Spanish Famous Soccer Players

Soccer is the most popular sport in Spain. The Spain soccer team is a superior team and has produced the famous Spanish soccer players for years. As a national team, Spain was not able to achieve any success in FIFA world cup except the 1998 world cup. The team reached the quarterfinal stage by winning eight matches. This was only the best impressive performance in FIFA games where they lost to France. Spain participated in eleven world cups and it was ranked number four in 1950.

Though superior, the world cup squad never gave good results. The famous Spanish soccer players are Luis Suarez, Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Kubala, Alfredo Di Stefano, and the goalkeeper Zamora. Also, Michel, Santillana, and Butragueno are the rising stars of Spanish national team. Most interestingly, the world famous Spanish clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona have provided Spanish soccer with best world famous players. The Spanish clubs are more popular around the world and let us have a look at few big names.

Raul Gonzalez Blanco was born in Madrid, Spain on June 27, 1977. On the club level, Raul as a member of Real Madrid is the most impressive soccer player who was responsible for the victory in Champions League in 1998. Again, in 2002, he was the leading player who allowed Real Madrid to win the Champions league. He was a real hero in the whole tournament and scored the famous two goals that turned the whole situation of the game.

The famous Spanish soccer players include names of world famous goalkeepers. Ricardo Zamora was named as the best goalkeeper in 1958. The place of Zamora has remained unchallenged and not a single goalkeeper in Spain is able to reach his height. He is the greatest goalkeeper produced by Spain and played with the national team for more than 46 occasions. Also, he played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Spain has managed to provide steady goalkeepers like Luis Arconada and Andoni Zubizarreta. Edson Arantes Do Nascimento also nicked as Pele, is regarded as one of the famous Spanish soccer players of all time.

Most of the star players from around the world are involved in the famous Spanish soccer players list. The players signed by Real Madrid include big names such as Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Robinho, and so on. To add on the world famous Barcelona soccer club granted Spanish nationality to Brazilian world famous player Ronaldinho and Mexican player Giovani.

The world cup winning captain of Argentina, Diego Maradona is related to world famous Spanish club Barcelona. The other famous players related to Barcelona club are Marcelo Trobbiani, Alberto Acosta, Marcelo Saralegui, Nicolas Hernandez, etc. Barcelona club from Spain is considered to be one of the top 10 clubs in the world.

Though the Spain soccer national team is not successful on international level, the Spanish soccer has got great respect on world sports platform. The Spanish soccer has great future and the list of famous Spanish soccer players is definitely going to rise in coming years.

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Drunk on the Sounds of the Spanish Night

I am on a night train headed for Barcelona. I dig the rhythm of the train. It is almost enough to lull me to sleep. There were no more couchettes so I rode in the coach section with all the young college students and backpackers like me who would have to sleep sitting slumped in a seat with the green hills of France rolling by the window.

Its morning when I get to Barcelona. Didn't get much sleep on the train. Lots of people talking and the rhythm of the train is just enough, soothing enough to relax me and just loud enough to keep me awake. In Barcelona I check into a moderate one star Hotel. It is very clean and modern just very small. But I have my own bathroom and shower and that's all I really care about. I immediately lie down on the bed, exhausted. I need sleep. There are Spanish construction workers outside my window so I put on my earphones to drown them out. The beat goes on

When I awake it is about five. I have a shower and get dressed and go out. The streets are busy, lined with shops, cafés, and restaurants, bars, hotels, and apartment buildings. I was starving since I had not had breakfast or lunch. I am almost ashamed to admit I ended up at Hard Rock Café but I had promised to buy friends shirts from there anyway so I figured I might as well.

Surprisingly enough it's packed. I try and find a seat at the bar but no such luck. So I wander around awhile hoping someone will get up to leave. The one good thing about a place like this since its such a tourist attraction you hear so many different languages, not just Spanish, there is Italian, French, German, English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and who knows what else. The new tower of Babel, the Hard Rock Café.

Eventually I grow tired waiting for a seat at the bar so I stop a pretty young Spanish waitress who speaks perfect English and ask if there are any seats in the restaurant? She smiles and I follow her. She brings me the first of two cold beers and then I order some obscure sandwich named after some long dead rock legend. Pre and post sandwich I wrote in my journal and when I wasn't writing I was listening to the rock music and Billy Idol screaming something about it being a nice day for a white wedding. In between songs I listened to the people, trying to connect the dots.

After the Hard Rock I wandered across the street and into the sun. It was a square like park full of steps, and statues, artwork, people, and pigeons. What we were all doing here together I couldn't rightly say. The only thing about the artwork and statues was that all the information about them was scribed in Spanish so I was out of luck and just stared. So I walked down another street past more cafés and store fronts and hip clothing outlets. I walked by a hippie couple who made artwork out of aluminum cans, they sat on the sidewalk with their long hair in their eyes selling their creative metal. I walked into a bar playing live music. A young Spanish guy with thick long raven hair sat on a bar stool playing flamenco music. It was cool. He was good. Though most of the customers seemed disinterested. I wandered upstairs as there was an internet café there and checked my mail. Then I wander back down and sit at the bar. I order a John Smith, a smooth Irish beer. The bartender is a beautiful long legged dirty blonde from Australia. I learn that the bar is owned by Australians. Seem to be a lot of English people hanging out here. Now I really begin to dig this Spanish guitar playing music. Its gotten louder or my hearing has tuned in. There seem to be only a few of us in the place who truly appreciate him, the guitarist. Toward the back of the bar are sofas and a big screen TV to watch soccer matches I presume. I order another beer and the hours seem to just roll on. I don't really talk to anyone but the bartender every now and then. Its strange being here but also perfect and I can imagine if I lived here this is the kind of place I would come after work for a beer. Although I wish there were more Spanish people and less English like me.

The guitarist is then joined by an old Spanish guy in a fisherman's hat and it seems the guitarist doesn't really know him but the owner introduces them and seems to say give him a try. This old guy starts bellowing out the most amazing tunes and it's perfect with the way this younger guy plays his guitar and they aren't really songs with words I don't think, more just dirges but you can feel the emotion in his voice! I kept thinking, this is why I came to Spain, moments like this!

After that on my way back to the Hotel I stop at a Starbucks which I haven't seen or had since my journey began nearly five weeks ago. So I order a café mocha and sit at the bar stool facing the street and pretend to be an artist or just lover of all that is good and beautiful. Its ten O'clock at night and the street is full of people. Where is everyone going? I want to rush out the door and just walk with them, be among them, feed off their energy.

Then two girls came in wearing tight jeans covering their slim legs and little half tops leaving their little navels exposed and dark tans. They sat down next to me. After a few awkward moments where everyone just sipped there drinks the brunette sitting next to me spoke and said she was from Florida and the blonde was from southwestern Spain. They were both very nice. We sat there awhile and talked of our travels. They were leaving tomorrow, the brunette back to Florida, and the blonde home to southwestern Spain. I never did find out how they got to be friends. They finished their cappuccinos and were heading for the Hard Rock Café for dinner. I thought of joining them but then decided I had seen enough of the Hard Rock café. I stumbled back to my Hotel drunk on the sounds and happenings of the Barcelona street night. I still have so much to see, the beach, La Sagrada Familia, and this incredible park designed by the great architect Antonio Gaudi. Tonight as I sleep in my small room I can still hear the flamenco guitar playing in my head and the old mans passionate voice. I can still hear it now.

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What Chance Does FC Barcelona Have Of Winning The Spanish League?

With an away victory against Real Betis on Saturday night and a clash between Real Madrid and Sevilla on Sunday resulting in a victory for Madrid, the most important question for many Barcelona fans is whether their team has what it takes to finish the season with the 2007 La Liga title.

Prior to this weekend, May 5th and 6th, FC Barcelona was in top position with Sevilla just one point behind and Real Madrid trailing two points. While Barcelona's victory at least gave room to breath a little, the result they were hoping for between their two closest rivals was a draw. Instead Madrid moved up into second place although they still remain two points behind Barcelona. That margin is too close for comfort and the fight looks like it will go on right to the end.

Barcelona's form has been rather patchy at some points during the current season, including a period when a run of five matches saw them score one goal in each, drawing four times and winning just once; and one of the lowest points in the domestic calendar must surely have been in January when fellow Barcelona team RCD Espanyol beat Barcelona 3-1 at the Estadi Olimpic.

The team definitely lacked something when Lionel Messi was out of action through injury and perhaps Ronaldinho's lack of form at times is due to the immense pressure there must be on all the players. And so, back to that big question; does Barcelona have what it takes to win this year's Spanish League title?

Whatever the answer, it's not going to be easy to do. As winners of both the Spanish League and Champions League titles in 2006 the pressure has been on the repeat their performance and after being knocked out of the UEFA competition the focus has been purely domestic. With clear focus, determination, hard work and a little luck the team does have what it takes to hold on to the title for another year, but if they make anything more than the smallest mistake then their ambitions will be thwarted.

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