Atletico Madrid agrees deal for Barcelona's Villa

(CNN) -- David Villa looks set to swap Catalonia for the Spanish capital after Barcelona announced it had agreed a deal to sell the striker to Atletico Madrid.

Villa, who is the Spanish national team's all-time leading goalscorer, could cost the 2013 Spanish Cup winners as much as $6.5 million.

"FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of David Villa," read a statement from Spanish title holders Barca.

"The deal is set to bring Barca a maximum of 5.1 million, with 2.1m due this season, 2m more if Villa stays at Atletico next year and another million should he be at the Madrid club the season after.

"Barca also reserves the right to 50% of any sell on fee in the future."

Read: Do Brazil still play the beautiful game?

Villa joined Barca from Valencia in 2010 and has gone on to score 48 goals in 119 games.

The 31-year-old has scored 56 goals in 92 matches for Spain and was part of his country's victorious squads at the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Villa suffered a broken leg at the 2012 Club World Cup and, since recovering from the injury, has struggled to command a regular place in Barca's starting line-up.

Read: Football's loyal lieutenants

Villa had been heavily linked with a switch to the English Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur rumored to be interested in the forward.

Meanwhile, French defender Eric Abidal has returned to his first professional club Monaco after his Barcelona contract expired at the end of last season.

The 33-year-old left back, who can also play at centre half, has signed a three-year deal in the principality and becomes the latest big-name to head to the newly-promoted club.

Abidal has spent much of the last two years battling a liver tumor which led to a liver transplant in March 2012.

Monaco, owned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, won the French Second Division last season and have prepared for life back in the top tier with a host of high profile signings.

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao has joined from Atletico, with Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez also recruited from Porto.

Via: Atletico Madrid agrees deal for Barcelona's Villa

Moyes: Rooney not for sale

(CNN) -- Will he stay or will he go?

Wayne Rooney will be staying at Manchester United, declared David Moyes during his first press conference as manager of the 20-time English champions.

Speculation has surrounded the England striker's future since the final part of last season, with former United manager Alex Ferguson suggesting Rooney had handed in a transfer request.

Read: Football's loyal lieutenants

"Wayne is not for sale," Moyes, who signed a six-year contract to replace Ferguson in May, told reporters. "He is a Manchester United player and will remain a Manchester United player.

"I see a glint in his eye. He looks happy, he looks like he will knuckle down and get himself right."

Read: Five things we learned from the Confederations Cup

Moyes, who is United's first new manager in 27 years, has the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Ferguson, who led United through the most successful era in the club's history.

The recently-retired Scot guided United to 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two European Champions League wins -- in 1999 and 2008.

Former Celtic defender Moyes explained how the first he knew of his imminent career move was when Ferguson informed him he would be replacing him.

Read: Do Brazil still play the beautiful game?

"I'm retiring, next week, you are the next Manchester United manager," Moyes explained he had been told by Ferguson.

"The blood drained from my face. I was really shocked but incredibly thrilled.

"It was incredible when I met him. Within half an hour, he was talking about the squad, players and the staff. I was sworn to secrecy."

Ferguson will remain at the club as a director and ambassador and Moyes dismissed suggestion his compatriot's presence could undermine the new regime.

"I hope Sir Alex Ferguson is sitting in the directors' box," said Moyes. "He's been so good. I've already called him for advice a couple of times on a couple of matters."

Moyes has brought a raft of new coaches from Everton to United, but he has attempted to remain true to his new club's identity with two new appointments.

Veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs, who has spent his entire professional career with United, has been given the position of player-coach after 23-year trophy-laden years with the club.

Moyes has also appointed United academy graduate Phil Neville to his coaching staff, having worked with the former England international for eight years at Everton.

Retired midfielder Paul Scholes was also approached, but the former playmaker declined the position.

"I spoke with Paul Scholes as well. He felt he wanted to have some time off with his family," explained Moyes.

"I felt the right person was Ryan Giggs and he has been great. He has been on his UEFA pro licence course -- a European coaching qualification -- and after two days you can see how incredible a footballer he is. Ryan is taking steps forward and to get him and Phil Neville together is great."

Via: Moyes: Rooney not for sale

A fair World Cup deal ?

(CNN) -- After some of the world's biggest corporations such as Apple and Google have come under pressure over aggressive tax avoidance strategies, now its FIFA's turn to defend its lucrative financial arrangements with 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil.

The relationship of football's world governing body with Brazil is under scrutiny following the protests that have gripped the country as the South American country stages June's Confederation Cup -- a test run for the main event next year.

Initially disgruntlement of the protesters centered on a 20 centavos (10 cents) rise in bus and train fares. But a violent response from the police, prompted Brazilians of all ages took to the streets.

Suddenly the issue was about corruption, poor public services, increasing inflation, lack of security and whether the money being spent on the World Cup might be better invested elsewhere.

Read: World Cup only benefits outsiders, say Brazil protesters

With a subtext of the rich lining their pockets, while the poor pay more to use crumbling public services, the Brazilian government was left scrambling to deal with what some have dubbed the "Tropical Spring."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, for one, was askance at the protests.

"I can understand that people are not happy, but they should not use football to make their demands heard," Blatter told Brazil's Globo TV.

Tax exemptions

While FIFA argues that Brazil, as well as Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022, will gain benefits from infrastructure development and tourism as well as the kudos of staging a global sporting event, the World Cup is key for the world governing body -- the event is its major source of revenue.

"The exact number I do not know but around $4 billion," said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke earlier in June, referring to what the 2014 World Cup will generate financially for the Swiss-based organization.

However, that is a conservative estimate with consultants suggesting the amount could reach $5 billion.

"Of course it's not all profit, it is commercial revenue related to the cycle of not just the World Cup, but the cycle between the 2010 Cup and 2014," added Valcke.

Three years ago the World Cup in South Africa raised $3.6 billion, incurring expenditures of $1.298 billion.

For its latest results, FIFA reported a profit of $89 million for 2012, with reserves of $1.378 billion.

The organization had a revenue of $1.166 billion last year and spending of $1.077 billion. As a not-for-profit association in Swiss law, FIFA pays no tax on commercial income from the World Cup.

Read: Spain ease past Nigeria

But some critics question whether the relationship between FIFA and its World Cup hosts is mutually beneficial, notably with regard to the lucrative tax exemptions World Cup organizers are prepared to offer for the right to stage the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world.

According to Brazil's Internal Revenue Service the tax exemptions will cost $248.7 million, though other reports estimate the figure could be as twice as high for the period between 2011 and 2015. The International Olympic Committee will receive similar exemptions when the South American country hosts the Olympics in 2016.

Proponents argue hosting the World Cup brings billions more dollars into the Brazilian economy, but $250 million buys a lot of bus tickets.

Brazil in "FIFA's hands"

Ex-Brazilian star Romario -- now a Brazilian politician -- is one that argues that the money spent on building stadiums would be better spent on constructing houses and schools.

"FIFA will make a profit of four billion reais ($1.8 billion) which should provide one billion ($450 million) in tax, but they will not pay anything," Romario said in a video posted on the websites of several Brazilian newspapers.

"They come, set up the circus, they don't spend anything and they take everything with them.

"The real president of our country is FIFA," added Romario. "FIFA comes to our country and sets up a state within a state."

Another critic -- academic and journalist Christopher Gaffney, who lives in Rio -- believes that FIFA's much vaunted "Fair Play" slogan should not just apply to on-field behavior.

"FIFA should be obliged to follow the pre-existing tax laws in the host countries that apply to international sports non-governmental organizations and their corporate partners," said Gaffney.

"We saw a response in the lead up to London 2012 that the British were revolted that the International Olympic Committee's partners were not going to pay taxes.

"A boycott ensued and the companies agreed to pay taxes on their Olympic related profits.

"There are, of course, always government subsidies to attract businesses, but legislative elements like the General Law of the World Cup in Brazil go far beyond this and effectively redirect public money into Swiss bank accounts."

That analysis drew a swift response from football's world governing body.

"FIFA obtains none of its revenue from public funds of the host country," a FIFA spokesman told CNN.

"The host country provide the general infrastructure for the event, which remains as a legacy in the country such as transportation, IT, upgrades on airports.

"Therefore, it is not true that money is generated in the host country for FIFA and that it will go then to accounts in Switzerland."

Read: Brazil top Confederations Cup group

But the exemptions FIFA insist upon, has surprised one leading European taxation expert, Professor of European Tax Law Han Kogels, who is based in Rotterdam.

In bidding for the 2018 World Cup, Russia was up against three other bidders -- England, Netherlands-Belgium and Spain-Portugal.

"In that bid book model of the FIFA as commercial organization, it claimed a privilege of 100% tax freedom (no corporate tax, no income tax, no VAT, no excise duties, no local tax, not any other taxes), irrespective of regular national tax law, European tax law and international tax law," said Kogels after examining the Netherlands part of the bid.

"I was (and still am) not aware of any other international commercial sport event being subsidized through full tax exemption at the cost of (other) taxpayers, and did not see any justification for such unequal treatment of FIFA."

Economic benefits

FIFA insisted that tax exemptions needed to be viewed in relation to the overall economic benefits that next year's World Cup potentially might bring Brazil.

The world governing body quoted a study by Ernst & Young Terco that estimated that the event would inject R$ 112.8 billion ($50 billion) into the Brazilian economy by 2014, with R$ 28 billion (12.4 billion) spent on infrastructure, generating R$ 63.5 billion ($28 billion) in income for the population.

"It is important to note that tax exemptions are only related to certain areas of the organization, in particular for temporary use of goods and services during the event," FIFA told CNN.

"Examples include IT equipment for broadcasters as well as other material mainly broadcasters and participating teams bring with them, the cars used for the official transport, uniforms for volunteers.

"Amongst others the prize money of the FIFA World Cup is taxable in Brazil."

"Overall, according to the Ernst & Young Terco study it is estimated that the host country will obtain an additional tax revenue of R$ 18.1 billion ($8 billion).

"It should be noted that FIFA also bears the costs related to hosting and staging of the FIFA World Cup, including and not limited to the costs of the Local Organising Committee. This means over $1.3 billion in costs for FIFA."

Cynicism

However, in much the same way that the Group of Eight economies attempted to bring coherence to the issue of closing global tax loopholes earlier this month, Professor Simon Chadwick called on governments and sporting organizations to adopt a more systematic approach to tax.

"One of the problems in Brazil, Britain and, indeed, in many countries across the world is that there is no coherent strategy or policy in place regarding taxation and sport," said Chadwick.

"For example, players in this year's Champions League final at Wembley were given exemption from paying tax on revenues earned from the game.

"Whereas in 2015, players in the rugby union World Cup final will not be given the same exemption. Such a lack of strategy, clarity, consistency and openness creates a climate in which confusion, contradiction and cynicism begin to develop."

Given the scale of the protests in Brazil, does the South American country want to renegotiate the tax exemptions?

"Holding a FIFA World Cup involves agreements that are signed between the organization and the host country in order to receive the event.," said the Brazil Finance Ministry.

"The FIFA World Cup has always been seen by Brazil as a major opportunity to spur investments in infrastructure and services and to modernize football management in Brazil."

Via: A fair World Cup deal ?

Footballers and speed: A car crash waiting to happen?

(CNN) -- Fast cars, fast women and fast on their way to court -- it would seem some footballers are renowned as much for their pace on the pitch as for flouting the rules when it comes to the need to speed.

New Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini might be known as the engineer, but he will want to put the brakes on his players getting behind the wheel.

Carlos Tevez, who completed his move from City to Juventus last week, was just one player to feel the force of the law after being found guilty of committing motoring offenses.

In April of this year, the Argentine was fined about $1,500 and told to carry out 250 hours of community service after being found guilty of driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Tevez's former teammate, Samir Nasri, was also banned from driving for six months and fined $3,180 after being caught on camera exceeding the speed limit three times in 2011.

Defender Micah Richards became the third Manchester City defender to be banned when his license was suspended for six months after failing to respond to two speeding notices.

And it's not just the Manchester City car pool that has had problems with that thirst for speed.

Benzema

In February, Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema car was clocked on a Madrid highway driving at 216 kilometers per hour -- more than double the legal limit.

The Frenchman, who was driving an Audi, which is the official car sponsor of Real, was banned for eight months and fined nearly $23,000.

It came after a June 2011 incident where Benzema was fined for racing in downtown Ibiza.

Read: Real deal for Ancelotti

In April, Swansea City's Kemy Agustien was banned from driving for 12 months after clocking up 39 penalty points -- 27 more than the usual limit of 12 that would get a player banned.

Car sponsors are an essential aspect of the football industry but given the place footballers occupy in the hearts and minds -- and more importantly the wallets -- of the sport's paying customers it's unlikely that relationship will be ending anytime soon.

"Football is the sport that cuts through to by far the largest number of people around the world," a spokeswoman for Audi, which runs sponsorship deals with Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester United, told CNN.

"Our experience based on our commitments with the top class European clubs tells us that there is major business potential for Audi within this sporting environment, both on a business-to-business footing and with consumers, i.e. the fans.

"Together with the teams we are conducting international activities not only in Europe but also in Asia."

Big business

It is not difficult to understand why Audi has forged such a close relationship with a number of leading teams in Europe.

"The best example of this 'internationalization' is the Audi Cup, which has been a resounding success both in terms of quantity and quality," added the Audi spokeswoman.

"The 2011 competition was staged in Munich, and was broadcast in 180 countries, achieving more than one billion exposures during the pre-event and post-event coverage period."

Read: Manchester United signs new Asian sponsor

While the commercial gains are obvious, the company was also keen to point out that it would take "necessary constructive action" if players were found guilty of breaking motoring rules.

"Audi has sponsorship agreements with various associations and teams," added the spokeswoman.

"Many of these agreements also contain clauses concerning the provision of Audi vehicles.

"Of course, we work on the basis that all the drivers of these Audi vehicles will comply with existing traffic regulations.

"If this proves not to be the case, it is the responsibility of the association or team management to take the necessary corrective action."

Aura of invincibility?

But it is not always easy to comply with existing traffic regulations when you have an "aura of untouchability."

"Players have absorbed this and, as if by osmosis, have begun to believe they are above reproach," Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire University in the English Midlands, told CNN.

"Every day, they are surrounded by evidence of their immaculate status, whether in the media, or in restaurants and bars, or even just when they turn up for training where there's usually an assembly of adoring fans and obsequious journalists.

"Footballers are only doing what the likes of you, me and other consumers do all the time -- buy products that confer value on them.

"Fans buy trainers, shirts, or dogs. (yes, dogs are commodities nowadays), other people buy designer clothes, homes in desirable areas and, of course, cars."

When it comes to vehicles, added Cashmore: "Footballers buy even more expensive cars, which tend to be faster, so tickets for speeding and parking are, in practical terms, irrelevant.

"We are all part of the same process -- buying visible status. The difference is that footballers can afford more and want their status to be not just visible but ostentatiously visible."

It's not just players either -- managers have also been in trouble, with Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson famously being absolved of any wrongdoing in October 1999 after claiming he had severe diarrhoea and needed to reach a toilet after speeding down the highway.

Beckham

David Beckham was another to escape after winning an appeal against his eight-month driving ban in December 1999.

Beckham claimed he was trying to escape a paparazzi photographer when his Ferrari was clocked at 122 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.

According to the judge, there were "special circumstances" which had caused Beckham to break the speed limit.

Read: Giggs handed coach role

Both Ferguson and Beckham were represented by attorney Nick Freeman, a man who has been nicknamed "Mr Loophole" after successfully getting his clients off the hook.

Freeman has represented golfer Colin Montgomerie, singer Van Morrison and countless other celebrities during his time working in the business.

But other football stars haven't been so lucky:

The likes of Rio Ferdinand and Jermain Defoe have also felt the force of the authorities, with both men being handed bans from driving.

And Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo survived a high-speed crash in January 2011 after smashing his $303,000 Ferrari against a Manchester tunnel when he was playing for United.

Balotelli

And then there's that man, Mario "Why always me?" Balotelli, who crashed his Bentley last April in a collision with another car.

Balotelli, who now plays in Italy with Milan, paid out nearly $15,000 in parking fines and had his white Maserati impounded just the 27 times during his spell at City.

And while car sponsors continue to queue up to sign marketing deals with football clubs, others within the motor industry remain concerned about the impact players flouting the law has.

"It doesn't help having someone who can have cars at the higher end of the market who is ignoring the law," Damien Smith, editor of Motor Sport Magazine, told CNN.

"I was surprised that Tevez wasn't given a custodial sentence and the judge didn't make an example of him."

Smith adds, however, that it's not a new phenomenon; footballers and cars have had this relationship going back to the 1970s.

"Footballer players are very rich young men who have a penchant for buying nice shiny cars and have a reputation for buying the most expensive. They're high powered and high performance cars and there will be occasions when they go too fast."

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that footballers are about to change their way.

According to a survey taken in February 2011 by British insurance firm Elephant, professional football players "are the drivers most likely to have points on their driving license for committing offenses such as speeding, running red lights and using a phone whilst driving."

After consulting data from more than over three million motorists in the UK, research showed that almost a third of football players have points on their license.

Temptation

Elephant.co.uk managing director, Brian Martin, said at the time, "Powerful cars are closely associated with the footballers' lifestyle so perhaps for some of them the temptation to speed is simply too much."

With wages at the top level still rising and punishments such as that handed out to Tevez unlikely to act as a deterrent, life in the fast lane looks set to continue for a while longer.

But perhaps a sobering thought might give some football players a reason to pause and think.

Courtney Meppen-Walter had the world at his feet after joining Manchester City.

Now, at the age of 18, he is serving a 16-month sentence after being found guilty of causing the deaths of two people in a car crash.

He admitted to causing their death by careless driving and was banned from driving for three years.

Footballers may have a need for speed -- but the speed of thought might be more useful next time they consider flouting the law.

Via: Footballers and speed: A car crash waiting to happen?

Ryan Giggs handed player-coach role at Man Utd

(CNN) -- Over the last two decades he has been at Manchester United both as boy and man helping the club achieve the most unparallelled level of success.

And on Thursday veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs took another step in further cementing his remarkable relationship with the club after he was appointed as United's player-coach by David Moyes.

Welshman Giggs made his United debut in 1990 and has won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the European Champions League in 1999 and 2008, making him English football's most decorated player.

Moyes was announced as the United manager in May, after fellow Scot Alex Ferguson called time on his trophy-laden 26-year reign.

Read: Five things we learned from the Confederations Cup

"I'm delighted that Ryan has accepted the chance to become player-coach," former Everton manager Moyes told United's official website as the new manager steps up his preparations for his first season at Old Trafford.

"His success and ability to adapt his game over a number of years gives him an unrivaled perspective on the modern game.

"His career is an example to any aspiring young player and I'm sure that both he and the players will benefit from his new role."

Read: Do Brazil still play the beautiful game?

Now 39, Giggs said his appointment was a "great privilege."

The Welshman added: "I hope I will be able to bring my experience to bear, having been both a player and part of the Manchester United family for so long.

"It's no secret that I have been taking my qualifications and I see this as the first step in my future career. I'm really looking forward to working alongside David and the team."

Former United defender Phil Neville also returns to Old Trafford as part of Moyes' staff.

Neville played for the 20-time English champions between 1995 and 2005 before moving to Everton, where he played under Moyes for eight years.

Moyes' first Premier League match as United manager is at Swansea City on August 17.

Meanwhile United's rivals Chelsea have agreed to sign talented Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel from Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem.

A product of the Vitesse youth system, the 20-year-old Grinkel his debut in April 2010 and will join Chelsea subject to a medical.

Via: Ryan Giggs handed player-coach role at Man Utd

Confederations Cup lessons

(CNN) -- Brazil's 3-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup final brought to an end an event that was designed as a test run for the 2014 World Cup hosts.

It was a tournament that was permeated by social unrest, with protesters partly unhappy over the degree of public money devoted to the staging of the World Cup.

CNN looks at five things we learned from the event.

1. Neymar is the real deal

Neymar has been touted as the latest in a line of Brazilian superstars that stretches all the way back to the great Pele, but outside Brazil many were beginning to believe the hype surrounding the young star was just that.

Prior to the Confederations Cup his performances for the national team had been lacklustre, particular in the 2-2 draw against Chile in April, when he was singled out for jeers by Brazil's own fans.

Read: Maracana magic by Brazil to claim Confederations Cup

While most would argue that he's in no position to judge, Marseille midfielder Joey Barton's Tweet likening Neymar to Justin Bieber, and something rather unpleasant relating to cats, seemed to sum up the views of many European observers.

Following the Brazilian's $75 million transfer to Barcelona -- just before the tournament kicked off -- some were even suggesting the Catalan club had been fleeced by Brazilian side Santos.

Not any more: this was no tantalizing glimpse of what La Liga fans might be watching next season, it was incontrovertible proof of what Neymar can bring.

The 21-year-old produced a string of vibrant, flamboyant, but above all effective performances throughout the tournament, his goals and guile serving notice that he is every inch a superstar.

2. Time may be up for Buffon and company

After winning friends at Euro 2012, the Azzurri continued to show that the days of "catenaccio" are long gone, with some fast attacking football.

Italy's run in the tournament was certainly invigorating, lurching from near disaster in an extraordinary first-half capitulation against Japan, to a sublime (albeit goalless) first-half domination of Spain.

Read: Spain edge past Italy

In the end they were well worth their third place, but it could and possibly should have been more.

Gianluigi Buffon is widely and justifiably regarded as one of the world's finest goalkeepers; yet his penalty saves in the third place play-off against Uruguay masked his culpability in goals conceded at key moments in the tournament.

This was not the dominant, steely-eyed Buffon of old -- particularly against Brazil, where he looked anything but solid.

Likewise, there are other old hands whose time in the famous blue shirt may be nearing its end.

Given Cesare Prandelli's reluctance to start AC Milan's exciting midfielder Stephan El Shaarawy, major surgery is unlikely.

The Italian national side has always been resistant to change, as its ageing spine suggests, but it may need to pick up the pace of its evolution.

The likes of Buffon and the peerless Andrea Pirlo may have one more big tournament in them, but Prandelli would do well to blood some fresh talent in the meantime, just in case -- especially given the physical demands next year's World Cup will present.

3. Protests are a wake-up call to FIFA and Brazil

For a country that is synonymous with football, there were times during this tournament when Brazil seemed to have fallen well and truly out of love with the game -- or at least, with FIFA and the Brazilian government's interpretation of what a World Cup should look like.

As simmering social unrest threatened to boil into something more serious, the tournament's detractors grew in volume and number.

Even former star striker Romario joined a critical chorus that cited ticket prices, infrastructure costs and a questionable legacy as reasons why the Confederations Cup, and next year's World Cup, were bad for Brazil.

Read: A fair World Cup deal for Brazil

In anticipation of trouble, a reported 10,000 police were on duty in Rio de Janeiro ahead of Brazil's clash with Spain, but in the end protests were relatively low-key.

Following their team's emphatic triumph over the world and European champions, crowds spilled out onto the street and into a carnival atmosphere.

Clearly this story is not over, and there is much work to do; for now, however, football's primacy has been restored.

In fact there was much cause for optimism on the pitch.

This was a well-deserved win from a team that looks to be gaining in stature, and the atmosphere inside the Maracana for the final was profoundly imposing.

Of course Brazil won the 2009 Confederations Cup before limping out in the quarterfinals in South Africa; but this time they will be at home. The World Cup will be a tougher test; but don't bet against them.

4. Spain needs a re-boot

Finally, after a seemingly interminable period of dominance, Spain's champions look to have been found out. For clues as to how, it is hard to see beyond the Germans.

Italy really should have beaten the Spaniards after playing them off the park for significant chunks of their semi-final; Brazil's 3-0 defeat of the world champions was a muscular and ruthless final execution.

Both owed much to the approaches of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League defeats of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Spain were hustled and hassled, with attempts to impose their intricate passing game met by fiercely committed opponents, closing them down until the Europeans simply folded.

Fernando Torres only won the golden boot because of his goals against Tahiti's part-timers. Xavi and Iniesta are still fabulously creative, but elsewhere Spain's weak links were exploited with a kind of physicality this team now seems incapable of countering.

Drained of confidence, or possibly just appetite, they looked listless and in dire need of fresh ideas.

The sight of a defender, Sergio Ramos, taking a penalty that could have brought them back into the final spoke volumes.

True Brazil had had an extra day of rest before the final, but the mask of invincibility has slipped; Spain has 12 months to work out how to set it back in place.

5. The Confederations Cup comes of age

In theory at least, the Confederations Cup is the unloved second cousin of the World Cup, the Euros and the Copa America.

Traditionally these games are seen by the cynics as little more than jumped up exhibition matches -- a mere aperitif before the main meal of the World Cup. By and large, no one really cares who wins.

This time, however, something seemed to click.

Maybe it was the location. Brazil may have some serious issues to confront, but there is something about the host country that elevated this tournament onto a different plane.

In football terms, this is about as educated as any crowd can get.

The enthusiastic way in which local fans adopted teams such as Japan, Uruguay, Tahiti and Italy conveyed atmosphere and meaning to fixtures where normally none would exist, and more than made up for the absence of traveling support.

The outcome, for the neutrals at least, was first class entertainment.

Brazil 2013 served up some of the most memorable international games of recent memory, played in front of passionate crowds in some spectacular arenas.

Read: Brazil's beautiful game?

If Brazil 2014 can pick up where this rehearsal left off, then we are truly in for a treat.

Via: Confederations Cup lessons

Man Utd signs new Asian sponsor

(CNN) -- Manchester United may face a new challenge on the field next season without Alex Ferguson but the English Premier League giant appears to have no domestic equals commercially with its ever expanding list of global sponsors.

United, which won its 20th league title last year, announced a deal with Thai telecommunications group True Corporation Plc Monday -- taking its number of sponsors close to 40.

According to a press release issued by the club, around 70 million people in Thailand watched United's games in the first seven months of last season, though the club did not disclose how much the new sponsorship deal was worth.

Read: Brand United will survive

True Group becomes United's official mobile partner and club broadcaster for Thailand -- the latest in a whole host of deals carried out by the Red Devils.

"When considering our partners, the club likes to ensure the company in question shares many of the same attributes that have allowed us to grow into the world's most recognized team," United group managing director Richard Arnold told the club's official website.

"True is a company that demonstrated many admirable qualities, itself crediting courage and the ability to take on new challenges as the key to its success.

"Since forming in 1990 it has continued to grow with the fast-paced telecommunications industry to become one of the best in its territory, proudly being the first to embrace many new technologies.

"Our new partnership is set to follow suit and provide our 20 million loyal and passionate Thai followers with exclusive content and footage, bringing them closer to the club they love."

Read: United pens new multi-million dollar Aon deal

In May, United reported a 52.2% increase in sponsorship revenue following deals with a Japanese social gaming company and two financial services firms in Denmark and Vietnam.

In April, United signed an eight-year deal with insurance company Aon -- a move which saw the firm sponsor the club's Carrington training ground as well as its training kit for a reported $23 million.

The Old Trafford club was placed in the New York Stock Exchange last August by its American owners, the Glazer family.

Its revenues for the 2011/12 season increased by $21.6 million to $179 million -- placing it way ahead of its domestic rivals, despite an estimated gross debt of $560 million.

Read: Real Madrid usurp Man Utd

Last year alone, United increased its value by 42% to $3.17 billion, according to Forbes business magazine.

According to a study recently commissioned by the club, United's global fan base doubled to 659 million people between 2007 and 2012 with 325 million of those living in Asia.

According to the Deloite Football Money League report for 2013, only Real Madrid and Barcelona are worth more than United, while Chelsea is the nearest English challenger.

United will travel to Asia next month for a tour of the Far East and Australia with its opening game in Bangkok against the Singha All Stars -- a contest for which True Group will act as an associate sponsor.

Read: Moyes signs six-year deal

Meanwhile new United manager David Moyes officially began work Monday after replacing Ferguson at the helm.

Ferguson, who won over 30 trophies in 26 years at the club, retired last season after leading United to a 13th Premier League title.

The Scot also won two European Cups, five FA Cups, four League Cups, one European Cup Winners' Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup.

Moyes, who has brought his own coaching staff from former club Everton, will work alongside assistant manager Steve Round, goalkeeping coach Chris Woods and first team coach Jimmy Lumsden.

"I have worked with Steve, Chris and Jimmy for a number of years and I am delighted they have decided to join me at this great club," Moyes told United's official website.

"They bring great qualities in their respective fields and I know that, like me, they feel that this is a challenge to relish.

"I have great faith that together, we can build upon the success this club has enjoyed over many years."

Moyes will welcome the players back to training later this week before the squad leave for Thailand on July 10.

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