Lionel Messi: The greatest goalscorer and player La Liga has ever seen

COMMENT: The Argentine forward now leads the Primera Division's all-time scoring charts after surpassing a mark set in 1955. Spain's top-flight has never seen anything like Leo

By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

When Telmo Zarra passed away at the age of 85 in February 2006, his long-standing Liga goals record appeared unbeatable. Back then, Lionel Messi was in only his second season at Barcelona and had scored just seven times in La Liga. But eight years on, he has eclipsed the brilliant Basque and is now not only the Primera Division's greatest goalscorer, but also the finest footballer to ever grace Spain's top-flight.

Messi surpassed Zarra's magical mark of 251 Liga goals with his hat-trick in the 5-1 win against Sevilla at Camp Nou on Saturday and, at the age of 27, could go on to smash the record over the next few seasons at Barcelona. Even though he has adopted more of a playmaker role this term under Luis Enrique, there are plenty more goals still to come from the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Zarra watched Messi before his death, yet the legendary Athletic Club striker never witnessed the Argentine in all his goalscoring glory. Back then, Leo was a winger with plenty of promise, but far from the finished article.

It was in 2006-07 that the forward made the world sit up and truly take notice as he scored a carbon copy of Diego Maradona's famous World Cup goal against England by beating a series of defenders in a remarkable run and finish at home to Getafe in the Copa del Rey.

But it was in 2008-09 that his goalscoring really reached new heights as Pep Guardiola took over and the Catalan club went on enjoy the most glorious era in its entire history, amassing 14 out of a possible 19 seasons in four fantastic seasons. And Messi was the undoubted star.

Messi's scoring peaked in Guardiola's final campaign in charge as he netted 73 goals in 2011-12 and an amazing 50 in La Liga - still the highest tally managed by anyone over a single season in the Primera Division.

By then, the Argentine was operating in a central position after Guardiola and assistant Tito Vilanova moved Messi to a false-nine role in the 2009-10 campaign. "There were many 

games

 in which I thought 'this kid is one of the best we have and there are days when he is out there on the wing when we struggle to get the ball to him'. And I wanted him to participate [as much as possible], so we moved him inside."

And participate he did, playing a pivotal part in the team's extraordinary success during the Guardiola era. "Without Leo, we would be a very good team and we would be competitive," the Catalan coach said during his time at Camp Nou. "But we wouldn't have been able to achieve all that we have if he were not with us."

With 38, 47, 53 and 73 goals in his four full seasons under Guardiola, Messi also made his mark on the Liga scoring charts with 138 Primera Division strikes in that time. The Argentine added 46 more league goals under Tito Vilanova in 2012-13 and achieved the remarkable - and unprecedented - feat of netting against all 19 teams in La Liga consecutively.

"Leo scores a spectacular amount of goals," Vilanova said in 2012. "Sometimes you stop and think about the great, great players who score in seven or eight seasons what Messi scores in only one. And his are not normal goals either - most of them are wonder goals."

Even in an injury-interrupted 2013-14, Messi managed 28 more in La Liga under fellow Rosario native Gerard Martino and his 10 strikes in the Primera Division this term have seen him surpass Zarra to become the competition's greatest goalscorer.

"The fact that the record has stood for so long (since 1955) gives you an idea of what Zarra was," said Jose Angel Iribar, former Athletic goalkeeper and a friend of the former Spain striker. "Zarra was tall, svelte and fast. He was a very complete player, he was modest and he was humble. Up there, wherever he is, he would be proud that Messi has broken his record."

And the striker's daughter, Carmen, echoed those words. "My father would be happy. We are Athletic fans in my house, but he would have been thrilled. Messi is a noble person on and off the pitch."

Comparing different eras is always difficult and Messi has played in slightly more 

games

 than Zarra (289 to 277). Greats such as Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas also made an incredible impact in times gone by, while more recently the likes of Hugo Sanchez, Raul, Xavi and, of course, Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo have pushed the boundaries of the impossible.

But with assists aplenty and so much more to his all-round game, Messi is surely now not only the greatest goalscorer La Liga has ever seen, but also the finest footballer in the competition's history as well. And he is far from finished yet.

Bayern, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid - which clubs could afford to buy Messi?

COMMENT: The Barcelona forward caused controversy this week as he hinted he may leave Camp Nou at some stage in the near future. Goal looks at the Argentine's possible suitors

Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

Lionel Messi has created a storm. The Argentine attacker hinted earlier this week that his future may not be at Barcelona after all, alluding to severe criticism and "difficult times" at the Catalan club. And as news spread of the forward's frustrations at Camp Nou, Europe's top teams were placed on red alert. 

Key figures such as Messi's father Jorge, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu and team-mate Javier Mascherano have been quick to play down the possibility of the 27-year-old seeking a move elsewhere, butthe player himself has given serious thought to a future away from Barca.

As things stand, it still looks likely Leo will smooth things over at the club where he has spent over half his life since joining as a tiny but talented 13-year-old in 2000.

Nevertheless, Europe's elite will be watching with interest to see how the player's situation develops. But how many clubs could afford to sign the Argentine anyway? Several sides in Asia, such as rich Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, could probably meet Messi's massive €250m release clause, but the Argentine would want to remain in Europe at this point in his career. So here, Goal takes a look at the possible suitors if the four-time Ballon d'Or winner did decide to leave Camp Nou behind... 

BAYERN MUNICH

Messi's perfect partnership with Pep Guardiola brought the best out of both men, with 14 out of a possible 19 titles for the Catalan club between 2008 and 2012, as well as a host of records for the Argentine attacker and four consecutive Ballons d'Or.

Bayern have just paid off the Allianz Arena more than 15 years ahead of schedule and chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club's magazine: "The revenues from the Allianz Arena can soon be invested in the team."

That's ominous news for everyone else, but Bayern's head of finances Jan-Christian Dreesen told Sport Bild10 days ago: "We won't spend the amounts that clubs from southern Europe spend. We would rather invest in improving our collective strength than buying a megastar for €90 or €100 million."

Messi (who would probably cost more than that anyway, albeit much less than his current clause) is an Adidas athlete and a deal could potentially be struck with the sports manufacturer helping the German club to finance a transfer. However, spending such sums is against Bayern's principles in the transfer market and the Bundesliga champions would be unlikely to make a move - however much Guardiola would like to buy his former protege.  

CHELSEA

If you can't beat them, join them! Messi has traditionally found life tough against Chelsea and was famously called a diver by Jose Mourinho following the sides' Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge in early 2006.

The Argentine's style of football is also a million miles from the defensive tactics shown on occasions by the Blues on their visits to Camp Nou.

Nevertheless, this is a very different Chelsea team and Mourinho managed to convince Barcelona and Arsenal fan Cesc Fabregas to join the club last summer. So why not Messi?

Less of a big-spending side in recent years, Chelsea's income and the deep pockets of chairman Roman Abramovich mean a deal could be financed, while Messi's close friendship with Cesc (the players' partners are also very close and were together in London last week) could be another deciding factor. So perhaps the idea is less ludicrous than it first seems.

MANCHESTER CITY

One of the reasons Messi is less content at Camp Nou right now is the absence of a great friend in the dressing room following the summer departures of best Barca buddies Jose Pinto and Cesc Fabregas.

At City, he would link up with compatriots Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta. The latter is one of Messi's best friends in football and the two have been close ever since they met at youth levels representing Argentina, while they also saw a lot of each other when the defender played in Barcelona for Espanyol.

City coach Manuel Pellegrini is a big admirer of Messi and the club would love to make a statement of intent by bringing in the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.

However, given their recent fine for infringing Financial Fair Play regulations, City would need to sell several star players or raise significant income in terms of sponsorship before a move for Messi would be possible. 

MANCHESTER UNITED

Messi may have lost out to Cristiano Ronaldo in the popularity contest this week at Old Trafford, but that's because the Portuguese is a former Manchester United favourite and the Argentine is remembered for denying the club the Champions League title in 2009 and 2011.

Those fans would quickly change their tune if the possibility of signing Messi arose, but right now United are not even in the Champions League and a loss of revenue from Europe's premier club competition could hit them hard if they miss out on a top-four finish again this term under Louis van Gaal.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward believes the club - still one of the Europe's richest despite escalating debts - are still in good shape. "There is the feeling at the club that we have the start of something special," he said earlier this week.

However, United would need Champions League football to tempt Messi and also to pay for him. And with the club currently down in seventh place in the Premier League, there is no guarantee that will happen this season.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

Paris Saint-Germain missed out on the summer signing of Angel Di Maria due to the Financial Fair Play regulations which saw the club fined €60 million by Uefa earlier this year.

Nevertheless, PSG officials did make contact with Messi's camp earlier in 2014 to discuss an extraordinary move from Barcelona to Paris and the Argentine attacker contemplated a deal before deciding to stay with the Catalan club following a visit to his former coach Tito Vilanova.

Although it is unclear how PSG could fund a deal for Messi, the capital club could be tempted to part company with several of their star names if it meant they could bring in the Barcelona forward.

The club's current icon, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, may look to leave if PSG move for Messi. The two men enjoyed a positive relationship at Camp Nou, but Messi's move to a central role ultimately spelt the end for the Swedish striker at Camp Nou. 

REAL MADRID

Asked if he would consider signing Messi from fierce rivals Barcelona, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday: "There is always space for quality players in my team."

Madrid could certainly afford to buy the Argentine in a deal which would eclipse in controversy even the move for Barca winger Luis Figo back in 2000.

President Florentino Perez would love to produce a repeat of that transfer and poach Barca's biggest star, but knows that current club icon Cristiano Ronaldo would not take well to a possible move for Messi.

And in any case, the Argentine would not contemplate turning out for another team in Spain after spending the last 14 years of his life at the Catalan club - least of all the side's eternal enemy.

In Pictures: World's highest-paid athletes

oney in sport has become a huge talking point. Colombian footballer James Rodriguez recently became the fourth-most-expensive signing when Real Madrid paid almost $110m to Monaco to get his signature. Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy pocketed $1.6m for winning golf's Open Championship at Hoylake. Select european footballers are earning in excess of $340,000 a week. Forbes recently revealed a list of the highest-paid athletes in the world today. Here, we share the top 10 from that list.

View As Slideshow >> /Patrick Smith/Getty Images 10) Matt Ryan, NFL - $43.8m. Matt Ryan signed a five-year contract in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons last year which was worth $103.75m. The figure included a $28m signing bonus and a $12m option bonus paid in March. /Clive Brunskill/Getty Images 9) Rafael Nadal, tennis - $44.5m. Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal sits ninth on the list with earnings of $44.5m. Nadal had a astonoshing 2013 season where he went 75-7 and finished top of the rankings. /Rob Carr/Getty Images 8) Phil Mickelson, golf - $53.2m. Phil Mickelson picked up some extra dollars in sponsor bonuses after winning the British Open for the first time last year. He earns more than $40 million annually from appearances and endorsement partners, according to Forbes. /Michael Regan 7) Roger Federer, tennis - $56.2m. Roger Federer who holds the records for most singles Grand Slam wins (17) and career prize money ($81m). He has appeared in a record 25 Grand Slam finals, and 18 out of 19 between 2005 and 2010. /Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images 6) Tiger Woods, golf - $61.2m. Tiger Woods' comeback from back surgery has not gone according to plan as he failed to impress in the two tournaments this summer. However, the former top-ranked golfer is second on the list of most Major titles won - 14. /Stacy Revere/Getty Images 5) Kobe Bryant, NBA - $61.5m. Kobe Bryant managed just six games  in the 2013-14 season due to a knee injury but had the highest salary in the NBA for the fourth straight year - a whopping $30.5m, nearly $8m higher than any other player, according to Forbes. /David Ramos/Getty Images 4) Lionel Messi, football - $64.7m. Barcelona's Lionel Messi finished behind Cristiano Ronaldo in this year's Ballon d'Or award after winning it four consecutive times. In May, he signed a new five-year contract with the Spanish club which will pay him $50m annually. /Christian Petersen/Getty Images 3) LeBron James, NBA - $72.3m. LeBron James won back-to-back championships with Miami Heat and four MVP awards. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were tops among active players at $300m in the US last year, according to SportsOneSource, and his jersey was the NBA's best-seller. /Denis Doyle/Getty Images 2) Cristiano Ronaldo, football - $80m. Holder of the Ballon d'Or and an integral cog of the Real Madrid squad, Cristiano Ronaldo was voted the sport's most valuable player in the world in 2013 for the second time in his career. Real won the Champions League last season and the Portuguese has a record five-year contract worth more than $200m. /Al Bello/Getty Images 1) Floyd Mayweather, boxing - $105m. But the world's highest-paid athlete is boxer Floyd Mayweather who became the athlete besides Tiger Woods to earn $100m in Forbes' annual tally of the highest-paid athletes. Mayweather earned a guaranteed $32m for his May fight with Marcos Maidana.

10 Professionals That Will Lose Their Jobs In The Next Decade

According to a Oxford University study, automation will replace up to 47% of current jobs by 2033. If any of you want job security and plan on staying employed past the next decade, cross these jobs off your list.

1. Data Entry Associate

This job is one that softwares can easily replace. With the increasing development in technology, the mundane and repetitive job of entering data into the computer is one that will be performed by humans for a short while.

2. Typist

With a new age where hard copies of almost any document are rarely needed and CEO’s that are constantly blogging, the need for a typist is dwindling. Voice-recognition software is available now for those who need someone to “take a letter”.

3. Telemarketer

Robocalls are increasingly replacing human telemarketers. Few people, other than telemarketer themselves, will mourn the passing of this job. The robocalls have the advantage of being able to perform 24/7 with no need for a break and can also maintain the perky attitude programmed into it, no matter how many people hang up.

4. Bank Teller

ATMs are already used more than their human counterparts. 85% of possible transactions can be performed at the ATM with little to no need for human assistance. Citibank is experimenting with video-based tellers and ATM-based loan applications that will lead to a decrease in the number of human tellers.

5. Travel Agent

Years ago, if people wanted to travel somewhere and wanted to find the best deal, they went to a travel agent. But with websites like Expedia and Orbitz, the occupation of travel agent has become almost superfluous. People no longer feel the need to visit or call an agent when they can simply get what they want from a website for free.

6. Mail Carrier

The amount of snail mail is greatly decreasing in today’s digital age. This coupled with developing drone delivery systems, means that a job at the postal service will be non-existent in the future.

7. Telephone Operator

People who answer phones for companies and overnight call services are vanishing species. This is not only due to automation which lets computers handle calls but also due to outsourcing where cheaper labor is easily available for multinational corporations.

8. Newspaper Reporter

The average consumer is less dependent on the newspaper due to the internet. With new blogs popping up everyday and services like Google News, the need for a paper media news outlet is on the decline. The profession of newspaper reporter is bound to decline as a result of this changing trend.

9. Receptionist

This is much like the profession of telephone operator, and is also being replaced by softwares like Virtual Receptionist. Other countries, like Japan, are using actual robots to act as a receptionist. One of the main reasons why receptionists have not been replaced completely is because customers dislike lack of human interaction.

10. Cashier

There is already a rise of self-checkout machines and the task of a cashier is one that can simply be automated. But with recent complaints by customers about these machines, companies are cautiously moving into the time of completely automated checkout machines. Cashiers may still have some time left.

10 Secret Underground Bunkers Around The World That Will Save Your Life During A Nuclear War

A lot of people prepare themselves for the worst in terms of natural disasters. They stock up on canned foods, generators, first aid kits and other things that can come in handy if a calamity strikes. But what if something worse than a natural disaster was about to hit your residence? There are many doomsday scenarios which have been portrayed in movies, book and articles all over the internet. The shelters shown below, can not only withstand natural disasters but even man-made disasters of apocalyptic proportions.

1. Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norway)

This vault is located in the isolated arctic of Norway at a distance of only 810 miles from the North Pole. The vault acts like a Noah’s arc of vegetation and is designed to store and protect countless types of seeds.

2. Denver International Airport (Colorado)

This airport is one of the world’s largest and busiest. The airport covers 53 square miles and is rumored to contain a bunker underneath the buildings that stands above the plain. Five buildings are said to have been built “incorrectly” and then new buildings placed on top of them.

3. The Shanghai Complex (China)

Most of the details of this facility have been kept hidden but what is known is that the bunker covers one million square feet and is capable of housing up to 200,000 people. The shelter has the ability to withstand blasts, nuclear radiation and poisonous gases.

4. Burling­ton Bunker (UK)

This is a 35 acre cold war city located 100 feet beneath the surface of Corsham. The site was built by the British government in 1950 and code named Burlington. The shelter could accomodate 6,000 people for 3 months and withstand nuclear strikes.

5. The Greenbrier Bunker (Virginia)

The US government built an addition to this hotel in 1958 and in exchange, they were allowed to build a 120,000 square foot bunker underneath it. The bunker remained a secret until 1990 when it was revealed and then decommissioned.

6. Iron Mountain (Massachusetts)

This underground fortress was originally built by an enterprise information management services company. Although not originally intended to be a survival bunker, place is ranked as one of the most secure places on the planet. The fortress takes up 10,000 square feet in a 1,000 acre limestone mine.

7. The Moscow Metro (Russia)

This subway system is also a large subterranean system of secret trains and bunkers. It is a hidden city underneath Moscow. Most of the Metro was built by Stalin during the Cold War.

8. Raven Rock Mountain Complex (Pennsylvania-Maryland)

There are five, three-story buildings in the complex meant to relocate the the pentagon site. The facilities in this complex contain everything you could need including a dental clinic, snack bar, barber shop and even a Starbucks.

9. Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado)

Located 2,000 feet deep in granite, this facility was originally designed to withstand a 5 megaton nuclear explosion at a distance of 1.7 miles. This place is probably the safest in all of Colorado.

10. Mount Weather (Virginia)

This civilian command facility is a bunker and is also used as the command center for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Announcements made by the President or FEMA over the Emergency Alert System are most likely to come from here. The site has fortified building above the surface and underground bunkers as well.

Martinez: Barkley will become England's best ever player

The youngster has established himself as a regular for both club and country in recent months and his manager has no doubts about his ability to become a legend

Roberto Martinez believes 20-year-old Ross Barkley can become England’s best ever player.

The Everton midfielder has earned nine caps for the Three Lions since his debut against Moldova in 2013, and played in every match of the country’s 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil.

And having firmly established himself as a regular at both club and international level Barkley has now been tipped by the Toffees boss to join the pantheon of England greats in the coming years.

"There is no doubt in my mind he will be the best player England has ever had," Martinez told reporters.

"Ross has everything. Normally a player has the pace and power to get around the pitch, or they have the vision to pick a pass.

"Ross can do both of those things. He is two-footed, he’s intelligent and he is also in love with the game.

"All he wants to do is play football. When we played in our first Europa League game this season he was gutted to be injured, because he was desperate to play."

Chelsea and Manchester City have both been linked with big-money moves for Barkley, but Martinez insists the club have no need to sell the midfielder, who he has labelled the "biggest asset Everton have ever had."

“The truth – and the key to his situation – is that we don’t have to sell," he added. "We don’t have to sell players to balance the books at Everton."

Jamal Shah takes a swipe at filmmaking

The film centralises the areas of Swat, Malakand, Peshawar and a few places in Islamabad. PHOTOS: PUBLICITY

ISLAMABAD: 

“I broke my sword in my brother’s heart, When the enemy came, I had nothing in my hands, When I was a green, shadowy tree, they invited flames,

When I burnt down to ashes, they called upon winds.” Penned by the famous Pashto poet Darvesh Durrani, these verses symbolise the mayhem that swept Swat about four decades ago. They are now part of the theme song of the upcoming Pakistani feature film Revenge of the Worthless, which is slated to release by March next year. Written, directed and produced by veteran artiste Jamal Shah, the film pays homage to the vibrant culture of Swat.

“It is of extreme relevance, keeping in mind both national and international audiences,” Shah tells The Express Tribune about the film, which is his first-ever attempt at filmmaking. “The film is about the prevailing intolerance in Pakistan and the way our cultural narrative has been brutalised and defaced. It defends our cultural narrative,” he shares. He explains that the film is loosely based on a few true events of the recent past and characters, but comprises the element of fiction.

Shot entirely on location in red epic digital format, the film centralises the areas of Swat, Malakand, Peshawar and a few places in Islamabad. Speaking about filming in tough terrains, Shah says he wanted to choose authentic locations, such as Piyochar, something he hopes will pivot international audiences’ attention towards the panoramic beauty of Pakistan. “Apart from cultural, sociological and political relevance, the film will also promote tourism in a way because it is also about the beauty of Swat and its culture, people and their struggle,” he comments.

Shah’s training in and flair for art will be evident in the way the film has been shot. “The art department [of the film] has done a great job. There is a 200-year-old mosque in Piyochar, which a brick wall was built around a few years ago,” he shares. “Our department transformed its walls using textures and colours to create the desired effect. I think that will look good on the screen.”

“I had seen Swat so many times but when I saw it this time, I really fell in love with it. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world,” states Shah, adding that the film also highlights the Gandhara heritage and its archaeological sites. Swat, he says, is different from the rest of the Pashtun belt, as its people are more inclined towards arts and crafts, writing and other mediums of artistic expression.

Shah shares that the film’s protagonists are unsung commoners, who have sacrificed in the name of safeguarding their homeland. “It’s about them and their struggle of safeguarding their culture and in the larger context, Pakistan,” he comments. Sharing the research that went into making the film, Shah says that because of his interest in the political economy of the area, he had been exploring various aspects of its culture. Besides that, he also made a few visits with the purpose of location scouting and interacting with locals for first-hand accounts.

“We shot the film in areas that used to be the stronghold of militants. Let’s say Piyochar was [their] den… the main headquarters. We filmed in beautiful places and recorded history,” states Shah, who along with his team shot in stupas and actual hujras. Interestingly, they have also shot scenes in the hujra of the Pashtun legend Adam Khan Durkhanai in his village, which is still intact. Currently in its post-production phase, the film’s cast includes students from Shah’s Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts