The Red Journey

Another year has come and gone, with great football being played across the globe. In this year we have witnessed the German rise to power, as two sides coming from the country met in the Champions League final, and we also saw that the possession football of teams such as Barcelona is beginning to become less effective. With great team performances, there were also a lot of personal great achievements, with many players rising to form over the last year, with others maintaining the great level they were playing at from previous years. To commemorate these achievements, a select few of these stars have been awarded with a nomination for the world most prestigious personal footballing award; The Ballon D’Or.

In 3rd place, comes the Spaniard currently playing his trade at English giants Chelsea, Juan Mata. Mata, who was Chelsea’s player of the season during the last campaign, has started the current campaign very well. During the 25 games he has played in all competitions, he has scored 6 times, and has got 15 assists. These kind of performances have led him to be Player of the Match on 3 occasions. He has led his side to the top of the Premier League table, but was unable to rescue their dismal Champions League results, as they ended up bottom of their group.

In 2nd place, is the man who has become accustomed to that role over the past few years, in Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star has only won the trophy once, during his spell at Manchester United, and since then has been playing 2nd fiddle to arch rival Lionel Messi. This season, he has got 17 goals, along with 3 assists, and has guided to side to 2nd place in the Liga BBVA, of which he is the top goal scorer. He will want to try and finish off his season well, in a bid to try and win next year’s competition, which could be his last big chance, due to the fact that he reach his 30’s in the year after.

For Lionel Messi, breaking records is a habit, and winning this prestigious award for the 5th year running shouldn’t be a surprise. The Argentine, who many consider the greatest player ever to have lived, alongside legends Pele and Diego Maradona, has managed to win the award despite not having the most successful season of his career, scoring just 15 times, less than Ronaldo, but assisting 12 of his sides goals. This contribution not only by putting the ball in the back of the net, but also managing to set up his fellow teammates, is what has won the 26 year old this year’s trophy ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. He has yet again been Barcelona’s best player so far this year, leading them to the top of the league. He does not look like he will be stopping any time soon, and it seems impossible that anyone will ever match his level of success.

Messi winning everything, as he always does... *yaaaawn*

@Zapdos - Ikr, I don't think I've seen Messi not win it when he didn't get injured on any save, even if he didn't play great.

It's rigged

Damn it Messi!

@Pauker - It is, he just can't lose
@Justice - I'll also a bit shocked at Eriksen getting Team of the Year!

Thank you to everyone who has left a comment on this story, and I am very proud to have reached 200 replies

Also, I am blown away by being nominated for this months SOTM. I would really like to thank all the judges, as well as everyone who has read my story, it means a lot for me to be nominated!
PS. Now go vote for me

Ugh Messi -.- Anyway, great update! And congrats on being nominated for SoTM!

@Josh - Lol, and cheers

Red Star have been blessed this season with two of the league’s best frontmen in club favourite Filip Kasalica, and 3rd Best African Striker in the world, Ifeanyi Onyilo. This means that 3rd choice striker, Abiola Dauda has rarely seen any first team football, and has struggled to settle into the club since his arrival in 2012. He, after expressing his concerns to the media, was picked up on by Real Sporting, who after some negotiation have signed the player for a fee reported to be around 500K, which could rise to around 550K based on his performances for the club.

26 year old Dauda started his career in Sweeden, playing for Solvesborg in the Second Division. As a 19 year old, he immediately looked very bright, as he had a great season, scoring 23 times for them in the 25 games he played. This form made him a very sought after youth prospect. This led for him to be signed by Premier Division side, Kalmar FF. At the club he instantly slot into their first team, quickly becoming an important player for them, winning the league title with them in his first season. During his 5 years at the club, the Nigerian scored 33 times, with 14 of those coming in the last season in the 11/12 campaign, with this goal scoring record causing him to be signed by Red Star on a free transfer due to his contract running out. However, he failed to break into the Serbian giant’s team, and played as a bit part player during his first season. This year, Dauda has only been able to make appearances coming off the bench to play in positions he didn’t prefer, such as on the wings. This led him to going to the press with his concerns a few weeks ago, which eventually resulted in Sporting interest in the player. Speaking on the move Dauda released a statement an hour after the move was confirmed on the Sporting website.

‘I am extremely excited to be joining Sporting, they are a great club with lots of history, and I feel, while I have enjoyed my time at Red Star, it is time for a new challenge in my career, and I hope to be getting more first team football now. It was always an ambition for me to play in the world’s biggest and best footballing nations, and Spain certainly comes under this category. Sporting still have a chance of getting into the Playoffs, and I hope I can help them get there by the end of the season.’

Caretaker manager, Robert Prosine?ki spoke about the move during a press conference to welcome new signing, Dario Damjanovic.

‘Abiola will be missed by those here at Red Star, and I would like to personally thank him for his services. He is a very talented striker, but unfortunately, this season, we have had two other strikers in incredible form, and wasn’t getting the first team football he wanted. We both agreed a move away from the club would be best for his career and the club, so when Sporting made an offer which we found to be reasonable, we agreed to let him leave Red Star, and I wish him all the best at his new club, and for the rest of his career.’

550k ain't too bad! Very nicely worded update as per usual!

Considering he fetched more of a fee than Milijas, it looks bright in Serbia!

@Josh - I was very pleased to get that much for my 3rd choice, and thanks
@Pauker - Yeah, he is much younger than Milijas, and he is actually decent, shame my two strikers are so much better

Red Star Belgrade have announced today that their previously caretaker manager, Robert Prosine?ki will be taking on the role of their head coach on a permanent basis. The Serbian giants originally brought the Croatian in for a single season, as they looked to consolidate after losing their previous manager Slavisa Stojanovic was forced out of the game due to severe illness. With his condition no better than at the start of the season, and with Prosine?ki performing well above their expectations, the club have chosen to renew his contract until 2016.

This is the Prosine?ki’s 2nd spell with Red Star, after he was previously manager of the club for nearly 2 years, from the end of 2010 to August of 2012, when he resigned as manager of Red Star, later claiming upon his return that ‘he wasn’t ready then’. His link with Red Star runs much further back however, as Prosine?ki is a club legend for the Belgradian side. He played for them from 1987-81, and enjoyed great success during his time there, establishing himself as one of the then Yugoslavia’s brightest prospects, and won 3 First League titles with Belgrade, as well as being part of one of the club’s greatest ever moments during his final season, as he was part of the team which won the 1991 European Cup. After this, he made the move to Real Madrid for 15M, but was never forgotten by the Red Star fans, who welcomed him with open arms when the news came that he would be the first Croatian manager to manage in Serbia since the Yugoslav Wars. The news of Prosine?ki’s new deal arose after club president, Dragan Džaji? held a press conference, in which he had this to say.

‘Robert is a man I know very well, and he has helped take this club to new heights this season; heights which many, including myself, believed were impossible. We share a great working relationship, am I am very excited about his plans for the club, hence why the board have made the decision to appoint him as our full time manager, and he has signed a deal which will hopefully keep him here until at least 2016. I really feel he is the best choice to take the club forward, and I hope he continues to achieve the kind of success which we have seen so far this season.’

Prosine?ki has started the season superbly, leading his side to the top of the league unbeaten as they look set for their first league title for 6 years with arch rivals Partizan out of the question. He has also beaten some of the best sides in Europe such as Swansea, Spartak Moscow and Udinese to reach the Knockout Stages of the Europa League, which is their best performance in the competition since it was rebranded. During this, he has brought the best out of players such as Miguel Araujo, Marco Vesovic, Nejc Pecnik and especially, dynamic striking duo, Filip Kasalica and Ifeanyi Onyilo, who between them, have scored 39 goals in all competitions. Speaking on his new deal, Prosine?ki had this to say.

‘I am honoured to be signing a full time contract with a club so close to my heart. Last time I was here, I was not ready for the challenges which I faced, but now I feel, I have enough experience in the managerial world to cope with the pressure of managing such a prestigious club. We have started the season well, and I hope we can continue this form, not only for the end of this campaign, but for the next campaigns to come, and progress as a club, especially in Europe, where I feel we can assert ourselves as mainstays in the later stages of the Europa League in the coming years. I would like to thank Dragan for this opportunity, and I hope the fans will continue to support me throughout my time here.’

Kasalica and Onyilo is just like SAS, huh? Congrats on the new contract

Woohoo contract extensions always feel good!