The equivalents of Lionel Messi in other sports : G.O.A.T

After watching Lionel Messi become Barcelona’s all-time record goalscorer in suitably scintillating fashion on Tuesday night, Pep Guardiola was asked if the Argentine had become football’s equivalent of basketball legend Michael Jordan.

“Maybe, yes,” the Blaugrana boss tentatively replied, before then warming to the comparison. “There have been very few like them in history who have dominated their sport in such a way."

It was a fair point. What Messi is doing at the moment is truly astounding. The Argentine became the first player to score five goals in a single Champions League game just under a fortnight ago, against Bayer Leverkusen, and his treble against Granada saw him take his goals tally for Barca to 234, moving him two clear of Cesar Rodriguez in the club’s all-time goalscoring list in competitive games; that he is just 24 makes this feat all the more remarkable.

Of course, the debate is still raging over whether the diminutive No.10 is the greatest of all time but what is beyond dispute is that we are, as team-mate Victor Valdes alluded to after the Granada game, living in the era of Messi.

And that got us thinking: What other sportsmen have enjoyed comparable spells of dominance over their respective disciplines? Below, we have compiled an admittedly subjective top 10 list of the most dominant figures in the history of sport. 

There is a difference between talking the talk, and walking the walk. Muhammad Ali did both – and like no other sporting superstar before him. The first man to become heavyweight champion of the world three times, the ‘Louisville Lip’ was involved in the most famous fights in boxing history. More than that, though, he transcended his sport like no other man on this list, playing a key role in the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s. The Greatest. End of.

The fastest man in history, Bolt currently holds the world records for both the 100 and 200 metres; records he did not just break, but absolutely obliterated ... on a cakewalk. Indeed, the reigning World and Olympic champion has recorded times that few thought humanly possible. What's even more frightening is that there still seems to be even more to come from the 25-year-old Jamaican. Just like Messi, really!

Widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, the Swiss has amassed a record 16 Grand Slams over the course of his incredible career. His sustained level of excellence during his peak years was truly incredible, with Federer having appeared in 18 of 19 Grand Slam finals between Wimbledon 2005 and the Australian Open of 2010. Comfortable on all three surfaces, the 'Fed Express' in his pomp was genuinely a joy to behold and made the game just look so effortlessly easy.

Nicknamed ‘The Great One’, the Canadian is universally accepted as the most gifted player ice hockey has seen – and is ever likely to see. The Canadian’s career spanned two decades, during which time he broke every record in the book – he held a total of 61 landmarks upon his retirement from the sport in 1999 – and he remains the leading scorer in NHL history. That he did all this whilst maintaining his reputation as a gentleman is perhaps even more admirable.

The greatest basketball player of all time and also one of the most well-marketed sportsmen in history, ‘His Airness’ became arguably the most recognisable athlete on the planet because of his phenomenal exploits with the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s. Jordan won six NBA championships in total and was named NBA MVP on five separate occasions – and all of this in spite of the most ill-advised mid-career retirement in order to try his hand at baseball.

Rugby’s first global superstar, Jonah Lomu made the entire sporting world sit up and take notice with his stunning performances for New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup. Standing 1.96 metres tall and weighing roughly 125 kilograms, Lomu was the most devastating mix of pace and power the game had ever seen, and was memorably described as “a freak” by Will Carling after the All Blacks winger had walked all over (literally!) his England side in the semi-finals. The top tryscorer in World Cup history, his career was sadly interrupted by a rare kidney disorder.

Arguably the greatest Olympian in history, the American swimmer holds more gold medals than any other person - 14. Phelps won six of those in Athens in 2004 - a stunning achievement in itself - but it was in collecting eight in Beijing four years later that he earned global acclaim for breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds in a single Games, in Munich in 1972. With London 2012 looming, the 26-year-old Baltimore native is now poised to become the most decorated Olympian of all time, as he is just two shy of Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina’s tally of 18 medals.

Whether Michael Schumacher is the finest Formula One driver of all time is open to debate, but the German certainly dominated the sport like nobody else before him during a remarkable spell with Ferrari at the turn of the millennium, in which he won five successive World Drivers' Championships. Of course, that took his overall tally to seven, having claimed two with Benetton at the start of his career. Like Gretzky, the German holds almost all of his sport’s major records.

The leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and international one-day cricket, the Indian is, with all due respect to Donald Bradman, now rated by many as the finest batsman in history. ‘The Little Master’ made his Test debut, against Pakistan, at just 16 and has been breaking records ever since. Indeed, Tendulkar, now just a month shy of his 39th birthday, only last week became the first man to rack up 100 ODI centuries.

Is Tiger Woods the greatest golfer of all time? Debatable, given he no longer looks destined to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ tally of Major wins. However, Woods took the game of golf by storm and dominated the sport for just under a decade in awe-inspiring fashion. So easy did he make it all look that tournament organisers had to begin "Tiger-proofing" their courses!

'The new Carlos Tevez' & other potential breakthrough stars from the 2012 Copa Sao Paulo

The Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior, to give it its full name, is Brazil's premier youth competition and this year is the competition's 43rd edition. A staggering 96 teams from across the nation took part, ensuring a wealth of talent was on show in a month of concentrated and raw youth football. It has played host to some of the most iconic names in Brazilian football and when looking back in a few years time, this tournament could well be no different. Brazil's biggest and best clubs all took part, though it was Corinthians who emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Fluminense in the final.


A breeding ground for some of the world's greatest talents, the competition is well followed in the South American nation as fans await the country's next wonderkid and national talisman. Take a look at some of the best and brightest from the competition who could well emerge on the national stage in the coming years.

Following a series of impressive displays in the 2011 FIFA Under 17 World Cup, in which he scored five goals, there was much expectation on the Sao Paulo striker. He began superbly with a hat-trick in a 10-0 demolition of Palmas. He owed much to the creativity of Joao Felipe in midfield but his terrific pace and finishing instinct showed how deadly he could be. His pace is well utilised as close control and quick passing are other impressive features to his game.


Unfortunately his team failed to win again and suffered an embarrassing elimination in the group stages. He may feature for Sao Paulo in this year's Paulistao but may find it hard to make an impact if there are more new arrivals at the Tricolor.

The main man up front for Coritiba in what was an impressive run to the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Fluminense. Alex often plays on the shoulder of the last defender and looks to break the line and drop in behind. Similarly to the Milan striker he looks to get into the channels in order to find space for a shot. 


Though his scoring record is impressive, he struggled to find the net in the latter stages of the tournament against the bigger sides. He will need to become more clinical as he ages if he wishes to be successful at the highest level.

Fans at the Vila Belmiro have been long awaiting the young Santos prodigy. Having only recently turned 16, the youngster has been tied down to a lengthy contract at the club. Capable of taking on and beating a number of players, he showed great anticipation and a striking instinct when he featured. 


All the hype surrounding the youngster has no doubt added some unneeded pressure. Hopefully this will not affect his development. Clearly not yet at a physical standing to challenge for a first team position, he will no doubt emerge from the youth ranks in the coming years.

Another one of the big sides to suffer a somewhat premature exit was Vasco da Gama. They began the tournament well with Jhon Cley scoring in the opening minute of their first match. The midfielder showed excellent vision and ability to execute a variety of passes. He is also extremely adept at striking a dead ball which helps provide a source of goals for his team.


Similarly to Hernanes, he looks capable of playing in a deep role or higher up supporting the strikers. This versatility should hold his progression in good stead over the coming years.

Denner is very much your typical Brazilian full-back and was, for this writer, the outstanding player of the tournament. He marauded up and down the left side of the pitch relentlessly throughout the competition and was always one of the best players on the field in every game. His great pace and energy often opened up new attacking opportunities for his side. 


His defensive capabilities are also commendable, making him an extremely well-rounded player. To boot, he is a set-piece specialist and will add tremendous value to the Timao first team in the coming years.

The midfielder burst on to the scene with a brace in his sides opening 5-0 win over Ji-Parana and has since guided his side to the tournament's final. He provided two deadly finishes with a lethal left foot in that game but failed to find the back of the net again. Alongside his partner in attacking midfield, Higor, Fluminense did not lack support for their strikers. Extremely comfortable on the ball he showed great ability to thread an accurate pass whilst under pressure.


Chances in the first team will again be limited in the immediate future due to the quality that the Carioca club possess. It would be unsurprising to see Eduardo, and many of these youngsters, move out on loan to gain first team experience in the coming years.

Rafinha scored his only goal of the tournament in his side's opening game, and what a goal it was. He unleashed a deadly strike from the edge of the area to announce himself to the nation. There is an aura of confidence as he glides across the pitch keeping the ball under close control as he awaits the chance to supply the killer ball. 


With the depth of quality that Inter possess in their first squad, he is unlikely to feature any time soon but nonetheless, he looks like a potentially exciting talent.

The midfield general in this Cruzeiro side showcased a terrific array of attributes throughout the tournament. Despite playing deep in midfield Lucas Silva also demonstrated great determination to get forward and contribute to the attack. His short, precise passes provided the building blocks for many of Raposa's forward movements. This encouraged his side to play attractive football and he would often surge from deep with pace, providing attacking impetus to help scythe through defences.


He has showed much promise and could well be a part of the Belo Horizonte club's first team plans in the course of the next few years.

Operating somewhere between an attacking midfielder and a striker, he showed terrific invention and creativity throughout the tournament. His stocky physique and direct running style makes him a very bullish striker. These abilities shone through immediately in the very first game when the Palmeiras man beat four players before shooting from 25 metres to score his first of the tournament. 


He would add a new dimension to the current Palmeiras roster and he should certainly be on Luiz Felipe Scolari's radar. An accomplished finisher as well as a team player with terrific finishing, Diego de Souza Xavier has a very bright future ahead of him.

Flamengo were tipped as one of the favourites before the tournament but failed to win a single group game. In what was a disappointing campaign, fans got the chance to witness Thomas in action. Nimble and agile, he is best deployed just behind the strikers but failed to make a real impact. 


However, having made his first team debut last season, and with his club Flamengo failing to sign Thiago Neves on a permanent deal, he may well find he has the chance to make the step up this year.

Why Super Mario Gomez is the world's best No. 9

Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of his generation, and, when all is said and done, might be remembered as the best of all time. His individual achievements have been praised to the heavens, and for good reason: these days, he shatters a record nearly every week.

In the era of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is easy not to look past the La Liga stars. But in recent years, Mario Gomez has also achieved historic goal-scoring feats. This season, the Bayern Munich man has scored 37 goals in 41 matches in all competitions: more than Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, and any of Europe’s top No. 9s to have competed in the Champions League.

And Gomez’s strikes have not just come against lesser opponents: to the contrary, the Germany international has been eager to show himself on the big stage. This season he has netted 11 goals in the Champions League, plus another in a qualifier. Among all the great No. 9s of the last decade - Ronaldo, Henry, Shevchenko, Eto’o, Villa, Drogba, Raul, Ibrahimovic - the single-season tally Gomez has achieved has only been exceeded by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who managed 12. Gomez, who might play as many as four more games in this season’s Champions League campaign, is already in very good company indeed.

In the past, the beanpole striker has been doubted: his technique is merely average, he sometimes misses the simplest of goal-scoring opportunities, and his utter failure at Euro 2008 was suggestive of a player who could not cope with pressure.

He is a curious-type of striker: one who has an abnormal dependence on rhythm, and who is not the kind to win over legions of fans. When Gomez fails to score for three or more games, he looks second-rate: a player hardly worthy of football at a Bundesliga club, let alone the Champions League. And if he is relegated to the bench, it can take months for him to regain his confidence. But when in form, his prolificacy can be described at least as world class, if not legendary.

There was a time when Gomez was considered a ticking time-bomb, and that sooner or later, he would experience a slump and lose his form for two or three months. But by now, he has surely out-lived that reputation. The statistics alone are staggering: the ex-Stuttgart man was runner-up last season in the Champions League scoring charts with eight goals in as many appearances, and this season has followed up that sparkling record with an even better return

Over the last five years, only Ronaldo and Messi - who cannot be described as pure No.9s - have scored more goals in all competitions: Gomez, who has found the net 153 times in this period, is head and shoulders above every natural centre-forward. Forget the others - he has set the benchmark for consistency.

How Newcastle cashed in on Carroll £35million fund

Look at what Newcastle did with the £35million Liverpool generously gave them for striker Andy Carroll in January 2011.


Extending key deals

New long-term contracts for key players. In February last year Cheick Tiote signed a deal which runs until 2017, while Ryan Taylor (two-year), Fabricio Coloccini (four-year) and Tim Krul (five-year) all penned extensions in March.


An injection of pace
Gabriel Obertan, 23. The former Bordeaux and French Under 21 winger never settled at Manchester United and made only 14 appearances, but manager Alan Pardew likes his pace. Signed last August for £3million but has blown a bit hot and cold.




The tricky winger
Hatem Ben Arfa, 25. He cost £5m from Marseille in January 2011, having arrived on loan five months earlier. Broke a leg in October 2010. Alan Shearer famously admitted he did not know much about him on Match of the Day.


The double winner
Yohan Cabaye, 26. The French international midfielder was part of the Lille team which won the league and cup double a year ago and has brought those qualities to Tyneside. Cost £4.8m in June 2011 and has chipped in with three goals.




Quick off the mark

Papiss Cisse, 26. Two-goal star yesterday and has hit it off instantly following his £9m move from Freiburg. Plays with Demba Ba for his country, Senegal. Has scored seven goals in seven games. Supposedly bought as a long-term replacement for Ba.


The versatile Italian
Davide Santon, 21. The highly rated young Italian signed a five-year deal last August. The winger-turned-defender made his Inter debut as a 17-year-old and is a full international. He has made 16 appearances since his £5million move.




Free-scoring striker
Demba Ba, 26. Potentially the bargain of the season. Escape clause made him available on a free following West Ham’s relegation and the Senegalese striker has scored 17 goals this season. He has a £7m release on his Newcastle deal too.

Jose Mourinho's red mist at Real Madrid - 22 players sent off in 103 games

Jose Mourinho doesn't want to talk about it. The Real Madrid coach refused to speak to the media after his side's 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Wednesday, in protest at a series of refereeing decisions that he believes went against his team at El Madrigal. And the capital club, at Mourinho's request, then took the unusual step of cancelling their pre-match press conference altogether ahead of Saturday's match against Real Sociedad.

Behind the scenes, however, the Portuguese will not stay silent.

Mourinho himself was dismissed on Wednesday night, along with Sergio Ramos, Mesut Ozil and fitness coach Rui Faria. Pepe, despite reports to the contrary, was not shown a red card in the tunnel after the game, but added another blemish to his growing list of misdemeanours as he reportedly told the referee: "What a robbery, you son of a b***h."

Madrid were angry after match official Jose Luis Paradas Romero appeared to book Villarreal striker Marco Ruben twice, but failed to send off the Argentine, although the referee's report later revealed that the first card had been for Marcos Senna, who went on to smash home a free-kick to claim a point for the hosts and subject the visitors to their second draw in the space of four days. But while Mourinho moaned on the sidelines and Madrid were unlucky with the dismissal of Ozil, who was shown a straight red card for applauding the referee, there could be few complaints overall - indiscipline had cost them once more.

The Portuguese appeared most unhappy with the foul committed by Hamit Altintop just outside the area with eight minutes left. It was an identical position to where Esteban Granero had conceded a free kick on Sunday against Malaga. And the result was the same, too, as Senna emulated his former Villarreal team-mate Santi Cazorla and beat Iker Casillas with a stunning shot to seal a 1-1 draw. La Liga, all of a sudden, looked back on, as Barca are now just six points adrift of Madrid with 10 games left and a Clasico clash still to come at Camp Nou next month.

Since arriving at Madrid in the summer of 2010, Mourinho has now seen 22 players sent off in 103 games - and seven in 11 matches against Barcelona. The biggest offenders are Pepe and Ramos, with four red cards apiece (although the latter's last dismissal has since been converted to a single booking), followed by Alvaro Arbeloa with three. Marcelo, Angel Di Maria, Ozil and Ricardo Carvalho have all seen red twice under the Portuguese, while Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas complete the list with one dismissal each.

Wednesday's game was the third time Mourinho's Madrid have ended a game with nine men. The first of those, however, was a carefully planned exercise as Ramos and Alonso - on learning their coach's instructions via a message passed from Jerzy Dudek to Casillas and then to the Seville-born centre-back - both forced a second booking in the Champions League win at home to Ajax in order to serve suspension in Los Blancos' final group game in last season's Champions League.

The second time Madrid finished with nine players was against Barcelona in the Spanish Supercopa at Camp Nou earlier this season, when Marcelo and Ozil saw red at the end of an unsavoury encounter which will forever be remembered for Mourinho's eye-poking incident with Barca's assistant coach Tito Vilanova.

With Ramos' red card now reduced to a yellow by the RFEF, he can now play against Real Sociedad on Saturday, which represents a real relief for Mourinho as central-defensive partner Pepe has been banned for two games and cannot feature. The Portuguese will also be without Ozil, while he himself will be watching from the stands as Madrid look to return to winning ways on Saturday.

And with Barca closing in, they simply cannot afford to let any more points slip. Nor can they afford any more red cards.

The amazing rise of Roma wonderkid Erik Lamela- from the River reserves to the Argentina team in 18 months

There were without a doubt more than a few scratched heads amongst the Monumental faithful when, back in August 2010 and at the start of what would become a black year for River fans, a young Erik Lamela lined up on the famous pitch. 

The 18-year-old, nervous and so slightly-built a stiff breeze appeared sufficient to knock him over, had only two appearances with the first team under his belt, and in terms of River youths to watch, ranked far behind Benfica target Rogelio Funes Mori in the wonderkid stakes. 

How things change, and now there cannot be any fans of Argentine or, indeed, Italian football not aware of this talented midfielder's ability. Lamela was the only bright spark in a black 12 months for River, and having elected to continue his apprenticeship with Roma has been rewarded with a first call-up for the senior national team of Alejandro Sabella. 

Although the now 19-year-old Lamela has one cap under his belt, a friendly alongside other men called up from the local league back in May 2011, this represents the first time he has been invited to rub shoulders with Lionel Messi, Kun Aguero and the rest of the Albiceleste superstars. Sabella included the youngster in a list of 18 foreign-based players to dispute February's friendly with Switzerland and while the list reflects the coach's wish to try some different names - Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro also made the cut at the ripe age of 31 - it is still a reflection of Lamela's startling development over the last year and a half. 

Erik forced himself into the plans of then-coach Angel Cappa, and outlived both him and successor Juan Jose Lopez in his short 12 months as a starter. The Argentine press rushed to laud this rapid, direct midfielder as a new star, and he confirmed the hype in the 2010 Apertura with a series of brilliant performances which helped the relegation-troubled Millo to fifth place in the short tournament. 

The talent was always there, a fact confirmed by interest from Barcelona when Lamela had barely turned 14. The most startling change though, in a transition that sports bible Ole gleefully illustrated, was in his physical form. The newspaper posted a picture of a gawky, skinny teenager at the beach in January 2010, right next to one of Erik 2011. The new, improved version was filled out, muscled, a man compared to the boy pictured 12 months previously. This new-found strength combined with his natural talent proved a potent mix, even though it proved insufficient for his boyhood idols. 

Despite an impressive Apertura showing, River's dreadful average points tally meant that an even more spectacular showing was necessary in the following tournament. Lamela and the rest of the team could not reproduce the football shown previously as the weight of expectation grew, and a failure to secure their position led to that unforgettable promocion defeat at the hands of Belgrano. 

Nobody took the defeat harder than Erik, who finished the second leg sprawled out on the turf inconsolable, while the Monumental was ripped to pieces by irate fans. It would prove to be his last game, as the debt-ridden giants were forced to sell to Roma for the giant sum of €18 million; and for the Italians, all suggestions are that that it will prove an inspired gamble for such a green talent. 

Remarkably for someone so young and inexperienced, Lamela has taken to Italian football like a duck to water. There have been some mistakes, as well as understandable peaks and troughs of form typical of a teenage player. Off the pitch, a widely-reported scuffle with countryman Pablo Osvaldo was definitely unwanted by the painfully shy youngster, who prefers to do his talking on the pitch. 

But overall his maiden season has been nothing short of fantastic; only Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic have made more appearances amongst the Roma outfielders, and the Argentine has repaid the faith shown by Luis Enrique with a respectable haul of one goal and three assists in his first 17 Serie A matches. 

Having climbed from the youth ranks of River Plate to the heights of Serie A in little over 18 months, Lamela must want to pinch himself, to confirm that this youngster from the River-mad Buenos Aires suburb of Florida is not just living through a wonderful dream. 

Having seen the rangy young midfielder back in Nunez where it all began, however, few commentators from that time would have argued that an international call-up was inevitable for a kid who was marked for greatness from the very beginning.

Portugal is at the heart of Chelsea's rise and fall

The name of Filipe Oliveira is unlikely to inspire too many gushing anecdotes or colourful memories from Chelsea supporters.

But the attacking midfielder who made five appearances for the club under Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho will demand mention in any documentation of the club’s history.

Oliveira was a trailblazer, treading a path from Portugal’s top division to Stamford Bridge for a generation of Portuguese-speaking players to follow.

The accent on Portuguese has gathered pace over the last decade to the point where it has become the second language in the dressing room and Chelsea is a footballing enclave of Portugal. 

The Londoners are in Lisbon preparing for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica in the knowledge that their playing staff is even more Portuguese than that of their hosts, who are not expected to have a single home-grown player in their squad.

Oliveria was the trendsetter (although strictly speaking the Brazilian Emerson Thome, who came to Chelsea from Portugal via Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 1997-98 season, was the first of his kind) but Portugal became fashionable as a talent factory ripe for plucking under Mourinho, who brought Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira with him when he thundered into west London from Porto in 2004 as well as Tiago Mendes from Benfica.

The Portuguese connection was not just limited to the playing staff. Mourinho recruited Andre Villas-Boas as opposition scout – he later returned as manager – and Baltemar Brito as his assistant manager.

It was a distinct cultural shift. The club’s heart, epitomised by John Terry and Frank Lampard, remained English but it danced increasingly to a Portuguese beat. With a few Samba moves thrown in for good measure.

The naturalised Portuguese Deco joined the talent drain from Portugal to SW6, as did Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, manager of the national team that were runners-up, semi-finalists and quarter-finalists in Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 respectively. Maniche and Ricardo Quaresma came briefly on loan.

Mourinho, Scolari and Villas-Boas have all departed but the strong Portuguese influence remains. The current first-team squad includes Jose Bosingwa, Ramires, David Luiz, Henrique Hilario and Raul Meireles (who came to Chelsea after one season at Liverpool).

It is mostly Portugal’s two marquee clubs, Porto and Benfica, who have been the beneficiaries of Roman Abramovich’s wealth, not only in terms of transfer fees for their players but compensation for their up-and-coming managers, too.

With the benefit of hindsight, some of the Russian’s roubles were well spent – the £20million for Carvalho, the money splashed out to hire and keep Mourinho. Ramires, too, has developed into the club’s most reliable midfielder and would generate a profit if he was sold tomorrow.

Of the other raids on Portugal’s top tier, Chelsea’s various talent-spotters, recruitment specialists and advisers might be advised to look away now. 

Tiago (£8m), Deco (£8m), Maniche and Quaresma all flopped, as did Villas-Boas (buy-out clause £12.55m at current exchange rates) and Scolari (£12.8m pay-off). Right-backs Ferreira (£13.2m) and Bosingwa (£16.2m) remain on the pay-roll but have never justified the fees or fanfares that greeted their arrivals from Porto. Hilario is a rainy-day solution that leaves most Chelsea supporters praying for dry conditions.

The jury is still out on whether Luiz can translate his technique and charisma into battle-hardened reliability while Meireles appears even more of a luxury in west London than he did on Merseyside.

For the hundreds of millions spent on transfer fees, salaries, buy-out clauses and pay-offs, an accountant would conclude that the big spenders have been left with a yawning net deficit. 

Despite Mourinho’s brilliance and influence, it would be re-writing history to say that Chelsea owe Portugal a debt of gratitude for their rise to the European summit.  Special thanks should be reserved for the state assets of the old Soviet Union, which transformed Abramovich from well-connected businessman to billionaire, and the two countries that lie either side of the channel. 

The territories of England (Terry, Lampard, Damien Duff and the two Coles, Ashley and Joe), and France (Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Petr Cech, Michael Essien) have been far more reliable production lines than Portugal. 

Given the reputation that Portugal has established for fusing Brazilian sorcery with European thinking, it is surprising that so few of Chelsea’s imports from a region famed for its technical excellence have been attacking players. They have mostly recruited defenders and midfield protectors.

Chelsea have yet to sign a senior striker from Portugal’s top tier and only Deco, Meireles and Quaresma would fit into the category of genuine creators, although none has delivered excellence or consistency in west London.

By contrast, Manchester United unearthed rough diamonds Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani from Sporting Lisbon and polished them into match-winning gems.

Chelsea would need a Hulk or a Radamel Falcao (who were both part of Villas-Boas’ triple trophy winners at Porto last year) to shine on the Premier League stage, or for Luiz to blossom into one of the planet's outstanding defenders, to effect a turn-around in what has been, starting with Oliveira 10 years ago, a surprisingly unsatisfactory use of the club’s resources.