of the findings.

I remember playing with footballs that were too hard and I am pleased that doesn’t happen any longer.

Young children don’t need to be heading before their neck muscles are properly strengthened and they have an understanding of what they are doing. We need to make things safer.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/11/20/micah-richards-aguero-is-the-man-id-choose-to-score-to-save-my-life/

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Marta embodies soccer’s romanticism

Marta rose to prominence with a golden generation of Brazilian tricksters, and outlasted them all.

If you want to watch the recent friendly between the Brazilian women’s national team and Scotland, you can go to YouTube and watch Marta and her teammates play in 480p. It’s not uploaded from a major media network, but the whole game, from the warmups to the postgame action, is there.

There is nothing too special about the game itself beyond being a World Cup warmup. Scotland won 1-0, consigning Brazil to their ninth defeat in a row, and there were barely any fans in the stands. But the fact that the game was even filmed and available is a testament to how far women’s football has come.

Back in 2003 when Marta made her World Cup debut, it was near impossible to get access to big games, let alone friendlies against Scotland. YouTube didn’t exist until 2005. Yet, it’s precisely that progress of women’s football that makes it bizarre to see Marta in such easily available and semi-clear games. She seems out of place in this new world.

Marta at 33 is still a capable and important player for Brazil. She’s their captain and biggest star. Even more than that, she’s also the idol of so many female players in the world. She’s had such a singular impact on women’s football that Pelé calling her “Pelé with skirts” is one of the least absurd things he’s ever said, and in fact could be seen as an understatement.

Marta has won the award for The FIFA World Player of the Year/Best FIFA Women’s Player six times, and finished in the top three 13 times since 2004. She’s competed in four World Cups and three Olympics. She is the all-time leading goal-scorer in World Cup tournaments, with 15 goals since 2003.

In this modern world, though, Marta as a player is not as special as she used to be. Not that she still isn’t good. She won her last Best FIFA Women’s Player award in 2018 (though undeservedly over Sam Kerr). But because she revolutionized the game, she inevitably allowed the game to catch up to her.

Megan Rapinoe 9th, Lindsey Horan 10th in voting for first Women’s Ballon d’Or. Marta best of five NWSL players on 15-player list in 4th place. Former UNC player Lucy Bronze 6th. pic.twitter.com/Rfpzj4sNQt

— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) December 3, 2018

These days, there are many players now who have the same creativity and quickness of body and mind that made Marta stand out — players like Sam Kerr, Tobin Heath, Eugenie Le Sommer, and Nikita Parris. And even more players who are as special in their own individual ways, and as famous as Marta used to be. The tough thing about being a pioneer is that the generations after will always be greater because they can build off the ground you laid. So even though there can only ever be one Marta, there are a lot of Martas today.

But no one could ever match up to the romanticism or Marta. This romance comes from both the way that she plays, the beauty and creativity that appeals to the imagination, and nostalgia for the time when she was taking over the world. She belongs in the past.

She does the creative and unpredictable. Where players saw one or two possible decisions in a particular situation, Marta, because of her skills and courage to use them, opened up more possibilities for herself.

There was probably nothing particularly special about football back in 2006. But because 2006 happened during my formative years, the time when life seems so simple and light, I have a special attachment to it. It also happened to coincide with the reign of a group of Brazilian players, of which Marta was a part, that captured all the romantic notions of beauty in football.

Though Brazil came up short in the 2006 men’s World Cup and 2007 women’s World Cup, the country was going through a(nother) golden era for creative talent: Ronaldo at Real Madrid, Ronaldinho at Barcelona, Kaka at AC Milan, Robinho at Real Madrid, Adriano at Inter, Juninho Pernambucano at Lyon, and Roberto Carlos at Real Madrid.

Marta stood as tall as her male counterparts. She wasn’t just a prolific scorer, she had the same breathtaking ability to perform magic on the field as many of them did. She did things that made you want to take the ball outside and hurt yourself in an attempt to replicate them.

She won her first Best Player in the World award at the end of 2006. The next summer, she won both the golden boot and the award for Best Player in the World Cup. That was where she put on an iconic show of skill, relentlessness, and goal-scoring ability against the United States in the semifinals. That performance introduced her to an entire American audience — and by extension, a global audience — to how otherworldly she was.

In those days, the games were hard to access. Few networks carried the tournament and Youtube was only two years old. And outside of the international tournaments, finding clips of female players was near impossible. One of the few places to see highlight videos of the best female players was during the awards portion of the FIFA Gala.

I remember seeing those clips of her running around defenders as if they were children. The subtle shifts of the hips. The stepovers. The long dribbles where everyone else seemed to be paralyzed by awe. When I think of Marta, I think of grainy videos of her tricks and flicks in the early days of video-sharing. I think of her as the longest-lasting member of that era’s club of brilliant Brazilians, and as something new and dangerous in women’s football.

In many stories involving magic, the supernatural is always at the edges of the natural world. It’s either dying out or it’s reserved for the special few. I think it was perfect for Marta to come of age in the time when it was difficult to see her play. The few times that you were able to catch glimpses of her were so fantastic that they could sustain the imagination for a long time afterwards. She was not just clinical and effective; Marta was the perfect player of romance.

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Cantona, Drogba & seven transfers that shaped the Premier League as we know it - opinion

The Premier League is the absolute best, isn’t it?

This is a league that boasts some of the greatest footballers in the world, some of the very best teams, and some of the most historic results ever seen.

Some players end up becoming icons, making the league their own and placing their stamp on their respective teams.

Here, Football FanCast takes a look at some of the most important transfers in the league’s history.

Whether they instituted a tactical shift or potentially allowed a new era to dawn, these are some of the very finest transfers in the league’s history!

Lauren to Arsenal – 2000

Today, the Premier League is awash with full-backs who act almost as wingers, bombing down the touchline to provide space and width for the midfielder in front of them to tuck inside. But back in the summer of 2003, that was a relatively uncommon idea – in fact, the right-back position was generally occupied by the worst player in the team, expected to put in the leg-work, make some meaty challenges and eventually pick up a booking.

But Arsene Wenger’s swoop for then-Mallorca midfielder Lauren soon changed all that. With one-time reserves forward Ashley Cole asked to make a similar transition on the opposite side, overlapping full-backs became a defining feature of Arsenal’s attacking play as the Invincibles carved up the Premier League in unprecedented unbeaten fashion.

That not only led to Arsenal’s 2003/04 squad becoming arguably the greatest side in Premier League history over the course of a single season, but also accelerated a trend of dynamic full-backs that’s now commonplace throughout the division today.

Didier Drogba to Chelsea – 2004

Didier Drogba’s 2004 arrival at Chelsea not only helped transform the Blues almost instantaneously into one of the Premier League’s most dominant forces, winning four titles during his two spells at the west London club, but also changed the tactical landscape of the division for the next ten years.

Indeed, the appointment of Jose Mourinho brought a new way of tactical thinking to the English top flight; chiefly, a rejection of the age-old 4-4-2 formation for an extra body in midfield, allowing for greater control of midfield and the consequential possession to pin teams back.

That, however, required a striker large, aggressive and potent enough to essentially do the work of two centre-forwards, whilst having the power and strength to bring the midfield into the game.

Drogba fitted that bill perfectly and as the rest of the Premier League soon embraced 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 as a consequence of Chelsea’s resounding success under Mourinho, pint-sized poachers quickly began to fade away – the age of little-and-large combos coming to an abrupt end.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Manchester United – 1996

The Premier League is very much a squad game these days, but Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the first to truly cotton onto that trend. His ability to not only pick the right players for the right game but also keep happy those who’d resultantly been left out was always exceptional, as was his ability to change the game from the bench.

Curiously, the Premier League increased the substitutes capacity to five during the same year Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at Old Trafford from little-known Molde in 1996. And whilst the Norway international always struggled to claim a place in the starting XI over the likes of Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham, he offered United something truly unique as the Premier League’s first standout super-sub.

Fast forward to present day and super-subs can be seen in practically every Premier League squad but particularly those at the top end of the table. Think of Manchester City regularly bringing Gabriel Jesus on for Sergio Aguero, or Liverpool giving Divock Origi a few minutes at the end of their most vital games.

Robinho to Manchester City – 2008

Robinho’s Premier League career may have been unexpectedly short-lived, lasting just 18 months at Manchester City, but his shock move signified a dramatic shift in the balance of power in the English top flight, arriving from Real Madrid on the same day the Abu Dhabi United Investment Group purchased the Citizens.

The Brazilian provided a real eye-opener for what was to come at the Etihad Stadium; not only players of the highest calibre but particularly aesthetic and glamorous ones at that.

The £32.5million deal – at the time, one of the biggest transfer fees in Premier League history – also announced City as the latest member of the elite at the very top of the English game, funded by stupidly rich owners who were capable of unprecedented spending.

Robinho was very much the trailblazer for all the exotic, ludicrously expensive signings to follow and the key to City attracting players of that top-class calibre.

Steve McManaman to Real Madrid – 1999

Following its introduction in 1995, the Bosman ruling wasn’t being taken advantage of by Europe’s biggest talents, particularly those in the Premier League. So when Steve McManaman left Liverpool for Real Madrid by way of a free transfer in 1999, the move sent shockwaves throughout English football.

It proved to be a watershed moment for not only professional footballers, who suddenly realised they had the power to dictate terms to their employers, but also Liverpool Football Club.

The decline at Anfield from the end of the 1980s was already underway, but McManaman ditching his boyhood club for Real was a real sign of the times, kickstarting a trend Liverpool have never truly arrested since – namely, their key players quitting Merseyside for Europe’s most illustrious clubs. Michael Owen would follow not long after, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho both heading to Barcelona.

More detrimentally, McManaman’s decision to take advantage of the relatively recent ruling increased its notoriety throughout the footballing world, partly leading to the situation today where player wages have escalated beyond all proportion – power shifting away from the clubs and into the hands of footballers and their agents. Of course, that can’t all be put on Jean-Marc Bosman’s doorstep let alone McManaman’s. But for two huge reasons, his free transfer to the Bernabeu has shaped much of the Premier League as we see it today.

N’Golo Kante to Leicester City – 2015

Leicester City’s title triumph is without a doubt one of the greatest miracles in sporting history, let alone throughout the history of the Premier League.

Whilst a whole raft of factors collided to create a perfect storm that saw a side narrowly avoid relegation and then beat some of the richest clubs in the world to the Premier League title, there is little doubt it wouldn’t have been possible without the £5.6million acquisition of little-known N’Golo Kante from Caen.

A small fee for a particularly small player, one who had been turned down by big clubs before because of his height, but the Frenchman’s influence was nothing short of ginormous.

His relentless energy not only protected a largely average back four but also allowed for Leicester to play unfashionably with two in central midfield and two up front, which created the dynamics for Jamie Vardy to play off Leonardo Ulloa and penetrate the space behind opposition defences.

Kante now plies his trade with Chelsea and subsequently became the first player ever to win consecutive Premier League titles with two different clubs. That was no coincidence either; utilising Kante’s incredible workrate once again, Antonio Conte also opted for two in the engine room in his 3-4-3 formation – freeing room for another attacking presence in the final third.

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Eric Cantona to Manchester United – 1992

Eric Cantona arrived in English football a matter of months before the first Premier League season, rather ironically joining the bitter rivals of the club he’s now synonymous with – Leeds United. But the Frenchman couldn’t settle at Elland Road and just a few months into the inaugural Premier League campaign, he crossed the divide in a £1.2million move to Manchester United.

That would be where Cantona not only established himself as a Premier League and Manchester United legend, winning four out of the first five Premier League titles to earn the title ‘King Eric’, but also where he showed English football the enormous potential in attracting players from abroad – something the newly increasing wealth of the English top flight suddenly facilitated.

Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains a never-ending debate, but there is no question Cantona’s talismanic performances for United made the rest of the Premier League realise the level of talent available abroad.

He was one of the first steps in turning the Premier League into the most international, competitive and exciting leagues in world football.

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Barcelona v Real Madrid: The last El Clasico without Messi and Ronaldo - where are they now?

Julio Baptista, Robinho and Raul celebrate Real Madrid’s Clasico defeat of Barcelona in December 2007

Julio Baptista, Robinho and Raul celebrate Real Madrid’s Clasico defeat of Barcelona in December 2007

EL CLASICO WILL have a very different feel this weekend as neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing, the first time both have been absent for a clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid in more than a decade.

Ronaldo was always going to miss Sunday’s meeting at Camp Nou after joining Juventus but Messi’s absence feels more seismic, the Barca captain sidelined for three weeks due to a fractured arm sustained against Sevilla.

Real Madrid were 1-0 winners at Camp Nou in December 2007 in the last Clasico without both Messi and Ronaldo, Julio Baptista scoring the winning goal for Bernd Schuster’s men on that occasion.

But who else was in the Barca and Madrid XIs on that day – and where are they now?

BARCELONA

Victor Valdes: The Spanish goalkeeper remained Barca’s number one until he joined Manchester United in 2015, although he only acted as backup to compatriot David de Gea. An improbable short spell at Middlesbrough followed before retirement in January 2018.

Gabriel Milito: Argentina defender Milito won two LaLiga titles in a four-season spell at Camp Nou. He left Barca in 2011 to return to former club Independiente but retired after a single season. Milito has coached Independiente and is now in charge of Chilean club O’Higgins.

Rafael Marquez: Veteran centre-back Marquez featured for Mexico at the 2018 World Cup and is still playing regularly for Atlas at the age of 39, having had spells with New York Red Bulls, Leon and Verona after leaving Barca in 2010 following seven years with the Catalans. 

Carles Puyol: One of the great captains in modern football history, Puyol retired in 2014 after spending his entire playing career at Camp Nou. Puyol is now an ambassador for LaLiga.

Former Barcelona captain, Carles Puyol. Source: Imago/PA Images

Eric Abidal: France left-back Abidal lost two years of his career after undergoing treatment for a liver tumour. He returned to former club Monaco in 2013 and had a short spell with Olympiacos before retiring. Abidal was appointed Barca’s sporting director in June.

Ronaldinho: Samba superstar Ronaldinho spent three years in Serie A with AC Milan before returning to his homeland to play for clubs including Flamengo and Fluminense. Ronaldinho retired in January 2018 having last played for an Indian futsal team.

Deco: Portugal midfielder Deco also played for Fluminense at the end of his career, claiming the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2010 and 2012, while he won the 2009-10 Premier League with Chelsea.

Portuguese midfielder Deco made 113 appearances for the Catalan giants. Source: EMPICS Sport

Andres Iniesta: Former Barca captain Iniesta signed for Japanese side Vissel Kobe. With nine LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues and six Copas del Rey, Iniesta will go down as a Barca legend. He also won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships with Spain but retired from international duty after Russia 2018. 

Xavi: So often Iniesta’s fellow midfield conductor, Xavi left Barca in 2014 and is now plying his trade in Qatar for Al Sadd and working on his coaching badges. He is widely seen as a future Barca boss.

Yaya Toure: Ivory Coast midfielder Toure left Barca in 2010 and became an icon at Manchester City, where he won three Premier League titles before falling out of favour under Pep Guardiola. Toure rejoined Olympiacos in September.

Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o scored 108 for Barcelona during his time with the club. Source: EMPICS Sport

Samuel Eto’o: Like Xavi, striker Eto’o is also playing in the Stars League having signed for Qatar SC in August. The Cameroon international left Barca in 2009 and won the treble in his first season at Inter, while a nomadic career in recent years has taken him to Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, Everton and Sampdoria, as well as Turkish sides Antalyaspor and Konyaspor.

Frank Rijkaard (Coach): Although he led Barca to the Champions League title in 2005-06, Dutch legend Rijkaard quit his coaching career in 2016 after unsuccessful stints with Galatasaray and Saudi Arabia.

Substitutes: Mexico international Giovani dos Santos is in MLS with LA Galaxy, Bojan plays in the Championship for Stoke City and Gianluca Zambrotta retired in 2014 after spells with AC Milan and Swiss side Chiasso.

REAL MADRID

Iker Casillas: Among the modern era’s great goalkeepers, Casillas is now in his fourth season with Porto having won five LaLiga titles and a trio of Champions League crowns with Madrid.

Fabio Cannavaro: Italy defender Cannavaro won the World Cup in 2006 but was forced to retire in 2011 due to a knee injury. He is in his second spell in charge of Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande.

Fabio Cannavaro towers over all others during the 2007 El Clasico. Source: ABACA/PA Images

Sergio Ramos: Madrid captain Ramos is still the defensive lynchpin for Los Blancos, a cornerstone of the team that has won the Champions League in four of the last five seasons. He is also Spain’s captain.

Pepe: Ramos’ partner for many years, Pepe represented Portugal at the World Cup in Russia. At 35 he is now playing in Turkey for Besiktas.

Gabriel Heinze: Argentina defender Heinze played for Roma and Marseille before returning to his homeland, where he ended his career at Newell’s Old Boys. The 40-year-old coaches Velez Sarsfield and is approaching the one-year anniversary of his appointment.

Wesley Sneijder: A team-mate of Eto’o in Inter’s treble-winning season under former Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, Sneijder is in Qatar with Al Gharafa after a long spell at Galatasaray ended last year.

The Dutch midfielder would go on to reach the World Cup final against Spain the following year. Source: ABACA/PA Images

Mahamadou Diarra: Former Mali captain Diarra returned to Ligue 1 by signing for Monaco on his Madrid departure in 2011, but he made only nine league appearances before joining Fulham, where he was on the fringes for three Premier League seasons.

Robinho: Brazilian forward Robinho never fulfiled his potential with a big-money move to Manchester City failing to work out. He returned to Santos and has also played for Atletico Mineiro in his homeland, with Milan among his other former clubs. At 34, he now plays for Sivasspor in Turkey.

Ruud van Nistelrooy: Prolific Netherlands striker Van Nistelrooy had injury problems towards the end of his Madrid spell and he joined Hamburg in 2010, spending 18 months in the Bundesliga before signing for LaLiga outfit Malaga, where he ended his career in 2012.

Raul: One of the greatest strikers in Madrid’s storied history, Raul ended a career-long stay at the Santiago Bernabeu by joining Schalke in 2010. He scored double figures in both his Bundesliga campaigns before heading to Qatar to join Al Sadd, wrapping up a glorious career with New York Cosmos.

Julio Baptista: Robinho and Ronadinho’s compatriot will always be able to say he scored the winner in a Clasico. Baptista played for Roma and Malaga before heading home to play for Cruzeiro, where he spent three years. Now 37, he is in Romania with Cluj.

Julio Baptista scored the winner as Real Madrid claimed victory in the final El Clasico of 2007. Source: ABACA/PA Images

Bernd Schuster (Coach): Madrid won the LaLiga title in 2007-08 under Schuster’s leadership, but the German left the club under a cloud in December 2008. Chinese Super League team Dalian Yifang appointed Schuster in March and he has also coached Besiktas and Malaga.

Substitutes: Fernando Gago plays for Boca Juniors, Miguel Torres is with Malaga and a certain Arjen Robben is seeking an eighth Bundesliga title at Bayern Munich.

The42

Barcelona v Real Madrid: The last El Clasico without Messi and Ronaldo – where are they now? was originally published on 365 Football

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