Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea Keen On Kaka

Reports have emerged that Premier League clubs are queuing to speak to Real Madrid about Kaka’s availability.

El Confidencial says Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are all circling Real for talks over a deal for Kaka.

Real are prepared to sell the Brazilian international for €35 million in January – and his price will drop further should clubs wait until June to negotiate.

Kaka, who joined Real from AC Milan for €67 million in 2009, is currently in Brazil being kept up-to-date on developments.

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Barcelona Prepare Swap Deal For Torres

There are Catalan press claims of an amazing swap deal involving Chelsea striker Fernando Torres moving to Barcelona.

El Mundo Deportivo says Torres will join Barca in exchange for youngsters Sergi Roberto, Isaac Cuenca and Martin Montoya.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas drove the deal, offering Torres to Barca with the European champs losing David Villa for the season and was initially demanding Pedro in part exchange.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola, in talks with Chelsea chief Michael Emenalo in Brescia, refused to release Pedro and instead offered three of their top youngsters.

Blues midfielder Oriol Romeu also had a big say in the deal, convincing his three former Barca B teammates about life in London and at Stamford Bridge. The young trio are expected in London on Saturday to finalise their switch.

Torres, meanwhile, is expected in Barcelona later today.

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Fabregas wants to play for Arsenal again

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has spoken of his desire to one day play for Arsenal again.

The Spanish international left the Emirates Stadium in the close season after a protracted transfer saga involving the Gunners and the club where he started his career.

The 24-year-old eventually joined the European champions for an initial fee of 25 million pounds, but says that leaving north London was a deeply emotional time for him.

"If I have to leave Barcelona, I will go back to Arsenal - I would like to," Fabregas told Sky Sports News.

"I am not embarrassed to say that the day I left I could only say 'Thank you very much', I couldn't say more."

"I'm not embarrassed to say that I nearly cried."

"Arsene Wenger, I have never met someone that loyal. He is one of the best, I really believe that."

Fabregas has scored eight goals in 12 appearances in La Liga this season, while at the same time contributing five assists.

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Garrido Sacked as Villarreal coach

Juan Carlos Garrido has been sacked as Villarreal coach following Wednesday evening's Copa del Rey exit at the hands of third-tier Mirandes.

The Yellow Submarine went down 2-0 at El Madrigal against the Segunda B outfit in the second leg of their fourth-round tie to crash out of the cup 3-1 on aggregate.

The defeat, coupled with the team's precarious position of 17th in the Primera Division, prompted the club's board to dispense with Garrido's services.

Villarreal also endured a terrible Champions League campaign, becoming the first Spanish side to lose all six group stage matches.

A Villarreal statement read: "Juan Carlos Garrido has tonight stopped being the coach of Villarreal's first team after the 2-0 cup defeat against Mirandes.

"The club thanks the Valencian tactician for all his efforts and dedication and wishes him luck in his future career.

"His successor has not yet been confirmed."

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Messi:Neymar most Welcomed at Barca

Lionel Messi says Santos striker Neymar would be a most welcome addition to Barcelona's already-stellar forward line.

The Catalans have reportedly agreed a deal with Santos for the young prodigy and after lining up against the Brazilian in Sunday's Club World Cup final, Messi has revealed he would be more than happy to see the forward arrive at Camp Nou.

"If Neymar comes to Barcelona, he would be welcome," Messi told reporters upon returning to his native Argentina for the festive season.

Messi said he was in great spirits after Barca's stunning 4-0 demolition of Santos in Yokohama, a game in which he netted twice.

"I'm very happy," the 24-year-old said. "Having become world champion with my club makes me very happy. Now, to enjoy the holidays with the family."

Messi did admit that Argentina's disappointing Copa America campaign was his one big regret from the last year.

"Unfortunately, the national team have not yet given me (a title), but we are working with enthusiasm and hope," he said.

Messi has played 66 times for his country since making his debut in 2005, scoring 19 goals.

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Buying Neymar depends on coach,Barcelona president

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said it is up to coach Pep Guardiola to decide whether or not to add Santos attacker Neymar to the squad.

The Brazil international is continually being linked with a move to Camp Nou, among other clubs, and reportedly asked Guardiola to take him to La Liga in the wake of Santos' 4-0 Club World Cup final loss against the Catalans on Sunday.

Rosell has made it clear that Barca are not thinking about a transfer at the moment.

"Do I want to sign Neymar? That decision is up to the coach. I'm only the president," Rosell told A Tribuna.

"You can't judge Neymar on one single game. The image we have of him is based on a number of matches. We think he's a great player. We haven't spoken to Neymar. We are focussing on the current season."

Neymar signed a contract extension with Santos in November in a deal that will keep him with the Copa Libertadores champions until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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Mourinho: We´d win any other league

His men have a Copa del Rey date with Ponferradina, but was Barcelona that Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was quizzed about on Monday.

La Liga leaders Real take on Segunda B outfit Ponferradina on Tuesday at the Bernabeu, having returned from the first leg in Ponferrada with a 2-0 win.

It will be Real's final match before the Spanish winter break, with their next game a La Liga clash at home to Granada on January 8.

But it was arch-rivals Barcelona - victors over Real at the Bernabeu on December 10 - who dominated the questioning at Mourinho's press conference on Monday.

"I'm too young to talk about whether they are (Barcelona team) the best in history, because history in this sport is very long," Mourinho said of his side's fierce rivals, who lifted the Club World Cup trophy on Sunday after defeating Brazilian club Santos 4-0.

"There are and have been a lot of fantastic teams in the history of this sport and I obviously don't know all of them. However, they are a great team that is right now, the new (world) club champion. I want to congratulate them on that title, even though I think that it's more important to win the Champions League."

"We are in agreement. They are very good, and if you can compete with them and beat them in any competition or be ahead of them, it is good. We have scored more points than they have in 2011, but this doesn't mean anything as what counts in is the titles."

"If we had a direct rival who was fragile then we would surely have an easier job. We will see who is the (La Liga) champion in May. If our squad played in any other league, we would win it easily."

On the match with Ponferradina, Mourinho spoke of his respect for his opponents and stressed Real must 'play seriously': "I expect a good atmosphere, because we had a very good atmosphere at Ponferradina," he said.

"I hope we can give them a big night because they deserve that. They were very nice to us when we went there, they were polite, educated and very competitive."

"We have to play seriously because a 2-0 lead is not a 5-0 lead, it is only 2-0. If we score one goal it will be fine, but if they score before us, it could be very close and we have to play seriously."

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Sevilla president sentenced to prison

Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison.

Del Nido was found guilty of fraud, corruption and embezzlement in the 'Minutas' case by the court of Malaga.

The offences took place between 1999 and 2003 when he worked as lawyer for the municipality of Marbella.

The prosecutor had demanded 30 years in prison for Del Nido, but the court decided to settle for the lesser sentence.

Del Nido took charge at Sevilla in 2002 and has since won two UEFA Cups, the UEFA Supercup, two Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.

The court of Malaga has also sentenced former Marbella mayor Julian Munoz to seven-and-a-half years in prison for the same offences, while former adviser Juan Antonio Roca was sentenced to four years behind bars.

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La Liga wrap: Valencia 2-0 Malaga

Roberto Soldado led Valencia to a 2-0 win over Malaga in La Liga on Sunday, while fourth-placed Levante lost.

Soldado, 26, struck a brace at the Estadio Mestalla, taking his tally to 11 league goals as Valencia moved within seven points of league leaders Real Madrid.

The striker netted the opener on 36 minutes when he got on the end of an Ever Banega pass before rounding goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero and placing into an empty net.

Soldado doubled Valencia's lead on the hour-mark, meeting Jordi Alba's cross to smash home a volley from eight yards and seal the points.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Levante suffered their second loss in three league outings after slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Granada.

Guilherme Siqueira's penalty and Abel Gomez Moreno's goal on the stroke of half-time sent Fabriciano Gonzalez's men, who moved into 13th, on the way to a surprise win.

Ivory Coast international Arouna Kone headed in a consolation goal from close range in the 60th minute as Levante continue to slip after a stunning start to the campaign.

Elsewhere, the pressure continues to grow on Atletico Madrid boss Gregorio Manzano after his team suffered a 2-0 loss at home to Real Betis.

Alejandro Pozuelo opened the scoring for the visitors before being sent off in the 73rd minute, but Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz ensured they hung on to the three points when he netted in additional time.

Villarreal, the 2007/08 league runners-up, continue to sit just above the relegation zone after a 2-1 loss at Osasuna.

Osasuna extended their unbeaten run in the league to five matches after forward Ibrahima Balde cancelled out Marco Ruben's opener and defender Sergio headed in an 83rd-minute winner.

Lowly Racing Santander missed their chance to move out of the relegation zone after squandering several chances in a 0-0 draw at home to Real Sociedad.

Defender Inigo Martinez was sent off for the visitors nine minutes after the restart, but Racing Santander were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

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Van der Wiel agreed terms with Valencia

Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel has agreed personal terms with Valencia over a contract that will run until mid-2017.

Ajax recently turned down Valencia's first offer for the right-back, but they did give the La Liga club permission to talk with the 23-year-old.

Although both clubs are still in talks over a transfer fee, the Netherlands international has already completed negotiations with Valencia and will sign a five-year deal with los Che once they reach an agreement with the Eredivisie champions.

"The clubs are still negotiating, but I expect them to reach an agreement," Van der Wiel said to Eredivisie Live.

"I have already spoken with Valencia and have agreed terms. If everything goes according to plan, I will sign a five-year deal."

Van der Wiel added that he will definitely stay with Ajax until the end of the season and will not join Valencia until the 2012-13 campaign.

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Barca are Club World Cup Champs

An imperious Barcelona were crowned Club World Cup champions in style in Yokohama, adding the world title to their Spanish and European honours as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Santos.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring for the Catalans, before Xavi and Cesc Fabregas added their names to the score sheet in a completely one-sided first half. Santos showed more after the break, but never looked likely to make their way back into a game they surrendered in the first 45 minutes. Messi put the icing on the cake with a late strike, to put the result beyond any doubt.

The opening exchanges of the match passed in a predictable fashion. Santos started with a five man defence and the intention of not conceding an early goal, and their deep back line allowed Barcelona to dominate possession. The Brazilians looked strong, however, and Barca were allowed limited glimpses of goalkeeper Rafael in the first 15 minutes.

The shot-stopper showed his talents though with an impressive double save. Lionel Messi was the first to unlock the Santos defence with a typical mazy run, and his long-range shot was parried by Rafael who was quickly up to deny Thiago with the rebound. Ganso, meanwhile, had an early effort for the Peixe, but his left-foot effort from outside the box fizzed wide of Victor Valdes' left post.

It was to be the Catalans who took the lead, however, as Messi once more showed why he is considered the best player on the planet. The Argentine picked up a wonderful ball from Xavi and delicately flicked the ball over Rafael's head, and Bruno Rodrigo's despairing dive could not deny a beautifully worked opener for the Blaugrana.

After just 22 minutes, the score was 2-0. Santos failed to cut out a cross-field ball, and Xavi found it all too easy to storm through the middle and slide the ball past the keeper. Borges then called Valdes into action with a decent effort on the right, but it could so easily have been three within the first half-hour if Fabregas' close-range shot had not found the post.

Minutes before the half-time break, Barcelona gave another demonstration of their complete control. Dani Alves' cross was palmed by Rafael and the ball pinged across the box, before Fabregas stepped up to fire home and notch the side's third of a one-sided 45 minutes.

The second period was not even one minute old before Barca threatened a fourth. An awful mistake by Edu Dracena led to Messi charging into the area, and the Argentine laid off to Fabregas who was denied by a fingertip save from Rafael. Neymar then showed the first signs of attacking danger; a header floated over the crossbar, before a decent run ended in his shot being saved by the impeccable Valdes.

Santos showed more in the second half, taking advantage of an opponent who had slowed down from an impressive showing early on to enjoy a little more possession. An intricate exchange between Neymar and Ganso was a highlight for the Brazilians, but there was no sign that Barca's imposing three goal lead was in danger as they cruised towards the Club World Cup title.

There was to be a final flourish for Barcelona. Messi was played in by Dani Alves free on the edge of the box, and the Ballon D'Or winner skipped past Rafael to slide the ball home and extend the scoreline to 4-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Josep Guardiola's side lift their second Club World Cup title, after the 2009 triumph over Argentine side Estudiantes. They also secured a quadruple for 2011, adding the trophy to Champions League, La Liga and Supercopa triumphs over the course of the year.

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La Liga wrap: Real Madrid routed Sevilla 6-2

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his incredible goal-scoring run in La Liga as Real Madrid routed Sevilla 6-2 on Saturday.

Ronaldo scored his fifth hat-trick of the season as Real moved back to the top of the table, and the Portuguese ace has now scored 53 goals in 52 appearances in 2011, including 25 in 23 matches this term.

He got the first after just 10 minutes at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before Jose Maria Callejon got a toe to Angel Di Maria's long ball to make it 2-0.

Ronaldo's second goal was the pick of the bunch, receiving the ball 30 yards out before unleashing an unstoppable drive past Javi Varas in the Sevilla goal.

Jose Mourinho's men suffered a blow just before half-time when Pepe was sent off for a second bookable offence, but it did not stop the goals as Di Maria added a fourth just after the restart.

Jesus Navas finally got the hosts on the scoresheet on 69 minutes, but any hopes of a comeback were doused when Manu received a straight red card five minutes later.

Ronaldo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining before Hamit Altintop netted a sixth for Real, with Alvaro Negredo's 91st minute strike coming as little consolation for the hosts.

Elsewhere, Gaizka Toquero broke Real Zaragoza's heart when he netted an 87th-minute winner in Athletic Bilbao's 2-1 win over La Liga's bottom side.

Zaragoza were hopeful of claiming their first point in five games when Leonardo Ponzio cancelled out Susaeta's opener for Bilbao, but Toquero's late intervention meant they were again left with nothing to show for their efforts.

Abdelaziz Barrada scored a brace as Getafe came from behind to beat Mallorca 2-1 on the road, while Espanyol won by the same scoreline away to Sporting Gijon.

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German Clubs interested in Raul Albiol

Raul Albiol's agent Manuel Garcia Quilon admits a number of Bundesliga teams have contacted him about signing the Real Madrid defender.

Reports in Spain have linked Serie A leaders Juventus with a move for the 26-year-old in January, given he has had limited first-team opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Quilon concedes the majority of interest in Albiol has been from teams in Germany.

"These are just rumours (about Juventus)," the agent told CalcioMercato.

"There are a couple of German clubs, who are interested in my client, but there has been no contact with Juventus or any other Italian club."

Albiol has a contract with Real until 2014, but needs more games under his belt if he is to be considered for Vicente Del Bosque's Spain squad for Euro 2012.

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Sanchez Could Miss Club World Cup Final

Barcelona could be forced to make do without the services of Alexis Sanchez in Sunday's Club World Cup final clash with Santos.

The Chilean winger picked up an abductor muscle injury in Thursday’s semi-final victory over Al Sadd and, according to Marca, is now a major doubt for the tournament decider.

The absence of Sanchez would be a blow for Barca as the forward has been in fine form of late and was on target in last weekend's Clasico victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Sanchez arrived at Camp Nou from Udinese over the summer and has made eight appearances in La Liga so far, scoring eight goals.

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Injured David Villa returns to Barcelona

David Villa has returned to Barcelona ahead of surgery on the broken shinbone he suffered in the Club World Cup semi-final in Yokohama.

Spain's all-time record scorer is expected to be sidelined for between four and five months after being carried off on a stretcher in the first half of Thursday's match against Al-Sadd with a fracture to his left tibia.

A Barca statement on Friday evening read: "David Villa has landed on Friday afternoon in Barcelona via Frankfurt, after the fracture of the tibia in his left leg that he suffered during the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.

"The player arrived in Barcelona in good condition and the transfer has been developed without any incident. In the next few hours a decision will be made over pre-operative tests and the date and time of surgery."

The 30-year-old is likely to miss the majority of Barca's Primera Division and Champions League campaigns, but could be available to world and European champions Spain for Euro 2012, which begins in June.

Villa's team-mates, who remained in Japan ahead of Sunday's Club World Cup final against Santos, took to Twitter to express their support for their injured friend.

Club captain Carles Puyol posted: "Encouragement for el Guaje!!! I'm sure he'll be back with us soon, his injury is a blow to the team. We will try to dedicate the title to him."

Fellow defender Gerard Pique tweeted: "You'll get well soon Guaje! We are all here for you, friend!" while midfielder Cesc Fabregas added: "Stay strong Guaje! We're with you, friend!"

Coach Pep Guardiola said after yesterday's match: "He will be greatly missed as a colleague and as a player. I hope everything goes well.

"He will be out for a long time. It's a big blow to the team. We just hope that he can play again as soon as possible.

"David is very dear to us. The injury has saddened us all. Everyone can put themselves in his place and know how they would suffer if it happened to them. They feel for him. We must accept it and encourage him in his recovery."

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Barca wary of the threat posed by Santos

Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano says his side are wary of the threat posed by Santos in Sunday's Club World Cup final.

The Catalan giants have earned passage into the final following a 4-0 victory against Qatari side Al Sadd in Yokohama on Thursday.

Mascherano discredited the notion that his country's football rivalry with Brazil will add a special feeling to the match, but noted that defeating Muricy Ramalho's side will not be an easy job.

"The final will not be special because I am Argentine," he said.

"Obviously that this is a final, we want to win it because it is an important trophy to us. We will try to do the right thing to get the trophy."

"Santos are really good, they have important players up front, like Neymar and Ganso."

"I know they are experienced, because I played in Brazil, and their coach is very clever. They are in the final, so we have to respect them."

The Argentina international also noted that Al Sadd's defensive approach to the game caused Barca some problems in the earlier stages of the match.

"I think the first 20-25 minutes were not easy, we could not find spaces to move forward," Mascherano said.

"But after the first goal, we calmed down and we started to find the spaces to attack better. After the second goal the game was almost finished."

Meanwhile, Carles Puyol admitted that the leg injury to David Villa is a heavy blow to his side.

"All injuries are painful, but this is more painful because Villa is highly regarded," he said.

"The only thing we can do is be with him and wish him a speedy recovery. Not having Villa for the final will be a special motivation, we will try to dedicate the victory to him."

The Barca captain then acknowledged that his side will need to turn in a good performance to defeat the Copa Libertadores winners in the final.

"It is clear that playing the final will be different; we will face another team, who are at another level, they have very good players who know well how to play the ball," Puyol said.

"We know that if we are not focused, we cannot win. The important thing is to play a good game, give our best and take the victory."

"The finals are always 50-50, especially if one is playing against a good team like Santos. We will have to be at our best."

"Neymar is a great player who makes the difference, he is very good in one-on-one situations and it will be very hard to defend him."

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Ronaldo Ready To Quit Real Madrid

Sensational news are out and it has been revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo is unsettled at Real Madrid and eyeing a return to England.

Ronaldo was shocked by the jeers from home fans aimed at him during the defeat to Barcelona on Saturday night.

The Portuguese international reportedly spent the Sunday bunkered down at home with his family, stunned by the backlash.

And Sport says Ronaldo is now seriously considering quitting Real at the end of the season to return to England.

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, confirmed by Ronaldo, made the attacker an amazing offer last year, which he turned down.

Former club Manchester United would also be in the hunt, where manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken regularly about re-signing his former protege.

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Real Madrid hoping for a good result against Sevilla

Real Madrid will be looking to retake top spot in La Liga by securing a positive result against Sevilla on Saturday.

The Santiago Bernabeu outfit were replaced at the summit by Barcelona following Saturday's 3-1 defeat against Pep Guardiola's side in the Clasico.

However, Madrid have the chance to leapfrog their arch-rivals at the weekend, and playmaker Kaka says his side is targeting at least one point from the match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

"We are going to Sevilla eager to take back top place in the table," he said.

The Brazil international also hailed the importance of his side's 2-0 Copa del Rey victory against Ponferradina following the Clasico defeat.

"After losing against Barca, defeating Ponferradina was an important achievement," Kaka said.

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Messi meets survivors of the Fukushima disaster

Barcelona's star-studded team took time out on their visit to Japan to meet eleven survivors of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.

The likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas presented the group of children – aged between nine and 18 – with Barcelona shirts at the training ground of J-League outfit Yokohama Marinos.

The youngsters are now living at a school in Tokyo as they wait to see when they can return home.

But their minds were taken off their problems, as they enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest stars in world football.

They watched the team train before the meet and greet session.

Barcelona are in Japan for the Club World Cup, with Pep Guardiola's side to face Al Sadd of Qatar on Thursday for a place in the final.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's 10 Big Game Flops

Cristiano Ronaldo has come under fire against following Saturday's inept performance for Real Madrid in their 3-1 loss at home to a Barcelona side who are not only his club's fiercest foes, but has become his own personal arch nemesis.

Regarded as one of the best players in football today, the Portuguese ace has often been criticised for not delivering in the biggest games when his teams need him the most.

From his days as a precocious teenager when he first arrived at Manchester United, to his glory years when he labelled himself "the first, second and third best player in the world", up to the present day at Real Madrid where he has been chasing Lionel Messi ever since, Ronaldo has had his low points at the grand stage.

Here, we look at some of his biggest high-profile disasters for club and country.

CRISTIANO RONALDO - 10 BIG GAME FLOPS

PORTUGAL 0-1 GreeceJuly 4, 2004 |  Euro 2004 final
He may only have been 19 at the time, but his transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2003 kicked off the Cristiano Ronaldo buzz. Being bestowed with United's famous No. 7 jersey only heightened the expectation and pressure, and in the final of Euro 2004 on home soil, he would experience his very first big disappointment in a high-profile game.
PORTUGAL 0-1 FranceJuly 5, 2006 | World Cup semi-final
It was the quarter-final showdown against England where the world's love-hate relationship with Ronaldo really exploded after his "winking" antics when he got Wayne Rooney sent off. In the semis against France, he was booed all game long by Three Lions fans who were expecting to see their team play Brazil, and Cristiano crumbled with a series of poor crosses and finishing, as well as showboat runs that yielded no end product.
AC Milan 3-0 MANCHESTER UNITEDMay 2, 2007 | Champions League semi-final second leg
United and Ronaldo were in rampant form in the Champions League having scored seven goals against Roma in the quarter-final second leg, with the Portuguese scoring two. But after a 3-2 first leg triumph over Milan in the last-four where Cristiano scored the opening goal, United and were outplayed in the return clash as their star No. 7 was harassed and marked out of the game by Gennaro Gattuso.
MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 ChelseaMay 19, 2007 | FA Cup final
Just 17 days after the Champions League elimination by Milan, Ronaldo and his Red Devils had a chance to make amends in the FA Cup final. But once again, the Portuguese had to endure another frustrating match of tight marking and discipline defending as Jose Mourinho's Chelsea set-up restricted Ron's influence. With opposition like Claude Makelele, John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien and John Terry, Cristiano simply could not find a way through.
Barcelona 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITEDApril 23, 2008 | Champions League semi-final first leg
Ronaldo has gone head to head with Barcelona 13 times so far in his playing career, but he has only three goals to his name against the Catalans. But all of that could have been so very different just three minutes into his very first encounter against the Blaugrana when he was given the chance to score from a penalty. He missed, and thus began his goal drought against Barca, which ran for almost exactly three years.
PORTUGAL 2-3 GermanyJune 19, 2008 | Euro 2008 quarter-finals
Ronaldo entered the Euros at the peak of his game having helped United to the Premier League and Champions League double. Despite amassing more experience and trophies at club level, his fortunes with the national team didn't get any better, and neither did his performances in the big games. Portugal crashed out at the Euro 2008 quarter-finals to the eventual runners-up, and Ronaldo was no where to be seen in the clash against the Germans.
Barcelona 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITEDMay 27, 2009 | Champions League final
By now, Ronaldo was the best player in the world after picking up the 2008 Ballon d'Or. But in what was his final game in the red of Manchester United - and his very first taste of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona - it was a sad end to his Old Trafford career. With his team outplayed by the now familiar Barca possession football, Cristiano let his frustration show as he attempted to single-handedly take the game to the Catalans. It backfired as it only served to further illustrate his individualism.
Spain 1-0 PORTUGAL29 June 2010 | World Cup last 16
After spending a full campaign in Spanish football and impressing in his debut season at Real Madrid, Ronaldo was billed as one of the megastars at the 2010 World Cup. Following an average performance in the group stages, his participation in South Africa came to an end in the last 16. Just like it was against Barcelona, Spain's possession football stifled Cristiano, who then went on to blast his Portugal coach at the time Carlos Queiroz for his over-conservative tactics.
REAL MADRID 0-2 BarcelonaApril 27, 2011 | Champions League semi-final first leg
Yet another showdown with Barca, yet another let-down by Ronaldo, who over the last 10 days prior ended his goal drought against the Blaugrana and even delivered his team the Copa del Rey. But when it mattered most in the biggest of stages, the Portuguese failed to live up to the hype and not for the first time, was overshadowed by Lionel Messi. After the loss, Ron criticised Jose Mourinho when he questioned the coach's defensive approach to the game.

REAL MADRID 1-3 BarcelonaDecember 10, 2011 - La Liga

Ronaldo could use the excuse of his teams being outplayed and the coach deploying the wrong tactics in previous encounters against rivals who dominated possession, but against Barca last Saturday, the Portuguese was given everything he needed to succeed. He was served two glorious scoring chances which he spurned and had countless opportunities to run at the Blaugrana defence. He also hit three dismal freekicks from a position and distance where he would normally ripple the back of the net.

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