All posts by Max

Max is a Shotokan Karate Black Belt, mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. Max is a sports fanatic with experience practising and coaching various sports. Nowadays, he is constantly on-the-go between making the web a better place, a quick game of squash and coaching the SUFC women’s team. Max believes that Messi is the best player in the word. Sam disagrees. Sam is wrong.

What makes a great football club?

European Leagues Leave a comment

How do you separate a big club from a small club? A giant from a minnow? Is it the financial resources? Sponsorship deals? Historic achievements and legacy? Stadium capacity or global following? League position and performance on the pitch?

Here are the 5 factors I believe separate the greatest football clubs from the rest:

1. Total Generated Revenue

It doesn’t matter how profitable a club is, what affects it’s size is the amount of income the club is able to generate. This is the best measure of supporter perception we can take. The greater the club’s value in a supporter’s eyes, the more time and money they are willing to invest. This investment goes into purchase of merchandise, match-day tickets, higher television viewing and it also affects sponsor decisions.

Deloitte Football Money League 2014-2015
(Image source: www.deloitte.com)

Supporter perception therefore directly affects commercial, broadcasting and match-day revenue, the three largest sources of a football club’s income. Generated revenues are a clear indication of what fans think of their club, and there is no such thing as a club without fans.

2. Performance in the UEFA Champions League

Calm down, I know this is a European competition and this excludes some decently sized clubs, but the fact remains that the biggest clubs in the world are European. And the UEFA Champions League trophy is the ultimate achievement a European club can obtain. A good run in the Champion’s League can also put a club back on people’s radars. Despite convincingly winning the Serie A title, 17 points clear of nearest rivals Roma, it was Juventus’ journey to the UEFA Champions League final which put the club’s name on everyone’s lips.

3. History and Legacy

Take clubs like SL Benfica, AC Milan and Ajax which haven’t ranked among the very best in Europe for a few years. They have amassed a massive dynasty over the years and while their performances of late may have suffered, many would still consider them greater clubs that this year’s finalists, Atletico Madrid.

4. Consistent Success

Consistency is key. Some clubs come into the limelight for a few years, are unable to sustain their success and quickly fall back into the abyss. To be considered great, you have to perform and win titles, year after year. A few years without any major titles can see a club’s status slowly sink lower and lower. Take Liverpool who haven’t won any major titles since their 2004-2005 UEFA Champion`s League and 2005-2006 FA Cup (except for a 2011-2012 League Cup, with a penalty shoot-out against Cardiff deciding the final). Leicester have just won the English Premier League, only time will tell whether they’ll consistently grow towards greatness or simply fall off everyone’s radars within a couple of years.

5. Passion

Passion on the pitch, passion on the stands. The emotion the club and players can instill, the stories they create and the joy they give. It becomes not just about the club, but about a cause. These are the reasons that football is one of the greatest sports on the planet. Would you be ready to die for your club? Some fans would, and it is that level of dedication and commitment which propel a club to greatness.

What do you think? Do you agree with our list? Tell us what you think really makes a club great in the comments section below…

F2 Train with FC Barcelona | Video Review

Videos Leave a comment

What is the Barcelona way?

In this video, the F2 Freestylers are joined by five of the world’s best players. That’s right, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique, Arda Turan and Marc-André ter Stegen all join Jezza and Billy to show off their skills. Talk about taking it up a notch! But wait, there’s more, the sponsors Beko are going to fly 22 winners to the Barcelona to get coached by the experts and a game on the pitch at the Camp Nou.

Check it out below:

The video starts off with a cheeky touch from Leo Messi – always be ready to receive the ball! – followed by some top defending tips by Gerard Pique. Marc-André ter Stegen and Luis Suarez then show off Barcelona’s philosophy of developing players who truly understand the game and can play in every position. You guessed right, Marc is showing us his shooting technique with Luis in goal, reminiscent of his save against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn_oYeugGiw). Suarez then admits that he wasn’t involved with the passed penalty by Messi in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Celta Vigo last February and that it was actually meant for Neymar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xf83P79UGQ).

A cool game of foot-tennis featuring Arda Turan and ter Stegen follows along with an excellent bit of advice:

“Love the ball, want the ball, be comfortable on the ball. No matter what position you play.”

It’s no wonder that Barcelona’s philosophies have been such a driving force behind Spain’s football dominance over the past few years.

We finish off with some brilliant finishing skills by Leo Messi and Luis Suarez. In a tribute to the sponsors, Suarez then takes on the Beko Washing Machine Challenge.

Bartolo Bros Video Rating: 9.6

If you enjoyed this video as much as we did, tell us what you think in the comments section below!

10 Reasons you Have to Read Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography

Books Leave a comment

Click the cover image to grab your copy of Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography

1. He’s a Knight

Knighthood doesn’t come cheap; it’s proof of great achievement. You should always be looking to learn from the best. Why else do you think I’ve just placed an order for Sir Richard Branson’s autobiography?

2. 13 Premier League Titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 2 Champions League Trophies

… and the list goes on. Oh, and those are just the titles he won with Manchester Utd.

3. He’s Scottish

So was William Wallace. ‘Nuff said.

4. He started off at £40 per week

It was never about the money and always about passion for the game. The guy dedicated his life to the game. Continue reading →

VIRAL Football | Video Review

Videos 1 Comment

So here’s my first ever video review and we’re going to start off with one of my favourite freestyle videos of all-time by the F2 Freestylers Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch joined by.. well, watch the video and you’ll see who else features in it.

I’ve seen better freestyle skills and I’ve seen better effects and editing, so what exactly makes this video so brilliant? It’s full of swag, has fantastic interaction with the audience and it’s and on a completely new level of cool – well apart from Obama’s mike-drop – but it’s up there with the best of them. Check it out below!

Bartolo Bros Video Rating: 9.4

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Is this the best freestyle video you’ve ever watched? If not, post a link to your favourite so we can check it out!

1 Simple Trick to Score More Goals

Tips & Tricks 1 Comment

You look up, assess the position of the goal and the goalkeeper, make some quick calculations in your head, decide where to put the ball and hit it. Too often, this process takes too long or you’re still uncertain of the decision by the time you hit the ball, resulting in a miss or an easy save for the goalkeeper. The solution? AIM FOR THE NET!

This is a fantastic way to improve your finishing and should be practised by players of all ages. Here are my top 3 reasons why this works:

Continue reading →

Copyright 2016, CyberMax Creations.
Top