Pep Guardiola’s arrival an inflection point in Premier League history

Over 20,000 professional players deemed not one footballer from the English Premier League worthy of starring in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2015, as was revealed at the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich's Kongresshaus.
Barring England, all European hotbeds – Spain, France, Italy and Germany – found representation in a team comprising football’s crème de la crème from the continent.
This has been a recurring theme at the gala in recent years. Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic in 2012 was the last player, having played a full season for an English club, to make the cut.

Premier League’s elite clubs continue to struggle against their contemporaries from the La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A on the grand stage of the world’s biggest club competition year on year.
The Football Association’s flagship brand is the oldest and most watched football league in the world. Sadly, it isn’t the best league in the world. While squad depths of all 20 clubs make for an exciting league, the gap between the best in England and Spain is only growing.
The Premier League’s top dogs come up a cropper against the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Champions League. If a list of the world’s top 20 players is compiled, not more than two players from England will be part of it at the moment.
From Cristiano Ronaldo to Gareth Bale, Premier League stars continue to be seduced by the prospect of playing in Madrid and Barcelona. Despite a gigantic television rights deal, English top-flight football has fallen out of favor with the very best in the business.
Barring Sergio Aguero, no players of genuine game-changing repute have moved the other way. Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Angel di Maria did, only because they were surplus to requirements at their respective La Liga clubs.
From the perspective of Premier League football fans, a heartening new trend has taken shape of late that could gradually help England regain its position as the ultimate club football destination.
Managers of pedigree – Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Jurgen Klopp – have jumped on the Premier League caravan in the last two years. This clearly is a positive development for the league’s brand. The best players want to work with the game’s best minds, which is why influential managers are pivotal. High-profile figures like these help elevate the stature of a league.
Come June 30, another name will join England’s managerial heavyweights. Manchester City gatecrashed transfer deadline day, announcing Manuel Pellegrini’s summer replacement as the irrepressible Pep Guardiola.
Pep’s credentials are mighty but not spotless. While he ticked all the boxes with the Catalan giants, the missing Champions League trophy with the Bavarians should count as a major miss.
Sheik Mansour has signed the best-paid manager in world football with the singular motive of winning a Champions League. Some believe the Spaniard will make City serial winners, while other feel he could build a dynasty rivaling Sir Alex Ferguson.
Guardiola inherited winning teams at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. This City side is not on the same level as both of Pep’s previous employers. Hence whether Pep can bring transformational
change to the blue half of Manchester remains debatable at this juncture.
However, what is not a matter of debate is the value the 45-year-old brings to City and the Premier League in general. Pulling power
While Lionel Messi, may still be out of bounds for City, Pep will use his pulling power to sign some of the best players in the world. With him in charge, the club will automatically become a popular destination for all the big names. Considering the resources at his disposal, Guardiola will inject City’s already formidable squad with more world-class talent. The opportunity of working under him will be hard for any player to resist.
Play, possession and position
With the Spaniard at the helm, City fans can expect their team to play way better next season. As the great Thierry Henry revealed on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Pep orders his players to stick to a rigid positional system, allowing ‘freedom’ in the final third. No player from the right can move over to the left and vice-versa in Pep’s system. His obsessive approach will help City operate at an extremely high level of efficiency.
Added focus on youth
There is no doubt Pep’s arrival will lead to a rejig of City’s squad. The club’s new youth academy will be the biggest beneficiary of life under the new manager. Guardiola is known to spend considerable time in supervising the development of young players. From nurturing La Masia’s golden generation, to ushering Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich into Bayern’s first team, Pep pays special attention to young talent.
Extraordinary style
Guardiola’s teams play with a distinct style. His system is a cross between thrilling attacking football and organizational discipline in defense. Pep’s drills his philosophy of fierce pressing and speedy attack into the entire squad. He is no advocate of one particular style. The intelligence of his plan lies in its flexibility. At heart, Pep is a pragmatist, which is why his approach will be wedded to City’s strengths.
With 19 trophies in six-and-a-half seasons, Pep’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium marks a definitive moment in Premier League’s history. His unrelenting pursuit of perfection and meticulous attention to detail will not just bolster City but also raise the benchmark of excellence in the league. More importantly, the hallmark of brand Pep, its credibility, will help England’s top-flight football regain its importance and influence in Europe.
Source- zeenews.india

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Bengaluru FC ease past Salgaocar FC to claim second I-League title in three years

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Bengaluru: Bengaluru FC were on Sunday crowned as I-League football champions for the second time in three years as they blanked Salgaocar 2-0 in their penultimate league match here today.

Eugenson Lyngdoh (8th minute) and Seminlen Doungel (87th) socred for Bengaluru as Ashley Westwood-coached side took full three points to clinch their second I-League title in front of their home crowd at the Kanteerava Stadium.
They had won their maiden crown in 2013-14 season and had finished second last season (2014-15) behind Mohun Bagan.
With 32 points from 15 matches, Bengaluru took an unassailable five point lead from currently second-placed Mohun Bagan (27 points from 15 matches) with one match to spare.
This means that their last league fixture against Mohun Bagan on April 23 in Siliguri has been rendered inconsequential as far as I-League title is concerned.
But that match will have importance for deciding the second-place finisher as East Bengal (25 points from 15 matches) are currently at third just two points behind Mohun Bagan.
East Bengal can finish at second if they beat Shillong Lajong in their last match on April 24 in Shillong and Mohun Bagan lose against Bengaluru.
Seeking to clinch the title today itself, Westwood fielded the first choice eleven for the clash with Curtis Osano and John Johnson returning to the fold as centre halves with Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Michael Collins manning the midfield.
Youngster Malsawmzuala got a start with Udanta Singh as the wingmen. Skipper Sunil Chhetri combined with Korean Kim Seong Yong to form the attacking nucleus of the 'Blues'.
It took just eight minutes for Bengaluru FC to open the scoring through Eugeneson Lyngdoh. The India midfielder scored his third goal in his comeback from injury as he latched onto a loose ball from Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh's punch off a cross from the left.
Unmarked 25 yards out, Lyngdoh drove it straight across the ground with a right footer to take the early lead and leave the Goans fluttered.
Salgaocar tried to make a comeback as Jackichand Singh made his way past a couple of defenders but Amrinder Singh was quick to get onto the ball. Thangjam Saran Singh was booked after he brought down Udanta Singh during a Lyngdoh freekick and Salgaocar never really pressed after that during the first half.
Kim Seong Yong could have added the second goal for Bengaluru but was blocked by Leny Pereira and on the second attempt off it, Eder did well to deny Sunil Chhetri from close range.
Six minutes past the half hour mark, Salgaocar keeper Karanjit pulled off fine save, diving to his left to deny Michael Collins.
After some lighting related interruption, the second half started with Salgaocar tried to break the resolute Bengaluru defense but were unable to create much of an impact with their attempts.
Skipper Chhetri set up the second goal for Bengaluru which sealed the title three minutes from time. After a fine move at the left channel, Chhetri squared the ball into the box and with Salgaocar keeper Karanjit out of his line, substitute Seminlen Doungel was there to calmly dab the ball into the open net.
The Kanteerava crowd erupted to wild cheers as the referee blew the whistle.
Source-- zeenews.india

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Cardinals' Arians takes aim at moms as he defends safety of football

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians continued his offseason crusade to save the future of football, this time at the Arizona Cardinals High School Football Coaches Clinic.
"We feel like this is our sport," Arians said Friday, via FOX Sports 910 in Phoenix. "It's being attacked, and we got to stop it at the grass roots. It's the best game that's ever been (expletive) invented, and we got to make sure that moms get the message; because that's who's afraid of our game right now. It's not dads, it's moms."
Earlier last month, Arians told MMQB that parents who won't let their kids play football are "fools." But it's not just Arians who is trying to change the narrative on football safety.
source- foxnews

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Former Saints DE Will Smith dead after he and wife shot in road-rage attack

he and wife shot in road-rage attack

Former Saints defensive end Will Smith is dead after he and his wife were shot in a road-rage attack late Saturday night in New Orleans.
The shootings took place during an argument that occured when Smith's SUV was rear-ended at an intersection, police said. Smith died behind the wheel while his wife, Racquel, was wounded in the leg. A 30-year-old man and the gun are in custody, authorities announced.

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English Football Association to ask FIFA to research dementia link to soccer

The English Football Association will ask FIFA to investigate whether former players have dementia as a consequence of brain damage from playing the game.
Three members of England's 1966 World Cup squad — Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilson — have Alzheimer's, family members told Saturday's Daily Mirror newspaper.
Concerns have grown in Britain about the impact of head injuries after campaigning by the family of former England striker Jeff Astle, whose death in 2002 was attributed to repeatedly heading heavy, leather balls.
English FA medical head Ian Beasley is seeking assistance from world soccer's governing body to help determine if there are definitive long-term health dangers from playing the game, and if prospective players should be warned.

"We are taking some research questions to FIFA imminently to ask, 'Can you help us in trying to find out if dementia is more common in ex-professional footballers?'" Beasley told The Associated Press on Saturday.
"The trouble is we just don't know ... it's a massive undertaking to try and decide whether there's an association between having played professional football and cognitive decline, dementia you might call it commonly — brain damage causing functional impairment over time. We just don't know. It's always tempting to say 'It must be.' But we're not sure."
Last year, the U.S. Soccer Federation recommended a ban on headers for players 10 and under in a bid to address concerns about the impact of head injuries.
Beasley, who is also the England team doctor, wants researchers to assess whether the severity of any brain damage depends on which position the person played, how many games they played, and at which level.
"The hope is (FIFA) will tell us one way or another," Beasley said. "This is a health and safety issue in the end, and that's what it will come down to. You may still want to be a professional footballer but at least we can advise you what the chances are of something irreversible happening to you."
FIFA chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak was not aware of the FA seeking specific research into links between footballers' brain trauma and dementia.
"We have very little evidence that would substantiate that assumption for football players," Dvorak told the AP at the Football Medicine Strategies conference in London. "But that's the reason why we are also studying the long-term changes of former professional male and female footballers. Not only for brain dysfunction but also early onset of osteoarthritis.
Source-baltimoresun

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Darren Cooper on football: Jabrill Peppers, Chris Partridge give back to Jersey

WALDWICK — Having played multiple positions already in his college football career, Jabrill Peppers tried on a new role as coach/mentor Saturday afternoon.

The former Paramus Catholic star and current Michigan redshirt sophomore spent his afternoon at Superdome Sports working with kids at the Game Changers youth football camp.
Former Paramus Catholic head coach and current Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge was nearby working the camp as well.
“I feel like it’s your duty to come back,” said Peppers. “If you were fortunate enough to make it and you have people who look up to you and want to hear what you’re saying, why not do it? Why not?”
“We got the weekend off, but I’m too restless to take the whole weekend off,” said Partridge. “Jabrill happened to be home as well, so we figured we would come over and try to help out. I have a lot of pride in New Jersey football.”
Both left before the high school-aged kids arrived, as per the new NCAA rules banning college coaches from working so-called satellite camps that are off-campus.
Wearing neon green and red cleats and a purple hat from his fraternity, Peppers watched the aspiring defensive backs work and threw passes to them. He seemed to genuinely enjoy his time, offering pointers and posing for pictures.
“This brings back memories,” said Peppers. “That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do it, just because there were guys who took time out to do it for me. It meant a lot to me. Once you see that someone made it from your community, that gives you a lot of hope.”
Peppers and Partridge have been linchpins of a pipeline of talent that sprung up seemingly overnight from New Jersey to Ann Arbor. It continued this past fall when the Wolverines received commitments from DePaul standout running back Kareem Walker and Paladins star defensive lineman Rashan Gary.
“It feels good to say that you maybe started the trend,” said Peppers. “But at the end of the day, we just want ballers and it happens than most of the ballers are from Jersey. We all know each other. We grew up around the same area. We want the same thing. We all love to play football. We are just trying to go out there and dominate and show them how New Jersey does it.”
Peppers was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season after doing a little bit of everything for the Wolverines. He played safety, cornerback and nickelback on defense. On offense, he lined up at quarterback in two games and carried the ball 18 times as a running back. He also returned punts and kickoffs.
The latest buzz out of Ann Arbor had Peppers playing linebacker in spring ball; interestingly enough, that would mean Partridge would be his coach. Again.
Partridge laughed when asked if Peppers would be a linebacker this fall.
“We’ll see,” Partridge said smiling. “Is he going to be a linebacker? No. But will he be a linebacker? Sometimes.”
Michigan will have a new defensive coordinator, the well-regarded Don Brown who led Boston College’s No. 1-ranked defense in 2015. Peppers called him a “cool grandpa” figure. But like most defenses in football now, they are trying to find a way to match offenses that spread the field horizontally and put athletes in various spots.
“My position definitely has some linebacker tendencies, but I’m not going to just be sitting at linebacker the whole time,” said Peppers. “They’ll be doing a lot with me in terms of using my skill set to my best advantage and to my team’s best advantage. It’s like a nickel[back], but in Coach Brown’s defense it’s considered a Sam [strong side] backer. It’s kind of a hybrid, bigger defensive back.”
Peppers said he weighed 207 and was getting on a flight back to Ann Arbor today. He is on track to graduate and will be NFL Draft eligible after this season — Peppers missed most of his true freshman season with a knee injury.
Under new coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines finished 10-3 in 2015 and ranked No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll. They crushed Florida in the Citrus Bowl, 41-7, a game Peppers missed with a hand injury.
Michigan will be considered a contender for a Big Ten and national title in 2016. Don’t be surprised if Gary plays right away — he’s that good — and Peppers should be even better contributing in multiple ways.
“We just want to improve from last year,” said Peppers. “We lost a couple of games we should have won. We just have to finish. That’s the main thing, just finish games. We don’t want to give anyone room to breathe, that’s our main thing right now.”Source-northjersey

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Russell Wilson is endorsing a weird new educational football bread

When it comes to thinking outside the box for endorsement purposes, it's hard to beat Russell Wilson. The Seahawks quarterback takes marketing to a different level.
But his latest endeavor, as a spokesman for "Eat the Ball" -- an educational bread! -- is just plain weird.
Via Eater comes the story of Wilson's attachment to the football- and globe-shaped bread, "the bread of a new generation."
Wilson touts not just the cool football-shaped bread that people can take to a tailgate but also the "education[al] purpose" of the globe-shaped bread.

"The thing that got me to eat the ball and really understand and gravitate towards the program is it's not just athletic balls for the kids or the people just in general to tailgate. it's also an education purpose. The eduction purpose of, there's an EarthBall, so it has all the seven continents. So imagine a kid goes up to a line and he's grabbing that piece of bread. Rather than just grabbing a normal piece of bread, he's grabbing something that can trigger his mind to think about the continents of the world, what city is where, where they want to go. Eat the Ball. It's changing the game for food for kids, for people all over the world. It's huge in Europe now and we want to bring it to America."

It's hard to fathom how football-shaped bread is "changing the game for food for kids" and "for people all over the world." It's bread shaped like a football.
You're getting smaller sandwiches, you've got to be getting way more carbs per bite than you would with normal bread and, again, just because someone can imagine a visit to Italy when they sample a ham and cheese sandwich doesn't mean they're experiencing a life-altering moment.
Does eating a hamburger entail making a football-shaped patty? That's a total nightmare, regardless of how natural the bread ingredients are.
This bread is different, that's for sure.Source--cbssports

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Former Vanderbilt football player found guilty of rape

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A former Vanderbilt football player has been found guilty of raping an unconscious student in a dorm.
It took less than three hours for the jury of nine men and three women to find Cory Batey guilty of aggravated rape, two counts of attempted aggravated rape, facilitation of aggravated rape and three counts of aggravated sexual battery.
Batey, a 22-year-old from Nashville, is one of four former football players charged with rape and accused of violating the female student in a dorm room in June of 2013. He was the only one on trial.
The verdict Friday arrived as other colleges and universities across the country continue to face significantly increased scrutiny of sexual misconduct on campus, both by activists, lawmakers and the federal government.
A jury last year convicted Batey and former player Brandon Vandenburg on multiple aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery charges. The verdicts were thrown out after Davidson County Criminal Court Judge declared a mistrial after lawyers discovered that the jury foreman had been a victim of statutory rape.
Just like the trial last year, the retrial featured graphic images and videos of the sexual assault. Police said they recovered images and videos from the players' cellphones. Testimony showed that one of the players sent video of the assault to friends while it was happening.
"Our first thoughts are with the victim and the incredible strength she has shown, and continues to show, both throughout the investigation and the legal proceedings," Vanderbilt University Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Beth Fortune said in a statement. "Our heart continues to go out to her as she has endured this retrial. This case has had a lasting impact on us all.'
The trial this week once again raised questions about bystanders in campus sexual assaults. At least five student athletes saw the unconscious woman in a state of distress but did not call for help, including several who testified that they saw her lying partially nude in a dorm hallway.
In closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that the woman was raped in the dorm room and then taken out in a hallway and left out there like trash. But they also said jurors had more than enough evidence to convict.
"I've never had a case that was videoed and photographed by the people who committed the crime," Tom Thurman, one of the prosecutors, told jurors.
Prosecutors said the dorm room attack lasted 32 minutes and it was Batey who was all over the woman once the players got her in the room.
Batey testified that he had been drinking heavily, blacked out and couldn't remember the sexual assault.
"There's nothing to show that Mr. Batey has a memory of anything," defence attorney Courtney Teasley told jurors in closing arguments. She called Vandenburg the "puppet master" and said Batey was the second drunkest person in the room and was being used as the entertainment by his teammates.
She said what happened to the woman was bad but it wasn't rape. "We know what rape is and Mr. Batey's not guilty of that," Teasley told jurors
She compared Batey to the victim and said both had blacked out. However, prosecutors maintained that, unlike the victim, Batey was walking around.
The victim in the case testified earlier in the day, the second time in a year that she told a courtroom full of strangers what happened to her. When a prosecutor showed the woman a picture of herself unconscious, she broke down in tears and said: "It's me. It's me."
She was then a 21-year-old incoming senior. The woman, who graduated from Vanderbilt and is now in a neuroscience Ph.D program in another state, said she has no memory of the sexual assault. She testified that she woke up alone in a strange dorm room, feeling sick and not knowing where she was or what happened to her.
She said she had been dating Vandenburg for about two weeks, and the last thing she remembered was him plying her with alcohol at a popular bar the night before.
The woman discovered what happened after police showed her some of the images and video recovered from the cellphones. Nashville police got involved because Vanderbilt officials contacted them when school surveillance footage showed players carrying an unconscious woman in a dorm.Source--brandonsun

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Timing off for Jacksonville bid for state football championships

News of Daytona Beach moving in position to host the state high school football championship series broke late Thursday night and it was met largely with positive response across the state.
A smaller facility should create a better game-day atmosphere for the players, and Daytona Beach has history in running the state series well. Its 10,000-seat Municipal Stadium has served as the central host to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s championship game six times before (1989-90, 1993-96).
But the questions have been asked for months about Jacksonville’s interest — and the likelihood — that it could make an effort to land the state’s marquee high school event, not only during this cycle, but in the future.
Alan Verlander, the executive director for the JAXSPORTS Council and TaxSlayer Bowl, said the city explored the possibility of bidding on the football event.
But the strain of putting on an eight-game football series at EverBank Field on the heels of two college football games, and during the NFL season, just didn’t make sense.
“I think [Daytona Beach] is the perfect place for it. I think it needs to be played in a stadium where you can feel the vibrance and electricity of a state championship game,” Verlander said. “Certainly we’d love to host one of [the FHSAA’s] premier championship events here. I think we’ve proven we can run major events. We do events here really well. From our standpoint, we have to make sure it makes sense. From a business decision, does it make sense? From a time-of-the-year standpoint, does it make sense?”
As it does with numerous sporting events, both mainstream and niche, the city looked into the possibility of bidding when the FHSAA opened it up. Only two cities —Daytona Beach and Orlando — ultimately submitted bids by the March 11 deadline. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported Thursday that the FHSAA chose Daytona Beach’s bid over Orlando’s. They now have 30 days to finalize terms of the deal to make it official.
What swayed Jacksonville from bidding during this cycle was a combination of factors — time and site constraints were key, as well as the financial aspect, Verlander said.
There was just too much planned for EverBank Field in 2016 to make it work.
Jacksonville hosts the Florida-Georgia game on Oct. 29. One week later, EverBank will host Navy vs. Notre Dame. Using last year’s Jaguars schedule as a frame of reference, the team had four home games between Nov. 19 and Dec. 20. Adding either a one- or two-weekend slate of high school games to an already crowded schedule at EverBank wasn’t viable.
And high school football championship games in Florida just don’t draw the amount of fans that you’d expect.
The city did look at one potential option for state football, but came up a few feet short at the Baseball Grounds. Verlander said the Grounds are 108 yards at its longest point, 12 yards shy of the 120 yards needed for a full football field.
A mixed-use facility in the area would be a better venue than EverBank, although there currently isn’t one in the area.
From a capacity standpoint, a smaller venue such as Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach seems more conducive for a better game experience. It serves as the main high school football hub in Volusia County and is Bethune-Cookman University’s home field. The NAIA championship game has also been played there the last two years and will return this year.
Only 12 times in state history, dating to 1963, has a championship game drawn more than 10,000 fans, and the bigger venues tend to feel empty.
During the last three years in Orlando’s Citrus Bowl, games have averaged 3,259 paying fans for each of the eight championship games, a fraction of the 70,000-seat capacity. The Class 2A state championship game in 2013 drew just 717 fans.
“When it comes down to playing eight games on the turf, then you add in that you don’t know when the Jaguars will be scheduled [this season], and the possibility of a playoff game, you just had a lot of games within that time frame,” Verlander said.  “When we sit down and talk with people from the city, SMG, the Jaguars, and say, ‘Is this the best use of our facility, what’s the return?’ At the end of the day, we felt for us right now, it wasn’t the right time.”Source-jacksonville

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Fast track: Early enrollment now common in college football

In January 2007, mega-recruit Jimmy Clausen enrolled at Notre Dame, bypassing a final semester of high school to partake in spring practice with the Fighting Irish and get a jump on becoming the starting quarterback.

Early enrollment was a rarity in college football at the time. Almost a decade later, it's commonplace.

All but four teams in the Power Five conferences have at least one member of the 2016 freshman class already enrolled and practicing, a total of more than 250 players. West Virginia, North Carolina State and Florida have the most freshmen early enrolled this year with nine each.

Now a highly touted quarterback recruit from Alabama is taking early enrollment a step further. Jake Bentley announced this week he will skip his senior year of high school altogether and enroll at the University of South Carolina this summer.
While players who have enrolled early say it increased their ability to play as freshmen and gave them a head start on earning credits toward graduation, some in college sports wonder, what's the rush?
''I don't think there's any way that it's in the best interest of quality preparation for college to go early,'' said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, head of the NCAA's football oversight committee. ''I think it's also fair to assert that not all of the kids that are doing this are excellent students. Just the fact that they were able to get out of high school early doesn't make them necessarily ready for college.''
At first, most early enrollees were quarterbacks. No position requires more mental preparation.
Clemson star DeShaun Watson got on the fast track after his sophomore year of high school, with the encouragement of then-Tigers offensive coordinator Chad Morris.
Watson had to give up a final season of high school basketball but knew football was his future.
''I missed my friends, my last semester of high school and all the memories, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,'' he said. ''I wanted to play as a freshman.'' Watson was Clemson's starter by game four of his freshman season. Only injuries held him back after that.

Watson, from Gainesville, Georgia, about 90 miles from Clemson, South Carolina, attended prom and graduation, and every other weekend went home to watch the basketball team play during that first college semester.

''Coach (Dabo) Swinney does a great job,'' Watson said. ''He let all the mid-year guys go back and experience that.''

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FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2015, file photo, Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez is shown during the fir …

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said he doesn't recruit players with early enrollment in mind, but ''I don't see anything wrong with it.''

''It's obviously a boost for the colleges,'' Rodriguez said. ''They get a player and get him acclimated to the college system. We like it, but we leave it up to (the players).''

He said the greatest benefits to players enrolling early come in the weight room.

''Being with 100 football players and lifting in that competitive environment accelerates the maturation process,'' Rodriguez said.

Watson said he went from 181 pounds when he got to Clemson to near 200 by the start of his freshman season.

Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi will work with players interested in early enrollment, but he isn't as positive about the trend.
''There's no reason to push the envelope on this,'' Narduzzi said. ''You just finished your senior year, you're just starting to wind down and finish the last half of your senior year, whether it's playing another sport or enjoying the prom, just really enjoying being a high school student for one half year.''
Early enrollment is not just for quarterbacks any more.
Tennessee coach Butch Jones used early enrollment to give his team a fast infusion of talent after going 5-7 in 2013, his first season in Knoxville. The Vols had 24 players enroll early from highly rated recruiting classes in 2014 and '15.
''A lot of times, just the growth in one semester is the equivalent of a redshirt year,'' Jones said. ''It's really been beneficial for us in really flipping our roster and turning our football program around.''
Tight end Ethan Wolf, a three-sport athlete from Minster, Ohio, was part of Tennessee's 2014 early enrollee class and started 11 games as a freshman.
''Being from a small town, there's a lot of camaraderie on those teams. To have to leave your senior year of baseball and basketball is kind of a tough decision,'' Wolf said. ''But when I weighed the options of the situation - we needed a tight end - that this is a big-time opportunity that I needed to capitalize on, everything fell into place.''
Players who early enroll can count toward the previous year's signing class, allowing a team to sign more than the NCAA limit of 28 in a year.

''It's a creative way to manage your roster, but on the flip side of that, you're always paying with a credit card, too,'' new Rutgers coach and former Ohio State assistant Chris Ash said. ''I don't think you necessarily go out and say, I'm only going to recruit guys that are going to be mid-year (enrollees) because that pool shrinks pretty fast.''

Bentley's situation drew national attention, but the circumstances are atypical.
Bentley first played high school ball for his father, Bobby, in Duncan, South Carolina. When Bobby Bentley got a job on Gus Malzahn's staff at Auburn, the family moved to Alabama and Jake played the last two seasons at Opelika High School.
New South Carolina coach Will Muschamp hired Bobby Bentley as running backs coach this offseason. Instead of choosing a new high school in South Carolina or maybe staying behind to finish at Opelika, Jake Bentley decided to join his father - and compete for a starting quarterback job that is wide open.
Bowlsby said early enrollment is among the many issues the oversight committee will consider when it meets this month and takes a comprehensive look at recruiting.

''I wonder where it stops and when you might have the entire recruiting class starting in January?'' Bowlsby said. ''It's a troubling trend that needs to be examined.''Source-yahoo

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National Edition The sport with the most concussions (hint: it's not football)

Although football gets all the bad press, it's not the cause of most concussions in the United States. Horseback riding is.
In its April edition, the journal Neurosurgical Focus reported that horseback-riding accidents were the chief cause of emergency-room visits for sports-related traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers analyzed ER visits between 2003 and 2012 in six categories: contact sports (such as football or soccer), roller sports, skiing/snowboarding, equestrian sports and aquatic sports.
While traumatic-brain injury was deemed mild in 86 percent of all cases, equestrians accounted for 45.2 percent of cases.
Next was interpersonal contact sports, with 20.3 percent; roller sports, 19 percent; skiing and snowboarding, 12 percent; and aquatic sports, 3.5 percent.
Traumatic-brain injury, or TBI, is a change in brain function because of a blow to the head. Its mildest form, which occurs in 70 to 90 percent of cases, is called a concussion.
Research has found that repeat concussions can be dangerous and even deadly, and may over time lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The story of how CTE was discovered among National Football League players was the subject of the 2015 film "Concussion" starring Will Smith.
"Brain injuries in professional athletes, however, represent only a small fraction of the overall incidence of TBI annually; the vast majority of these injuries occur in recreational athletes," the researchers said.
Young adults, in particular, appear to be especially at risk. People between the ages of 18 and 29 contributed disproportionately to the total of sports-related TBIs, accounting for 44 percent of all injuries, the report said.
Ironically, although aquatic sports caused the fewest injuries in the study, they accounted for the most complications and fatalities, most from jumping or diving into a pool.
Among cases that ended in death, roller sports were the second most deadly.
The researchers said the findings make clear the importance of educating recreational athletes about traumatic-brain injury and how helmets can help prevent it, especially in equestrian activities.
"One report found that, when normalized for hours of activity, horseback riding results in a higher rate of hospital admission than other high-risk activities such as motorcycle riding," the researchers said.
But they noted, "Rates of helmet use are 25 percent or lower across equestrian sports, despite the fact that helmets have been associated with as much as a 40-50 percent reduction in absolute risk for TBI."
The growing body of research on concussions has also shown the importance of rest after even a mild head injury. A study published in February showed that the brains of mice regrew damaged synapses after a week's rest, but not if they were injured every day, Ike Swetlitz reported in STAT.Source-deseretnews

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World Football Mourns Death of Dutch Master Johan Cruyff

Supporters are embraced in front of a picture of Johan Cruyff during a memorial at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona.

Amsterdam: The death of Johan Cruyff, whose creative genius on the pitch and inventive brilliance as a coach changed the modern game, prompted an outpouring of tributes to a figure hailed as doing more than anyone to "to make the beautiful game beautiful". (Dutch Football Legend Johan Cruyff Dies of Cancer)
In his heyday in the early 1970s, Cruyff, slender, quick-witted and outrageously gifted, helped a generation of football fans across the world see the game in a different light.
Unquestionably the best player in the world in that period, he was voted three times winner of the prestigious Ballon d'Or so that he is now often mentioned alongside the pair widely considered the finest to have played the game, Pele and Diego Maradona.
Tributes from legends
Brazilian Pele said on Thursday: "Johan Cruyff was a great player and coach. He leaves a very important legacy for our family of football. We have lost a great man." (Romario Hails Johan Cruyff as 'Best Coach' Ever)
Maradona said: "We will never forget you, mate" while another Argentine Lionel Messi, the world's best current player, added: "Another legend has left us today."
Cruyff, who had announced last October that he was suffering from lung cancer, had said only last month that he was "2-0 up in the first half" of his battle against the disease. (Neymar Says Johan Cruyff's Death a 'Great Loss')
Poignantly, that turned out to be one of the last public statements made by the sage whose observations on the modern game were eagerly courted in global football, with his weekly column for De Telegraaf newspaper a must-read until the end.
Cruyff died surrounded by his friends and family at his home in Barcelona, according to his official website.
The news prompted eulogies from his home country with Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, saying: "The whole world knew him and, through him, the world knew the Netherlands."
The Netherlands' international against France on Friday in Amsterdam will be halted for a minute-long silence after 14 minutes in tribute to Cruyff, who wore the number 14 in his playing days.

A black ribbon is seen in the grandstands of Camp Nou stadium during the Johan Cruyff memorial in Barcelona on March 26.

© Reuters

In his adopted home of Barcelona, though, the loss was just as keenly felt with Cruyff having become an iconic figure in the Catalan city, where their current world-beating team, featuring Messi, still bears the hallmarks of his attacking invention.
As Pep Guardiola, one of his successful and influential successors as Barcelona coach, said: "He painted the chapel and Barcelona coaches since have merely restored or improved it."
Total Football
As a player with Ajax Amsterdam, Cruyff was the dazzling poster boy for the philosophy of "total football", embodied in coach Rinus Michels' magnificent Dutch team that he captained in his pomp to the 1974 World Cup final.
"Total football" centred on the idea of players being accomplished and comfortable enough on the ball to play anywhere -- and Cruyff, endlessly skilful and lightning fast in thought, was seen as the 'total footballer'.
It was during that World Cup in Germany that he treated a global audience for the first time to a magical piece of skill, dragging the ball behind his standing leg with the inside of his foot to bamboozle a Swedish defender. Thus was his monument, the "Cruyff turn", born.
Great players often do not make great coaches but Cruyff was a glorious exception, creating the Barcelona 'Dream Team' that won four straight Spanish titles and their first European Cup between 1991 and 1994.
Born Hendrik Johannes Cruyff, he joined Ajax as a long-haired teenager and inspired them to three successive European Cups between 1971-73 before joining Barcelona for a then world record transfer fee of $2.0 million and guiding them to the 1974 Spanish title.
He was the best player playing for the best team in the 1974 World Cup and, beyond Germany, there was huge disappointment worldwide that his brilliant Netherlands side were beaten 2-1 in the final by the hosts after Johan Neeskens scored an early penalty awarded when Cruyff was brought down in the area.
The Dutch also got to the World Cup final in 1978 but lost again, this time without Cruyff who had quit the national side, saying years later he walked away after an armed kidnap attempt.
The possession-based playing style Cruyff promoted as Barcelona coach, with an emphasis on relentless attack, has been widely copied and is credited with underpinning Barca's subsequent successes, as well as those of the Spanish national team.
During his reign, Cruyff, who had been a heavy smoker, underwent double heart bypass surgery and subsequently gave up smoking, replacing his cigarettes for lollipops.
Former England captain Gary Lineker, who played under Cruyff during that period at Barcelona, summed up the Dutchman's towering contribution by saying on Twitter: "Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history."

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Lionel Messi Provokes Outrage in Egypt by Donating Boots

A charitable gesture by Lionel Messi has provoked outrage in Egypt, where a lawmaker and football official took offense at the donation.

Cairo: Lionel Messi had donated his boots to a private satellite channel during an auction the channel to auction them off for charity.
A charitable gesture by Argentinian football star Lionel Messi has provoked outrage in Egypt, where a lawmaker and football official took umbrage at the donation: his football boots.
Messi, in an interview with the private satellite channel MBC Misr, had donated his boots to the channel to auction them off for charity.
"Messi, I really thank you," said the interviewer as she sat across from the Barcelona player, dangling his boots, in the segment aired on Saturday.
While no one would consider being hit with a shoe or boot, or being labelled a shoe a compliment, it is especially insulting in Middle East cultures.
Donating boots, it emerged, was equally insulting to Egyptian member of parliament Said Hasasein, who attacked Messi on his television show.
"This is my shoe," he said, holding up a beaten loafer. "I donate it to Argentina.
"This is an insult to Egyptian people," he elaborated, thumping his fist on his desk.
Egyptian Football Federation spokesman Azmi Mogahed phoned in to the show to express his outrage.
"Even in our religion..." he began to say, when Hasasein interrupted: "His religion is Jewish!"
Mogahed agreed. "I know he's Jewish, he donates to Israel and visited the Wailing Wall and whatever ... we don't need his shoe and Egypt's poor don't need help from someone with Jewish or Zionist citizenship."
"People in Argentina sleep in parks!" Hasasein added.
Messi was born into a Catholic family, and has made the sign of the cross after scoring goals.
Some Egyptians criticised Messi, and his interviewer, on Twitter, using the hashtag "Messi's boot for the Egyptian people."
"It's not your fault, Messi you dog. It's the fault of that son-of-a-shoe channel, and that daughter-of-a-shoe interviewer," wrote one.
Others, including former Egyptian football star Mido, defended Messi.
"The most precious thing a writer has is his pen, and the most precious thing a football player has is his boots," he wrote on Twitter.  source sports.ndtv

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Brazil's Sports Minister Resigns, Says President's Office

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff departure is unlikely to have much of an effect on preparations for the August 5-21 Olympics.

© AFP

Rio de Janerio: Brazil's sports minister is resigning four month before the country hosts the Olympics, the office of embattled President Dilma Rousseff says, amid continuing uncertainty over the fate of six other Cabinet ministers. (Read More in Football)
Rousseff's office announced on late Wednesday that George Hilton had asked to leave the position and would be temporarily replaced by a top ministry official.
Hilton's departure is unlikely to have much of an effect on preparations for the August 5-21 Olympics as his role in the project was marginal. He had been sports minister for slightly over a year.
The Wednesday's announcement capped weeks of confusion about whether Hilton would stay on as minister. He left his party after it pulled out of Rousseff's fragile governing coalition this month, in an apparent bid to hold onto his job. But a top Rousseff aide said last week that Hilton would resign, although his ministry declined to confirm it at the time.
A similar back-and-forth also affects six other Cabinet positions held by members of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, known by the Portuguese initials PMDB, which decamped from Rousseff's coalition on Tuesday. Party leaders said all their Cabinet ministers, as well as hundreds of other federal government employees, would have to resign immediately.
But Agriculture Minister Katia Abreu said on Twitter late Wednesday that she didn't plan on leaving either the government or the party. Her tweet suggested the other five PMDB Cabinet ministers held the same stand.
Abreu is a close confident of Rousseff.
It wasn't immediately clear how the PMDB - Brazil's largest party - would respond to the minister's defiance.
Brazilian news media have suggested Rousseff planned to offer the vacated ministries to the six smaller parties that remain in her coalition in a bid to help her secure their support in an upcoming Congressional vote on impeachment proceedings against her. Rousseff faces impeachment on charges she violated fiscal rules and needs 172 out of 513 votes in the lower house to bury the proceedings.
But the defection of the PMDB, which has been a key part of the governing coalitions since Brazil emerged from military dictatorship in 1985, appears to have made it more difficult for her to avoid impeachment.
Rousseff's approval rating has plummeted amid the worst recession in decades, rising unemployment and an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has been linked to a spike in cases of a rare birth defect.  source:sports.ndtv

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India lose 1-2 to Turkmenistan, finish last at football Word Cup qualifiers

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Kochi: India ended their 2018 World Cup football qualifying campaign on a disappointing note as they lost to Turkmenistan 1-2 in their last group match to finish at the bottom of the heap here on Tuesday.

The Indians led 1-0 at the breather with a dominating show in the first session in hot and humid conditions courtesy a Sandesh Jhingan strike, but conceded two goals in the second half to lose the Group D match at the Nehru Stadium.
Jhingan's 27th minute header raised hopes for the Indians to end their disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign on a winning note, but they allowed Turkmenistan to come back strongly in the second half with a sloppy performance.
The visiting side, which struggled to cope with the heat and humidity in the first half, regrouped themselves in the second and pumped in two goals through Amanov Arslan (49th) and Serdaraly Atayew (70th) to collect full three points.
Turkmenistan also wasted a penalty early into the match with Arslan shooting the ball wide off the target in the 21st minute.
India ended their campaign at the bottom of the five-team Group D with just three points with a lone win over Guam in their home leg match last year.
Turkmenistan, who were also already out of reckoning in the World Cup qualifying campaign, ended at third position with 13 points. The tiny Pacific nation of Guam ended above India at fourth with seven points.
Today's match did not have much significance for India as far as their World Cup qualification was concerned as they were already assured of a bottom finish irrespective of the result. A win, though, could have some impact on India's chances for qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup.
India were to feature in a play-off round of even to feature in the qualifiers of the Asian Cup irrespective of today's result. But a win today would have ensured a lesser team for them in the play-off round of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Indians were to be blamed themselves for today's defeat as they squandered a 1-0 lead with a dominating display in the first 45 minutes as they controlled the match till the end of that period.
Turkmenistan, however, could have taken the lead in the 21st minute as they earned a penalty after Pritam Kotal brought down Arslan Amanov inside the area. Arslan himself took the spot kick but shot wide even as Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu dived at the right direction.
India punished the visiting side for wasting the penalty as central defender Jhingan came up to head home from a set piece.
He outjumped his Turkmenistan rivals to connect a Narayan Das free-kick which India earned after a foul on captain Jeje Lalpekhlua who led the home side as an injured Sunil Chhetri did not take the field.
Turkmenistan, who had beaten Oman and drawn with mighty Iran in their campaign, showed in the second half why they are ranked 113th in the FIFA charts, 47 places above India as they brushed aside the tough playing condition here to score twice in the second half.
Turkmenistan's equaliser though was due to a goalkeeping mistake by normally reliable Gurpreet as he found himself out of position as the cross from Didar Durdiyev sailed over him for an unmarked captain Arslan to head the ball home into the empty net.
Second half substitute Atayev then scored the what turned out to be the winning goal in the 70th minute as he got the better of every Indian inside the box
to slot the ball home.
He side-stepped an advancing Gurpreet and then fired a low shot into the net with all other Indian defenders trying to reach to the ball in vain. source:ndia.com

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Romario Hails Johan Cruyff as 'Best Coach' Ever

Johan Cruyff managed Barcelona for eight years, winning four back-to-back La Liga titles and the club's first European Cup.

• 2The Dutch legend managed Barcelona for eight years
• 3Cruyff made 143 appearances as a player for Barcelona, scoring 48 goals

Sao Paulo: Brazilian World Cup winner and star forward Romario joined the outpouring of tributes to late Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, his manager at Barcelona at the height of his career. (Dutch Football Legend Johan Cruyff Dies of Cancer)
"We woke up to the sad news of the death of my Dutch friend Johan Cruyff," Romario, 50, wrote on Facebook. (Neymar Says Johan Cruyff's Death a 'Great Loss')
"He was, without a doubt, the best coach I ever had. His lessons will be eternal in my life."
Cruyff saw Romario, who is today a senator in Brazil, through his golden era as a player, when he led Brazil to the 1994 World Cup and was named the best player of the tournament.
The Dutch master managed Barcelona for eight years, winning four back-to-back La Liga titles and the club's first European Cup, with a "Dream Team" that featured Romario from 1993 to 1995.
The strong-willed manager was known for occasional standoffs with Romario, who then had a reputation as a high-flying party animal.
Cruyff once told the young player he would only grant his request to stay two extra days in Rio de Janeiro for carnival if he scored two goals the next day.
The forward recalled to sports daily L'Equipe that he promptly racked up his double, asking permission to leave right away because his plane left in an hour.
"I often say that he challenged me a lot as a player and I always sought to win," Romario wrote Thursday.
"He was also a very fair person. I remember it was hard for me to be far from home. At the time, I was the only non-European player at Barcelona. So he would give me a few extra days off so I could rest at home."
Considered one of the all-time greats, Cruyff died of lung cancer Thursday at age 68.

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Neymar Says Johan Cruyff's Death a 'Great Loss'

Johan Cruyff made 48 appearances for the Netherlands, scoring 33 goals.

© AFP

Highlights

• 1Johan Cruyff died of cancer aged 68
• 2He played for clubs like Ajax, Barcelona and Levante
• 3He won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax from 1971

Recife: Brazil's star striker Neymar said on Thursday that Dutch master Johan Cruyff's death is a "great loss for football". (Dutch Football Legend Johan Cruyff Dies of Cancer)
"Those of us who love football know how important he was to football. He was a great athlete. No one is happy when a person like that dies," Neymar told a press conference ahead of Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Friday.
The Barcelona star said he had not yet spoken about Cruyff's death with anyone at the club, where the Dutch legend had successful stints as both a player and a manager during his career.
Considered one of the all-time greats, Cruyff died of lung cancer Thursday at age 68.

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Iran beat lacklustre India 4-0 in football World Cup qualifier

Tehran: A lacklustre India went down 0-4 to Asian football giants Iran in a one-sided 2018 World Cup qualifier at the Azadi Stadium here on Thursday.

Ehsan Hajsafi (33rd, 66th minutes) struck twice from the penalty spot, while Sardar Azmoun (61st) and Alireza Jahanbakhsh (78th) struck once each.
Iran finished as the top team in Group D with 17 points. India remain last in the five-team group with just three points to their name ahead of their final game against Turkmenistan in Kochi on March 29.
India do have a faint chance of qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup, but they will have to defeat Turkmenistan and depend on results from other matches in the group.
Up against the highest ranked team in Asia, the Indians adopted a defensive approach. But they produced a limp performance and were undone by a couple of defensive blunders which led to penalties.
The men in blue started off well enough, restricting the hosts to just a single goal in the first half. But their game fell apart in the second half as Iran, coached by former Manchester United manager Carlos Quieroz, made their domination count.
The visitors were without the injured duo of Sunil Chhetri and Eugeneson Lyngdoh, who were replaced by Udanta Singh and Pronay Halder respectively. In defence, Arnab Mondal and Pritam Kotal made way for Sandesh Jhingan and Aiborlang Khongjee. Iran also made several changes to their starting line-up and fielded a young team.
Iran got their first chance in the eighth minute and Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh had to rush off his line in order to to deny Azmoun.
India should have scored five minutes later, but Holicharan Nazary saw his attempt sail above the bar with Iran goalkeeper Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri off his line.
Gurpreet parried away another Iranian attempt in the 17th minute before Jhingan survived a penalty appeal two minutes later after bringing down Alireza inside the box.
The relentless pressure by the hosts took its toll when a reckless high-boot challenge from Bikash Jairu saw the referee point to the spot and the East Bengal winger was handed a booking as well. Off the subsequent penalty, Hajsafi sent Gurpreet the wrong way to open the scoring.
Jairu was substituted three minutes later by fellow East Bengal player Harmanjot Singh Khabra.
The hosts continued to create chances at regular intervals and nearly doubled their lead early in the second half as Ezatolahi headed just wide from a corner-kick.
Azmoun, nicknamed the `Iranian Messi`, went close in the 52nd minute as he curled an effort wide from the edge of the area. Gurpreet then parried away Morteza`s effort three minutes later.
Iran doubled their lead when a Hajsafi corner found Azmoun, who received the ball on his thigh before finding the target from close range.
The visitors conceded another penalty when Narayan Das`s attempt at a headed clearance saw the ball strike his hand. Hajsafi scored his second goal from the spot to put the issue beyond the visitor`s reach.
The hosts scored their fourth goal thanks to another piece of poor work by the Indian defenders. Alireza was allowed plenty of space and time as he cut in from the right flank to bulge the net with a well-placed finish.

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Johan Cruyff's death: Reactions from across the globe

Reaction to the death of football great Johan Cruyff, who died in Barcelona on Thursday following a five-month battle with lung cancer.

"We have lost a great man. May we carry on his example of excellence. Johan Cruyff was a great player and coach. He leaves a very important legacy for our family of football." -- Brazil`s triple World Cup winner Pele.
"I played against and tried to mark Johan Cruyff in the final of the European Cup in 1969. He could break down any system and you really didn`t understand what was going on. He was a universal player, who followed in (Alfredo) Di Stefano`s footsteps, he didn`t just attack up front but he dropped back to pick up the ball. He was everything and he wasn`t anything, there wasn`t a role for him." -- former Italy and Juventus coach Giovanni Tra
“We are shattered it happened so quickly. I have lost a friend but the Netherlands has lost great footballer, a forward thinker who dedicated his life to taking football to the highest level possible. His importance to Dutch football was enormous.” -- Dutch football association (KNVB) president Michael van Praag.
“He was the best footballer we ever had.” -- former Dutch midfielder Ronald de Boer.
“We knew he was sick but he was optimistic and prepared to fight. He was not only the best footballer the world has seen but also a great analyst. He could see things so differently and express a view that you would never have thought of.” -- Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers.
“The Netherlands has lost a unique and genial star who gave sport a new face. He was an icon of the Netherlands.” – Dutch King Willem-Alexander.
"The whole world knew him and through him the world knew the Netherlands." -- Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

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“Johan Cruyff was a magnificent player, one of the greatest players the world has ever known. A symbol of elegant play. An inspiration. A source of admiration for fans. He has marked football history for ever.” -- FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“We will always love you Johan. Rest in peace.” -- Barcelona on Twitter.
“Deeply touched by the death of my best ever coach and good friend. Thank you for everything. For always in our hearts.” -- Ronald Koeman, manager of Southampton who played under Cruyff at Barcelona. “I’m shocked. He was not only a good friend but like a brother to me." – Franz Beckenbauer, who played against Cruyff in the 1974 World Cup final.
“I had the privilege of having him as a coach when I played at Barcelona. He was, without doubt the greatest coach I had, his teachings were be eternally with me. He knew better than anyone how to take advantage of what every member of the team did best and he knew my skill was scoring goals." -- Brazilian striker Romario.
“Sad to hear that Johan Cruyff has died. Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history.” -- Gary Lineker.
"He was one of those great, great footballers that made you excited whenever he got the ball and began to play. There was always expectation in the crowd when Johan was on the pitch. There wasn’t a negative thought in his head. He loved the game, he loved sport and he loved life. He was one of the greatest footballers I have ever seen, you would put him in the same class as Pele, Di Stefano and Maradona. The kind of football he played changed the game and still has an impact today.” -- England`s 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton.

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Legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff dies at 68 after cancer battle

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Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest footballers in history, died on Thursday at the age of 68 from lung cancer, his family announced.

The Dutchman "died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hard-fought battle with cancer", said a statement on Cruyff`s official website.
"It`s with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family`s privacy during their time of grief."
Cruyff won three European Cups as a player with Ajax Amsterdam and Ballon d`Or titles in 1971 with Ajax and 1973 and 1974 with Barcelona, where he starred from 1973 to 1978.
Cruyff is considered one of the best four players in history alongside Pele of Brazil, Diego Maradona of Argentina and France`s Michel Platini.
With his precision passes, speed, technique and goalscoring ability, Cruyff set new standards as a player.
He was the incarnation of Total Football that took the Dutch team to the World Cup final in 1974. He inspired a new generation of footballers.
"Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is," he once said.
As a coach, Cruyff led Barcelona to their first European Cup title in 1992.
Cruyff was once a heavy smoker who gave up after heart bypass surgery in 1991. He started sucking lollipops on the touchline at Barcelona games.
Cruyff also appeared in a Catalan government advert, saying: "Football has given me everything in life, tobacco almost took it all away."
He revealed in October last year that he had lung cancer.
He said in February that he had received "very positive" results about his battle.
"Right now, I have the feeling that I am 2-0 up in the first half of a match that has not finished yet. But I am sure that I will end up winning," he added in a statement.
News of his death still came as a shock to the football world and tributes quickly flooded in.
"He was the best player of all time," French legend Michel Platini told AFP.
"I have lost a friend, the world has lost a great man. I admired him," Platini added.
"The `14` will never be the same. RIP Johan Cruyff," said modern-day Spanish hero Xabi Alonso, now with Bayern Munich, on Twitter in a tribute referring to Cruyff`s number 14 shirt.
"Goodbye to one of the legends of the history of football," said Real Madrid`s Sergio Ramos.
While Cruyff made his name at Ajax, where he started at the age of 17, he made his football home in Barcelona.
"Barça soon began to reap the rewards as the Dutch magician helped Barça to the league title in his first season, and went on to win his second and third Ballon d`Or," the club said in a tribute.
"He quickly became an icon for Barça.
"His acrobatic strike against Atletico Madrid and the 5-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu (against Real Madrid) in 1974, among many other great moments, will live long in the memory of Barça fans."
Cruyff returned as manager in 1988. "He was in the dugout for eight seasons, during which time he led the club through its most successful ever period up until that point."
Barcelona won four consecutive league titles and their first ever European Cup in May 1992 at Wembley, beating Sampdoria of Italy 1-0.
Cruyff was named Europe`s player of the century in 1999.

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