Today, Barcelona's 118,528 members with voting rights will decide if current president, Joan Laporta and his board will continue their reign at the Nou Camp or step down.
Fans have mixed feeling on whether Laporta should step down or stay, as it is rumored that the futures of Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho will be determined by this vote. It is said that if Laporta maintains his position, Ronaldinho and Eto'o will leave, and if he is voted out, they will stay. AC Milan is hoping for a Laporta win, so they could possibly bring Ronaldinho to the San Siro.
For this motion of censure to take place it is required that 10% of the club's associates vote and that 2/3 of all votes are gathered. If the vote proves successful Laporta and his board will immediately resign and a temporary commision led by Xavier Sala i Martín will take over, until elections are held.
I was at first against this vote, but now that FCBarcelona has made all the necessary signings of the summer, Alves, Keita, Pique, and Martín Cáceres, I believe Laporta should be voted out. The intention of he and his board to sell our best attacking players, Ronaldinho and Eto'o, doesn't go well with me, as Barca does not need Adebayor or any other striker. For me the main issues with the team was a lack of discipline and their defense, and now that we have made defensive signings, new coach Pep Guardiola should just focus on gelling the team together.
Laporta has done well during his period as president, as the club has managed back to back league titles and the Champions League under his rule. Also the club has been profitable for the fifth consecutive year, massing a profit of 10.1 million last season. However much of his success is attributed to the man trying to take his position, Sandro Rosell. Rosell was vice president of the club during those successful seasons but departed due to differences with Laporta. After his departure the club's success has dropped dramatically, thus causing Rosell to jump at the opportunity and force the vote of no confidence against Laporta. Rosell is also said to be the man responsible for bringing Ronaldinho to Barcelona in the first place.

Andrei Arshavin, is still in the hunt for a new club after two spectacular performances at this year's Euro 2008, which has seen him receive interest from various clubs, including Barcelona, Arsenal and now Chelsea.
Arshavin is interested in a move to Barcelona, the club he has been a fan of since he was a boy, but new reports suggest that Chelsea have now entered the race for the player, and rightly so.
I stated in one of my earlier post that Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's owner, being Russian, should bring in at least one of the talented countrymen of his, who were on display at Euro 2008. Recent reports suggest that Abramovich has indicated to coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, that he must include at least one Russian player in his plans. So what are Scolari's options? Yuri Zhirkov(defender), Konstantin Zyryanov(midfielder),Roman Pavlyuchenko(striker),and Andrei Arshavin(striker), all of which have been named in the 23 man, Team of the Tournament at Euro 2008.
Zenit has clearly stated that they do not intend to sell Arshavin, and that they will sit with the player and his agent to determine his intentions. Maybe they think Arshavin wants more money, but genuinely I believe the player wants to show his talent abroad, he's stated it for weeks now.
Barcelona could very well loose Arshavin to Chelsea, as they are running out of time, with the vote of no confidence against Joan Laporta, current Barcelona club president, and his board taking place on July 6th. It is believed that Barca has made one last bid before this date in hopes of signing the player. If Laporta is voted out of office, new elections will be held, transfer activity will cease and Chelsea could very well get their man.

After their Euro 2008 triumph, Spain has emerged as world number one on the Fifa world rankings. The top 10 are as follows:

1) Spain - up 3 places
2) Italy - up 1 place
3) Germany - up 2 places
4) Brazil - down 2 places
5) Netherlands - up 5 places
6) Argentina - down 5 places
7) Croatia - up 8 places
8) Czech Republic - down 2 places
9) Portugal - up 2 places
10) France - down 3 places

Reports out of Italy and Spain, have suggested that new boss of Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho is after the player of Euro 2008, Xavi Hernandez.
Inter Milan seemed keen on bringing Frank Lampard to the San Siro, however it now appears that Lampard will only be making the switch until his contract at Chelsea runs out in 2009.
Inter are in the hunt for a top notch center midfielder, and Mourinho apparently has indicated to club owner, Massimo Moratti to make a move for Xavi. This is not the first time that Mourinho has tried to sign Xavi, as he also made an unscuccesful bid for the player, when he was manager of Chelsea two years ago.
My guess is he will be unsuccessful at landing Xavi once again. Xavi is a very important player at Barcelona and there's no way I see them selling him now, especially after his performance at Euro 2008. Speaking on receiving the best player award at Euro 2008, Xavi said that the award was big recognition for him and that it gives him more confidence than anything else, to achieve more next season with his squad. He also said that the award will not improve his role at Barcelona, as he is already valued.
Xavi is a committed Barcelona player and given the important role he has within the team, Inter Milan will be unsuccessful at landing him, no matter how much money they offer. Reports also suggest that Manchester United and Liverpool are also pondering moves for the 28-year-old.

I know I'm two days late and I should have written this earlier, but better late than never. I just want to say I throughly enjoyed Euro 2008. Before this competition I really wasn't a big fan of International soccer as I see it somewhat secondary to club football in several aspects. However this tournament was great, and what could possibly be better than playing for your national team.
I want to congratulate, Spain for winning, I said from the beginning of the competition that they were my favorite European team, and they proved why I like them so much. Their passes and timed runs were brilliant and I have to give a round of applause to their defense, who many people questioned since the beginning. It was good to see them end a 44 year period in which they acquired no trophies, and I have to commend Fernando Torres for that brilliant goal he scored to secure victory and the title. He was rather disappointing throughout the tournament and I was just elated to see him seal the deal.
I have to also say well done to Xavi, who played excellent all tournament and was voted Castrol Player of the Tournament. He dominated and dictated the Spanish midfield throughout the tournament, showed his maturity as a player and leader and thus he really deserved this award.
Uefa also named its Team of the Tournament which is dominated by Spain, the 23 players include: Casillas, Buffon, Van der Sar, Marchena, Puyol, Bosingwa, Pepe, Lahm, Zhirkov, Senna, Xavi, Zyryanov, Modric, Altintop, Fabregás, Iniesta, Ballack, Podolski, Sneijder, Villa, Torres, Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko.
If you look at the list you will see there is no Cristiano Ronaldo and rightly so. I am very critical of Ronaldo as I don't think he deserves to be called the best in the world just yet, even though he has won the Champions League. He is constantly a no show against big teams, missed two penalties, one in the Champions League semi-final and the other in the final, which almost cost his team the title, and he didn't show up against Germany in the Euro quarter-final. Until Ronaldo becomes unselfish in character and play, I believe he is not deserving of the award. His lack of ability to pass in the manner that Xavi did, cost Portugal dearly and hence my reason for why he's not on Uefa's 23 man list.
Once again, congrats to Euro 2008 winners, Xavi and Spain, they played the best football known to man and are worthy champions. Viva Espana!

The futures of both Ronaldinho and Eto'o are still quite uncertain, and we still don't know what will become of the two. Deco joined Chelsea yesterday, and these two could follow him shortly through the exit door.
Ronaldinho spoke today on his future, and said that if Chelsea made an offer for him he would relish the chance to rejoin his former coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who he has a great relatonship with, as they have known each other for quite sometime, and have won the World Cup together. However he remains loyal to Barca and has stated that he is still a Barca player, and that any transfer involving him, will be taken care of by his brother and agent, Roberto De Assis. He said that he has not yet returned to Barcelona to speak with the club, and that he is not concerned currently on where he will be playing next season, as his thoughts are consumed with his recovery. Ronaldinho also stated that he is currently very focused and getting in shape for the upcoming Olympics, as he gears up to play for his native Brazil.
Eto'o on the other hand hasn't said anything recently, but did say earlier that he will not be forced into a decision on his future, until he has spoken to the club. New reports suggest that Barca is ready to offer Eto'o to Juventus in exchange for David Trezeguet, and that Juve would welcome the offer if Barca made it official.
The transfers of these players are just a waiting game, your guess is as good as mine. I truly believe that both Eto'o and Ronaldinho will decide, after they have sat down with the club to discuss the issue.
Ronaldinho doesn't appear to be too bothered with his future, as he knows he still has a contract with Barcelona, and he can easily find another club to pay his salary. Ronaldinho's transfer will most likely be decided by his brother, as it is said agents act according to how a move will benefit them. Eto'o's situation on the other hand is just baffling to me, yes, David Trezeguet is a good striker and he is in form, but his playing days are less than Eto'o's and I personally believe, Eto'o is the better of the two. For Juventus that's a hell of a deal, if I were them I would gladly accept the swap.

It's official, Deco has finally joined Chelsea after weeks of speculation, this according to the club's official website.
Deco had been on his way out for sometime after receiving permission from Barca to leave, as he along with Ronaldinho and Eto'o, have been notified that they are not in new coach of Barcelona, Pep Guardiola's plans.
Deco had been looking for a new challenge ever since this news, and had said earlier that he wanted to prove that he could still play at the highest level. Inter Milan and Chelsea were the two clubs constantly linked with the player, and now Chelsea has gotten their man.
Deco is thought to have joined the Blues largely because of the influence of Luiz Felipe Scolari, who had been coaching Deco with the Portuguese national team. Scolari was recently appointed new coach of Chelsea and ever since his appointment, Deco was rumored to follow. Frank Lampard, who is said to be still in talks with Inter Milan over a possible move to Italy, most likely had an impact on Deco's move, as Deco is seen as his ideal replacement.
Well the rumors are over now, it's official, Deco has signed for Chelsea. The details are not quite clear as yet, but he is believed to have signed on a two-year contract, for a transfer fee of around 8 to 10 million pounds.

With Samuel Eto'o's future at the Nou Camp still quite unclear, negotiations with Adebayor stalling and David Trezeguet not for sale. Barca are still in the hunt for an ideal number 9.
Shevchenko, who moved to Chelsea on the basis of family issues, primarily because his wife wanted to live in an English speaking country, has had a very unsuccessful time at the Bridge. He has never really settled and he does look like quite a misfit with the Blues. I personally believe it's because of his failure to adapt to the English style.
Scolari apparently isn't impressed with Sheva or convinced, and therefore Barca could make a move for the player, on a possible loan deal because acquiring Shevchenko on a permanent basis is probably too expensive at this time. Sheva was apparently keen on a return to AC Milan but because of the huge financial gap between the two, Milan are apparently no longer interested.
Sheva's agent Dimitri Sellyuk is said to have connections at Barcelona, due to the role he played in bringing Yaya Toure to the Nou Camp, and could be the man to see negotiations take place.
Barcelona could be a place for Shevchenko to revive his career, and prove why Chelsea bought him for a record 30 million pounds. For me it's so sad to see a striker who was regarded as one of the best in the world struggling, and I would love to see him return to form.
Sheva coming to Barca would be nice but i don't get why Barca are so keen on finding a replacement for Samuel Eto'o, who is arguably the best striker in the world. I believe they should stick with Eto'o, for he is certain to return to form next season and if they do sell him, they will live to regret it, especially if he's bursting the back of their nets.

After a hard fought contest with teams battling it out for honor and national pride, we are left with two of the named favorites since the beginning, Germany and Spain.
Today's game promises to be an exciting match and I will be interested to see who comes out tops. Spain I believe will play very compact, ensuring that the Germans don't get that much needed space. Interesting match-ups will be all over the pitch, we'll see how well Sergio Ramos can stop Podolski, and if Marcos Senna will be able to contain Micheal Ballack or Frings. I believe that if Spain work the ball like they did against Russia, hold possession and look for the best passes, Germany will be unable to beat them today.
On the German hand of things, Germany has to play a lot better than they did against Turkey, if they expect to win. They were quite lucky to kill off Turkey in dramatic fashion, through a Philip Lahm stunner. However I believe whoever takes control of this game first will win it. German will most likely look to hit Spain on the counterattack, as I expect Spain to dominate the possession.
This match is truly a clash of two different styles, on one hand the more technical, skillful style played by Spain, and on the other, the more physical, brute-force style played by the Germans. Today we shall see which style comes out top, and who will call themselves Euro 2008 champions.
To watch the match go to www.myp2p.eu there's a list of live sports listed on the website, just click on the Football tab for a list of today's matches and you will see the Germany vs Spain match. Bare in mind that if you don't have P2P software installed on your PC, you will need to download it. A guide for P2P software is listed on the website and my personal favorite is Sopcast. Enjoy!

With new reports out of Italy this time, suggesting that Lampard touched down in Italy to complete a medical at Inter Milan, the player's days at Chelsea definitely appear to be over.
I am actually quite excited about this transfer because English players usually don't play outside of their home country, and it will be very interesting in my opinion, to see how well Lampard performs at his new club. I think it won't be hard for him to adjust, especially with his former and soon to be current boss, Jose Mourinho, leading the charge. We all know how unsuccessful Micheal Owen was after making a move to Real Madrid in the 2004-2005 season, but I can't help but think Lamp's luck will be different.
Lampard's move again increases speculation, that Deco will be moving to the Bridge, largely because of newly appointed manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. I thought briefly about Roman Abramovich's interest in bringing in players, who can play more attractive football and definitely, Deco fits the script. His vision, skills and killer passes will bring one somewhat forgotten star to life, Andriy Shevchenko.
I strongly believe Shevchenko is the reason for wanting to see more attractive football. If you may recall when Sheva was at Milan, he was the kind of striker who usually ran on to deadly through balls from either Kaka or Pirlo. However at Chelsea the style of play is so different, that the player seemed to lack quality providers. After Chelsea payed such a hefty price for the striker, I believe they intend to bring in players who will help their investment perform rather sell and loose money.
As for Lampard I think the Serie A, will present challenges for him and ultimately will make him a better player. I think Inter Milan suits him just fine, and I'm definitely interested in seeing how he will adapt.