Messi has spent the last few years terrorizing defenses for Spanish giant FC Barcelona. The diminutive Argentine’s mazy runs, exquisite finishing and dogged determination have helped rack up an endless range of trophies for the Catalans.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s chief nemesis, Real Madrid, is home to the flamboyant yet brilliant showman, Ronaldo. The rivalry between the two is almost as big as the rivalry between the two clubs. Or so we thought.

“I respect him, but I have no relationship with him, as I don’t with a lot of other footballers,” Messi told Marca, according to FIFA.com. ”I have relationships with my Barcelona club-mates, and with the international squad, Argentinian players who I’ve got to know well over the years. 

“There’s never been any kind of anger toward Cristiano. It’s all made up by the press who want to believe there’s a constant duel between the two of us, but I don’t compete with Cristiano, nor does he with me.

“I just want to do my job,” Messi continued, “I want things to go well, and I want to keep winning trophies with the national side and with Barcelona.”

Messi has never given much attention to the supposed personal contest between the two superstars, but his Portuguese counterpart has occasionally struggled with the comparison.

After missing several opportunities at the 2012 UEFA European Championships, Ronaldo was on the receiving end of “Messi, Messi” chants by Danish fans.

His frustration boiled over after the game, when he exclaimed to the media, “Do you know what [Messi] was doing this time last year? He was going out of the Copa America in the quarterfinals.”

If the Barcelona ace refuses to stoke the rivalry’s flames, we will for him.

Messi is better than Ronaldo. Period.

It’s not his ridiculous collection of personal awards and accomplishments — three Ballon d’Ors to go along with the record for most goals scored in one European season (73 strikes in 60 games) for those counting at home — that sets Messi apart. Soccer is the ultimate team game, and, thus far, Messi’s achievements with Barcelona stand higher than those of Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United and current employer Madrid.

“La Pulga’s” five league titles trump Ronaldo’s four (three coming with United), as does his collection of three UEFA Champions League titles to Ronaldo’s solitary European conquest (again with United). And — so long as Diego Maradona is not re-hired to single-handedly undermine Messi’s efforts as he did at the 2010 FIFA World Cup — one wouldn’t bet against Messi grabbing world soccer’s biggest prize at some point down the road.

Thankfully for us neutrals, with Messi at just 25 years old and Ronaldo only 27, this debate will rage on for years to come. For once, there’s nothing Messi can do about it.

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PSG’s lavish spending has continued this summer with the arrivals of high-profile stars such as Ezequiel Lavezzi along with the aforementioned duo of Ibrahimovic and Silva. The French powerhouse is the consensus favorite to win Ligue 1 this season, and its former star Ronaldinho is highly impressed with the club’s offseason additions, according to Goal.com.

“They look strong. They have great players, some of whom are friends, such as Thiago [Silva] and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] both of whom I played with at AC Milan,” Ronaldinho reportedly told L’Equipe.

“I’m delighted for PSG and I hope they will be rewarded soon with lots of silverware.”

Currently at Atletico Mineiro, Ronaldinho spent two seasons in Ligue 1 with PSG. It was there that the attacking midfielder blossomed into one of the world’s best midfielders and caught the eye of FC Barcelona.

Though brilliant in France, Ronaldinho is best remembered for his time with in Catalonia where he won the Ballon d’Or and became an international sensation with his ridiculous assortment of tricks.

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Though Van Persie is a brilliant player, Sir Alex Ferguson's latest acquisition is a grave misallocation of United's funds and brings the Red Devils no closer to their 20th league title.

In combining Van Persie with current talisman Wayne Rooney, Ferguson has created the most-feared striking duo on the planet — and it didn't come cheap. A well-practiced negotiator, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger squeezed £24million (about $38 million) out of United in exchange for an injury-prone, 29-year old striker coming off of a career year. On top of this, United is reported to have given Van Persie a massive contract worth £200,000 (about $315,000) a week. With the Glazer family's debt hanging around United's financial neck, Ferguson has devoted a substantial chunk of his budget to what amounts to a high-risk luxury signing.

United's failure to end 2011-12 with a trophy had nothing to do with its attacking options. Ferguson combined the ever-present Rooney with the highly-promising Danny Welbeck, Mexican poacher Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and forgotten 2010-11 Premier League scoring champion Dimitar Berbatov. This doesn't even include United's embarrassment of riches in attacking midfield with newcomer Shinji Kagawa joining the likes of Antonio Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young.

Van Persie will provide an immediate boost to Rooney's supporting cast, but the true problem areas for United — the ones which caused the group-stage exit from the UEFA Champions League and allowed City to overtake it down the stretch of the Premier League — lie at left back and central midfield.

Left back Patrice Evra's aging legs have betrayed his attacking disposition and consistently stretch the Red Devils' back line to the breaking point. This summer provided the opportunity to bring in another challenger to Evra, but so far has only seen his deputy, Fabio, sent out on loan. Four years Evra's junior, Everton's Leighton Baines has been superb for the Toffees over the past several seasons. The Englishman would provide both cover and competition to the French incumbent, while also providing top-level ability to deliver set pieces.

Compounding the issues at the back is Ferguson's refusal to complement his array of creative midfielders with a true holding player. Darren Fletcher can't be counted upon due to his ongoing intestinal issue and the man tasked with the job last year, Michael Carrick, may start this season at center back due to an injury crisis.

For external options, it seems a certainty that Stade Rennes' Yann M'Vila will be playing in England this season. Why shouldn't it be at United? A prototypical holding midfielder, the French international's intelligent positioning, high motor and expansive passing game would perfectly fill out United's midfield.

While United fans can — and should — be excited at Van Persie's arrival, they should also be forewarned. Wenger has made a career of selling aging stars at the right moment, and his store doesn't offer any refunds. If Ferguson's summer spending is complete, United will enter the season with the same problems that undermined its last one, rendering Van Persie's acquisition totally irrelevant in the chase for the title.

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Fresh off of winning her second Olympic gold medal with the United States Women's National Soccer Team, Solo returned to the popular program to promote her new book, "SOLO: A Memoir of Hope."

The last time Solo graced the Today Show with a gold medal hanging around her neck, she was still drunk from partying through the night until the interview the next morning. Four years older is four years wiser and — save for a rogue cell phone alarm — Solo didn't appear to be shaking off any cobwebs from the previous night's festivities.

The dominant goalkeeper was in good spirits as she touched on a range of subjects from her family life to this summer's public feud with soccer commentator, and former USWNT hero, Brandi Chastain.

Never one to bite her tongue, Solo has kept up her public profile despite "not doing much" until the final game of the women's victorious run.

Although she rarely avoids drama, Solo always backs it up between the posts. Her impressive performance against Japan solidified her reputation as the world’s best female goalkeeper.

Solo's headline-catching summer culminated with the release of her autobiography, "SOLO: A Memoir of Hope" — though even that couldn't avoid controversy. USWNT coach Pia Sundhage reportedly threatened to drop Solo from the roster if the keeper released her tell-all book in the buildup to the Olympic games.

Check out Solo's Today Show interview in the video below.

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Photo via Twitter/‏@komonews

Cole and his Chelsea teammates were unable to preserve an early lead and fell to reigning Premier League champion Manchester City in the curtain-raising Community Shield.

Following the tough defeat, Cole was gracious enough to give the young fan — a huge City fan at that — his silver runner-up medal.

"I just held out my hand and he gave it to me," McColgan said. "It made me feel really happy. I think he must be a nice person because he gave me his medal.

"I've shown the medal to everyone. They all said it was very heavy and that they like the look of it. It's made me feel super," the seven-year-old concluded.

Like Charlie getting his golden ticket, McColgan hasn't let the medal out of his sight and even rejected a £500 offer for his prized possession.

"Apparently these medals would go for quite a lot of money but Bailey said he wouldn't sell it for a million pounds," said McColgan's mother, Karla Barlow.

Cole has also made a believer out of the youngster's father, James McColgan.

"The look on Bailey's face was unbelievable. A lot of stuff gets said about Ashley Cole, but this speaks volumes for him. It paints football in a different light," said the elder McColgan.

Cole, 31, has been a divisive figure in English football since his transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea in 2006.

Arsenal fans branded the England international "Cashley" Cole in reference to the cross-London switch that saw Cole earn a massive pay raise from Chelsea sugar daddy Roman Abramovich.

For his part, Cole has never missed a chance to rub his impressive Blues' trophy-haul in Gooners' faces.

Never out of the headlines for long, the left back was the subject of transfer speculation earlier this summer.

Reports claimed former boss Carlo Ancelotti wanted to bring Cole (who only has one year left on his contract) to heavy-hitting Paris Saint-Germain for a final massive payday. Cole has since rejected the rumors and looks set to play a part in Chelsea's defense of its UEFA Champions League title.

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Benfica’s dull preseason friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf got a shot in the arm in the 39th minute when midfield enforcer Javi Garcia made a strong tackle.

As his teammates were arguing with Fischer, Eagles’ captain Luisao burst through the pack and delivered a slight chest bump to the German official. In what Benfica called a “lamentable display of theater,” Fischer hit the deck, kicked his feet up in the air, and feigned a momentary loss of consciousness.

Luisao was left less than impressed by Fischer’s performance, according to the Mail.

“I was surprised,” the veteran stopper reportedly told Record.

“I did not make any move of aggression. I tried to be ahead of my colleagues and I saw the referee fall. I tried to talk to the assistants still on the pitch to explain my intention.

“I do not fear anything. I have a clear conscience and I will continue with my work.”

Meanwhile, the German club quickly condemned Benfica in a statement almost as dramatic as the flop that preceded it.

“I’m shocked. I’ve been in football for many years and have never seen anything like it. I do not understand that players from a team with the reputation of Benfica, a team that play in the Champions League, have such an attitude,” Fortuna president Peter Frymuth told A Bola.

“Let’s get help from the German federation and talk with UEFA about Luisao, and about what other players of Benfica did. I hope they are severely punished.

“We should have been celebrating for ourselves, but we are now faced with a depressing action. We are speechless, we are dead with grief.”

Fortuna’s hyperbolic support for its thespian compatriot smells suspiciously like an attempt to curry favor from Fischer and his colleagues in its upcoming Bundesliga campaign. Of course, that’s assuming Fischer hasn’t already been cast as Christoph Waltz‘s stunt double in the next Quentin Tarantino movie.

Watch Luisao knock Fischer out in the video below.

Photo via Facebook/Sou Benfica de alma & coracao

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Growing up in Diamond Bar, Cali., Morgan began making a name for herself at the University of California-Berkeley. The Golden Bears’ leading goal-scorer for each of her four seasons, Morgan managed to handle her collegiate responsibilities while making her breakthrough with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

Her exploits at the U-20 level garnered international recognition from FIFA and — before her amateur career was over — she played a key role the national team’s qualification for the 2011 FIFA World Cup.

After playing the role of “supersub” to great effect at that World Cup, Morgan became a mainstay in the starting lineup for the 2012 Olympic Games. Increased responsibility only served to bring out the best in the young striker, and her performances were fairly rewarded with a gold medal.

At just 23-years-old, Morgan is primed to become the face of women’s soccer — both at home and abroad — for the next decade. We’ve collected an assorted selection of photos of Morgan to pay due respect to America’s next superstar.

Click here to see photos of Alex Morgan >>

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Death hasn’t been enough to stop the “Princess of R&B” from releasing new material and Drake took some time off from his involvement in nightclub brawls to drop a verse on Aaliyah’s recent single.

Getting a chance to drop some lines mid-way through the tune, Drake boasts of “swerving with Balotelli” through the streets of Manchester. The two became friends back in April when Balotelli brought the touring rapper out to dinner. Whether they were “swerving” in Balotelli’s Bentley, Audi R8, or Maserati GranTurismo is unknown, but it’s safe to assume that Balotelli hasn’t lost his lead foot quite yet.

Drake’s name-check is the latest chapter in “The Summer of Mario.”

After assisting Manchester City to its first title in over 40 years, Balotelli helped carry a revitalized Italy all the way to the final of the 2012 UEFA European Championships (scoring some brilliant goals along the way). From Kiev, Ukraine the 21-year-old headed to Ibiza, Spain where he made some new friends, set record bar tabs, and (hopefully) reflected on the impending arrival of his first child with ex-girlfriend Rafaella Fico.

The “Summer of Mario” comes to an end on August 12 when City takes on Chelsea in the Community Shield. The Citizens begin their Premier League title-defense against newly-promoted Southampton on August 19.

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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) claims that Hearts intentionally mislead its fans through an inaccurate radio ad, according to the BBC.

The dispute arose when the club ran an ad offering fans “the lowest season ticket starting price,” only for fans to find out that no such tickets were available. Caught with its hand in the cookie jar, the club’s flimsy explanation was arguably more offensive than the failed scheme.

Hearts — accurately — cited that a change in ticket sale procedure caused a massive spike in sales that exceeded the club’s expectations. It went on to assert — not so accurately — that had it known that tickets would sell out so quickly, it would have included a “subject to availability” or “available while stocks last” disclaimer to the advertisement.

Unfortunately for Hearts, the good folks over at the ASA discovered — in what probably took five minutes over coffee — that the club ran the advertisement on two days when the tickets were not available. Case closed.

The message to all future schemers out there is that if you’re going to try to bait-and-switch your own fans, at least have the decency to put some heart into the cover-up.

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Photo via Flickr/JMoy Photography

Werdum, 35, spent a decade living in Madrid and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet some of his heroes.

“I lived ten years in Spain. I have relatives in Madrid and I have always been a fan of the Real,” Werdum said, according to the Mirror.

“It’s nice to be here among these players and have the chance to talk about everything. I honestly had a great time. I invited Iker to a live UFC event and he liked the idea. Being from Brazil, I play soccer like everyone from my country, but I prefer the Octagon.”

Werdum was in town to attend, but not fight in, UFC on Fox 4 held at the Staples Center on August, 4th. The experienced fighter has yet to schedule his next bout since his first-round knock out of Mike Russow in June.

Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Los Blancos wrap up their pre-season tour of the U.S. on August 11 against Celtic. The club will then return to Spain to face Valencia on August 19 as Madrid looks to defend its La Liga title.

Check out the video below to see Werdum hanging out with his favorite Real Madrid players.

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Photo via Facebook/Football Planet

Cristiano Ronaldo

Arana, a massive Madrid fan, received his dream gift when the Make-A-Wish Foundation arranged for him to meet his idol, Ronaldo. Already in the United States for Madrid’s pre-season tour, CR7 took the time to meet Arana in Las Vegas, Nev. to sign a few autographs and offer words of encouragement.

“It has been a great experience and an enormous joy sharing a few minutes with Cristiano Ronaldo,” Arana said.

“He’s my idol and I wanted to meet him because he’s an international star. He’s the best player in the world and being with him has been a dream come true, a real honor and the best experience of my life.”

Ronaldo and Madrid gave their Las Vegas-based fans something to smile about with a 2-1 win over Santos Laguna as the Spanish side continues its pre-season preparations.

Jose Mourinho, Ronaldo, and Los Blancos kick off their La Liga title defense against Valencia on August 19.

Watch Ronaldo visit Arana in the video below.

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Rivas, 29, played for some of the game’s biggest clubs — from River Plate in Argentina to Inter Milan in Italy — before signing with Major League Soccer and the Montreal Impact. A player of Rivas’ stature never likes getting thrown to the ground, particularly by a rookie like Hoppenot.

In the 68^th minute of Montreal’s 2-0 victory over Philadelphia, Hoppenot made the mistake of slinging Rivas over his shoulder while the two grappled for a 50-50 ball. The veteran defender didn’t take kindly to Hoppenot’s toss and didn’t hesitate to deliver his forehead to the young forward’s face.

Rivas’ outburst was just the most recent chapter in soccer’s long history of headbutting.

In the game of the season, Joey Barton utilized the headbutt to finish off his personal hat-trick against Manchester City. Having already elbowed Carlos Tevez and stomped on Sergio Aguero, Barton rounded off his tantrum by attempting to headbutt City captain Vincent Kompany. Luckily for him, he didn’t make much contact.

Of course, the grand-daddy of all headbutts belongs to Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman called time on his legendary career with a crushing blow to Marco Materazzi‘s chest plate during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. Of course, Zidane being Zidane, he was still won the golden ball as player of the tournament.

Watch Rivas headbutt Hoppenot in the video below.

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Photo via Facebook/Nelson Rivas

Cole, 31, is a high-priority target for PSG and former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, according to the Mirror.

The left back is coming off of a highly successful season in which the Londoners won their first UEFA Champions League trophy. However, the England international is in the final year of his contract, and his employers have yet to open negotiations on a renewal.

While Chelsea continues to maintain that an offer will be forthcoming by the end of the transfer window (Aug. 31), it is thought that PSG may capitalize on the Blues’ feet-dragging by making a move for the former Arsenal man.

Chelsea has already let former core players Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou depart on free transfers this window. Meanwhile speculation remains over the future of midfielder Frank Lampard, who has flirted with a move to Major League Soccer.

Manager Roberto Di Matteo may be carrying out the kind of overhaul that ex-manager Andre Villas-Boas had in mind when he took over the club before last season. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich paid a small fortune to FC Porto to bring in Villas-Boas and charged the Portuguese with overhauling an aging squad.

When performances suffered and senior players (including John Terry, Lampard, and Cole) bucked at the new manager’s revolution, Villas-Boas was fired and Di Matteo given the reigns on an interim basis.

With a Champions League title belt hanging around his waist, Di Matteo has spent the summer re-vamping the squad around a younger core of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, and Oscar amongst others.

Now, with young Englishman Ryan Bertrand nipping at his heels, the question is whether Cole will be the next veteran to leave Stamford Bridge.

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Roberto Carlos

Carlos, 39, joined Anzhi in February of 2011 from Brazilian club Corinthians. Big names like Samuel Eto'o, Christopher Samba, and manager Guus Hiddink have since followed him to Dagestan, and the Brazilian legend will now serve the club in an ambassadorial role, according to Reuters.

"Roberto had been a world class player, but unfortunately he doesn't play any more," said Hiddink.

"Fortunately, Roberto will now take up a role to develop this club for the good of the game in the Dagestan region and the whole of Russia."

For his part, Carlos is still holding out hope for one final run-out. He hopes to appear in an exhibition between Anzhi and former club Real Madrid.

"We had met Real president Florentino Perez and discussed such a match between Real and Anzhi. We need to set up a date that suits both clubs. I would like to have my farewell to be played in Makhachkala," said the Brazilian.

In his new role, Carlos' chief responsibility will be raising the club's global profile through the recruitment of star players. His involvement in the acquisitions of the aforementioned Eto'o and Samba bodes well for his front office future. However, Carlos' task of selling the world's best players on one of Europe's most turbulent regions is more complicated than meets the eye.

Anzhi's money doesn't talk quite so loudly while the team is on the outside looking in on the UEFA Champions League. Moreover, the club doesn't yet seem capable of joining the likes of Zenit St. Petersburg and Spartak Moscow at the top of the highly competitive Russian Premier League.

Top players want top dollar and top competition. For all of Anzhi's financial muscle, it can't realistically compete with other Monopoly-money clubs (think Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain) who can match Anzhi's outlandish wages while playing on the game's biggest stage.

When you throw in the fact that Makhachkala is to Paris what Sam Bowie is to Michael Jordan, it's clear that the charismatic Brazilian's recruiting pitch requires much more than just a powerpoint presentation and blank check.

Carlos' playing career is best remembered for his 11-year spell at Real Madrid. A model of consistency, his buccaneering style of play from the back and preposterous free kicks made him (arguably) the best left back in the game.

A brief stint with Turkish club Fenerbahce was followed by an even shorter return to his native Brazil with Corinthians. Carlos' reunion with the Ronaldo ("Il Fenomeno," not Madrid's current pretty boy) lasted barely over a season before the defender headed off for a new challenge — and fat paycheck — with Anzhi in 2011. Time will tell if he can get the next generation of Carloses to follow in his footsteps.

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Thumbnail photo via Flickr/redsforest

With over 100 goals to his name, Ceni can proudly boast of being the highest-scoring goalkeeper in soccer history.

The Sao Paulo legend further increased his tally in Wednesday's Copa Sudamerica victory over Bahia, and his latest strike was a worthy addition to an already fine collection.

Early in the first half of a scoreless game, Bahia conceded a free kick from around 25 yards out. After departing his own goal mouth and jogging the entire length of the field, Ceni stepped up and effortlessly buried a curled shot into the upper 90 that left Bahia's keeper helpless. Free-kick master David Beckham would probably approve of Ceni's effort.

While Ceni is peerless in terms of quantity, he's far from being the only keeper to have scored a quality goal.

U.S. soccer fans have long cherished Brad Friedel's goal for Blackburn Rovers in 2004 that made him just the second shot-stopper in Premier League history to get his name on the scoresheet.

Not to be outdone, Friedel's compatriot Tim Howard scored his first professional goal this past season for Everton. The American's long-ball bounced over Bolton's Adam Bogdan for the game's opening goal. Always the gentleman, Howard didn't even celebrate his effort. Instead, the long-time U.S. number one expressed sympathy for embarrassing a fellow member of the close-knit goalkeeping fraternity.

Check out Ceni's well-taken goal in the video below.

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Twitter/@paixaotriicolor

Players and fans of the Spanish club were anxiously awaiting the start of the new season and the chance to return Spain's oldest club back to the top division.

Little did they know the horror about to befall them. The club's release of its 2012-2013 jerseys kicked off a full-scale mutiny by unhappy fans, according to La Tercera. They just might have a point.

Faced with a full season of watching their favorite team clad in a red polka-dotted uniform (eerily similar to that worn by Minnie Mouse), Recre's fans took to the streets in protest and demanded that manufacturer Hummel come up with a new design. Others voiced their displeasure via Twitter, labeling the shirt "a joke" and "the ugliest I've ever seen."

Thus far it doesn't seem like the fans' message is being taken seriously. Hummel responded by complaining that it only had two weeks to put together both the home and away jerseys for the club. Meanwhile, the club's marketing department — which should have thrown Hummel under the bus and denied all involvement with the project — responded by saying "we wanted to be innovators." Mission failed.

The standoff is not over yet, but one would hope that opposing fans take it easy on "El Decano's" supporters this upcoming season. After all, it's not their fault that their club's jerseys were inspired by a case of measles.

Take a good look at Recreativo's new jerseys and be thankful your team doesn't have to wear them.

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Photo via Twitter/@WSC_magazine

Reyna, 27, completed his personal hat-trick when he scored the fifth and final goal of Monterrey's 5-0 slaughter of Chorrillo in the CONCACAF Champions League. Though his final strike may have been nothing more than a simple chip past a stranded, mentally-broken Algish Dixon (even the since-expelled Chinese badminton players gave a better effort), Reyna's celebration was simply world class.

In a practiced move, Reyna jumped on Abraham Dario Carreno, wrapped his legs around Carreno's neck, and whipped his teammate to the ground all in one motion. Though better than his goal, the lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) and WWE-inspired takedown was an unfortunately accurate reflection of the night's proceedings.

Reyna's throw-down reminded us of some of our other favorite goal celebrations.

Mario Balotelli's "Why Always Me?" t-shirt will always hold a special place in the history of the Manchester derby. For a team celebration, look no further than South Africa's choreographed dancing following Siphiwe Tshabalala's opening goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, the best reactions aren't always done by the players. Ian Darke's call of Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's "absolute firecracker" did due justice to one of the best goals of the 2010 World Cup. However, the most outrageous piece of commentating has to go to the inimitable Ray Hudson whose reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo's beauty of a free kick truly defies explanation.

Check out Reyna's goal and celebration in the video below. 

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Photo via Facebook/RAYADOS LA ALEGRIA DE MI CORAZON

The legendary Frenchman will take on a coaching role within Real Madrid’s youth academy this season, though he may have his eyes on an even bigger prize, according to FIFA.com.

Zidane, 40, has kept himself busy since his retirement in 2006.

Having joined Madrid’s front office as “Advisor to the President” in 2009, Zidane was given a hands-on role with the first team at the behest of manager Jose Mourinho in 2010. That next summer he was promoted to the position of “Sporting Director” where he ostensibly had more control over player personnel decisions — though the ego-tastic sandwich of Mourinho and President Florentino Perez must have mitigated his influence.

Now, he continues his meteoric rise behind the scenes of the Santiago Bernabeu as he moves on to a new coaching career.

“Zinedine Zidane will shortly begin training to be a coach while at the same time coaching Real Madrid’s youth academy,” said Madrid in an online statement.

“That will allow him to formalise his knowledge and training which will enable him to fulfill an aspiration that he made public in the press conference in which he announced his retirement as a player in April 2006: to work with Real Madrid’s youth academy,” the club stated.

Though the former Galactico is getting his breakthrough with Los Blancos, Zidane’s true managerial calling may lie back in France. Despite no previous managerial experience, he has already been touted as a potential future manager of the French national team by French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet.

Since Zidane’s retirement in 2006, Les Bleus have fallen on hard times. The team has failed to advance past the quarter-finals in any major tournament, while in-fighting amongst players has undermined the authority of ex-managers Raymond Domenech and Laurent Blanc (though to be fair, Domenech makes Gary Busey seem like Stephen Hawking). With a little seasoning, Zidane could be the perfect fit for the job.

His stature as one of the game’s greatest players — arguably France’s best ever — would immediately command the respect of the entire team. Moreover, he has more experience than meets the eye. It is widely believed that Zidane served as de-facto manager while playing under Domenech in France’s run to the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, meanwhile his work with Madrid’s senior team has been met with widespread acclaim.

With a few helpful pointers from his pal Mourinho, don’t be surprised if “Zizou’s” coaching role with the kids quickly gives way to control over the French national team. Let’s just hope he leaves the head-butts at home this time around.

Photo via Facebook/Zinedine Zizou Zidane

G.M's offer of £25 million (almost $40 million) per year is a full £5 million (about $7.8 million) more than United's current deal with Aon. It will allow Chevrolet to become the club's official shirt sponsor and unofficial best friend, according to the Mail.

"This is a fantastic, long-term deal for the club," said United's commercial director Richard Arnold.

"We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but already they have produced some fantastic ideas that will benefit both the partnership and our 659 million followers around the world.

"They are a key partner on our current tour and I know they have enjoyed experiencing the buzz generated by our fanatical support and the sell-out crowds in South Africa, China, and Europe.

"It is a great thrill for those of us who work with partners all year round when an existing partner steps up to being one of our principal partners. This commitment to United and its fans will bring real benefits to everyone who cares about the club."

Meanwhile, Chevrolet is more than happy to be the "Buzz Lightyear" to Aon's "Woody."

"We are extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and its passionate supporters all around the world," said General Motors' North America Vice President of US Sales and Service, Alan Batey.

"Manchester United's statistics are impressive, but this relationship goes far beyond the numbers –- this relationship is about connecting our brand with the deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team everywhere it goes."

United's deal with Chevrolet comes amidst a whirlwind of commercial activity for the club.

Last week United announced an action-figure licensing deal. However, the big news is that the club is ready to move forward with its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) that could ease the weight of the club's mountainous debt accrued in the Glazer family's leveraged takeover in 2005.

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Cellular phone provider Vodacom helped organize a fan-selected exhibition between South Africa's fiercest rivals. Over 11 million fans voted in the unique game, with goalkeepers Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs) and Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates) garnering the most votes.

Over 92,000 fans flocked to the massive Soccer City Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg for the friendly, and they were treated to a tense encounter.

Chiefs took the lead through a 10th minute goal from one-time Orlando youth team member Abia Nale, only to see Pirates equalize in stoppage-time through former European standout Benni McCarthy. The game went all the way to penalties with Orlando's Ndumiso Mabena scoring the winning spot kick of an exciting contest.

However, fans would have undoubtedly been disappointed that 2010 FIFA World Cup hero Siphiwe Tshabalala (also part of the infamous "qualification that wasn't" for the 2012 African Cup of Nations) missed out through injury.

The clubs may be intense rivals on the playing field, but have shrewdly joined forces in the commercial realm. The two have recently renewed an unusual, yet lucrative joint sponsorship deal with Vodacom — South Africa's largest cellular network — worth around one billion rand (almost $122 million) over five years.

The victory on penalties is the second in as many years for Pirates. Orlando won last year's pre-season derby with a 4-3 victory through spot kicks, though the game itself showed that passion and tactical savvy are very different animals.

Then-Kaizer Chiefs' boss Vladimir Vermezovic didn't see the fans' collective wisdom in a lineup featuring a right back on the left, a center back on the right, and a midfield comprised of four attacking players. At least they didn't vote Yao Ming and his bum foot into the starting 11, which is more than the NBA can say.

Orlando will begin its quest for a Premier Soccer League three-peat when it kicks off its season against Golden Arrows on August 10th. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs start its campaign the next day in Durban, against AmaZulu FC.

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Thumbnail via Flickr/AyJay1980