Tuesday, 26 March 2013

La Liga News

Why Messi will struggle to surpass Batistuta's Argentina record.

Both stars are from Sante Fe with 78 caps apiece, but Batigol's strike rate for his country is far superior to the forward who has swept all else before him.
Some 800km from Buenos Aires, the Argentine national junior team were left kicking their heels after a friendly was cancelled. Desperate to make the most of their travels, the coaches arranged a game with a local boys' team in nearby Reconquista, Santa Fe.
“He didn’t look like a footballer. He was a big lad and when he shot the ball it could go anywhere,” former Newell’s Old Boys youth team coach Jorge Griffa told Sky Sports when asked about the boy who scored both goals in a 2-1 win for the locals that day. “He didn’t know how to head the ball properly and he didn’t have the physique of a footballer.” But Griffa was convinced that Gabriel Batistuta could one day be a special player.
Batistuta was not so sure, and was very concerned about leaving his studies for a career as precarious as that of a professional footballer. He rejected two offers to join Newell’s, but eventually agreed as long as he was given sufficient support to continue his education.

Vilanova returns to Barcelona.

The Blaugrana announced on Monday that their recovering coach was set to depart America and he has now arrived in Catalunya to resume his work.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has returned home after spending the past two months in New York recovering from surgery on parotid gland cancer.

The 44-year-old went under the knife on December 20, and then underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for six weeks.

Vilanova left for New York for further treatment in January, and has now returned home again after two months in the USA.

Pep Guardiola's former assistant took charge of Barcelona in the summer of 2012 after his mentor decided to leave the club and take a one-year sabbatical, and guided the Blaugrana to their best-ever Liga start before being struck by health issues late in 2012.

Vilanova was replaced by Jordi Roura during his absence, with the latter now returning to his role as assistant coach once more.

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