Has Barcelona lost its soul?

Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- In Madrid and Barcelona, they will be talking about this for many years to come.

Of all the ways to break Barca's monopoly on Spanish league titles, going to the home of the champions and robbing them of their crown in their own backyard takes some beating.

In the Catalan heartland Saturday, unfashionable Atletico Madrid produced a storybook ending to one of the most enthralling seasons Spanish football -- or indeed any European league -- has ever produced.

But as Atleti celebrated, the soul searching began in Barcelona.

Winner takes all

For the first time since 1951 (and only the third time ever), the destiny of the title lay in the hands of two teams facing each other on the final day. Barca entertained an Atletico team which hadn't won the domestic league since 1996 -- during which time Barca had added eight more La Ligas to the club's roll of honor.

The equation was simple: win, and Barca would be crowned champions for a fourth time in five seasons; draw or win, and Atletico would take the title for the first time in 18 years, when current manager Diego Simeone was captain.

In the end, it was deservingly, fittingly, gloriously Simeone's triumph -- and one that now propels the Argentine coach into the stratosphere, such is the epic scale of the revolution he has presided over since taking charge of "Los Rojiblancos" in December 2011.

Champions of Europe?

A team that rarely won anything, that only found new ways of losing, was at once transformed; Europa League triumph in 2012 was quickly followed by the UEFA Super Cup and then the Spanish Cup in 2013. Simeone had molded and inspired a group of disparate talents into a squad with a win-at-all-costs, never-say-die mentality.

With the league now in the bag too, Simeone and his team have the chance to add the ultimate prize to their ever-expanding trophy cabinet when they meet arch-rivals Real Madrid in Saturday's European Champions League final in Lisbon.

"I would say that this win means something for everyone," said Simeone, who saw his team gain the 1-1 draw they needed despite losing the services of 27-goal striker Diego Costa and midfield mischief-maker Arda Turan inside the first 20 minutes.

"It shows that there is more than one way to win. It is one of the most important days in the history of Atletico Madrid."

Yet how few Atleti were there to celebrate such a seismic feat. Officially, 447 of their fans were present at the 98,000-capacity Camp Nou, though a few others were easily seen dotted around the gigantic arena.

They managed to make themselves heard, however, especially when Diego Godin leveled just after halftime and again at fulltime. The Atleti stayed right where they were for at least an hour after the final whistle to sing and dance and acclaim their heroes.

Those men must have looked tiny, like Subbuteo figures, from their position right at the top of the third tier behind the goal where Godin created history, but it didn't seem to matter one bit.

And to their credit, Barcelona ensured Atleti would have even more treasured memories of their special day as they stayed true to their "Mes que un club" ("More than a club") motto.

'They showed Barca is a great club'

The home fans responded to the apparent ignominy of having their title taken away from them on their own turf by rising as one the very moment the game was over, proceeding to give Atletico's players the standing ovation their herculean effort deserved. Two minutes later and "Atleti, Atleti" reverberated around the amphitheater as Simeone and his gladiators, almost disbelievingly, looked up and soaked in the adulation.

"Barca players and coaches came to congratulate me immediately after the game," added Simeone. "They showed Barca is a great club."

So what of this great club? For one so used to winning and for fans usually so quick to wave their white handkerchiefs as a way of registering their disdain, they seemed awfully accepting of their fate.

The mood in the city all day was upbeat, yet strangely free from the tension that usually engulfs occasions of such enormity; don't forget, this was a title that coach Gerardo Martino had already conceded two weeks ago, before a succession of bizarre results handed his side one last unlikely shot at glory.

It never felt like their title to win, though. With the heartbreaking trauma of ex-coach Tito Vilanova's tragic passing in April still fresh in the mind, and with several players mooted to be leaving this summer, even before Saturday the focus had shifted to next season and the future.

An emotional month reached a crescendo as first long-serving goalkeeper Victor Valdes -- who has been injured since March -- said his farewells on Monday and then on Thursday club captain Carles Puyol, a mainstay of Barcelona since the mid-1990s, gave his final press conference before walking away from the Camp Nou.

It is not so much half a new team Barca are looking for over the next couple of months as almost a replacement soul.

What next for Barca?

Former captain Luis Enrique, who played for the Catalans with distinction between 1996 and 2004 and managed Barcelona B from 2008-11, was appointed Monday as the club's new coach after leaving his post at Celta Vigo.

Enrique led Celta Vigo to ninth place in La Liga in his only season in charge, after a difficult first senior appointment at Italian club Roma in 2011-12.

Now that Lionel Messi -- arguably the world's greatest footballer and certainly its best-paid exponent -- has signed a new contract, Barca must try to rediscover what made them one of the most breathtakingly successful teams the sport has ever seen.

"I feel so bad, I feel disappointment and disillusionment," said midfielder Andres Iniesta on social media. "Next year we will fight to give you the joys that you and this club deserve."

As for Atletico, whose fans celebrated long into the night at Neptuno Square in the Spanish capital and then took to the streets of Madrid Sunday as their champions paraded through the city on an open-top bus, the focus is rather more short-term.

At the Stadium of Light in Lisbon on Saturday, they will seek to put their name on the biggest trophy of them all for the very first time, and in the process deny city rivals Real "La Decima" -- the 10th European Cup/Champions League title that has so frustratingly eluded the club since 2002.

Simeone, a man who has the underdog spirit coursing through his veins, will already be licking his lips in anticipation.

Read: Barrier collapse mars Spanish finale

Read: La Liga title goes to Atletico

Read: Messi agrees new Barca contract

Read: Neymar not taxed by poor form

Via: Has Barcelona lost its soul?

God in a city of football faith?

Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook

(CNN) -- In a city where football is a religion, Daniel Sturridge is fast becoming a deity.

The Liverpool striker's skyward salute -- he is a committed Christian -- has become a familiar sight around English Premier League grounds, with the 24-year-old netting 18 league goals so far this season.

With nine goals in nine league matches this year, scoring has come easy. Explaining his hot streak, however, is a bit more difficult.

"I'm not too sure," Sturridge told CNN's World Sport. "I just think that I've had my faith in God, been praying a lot, been working hard on the training field, and expressing myself, playing my natural game and playing my natural position also."

A switch from the wing -- where his former club Chelsea often deployed him -- to a more central attacking role at Liverpool has transformed Sturridge's scoring fortunes.

The statistics speak for themselves: 13 goals in 63 league appearances during four years at Stamford Bridge compared to 28 from 35 games in the 14 months since completing his 12 million ($20 million) move to Anfield.

Goals and a blossoming partnership with Uruguay striker Luis Suarez have propelled Sturridge to new heights of stardom, but his nimble feet remain firmly planted on the ground.

"Maybe off the pitch it's changed in terms of people paying more attention, but in terms of myself and my family and my friends nothing has changed," he says.

"I live the same lifestyle, I'm the same old happy self that I've been in my whole life."

Sturridge and Suarez have netted 43 times in the league this season, but come June 19 they will likely be lining up against each other when England take on Uruguay at the World Cup in Brazil.

"It will be strange but I'm looking forward to it," Sturridge says of the Group D clash.

"We play against each other in training and we have a lot of battles, but come game time we will be enemies and he'll be somebody that I'll be looking to take out if necessary because we got to win the game."

Sturridge's renaissance at club level has also been mirrored on the international stage, where he's gone from fringe player to first-team regular.

His fifth England goal in this month's 1-0 friendly win against Denmark at Wembley merely confirmed his growing stature and confidence ahead of the trip to South America.

"It's gonna be great to be involved in the World Cup because it's something I've dreamed of ... It's gonna be a great occasion and as I've said, if I'm selected, I'm looking forward to it," he says.

The priority now, though, is on domestic matters as Liverpool continue their quest for a first league title in 24 years.

Daniel Sturridge: "The love I have for LFC just grows and grows, more and more, each day." http://t.co/93bMaQSyda pic.twitter.com/dbXRYPiabC

Sunday's 3-0 drubbing of Manchester United at Old Trafford was Liverpool's fifth straight league win and confirmed Brendan Rodgers' team as genuine title contenders, although Sturridge refuses to be drawn on the subject.

"I think it's important that we just go out there, work as hard as we can as a team in every game and perceive what the future holds," he told CNN before the victory over Liverpool's northwest rivals.

Sturridge can look forward to home clashes against two of his former clubs -- league-leading Chelsea and Manchester City, the bookmakers' favorite -- as the EPL title race heads down the final straight in April.

"We're gonna play them both at Anfield. It's going to be a great occasion for myself and for the fans and my teammates of course. But it's important that we go out there and play the Liverpool way and enjoy it," he says.

Win those two games and Liverpool fans will be on the verge of Premier League heaven.

Via: God in a city of football faith?

Portugal says goodbye to Eusebio

(CNN) -- It started with a haircut.

The year was 1960, and Bela Guttmann sat in his chair at the local barber's shop.

Guttman, one of the most iconic football coaches of his day, had just led Portuguese club Benfica to the European Cup and achieved legendary status.

But that was not enough for him -- he wanted more.

While pondering his plans, a gentleman in the next chair, who happened to be visiting the country as coach of touring Brazilian side Sao Paulo, let Guttmann in on a little secret.

He told the Hungarian about "A Pantera Negra" -- the man they were calling "The Black Panther."

A legend had begun to spread from Mozambique about a young player plying his trade with a youth team in the African country's capital, now known as Maputo, with links to Benfica's great rivals -- Sporting Lisbon.

The son of a white Angolan railway worker and a black mother from the Mozambique community, Eusbio da Silva Ferreira was the name on everybody's lips.

Read: Benfica and 'the curse of Bela Guttmann'

Guttmann took no chances -- Eusebio's mother had already turned down the advances of Italian club Juventus, so he made the family an offer they could not refuse.

The financial incentive worked and the player joined Benfica, much to the dismay of Sporting officials, who had dallied in their pursuit of the player.

The rest, as they say, is history -- and what a history: 733 goals in 745 matches confirmed Eusebio's status as one of the all-time greats.

As Portugal said goodbye to one of its most famous sons Monday, following his death at the age of 71, thousands took to the streets to farewell a man who had brought joy and inspiration to a generation as the government declared three days of mourning.

"As a man, he was quite humble, kind and very down to earth," said CNN's Duarte Mendonca, a Benfica supporter who was in Lisbon for the funeral.

"He had a tremendous amount of love for his club Benfica, for whom he served as an ambassador.

"I've seen fans from various clubs, including longtime rivals, paying homage to a man they've learned to respect for his talent and flair, but also for his personality.

Just had lunch where Eusebio used to come all the time. Adega da Tia Matilde. This places has so many stories... pic.twitter.com/8VY60Yb3W8

"Only a man such as Eusebio would be able to unify fans in such fashion. That says a lot."

During an illustrious career in which he won 11 Portuguese league titles, five domestic cups and a European crown, Eusebio became a legend of world football.

From the moment he entered national consciousness by helping Benfica retain the European Cup in 1962, where he scored twice in a thrilling 5-3 final win over Real Madrid in Amsterdam, the country began to fall in love with the man from Mozambique.

His incredible acceleration and lethal right foot helped him take Benfica to the very top of the European game, while he was honored as the continent's best player by winning the Ballon d'Or in 1965.

But it was at the 1966 World Cup that he became worldwide sensation as he produced a series of performances which brought adulation from from across the globe.

His nine goals, the most by any player at the tournament, helped Portugal reach the semifinal where it was beaten by the host nation England, which eventually went on to win the tournament.

Such was Eusebio's impact that Inter Milan reportedly offered the striker 40 times his salary to lure him away from Benfica and even approached his wife to sign the contract on his behalf.

The move was scuppered, however, in rather bizarre circumstances though, as Portuguese Prime Minister Antnio de Oliveira Salazar refused Eusebio permission to leave the country.

Instead, Eusebio remained at Benfica, scoring goals and helping his side reach the 1968 European Cup final, but this time losing to Manchester United at Wembley after extra-time.

It was in that contest that Eusebio's sportsmanlike qualities shone through.

With the game tied, Eusebio had the opportunity to win the contest but when his effort was brilliantly saved by United keeper Alex Stepney, the striker simply stood and applauded. It was a gesture which would not be forgotten.

That same year, he won the European golden boot as the continent's top goalscorer -- a feat he repeated five years later.

After leaving Benfica in 1975, Eusebio moved across the Atlantic to play in the U.S. before retiring in 1980 following ongoing problems with his right knee.

He continued to work in football as an ambassador for Benfica and Portugal's national side, meeting with high-profile players on European match nights and attending global tournaments on a regular basis until his death on January 5, 2014. He left behind his wife Flora and their two daughters.

Eusbio's coffin at da Luz where he wanted it to be. The SLB President promised him one last trip around the stadium. pic.twitter.com/2sdqA3z8ww

"I think he is immortal," Chelsea's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho told state broadcaster RTP.

"We all know what he meant for football and especially for Portuguese football.

"He was not only a great inspiration but also an important figure in upholding the values, principles and feelings of football, even after finishing his career."

Eusebio's status as Portugal's greatest football player was confirmed by the thousands who flocked to watch his coffin paraded through the streets of Lisbon.

His statue, which stands proud outside Benfica's Stadium of Light, is adorned with scarves, flowers and banners from fans across the globe.

"I was the best player in the world, top scorer in the world," Eusebio once said. "I did everything, except win a World Cup."

Read: Portugal football legend Eusebio dies

That he did not win one does not detract from the impact he made on Portugal and on football around the world.

Always eternal Eusebio, rest in peace pic.twitter.com/n25X0q9rfF

Within moments of the news breaking that he had passed away following a heart attack, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo were paying tribute to "O Rei" -- the King.

In Lisbon, despite the rain, fans continued to line the streets to say farewell as the black hearse moved slowly through the streets.

"Even though my generation didn't see him play, through archive we were able to witness some of his brilliant skill," added Mendonca, who grew up listening to tales of Eusebio.

"But even better than that, we were able learn about what he meant as a footballer and person through the stories of our parents and grandparents.

"The way that he exploded on the pitch, with his fast pace combined with the power of his right foot, was simply unreal. His attributes could easily make him a star even in today's game."

Though he may now have passed away, Eusebio's legacy remains.

A trailblazer who overcame poverty and early hardship in Africa to become one of the game's most talented and recognizable faces.

It would appear that in barber shops in Lisbon, they'll be talking about Eusebio for many years to come.

Via: Portugal says goodbye to Eusebio

The Cristiano Ronaldo museum opens

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo is at the peak of his powers on the pitch and off it: The Portuguese star has opened a museum dedicated to his glittering football career in his hometown of Funchal .

The Real Madrid striker is widely expected to be awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or -- an accolade given to the year's best footballer -- in January and if Ronaldo is handed the golden ball it will take pride of place in the CR7 Museum.

"Of course it's a special day, it's the opening of my museum and I am proud," the Portugal captain told reporters.

"I have room for more trophies. I don't really want to mention specific ones. All I want is to win more awards and, if the Ballon d'Or comes, there is extra room here."

The 28-year-old is on a three-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or alongside Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who has picked up the award in each of the last four years, and Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery.

Ronaldo, who has scored 33 goals so far this season, made his debut for Sporting Lisbon in 2002 and has gone on to become a fearsome goalscorer.

He moved to Manchester United in 2003 where he won three English Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the European Champions League in 2008, the same year he won the Ballon d'Or for the first time.

Ronaldo swapped Manchester for Madrid for a then world record fee in 2009. Since joining Real, Ronaldo has been prolific in front of goal, averaging over a goal a game for the nine-time European champions.

He is also the captain of his national team and will lead out Portugal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where it will face Germany, Ghana and the U.S in the group stages.

Read: Bayern to play Arsenal in Champions League

Read: Tevez treble fires Juventus

Via: The Cristiano Ronaldo museum opens

Reviving Italy's 'Old Lady'

(CNN) -- If the "Old Lady" of Italian football needs a sharp reminder of where she wants to be, Wednesday's European Champions League clash should provide it.

Any trip to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid -- the nine-time champion of Europe -- is one to savor, even for a club of Juventus' stature.

It will also reinforce president Andrea Agnelli's resolution that his rejuvenated side still has a long road to travel before its regeneration is complete.

The Turin team's name in Latin means "age of youth" -- and this journey, for a club formed 115 years ago, is indeed still maturing.

When Agnelli took charge in 2010, becoming the fourth member of his family to take the role, the Italian giant was still piecing itself together from the "Calciopoli" match-fixing scandal which saw it stripped of two Serie A titles and demoted to the second division in 2006.

The 37-year-old has overseen a transformation of Juve's fortunes on and off the pitch, the club having moved to a new stadium at the start of a season in which it would claim its first title in nine years.

Yet despite increasing revenue by 32.8% in the past financial year, the "Bianconeri" still made a loss of 15.9 million ($21.9 million). Real Madrid, on the other hand, posted revenue of 520.9 million ($715.8 million) -- 36.9% of which was profit.

Read: Agnelli on passport-swapping internationals

"Stadium and sponsorship, those are the two elements that we have to grow, to reach a point to become independent from Champions League revenues," Agnelli told CNN in an exclusive interview.

"Then, once you get them, that is the extra fat you can work on.

"At the moment, and this is the thing that worries me the most, we are still dependent on that (Champions League income) to make the numbers meet."

Juventus made more money than any other club in last season's competition -- 65.3 million ($89.7 million) -- over 10 million more than eventual winner Bayern Munich.

That figure owed largely to a domestic television deal that improved once fellow Italian club Udinese failed to negotiate its way through the playoff stages.

The windfall underlines how vital a revenue stream it is for the club, and the precarious nature of an existence which relies on the luxurious flow of money from competing at Europe's top table. That fact is even more evident after last weekend's results.

Read: Juve reeling after 'strange' defeat

Despite leading 2-0 at Fiorentina on Sunday, Juve eventually fell to a 4-2 defeat, a result that leaves it five points behind leader AS Roma and vulnerable to attack from the likes of old rivals AC Milan and Inter -- both circling below.

If Juve doesn't manage to make it a hat-trick of a successive Serie A titles, it must at least cling onto third spot to qualify for the Champions League playoffs.

Should the club then make the lucrative group stages, that revenue will tide it over until the end of next season, when several key financial shackles will be lifted.

"This year and the following we are going to struggle, but in 2015-16, that is when a number of important contracts expire and others can kick in," Agnelli explained.

"That should put us in a position to become independent from European sports competition revenue. That will be very important for the club.

"It means the year you might fail on sports results, it doesn't compromise the work in (other) years.

"The only alternative you have if that is the case is to sell an asset you have grown internally, and we don't want to do that because we want to be competitive."

A vital component of Juve's future is its new stadium.

Its former Stadio delle Alpi home, built for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, was cavernous and crumbling. Stifling in terms of facilities and atmosphere, it had become a 69,000-capacity relic.

Read: Tevez gives Juve winning start on Serie A debut

The Juventus Stadium may be significantly smaller, with an all-seater capacity of 41,000, but it is regularly full and provides a far more intimate experience for spectators.

Whereas the stands at the Stadio delle Alpi were an average of 70 meters away from the pitch, fans at its replacement are just seven meters from the action.

And though the move has increased revenue, Agnelli claims Juve is being held back by a clutch of old stadiums that proliferate Serie A.

"Our stadium has been very important but I think we've filled the gap with the European competition," Agnelli added.

"At the moment it's very important from an environmental point of view because it really does give a different rush to the team. But we struggle in terms of pricing because all our competitors are in old stadiums.

"The perfect benchmark for our stadium is Stamford Bridge -- 41,000 people both of them -- but Chelsea generate more than double we do in terms of pricing."

According to Agnelli, Juventus Stadium is not only vital to renewing his club's future, but can also act as a lightning rod for Italian football.

Whereas once it was the most desired place to play domestic football in Europe, now it has fallen behind England, Germany and Spain, with Portugal and France gaining ground all the time.

"There are a lot of resources which can be gained from the stadium but we also suffer from the same show, which is being put up at our competitors' stadiums. They are obsolete and they price them completely differently," Agnelli explained.

"You can debate that Juventus vs. AC Milan is the same as AC Milan vs. Juventus in terms of the show on the pitch but the theater is completely different -- they price it one way, we price it another.

"That kind of becomes unacceptable for the spectator. Once all the others get new stadiums -- if and when -- that means you can raise the whole level of the show.

"That for us is paramount because us alone, we are just a white flag, as interesting as we might be."

Via: Reviving Italy's 'Old Lady'

Qatar 2022: As it happened

Via: Qatar 2022: As it happened

Liverpool denied as Roma roll on

(CNN) -- Liverpool climbed back to the top of the Premier League Monday -- but it was made to sweat during a pulsating 2-2 draw with Swansea City.

Liverpool, who had boasted a 100% record going into the contest after winning all three of its league games, sits one point clear of Arsenal and Tottenham following the draw in south Wales.

Jonjo Shelvey, the man who left Liverpool for Swansea in July following a $5 million move, was in the thick of the action from the very start.

Gift

It took Shelvey just two minutes to fire Swansea ahead from close range before his mistake gifted Daniel Sturridge an equalizer soon after.

Another poor pass from Shelvey allowed Liverpool's on-loan winger Victor Moses to fire the Merseysiders in front nine minutes before the break.

But the 21-year-old made amends in the second half, linking up with Michu, who fired home past Simon Mignolet for his first league goal of the season.

Sorry

Swansea might have even won it late on but Liverpool held out for a point, although Shelvey felt his side should have had more.

"I just want to say sorry to the Swansea fans for the two bad mistakes that gifted Liverpool a draw," Shelvey told Sky Sports.

"You just want to go into a hole where nobody can see you when you give the ball away for the other team to score, but it has happened to great players over time.

Read: United still the team to beat

"I showed a bit of character to keep getting on the ball. I still feel I have given Liverpool a draw but it was a great game to play in."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who left Swansea to take up the reins at Anfield in June 2012, revealed his relief after a hard fought encounter.

"I thought for the first 65 minutes we were very, very good with and without the ball. We had to show character after going behind so early,"he told Sky Sports.

"This will be a really big point for us."

Totti

In Italy, Francesco Totti scored his first goal of the season as Roma claimed a third consecutive victory to maintain its perfect start to the season.

Totti, playing in his 22nd season with the club, helped Roma come from a goal down to defeat Parma 3-1 and join Napoli at the top of the table on nine points.

Parma had taken the lead six minute before the break when Jonathan Biabany headed home from close range.

But the visiting side hit back two minutes after the restart through Alessandro Florenzi before new signing Kevin Strootman set up Totti to score.

And Dutch international Strootman sealed the points from the penalty spot five minutes from time after summer signing Gervinho was sent sprawling.

Via: Liverpool denied as Roma roll on