One of the best known football teams in Italy is Juventus, who are based in Turin, but despite of their impressive performance on the pitch the 2006-2007 season has seen them relegated to the Serie B for the first time in their history.

In fact Juventus finished the previous season at the top of the Serie A league, their relegation – and a starting deficit of 9 points – was all due to a scandal that rocked Italian football and saw sanctions applied to a total of 4 first division clubs, although Juventus was hardest hit and the only one to be eventually relegated.

Juventus and the other three teams – AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio – were all found guilty of influencing game in their favour by having favourable referees appointed to important matches.

The sentence imposed on the four clubs was draconian to say the least – Juventus, which was hardest hit was stripped of its previous 2 league titles, banned from participating in Champions League, relegated to Serie C1 and docked 30 points, while the other teams were relegated to Serie B with fewer points deducted.

On appeal all the teams had their sentences reduced, so that only Juventus was relegated, but to Serie B, and the 30 point penalty was initially reduced to 17 and later only 9 - the equivalent of winning 3 matches with no points awarded.

The relegation saw several players leave Juventus; Emerson and Fabio Cannavaro both moved to Real Madrid, for where the Juventus manager, Fabio Capello, had already departed, while FC Barcelona signed Gianluca Zambrotta and Lilian Thuram.

Some players did remain loyal however, and the team’s performance in Serie B has been impressive. Although they drew in the first match, Juventus won each of the following eight games with only one goal conceded and they remained undefeated until January.

At the time of writing in mid April, Juventus has only lost 2 matches, drawn 8 and won 22. With 10 more matches to play they are not unbeatable due to their 9-point deficit, but if they continue to perform at this level they are sure to re-enter the top division in the 2007-2008 season.

Let us hope that Juventus recaptures its previous glory, but perhaps more importantly, steers clear of behaviour that is in clear breach of good sporting conduct.

Turin is one of the most beautiful cities in Turin, although often overlooked as a tourist destination, but don’t forget to ensure to plan your trip there to coincide with Juventus playing at home. You can find out more about Turin at http://www.bella-torino.com

With the recent announcement of Hristo Stoitchkov’s return to Spanish football, this time as manager of Celta de Vigo, it seems a good time to look back at his footballing career. While highly regarded for his skill as a striker, Stoitchkov has also been renowned for his quick temper and an aggressiveness that has got him into trouble on many occasions.

His footballing career began in Bulgaria the mid 1980s when he played for Hebros before being signed to CSKA Sofia. However, CSKA was where he first became involved in scandal when he was one of several players involved in violent brawling during the final of the 1985 Bulgarian cup against Levski-Spartak. The result was that the ruling communist party disbanded both clubs – in reality CSKA temporarily changed its name until 1989 - and Hristo Stoitchkov was one of the several players who received temporary suspensions from club level football.

However, by 1989 he became the top goal scorer in the Bulgarian league with 23 goals and won the Golden Boot award. CSKA also went as far as the semi-final in the Cup Winners Cup and despite being defeated by FC Barcelona, Stoitchkov impressed Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff so much that in 1990 he offered him a five year contract with FC Barcelona.

Stoitchkov’s arrival Barcelona coincided with a golden age at the club. As a member of the so-called Dream Team he scored 76 goals in 151 appearances and helped secure the league title four years in a row between 1991 and 94. Spending a year at Parma, he returned to Barcelona in 1996 for two seasons, although he was loaned to a Saudi Arabian club for two months in 1997. He also moved back to CSKA Sofia the same year.

Changing again to Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol in 1998 Japan, Stoitchkov once more changed continent in 2000, this time to the United States. First playing for Chicago Fire, he moved to DC United in 2003 where he finished his playing career – as well as club football he had also made 83 appearances in Bulgaria’s national selection, scoring 37 goals and considered a national hero.

Typically his playing career ended in a cloud after he broke the leg of a player in a tackle than was called “rash” by his own coach. He received a small fine and two-match suspension but is facing a lawsuit over this incident.

Management career
Following his departure from DC United, Stoitchkov began his football management career by coaching the forwards at Barcelona. However, when the manager of the Bulgarian selection resigned in 2004 he was named as the new coach of the national team. However, his temper had not improved and several players refused to play under him, while in one match he was sent off the pitch for insulting the referee.

The final straw came with Bulgaria’s poor performance in the Euro 2008 qualifiers and in April 2007 Stoitchkov resigned, announcing his move back to Spain.

It remains to be seen whether he will improve Celta’s fortunes or not, but whatever his flaws, he is fondly remembered at Barcelona for his value as a striker rather than for his uncontrollable temper.

For current news on the team, fixture list and to online reservation of tickets for FC Barcelona visit http://www.SimplyBarcelonaTickets.com.

Having a collection of autographed soccer memorabilia has long been a way of proving your loyalty and passion to the sport. If you’re interested in starting your own collection, here are several tips to ensure that you’ll not only have an easy time collecting.

How to Obtain Autographed Soccer Memorabilia
There are two ways for you to obtain autographed soccer memorabilia: you can have the soccer gear or equipment signed by the athlete with your own effort, or you can purchase one that has already been autographed.

It’s certainly more affordable to work for your own autographed soccer memorabilia by yourself, but your main problem would be finding ample opportunity to approach your favorite soccer player and get his autograph. You will also have to work on getting a certificate of authenticity for your memorabilia in the event that you’d wish to sell it for a profit.

Purchasing autographed soccer memorabilia is easier, naturally, but more expensive as well. You also run the risk of buying from fraudulent sellers selling fake autographed soccer memorabilia.

Types of Autographed Soccer Memorabilia

Photographs – These can be photographs of the athlete himself or a scene from a particular soccer game containing the necessary signature. Photographs may be something you’ve taken by yourself, purchased, or won. If it’s a group photo, consider having it enlarged so that all the signatures of the members making up your favorite soccer team can easily fit its surface.

Soccer Ball – These can be either purchased or obtained at your own effort as well. If you’re going to have a soccer ball signed by your favorite players, invest in the best soccer ball you can purchase: one that has the words “FIFA approved” or “official size or weight” imprinted on them. Make sure to have a dark-colored soft tip marker ready for the signatures because it writes well on soccer balls and is easily visible. When you have completed the signatures, place it inside a glass or see-through container for safekeeping.

Soccer Shoes – Many sports brands nowadays produce clothing, gear, and equipment under the name of famous players; the same thing applies to soccer as well. If your favorite soccer player has his own line of shoes then it would be ideal to have him affix his signature on his own product. Since shoes don’t have much writing space in them, they are usually good for a maximum of three signatures.

Soccer Wear – These are what make up a complete soccer outfit: soccer top, shorts, and socks. A soccer shirt or uniform serves as one of the best types of autographed soccer memorabilia because it allows the players and coaches to write as long as they want.

Gloves – These are worn only by goalkeepers, so you can generally expect only signatures from popular goalkeepers to appear on gloves. Again, autographed soccer memorabilia of this type can be purchased or obtained through personal effort.

Shin Guards – While shoes, uniforms, and soccer balls make up the bulk of autographed soccer memorabilia, it’s very rare that you’ll find a famous signature written on shin guards. Thus, this type of memorabilia is usually obtained by personal effort.

As a last warning: make sure that you are truly purchasing from a trusted and reliable source especially if the transaction will be processed online. Be careful about using your credit card, and never allow payments to be handled by any website you haven’t checked the Better Business Bureau with.

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For more information about authentic autographed sports memorabilia and collectibles, visit http://www.sportscollectionz.com . Read articles from contributing writers in our blog site at http://sportscollectionz.wordpress.com

Studying abroad opens educational doors for young people like nothing else can. World travel fosters independence and responsibility, while developing a sense of global unity in the next generation.

Whether your child is an up and coming elite player, or a soccer lover who wishes to fully-immerse themselves in Spanish language studies, Spain offers a wide variety of Spanish Summer Soccer Camps and Year Long Academic Soccer Boarding Schools to choose from. With soccer being the most popular participatory sport in the U.S., Canada and the rest of the world, and Spanish being the second most spoken language in America and one of the world’s most important languages, many students can benefit from Spain’s travel abroad soccer programs.

Spanish Soccer and Language Camps

Spanish soccer camps can be a good first step to learning abroad for children and young adults. Many of these programs accept children as young as 12 years old and last from a couple of weeks to nine months (boarding schools). Children can visit Spain for these camps with just a current passport. However, for the year long soccer boarding schools players without an European passport must attain a “Student Visa”. Full-immersion language and soccer camps offer the best opportunity for youngsters to gain Spanish fluency and advance soccer their skills in a short period of time.

Special Training for Elite Youth Players

For soccer players 14 and up who exhibit outstanding potential you should consider one of the “elite” soccer training programs available in Madrid, Spain. Spain has long loved the sport of soccer and their professional league is considered one of the worlds finest! With the intensity of international competition, professional coaches in Spain can offer a level of soccer training that is just not available in the United States. Spanish programs that combine full-immersion language studies, along with elite soccer training, groom players for careers in the exciting world of University or even professional soccer.

Spanish Soccer Boarding Schools

If your teenager or college student is looking for more than a soccer and language vacation, consider a soccer and Spanish boarding school in Spain. While it might seem frightening to allow your child to live in a foreign country for a year or more, there are wonderful boarding schools in Spain with caring teachers and coaches ready to guide, supervise and teach your son or daughter.

Year round high school and university programs do require educational “student visas” and, of course, are more expensive than the summer camps. Being separated is also challenging for young players and their families but it’s that “independence” away from the parents and international travel that promotes growth and maturity in young people. However, the level of soccer training and cultural learning your child can receive makes all the challenges worthwhile. If you are considering such a program, be sure and plan a visit to Spain before or during your child’s school year. You’ll enjoy an unforgettable vacation and be able to visit your son or daughter’s campus, cementing your decision.

How to Choose the Right Soccer & Spanish Program for your Child

When choosing which type of soccer and language training abroad is best for your child consider the student’s maturity as well as Spanish language and soccer skill level. Cost and travel requirements are also important, so be sure and research the necessities for Spain’s different programs. Last but not least, consider the experience and expertise of the program directors and staff.

Studying Abroad in Spain Helps Kids make Life-Long Goals

A Spanish language and Soccer program that provides bilingual, professional staff and well rounded, cultural learning opportunities for students will enrich your child and build skills that will help them achieve all their goals in life.

Enroll today or visit our website to learn more about EduKick study abroad soccer programs and sign up for their International Soccer training newsletter.

Injury prevention is a very important component in youth soccer coaching. The coaches must understand the famous saying as it goes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The coaches have to use every possible way to prevent injuries. For this, they must take certain steps. For example, they must have their focus on proper skill development. What is more, before you start the training session, you must inspect the entire field in order to make sure that there are no holes, sprinkler heads, etc.

It is very important for the coaches to have a well thought out plan regarding how they have to deal with the injuries. There must also be a written response plan for emergencies that include the following points.

• Make sure that a first aid kit is available.

• Do not forget to collect the medical consent forms from all the players.

• Have emergency contacts all the times.

• You must have access to phone.

• It is always a great idea to have an assistant that is knowledgeable regarding the first aid.

Well, you cannot prevent injuries completely from occurring. It is not in your hand, but there are certain steps that you can take in order to reduce the injury risks. Incorporate the following things with the training session and it will possibly keep your players away from injuries.

• Make sure that you incorporate a conditioning program with every training session. The conditioning program should focus on building muscle strength for the young players.

• Stretching exercises are also very important. Therefore, you must have your players do some stretching exercises on a daily basis.

• You must instruct your players that all of them have to wear properly fitting shoes.

• Suggest a well-balanced diet to the young players, which could nourish their muscles.

• Whether it is a practice session or a game, you must have your players go for a warm up session.

Always remember that your task as an expert coach also includes recognizing an injury when it happens, stabilizing the same as best you can, and summoning medical assistance if required. When it comes to youth soccer coaching, it is very crucial for the coaches be well prepared beforehand for any emergencies as and when it appears.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of youth soccer coaching.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Training Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Watch youth Brazilian soccer training video and it can be very helpful for you to learn the various soccer skills. Particularly, the coaches can use these ultimate videos for speed training sessions. Soccer is a sport that demands your endurance and speed to remain active in the field for the complete 90 minutes of the game.

As a coach, if you want to get the most out of your player’s performance, you must design the speed training that could help the players attain the desired speed and endurance. This is where the youth soccer training videos from Brazil will prove very helpful both for you and for the players.

The training video will tell you that before you start the speed training session for the players of your team, you should have them go for a warm up plan. The warm up session is the key to speed training because it will prepare the players to compete at high speeds and intensities throughout the session.

There are several warm up methods, but the methods that Brazilian speed training video include the following.

• A series of dynamic and active movements starting with low impact

• Low intensity exercises are another great way, but the coaches must make sure that these exercises progress naturally to high intensity as the training moves on

• Then there are full speed exercises. These exercise can play a very important role in simulating the intensity of the upcoming practice or competition

• An effective warm up training on a regular basis will eventually help your players become loose, powerful and fast.

Agility training must be designed in a way to help the young players achieve exceptional speed and quickness levels. The training video will pave the path for you to train your players how to improve foot speed, quickness, starting/stopping, change of direction, switching gears, acceleration, cutting, and reaction.

What is more, the training video also helps you understand how to prevent injuries during the speed training session. The Brazilian youth soccer video gives much emphasis on body control through proper movement mechanics.

Speed is directly associated with power. If you can increase the speed, the power will automatically be increased and vice versa. This is where training video come into play. The youth Brazilian soccer training video will help you understand how to increase your strength and how to convert that strength into speed and power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of youth Brazilian soccer training video.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Coaching Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Weight training soccer is something that no soccer player can afford to ignore and avoid. It is very important. If the players have this training right, they simply maximize their chances to get a place in their favorite team.

On the other hand, if they lack such training, they simply carry the risk to end up at the back of the field. Weight training can help the players optimize their overall soccer skills and performance.

Endurance is the ability of the player that allows them to remain active during the complete 90 minutes of the game – both in attack and defense – but without showing tiredness or impaired ball control.

The player has to constantly run throughout the game to demand the ball from other fellow players, to steal the ball from the opponent players, or to dribble the ball himself to the goal line so that he could go for shooting and score a goal.

Therefore, it is important for the coach running the weight training session that he design the training in a way that could help the players effectively work and improve their endurance.

Speed is another physical element that can be substantially enhanced with the correct weight training. The players must be efficient enough to accelerate their speed on the ground depending upon the circumstances, such as to steal to ball or to save the ball from stealing.

What is more, it is not all about the accelerating ability, the players are supposed to maintain this acceleration at the situation demands. For example, if you are playing as forward, you are supposed to accelerate with variation in speed over 3 to 20 yards.

The weight training must work on some of the associated basics, such as right straight ahead running speed, changing direction with speed, variation in speed etc. the coaches have to make sure that the training session designed by them will help the players attain these basics.

Depending upon the position, the players may have to change directions instantly. It demands for their agility. There can be many such instances when you need to be agile enough to get the control of the ball effectively – whether it is an awkwardly bouncing ball or getting up quickly after a tackle.

Therefore, in order to enhance the agility of the players, the coaches must include various flexibility exercises in the weight training soccer session.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of weight training soccer.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Coaching Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Players find it very difficult to understand that when it comes to tryouts soccer, what are the things that a coach takes into consideration to assess the ability and skills of a player. Well, there are several things that a coach has to figure out in order to judge if you fit the team or not.

The first in the priority is to check how efficient you are in playing the game. They look at all the technical aspects of the game, such as ball control, passing, dribbling, heading, finishing etc. if you want to maximize your chances for selection, it is very important for you to have the ability to play a ball under control, that too, instantly and smoothly.

Passing the ball is equally important, and this includes both short and long-distance passing. In order to be efficient in the passing skill, the players need to be perfect in heading, bending, chipping etc.

Your dribbling skills come next. You must be efficient enough to feint, burst past opponents, and use variations in directions and speed depending upon the circumstances. What is more, your dribbling skill must be sharp enough to break through the packed defensive lines from the opponent team.

Last, but not the least, the players must be accurate in shooting the ball and converting the opportunities into scoring the goals for their team. However, in tryouts, it is not just about scoring the goals; the coaches will judge you on the basis of your accuracy and sharpness in shooting the ball.

In the field, a player has to make quick decisions whether they should pass the ball, dribble the same or go for shooting and much more. What is more, the quickness in decision must be incorporated with accuracy in action.

For example, the player, who is not in possession of the ball, must be able to decide quickly when he should come for a close support and when he should stay away. Likewise, the player who is in possession of the ball must have good peripheral vision so that he could recognize the right moment to pass the ball to the other side of the field.

Apart from the technical and tactical aspects of the game, one more thing is there that coaches consider during tryouts soccer - this is the physical aspect of the players, such as endurance, speed, agility, strength etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of tryouts soccer.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Training Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Young soccer coaching is a challenging task and the coach must plan out the training session based on the age group of the players. For example, if he has to coach players under the age of seven, he must know the various things to do at an under 7 soccer training.

The coach will have to use special techniques to train them to shoot and score more goals. Players under the age of seven look for fun in the training session, so you must plan out accordingly.

Let them practice various drills in which they could score more goals. The more they will score goals, the more they will enjoy the training session.

Kids love chasing the ball and there are their kind of joy just in chasing the ball and get a chance to touch and kick the same. They take it as a challenge that they have to chase and touch the ball.

The U7 coaches should design the training session to run shorter period of time. the longer training sessions for the kids at this age will bring no good results. Keep it short - Thirty to forty minutes.

Another benefit of the shorter training session is that this way, the excitement of the soccer experience then remains fresh in the minds of the kids. They would like to come back.

You can expect the players less than seven years of age to shoot the ball. The maximum they can do is kicking. At this stage, the best way to keep their interest in soccer is to let them practice drills and games that involve scoring the goals.

There is no greater pleasure for a kid in soccer than scoring a goal. Let them focus on scoring the goals, and well, that is what the objective of the game is.

The goals and objectives of a soccer training session for players under the age of seven must be specific to their age. It is very important for the coach to develop a list of goals and objectives for each age group.

Overall, there is a wide range of specific things to do at an under 7-soccer training, and if the coach is looking for productive results from their training sessions, they must keep in mind the above things.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of things to do at an under 7 soccer training.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Coaching Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

When it comes to teaching youth soccer, it is very important for the coach to teach the players about various fouls and the consequent penalties so that they could avoid the same and save their team from getting into problems.

Younger players can easily avoid most of the penalties if they keep their hands away from ball. In soccer, it is not the hand, but the feet that the players have to use. However, you must teach the young players that it is not just touching the ball from hand that can result in penalty, but pushing, tripping or holding the other players will certainly bring penalties.

There are some malicious players in almost every soccer team and when it is about young players, it is very difficult to have a malicious free team. Such players intentionally foul on their opponent players, but the coach must teach them that if they do so, they will get a warning in the form of a “yellow card”.

If the player repeats the same behavior again, he is “rewarded” with a red card and is taken out from the field and from the game. A player with red card is not replaced, but the soccer game continues.

Handball is the term that is used when a player tries to touch the ball with hands in order to get better control of the ball. It does not really matter whether the players do this intentionally or unintentionally – handball will certainly result in penalty.

When a player dribble the ball, and dribbling he gets nearer to the goal line of the opponent team than one defensive player and the goalkeeper, the player is offside. The coach must train the players of their team regarding all these little things that may result in penalties.

However, the offside rule is not applicable when it comes to goal kicks, throw-in’s or corner kicks. The main objective of the offside rule is just to stop an offensive player from ‘camping-out’ at the goal awaiting passes.

There can be various other fouls as well, such as pushing, kicking, striking, holding and charging into an opponent. However, these things may turn into penalties only if the players do the same intentionally. If it was not intentionally, there will be no penalties.

Teaching youth soccer is a challenging job, and the coach needs to train his players from all aspects.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of teaching youth soccer.
His web site, Teaching Youth Soccer Training Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,

resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.