IFFHS NEWS AND STATISTICS OF THE WEEK 40
Picture : Real - Barça, the first official women Classico yesterday in Madrid !
FIRST WOMAN CLASSICO REAL - BARCA
It was May 15, 1902 in Spain’s capital and, at the time, nobody in Madrid could find a word in Spanish to describe what was happening: simply, it did not exist in the dictionary yet. There were two opposite teams kicking a ball, one called Madrid Football Club, the other Football Club Barcelona. A bizarre sport with a strange English name. it would take years until the terms fútbol and balompié would take hold, but the biggest Spanish rivalry already had a birthdate.
Since that historical date, the game got a nickname — El Clásico — and football legends wore the famous crests and millions of fans watched on TV as the Spanish giants battled for glory along the decades. And still, after 118 years, 243 official matches and countless memories on the pitch, a milestone was hanging still: no women’s match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona had been played. That has changed yesterday, when the first ever women’s Clásico has taken place.
Real Madrid's women's team had a rude awakening in their first official match on Sunday, getting thrashed 4-0 at home by Barcelona in a 'Clasico' in the Primera Division. Barça, who were crowned champions when last season ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, dominated play from the start and took the lead by Patricia Guijarro.
Madrid looked to have levelled when Sweden international Kosovare Asllani netted from close range after a spill from Barcelona’s goalkeeper Sandra Panos, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on the keeper amid angry protests from the home side. Barça extended their lead early in the second half when Madrid defender Babett Peter diverted the ball into her own net after goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez had parried a cross from Barca's Norway international Caroline Graham Hansen.
Graham Hansen was a handful for Madrid's defence throughout and also set up the final two goals, a volley from former world player of the year Lieke Martens and a strike from Spain forward Alexia Putellas. Real were playing their first match since completing the process to absorb local side CD Tacon in July, having competed in the top flight last season under Tacon's name and wearing their kit but training and playing at Real's training ground.
Their first official match at home to the club's eternal rivals was the subject of the cover of leading sports newspapers, although the occasion was subdued as coronavirus safety measures meant it was played without spectators. But if Madrid could take one consolation from the day it was that at least the scoreline was not as humiliating as their last two matches against Barcelona when they were still called Tacon, losing 9-1 and 6-0.
BENZEMA = 250 GOALS
Against Levante yesterday, Karim Benzema notched his 250th goal as a madridista. The French forward, who netted for the first time against Xerez on 20 September 2009, reaches the milestone at the start of his twelfth season at Real Madrid. During his time at the club, he's made 517 appearances and won 19 titles.
Benzema's 250 goals have come spread across six competitions: 170 in LaLiga, 53 in the Champions League, 21 in the Copa del Rey, 3 in the Club World Cup, 2 in the Spanish Super Cup and 1 in the European Super Cup. By season, his best tally came in 2011/12, when he struck 32 times, followed by the 30 he managed in 2018/19.
Last season, Benzema became the club's fifth-highest all-time goal scorer, eclipsing the 242 registered by Puskas. The French forward is now behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (451), Raúl (323), Di Stéfano (308) and Santillana (290).
TRANSFERS
CAVANI HEADING TO MANCHESTER UNITED
Edison Cavani seems to be on his way to Manchester united as a free agent after his contract expired with PSG in the summer on a two-year deal. He has been a prolific goal scorer in his career so far having scored 341 goals in 556 matches whilst playing for Palermo, Napoli, and PSG. He is the all-time goal scorer for PSG with 200 goals in 301 matches.
Sergino Dest (USA) from Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) to FC Barcelona (Spain)
Jens Petter Hauge (Norway) from Bodo/Glint to Milan AC (Italy)
Ruben Dias (Portugal) from Benfica to Manchester City (England)
Keita Baldé (Senegal) loaned from AS Monaco (France) to Sampdoria Genoa (Italy)
DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIS and JAMES RODRIGUEZ : THE DUO CAN’T STOP SCORING
Sitting comfortably on top of the premier league goal scoring chart after four matches is the 23-year-old English striker Domininc Calvert-Lewis, who has scored six (6) goals in Everton’s opening four matches and 9 goals in 6 official games ! With James Rodriguez (Colombia), who scored 3 goals and 4 assists , he composed the Best duo currently in England ! Their form can be traced to the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti at the managerial helm of the club.
CAMEROON MINISTER – LEAGUE
In a decision signed by the Sports Minister, authorizing resumption of sporting activities by all the country’s sports federations October 1, 2020, firm instructions were given for barrier measures to be strictly adhered to in order to impede the propagation of Covid-19. The measures include wearing of face masks, social distancing, and having no more than two hundred people flocking around sports venues.
But, while authorities managing the various sports federations in the country have swung into action, the state of affairs in the Cameroon Professional Football League is far from reassuring. The Federation and the League have still not arrived at a consensus in the implementation of the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS, even after the country’s Minister for Sports and Physical Education urged both parties to bow to the terms of the recent rulings within the shortest possible time. However, the sports boss later proceeded to appointing a committee, including an interim Secretary General, to oversee the implementation of the CAS rulings; this, to the distaste of the association of club presidents, who, feeling ignored in proceedings, and frowning at ‘political meddling in the affairs of the league’ have decided to prohibit the resumption of the football season.
As noted earlier, the saga would further delay resumption of the domestic championships, and even compromise the country’s chances of hosting the African Championships, and Cup of Nations scheduled, respectively, over the next two years.
It would be recalled that the Court of Arbitration for Sport recently ruled in the case in which the Cameroon Football Federation suspended the Executive Bureau of the Cameroon Professional League in October, 2019, and appointed then a Transitional Technical Committee to manage the affairs of the league. By the ruling, the Cameroon Federation was required to pay a 5,000-Swiss-franc fee to the league in damages and to reinstate the suspended officials headed by retired army general, Pierre Semengue whose legibility at the helm thus goes effective as of October 18, 2019. But at the same time, the retired general’s tenure had ended last July, and only a federation olive branch in the matter, later gave him up to 30th June, 2021 to still be in charge.