AC Milan
Champions League Round Of 16 – The Blockbuster Clashes To Look Forward To
So, after a three-month affair, the final 16 in this year’s edition of the Champions League were decided and the draw, which took place on the 16th of December has paired them off into an octet, some of which are definitely some of the biggest affairs of the year in continental football.
The blockbuster ties
By far the most mouth-watering clashes are Arsenal-Bayern Munich and Barcelona-Manchester City. The Gunners have started off their league and continental campaigns well, although were on the receiving end of two consecutive defeats over this past week. The first, a 2-0 loss to Napoli, saw them knocked down into second place in the “Group of Death” and as a result were faced with the nerve-wracking possibility of dealing with some of the toughest sides in Europe. The second was their 6-3 humiliation at the hands of City that saw their lead cut to just two points at the summit of the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger’s men certainly haven’t had it easy as of late when entering the first knock-out round. In previous years they’ve had to contend with Barcelona (2009 and 2010), AC Milan (2011) and Bayern Munich last year. Although, they can take some comfort in the fact that they did manage to rattle die Roten in the second leg at the Allianz Arena where had they scored another goal, the Bavarian giants would not have been celebrating their triumph in May at Wembley. The Gunners also almost pulled off the same feat against Milan two years prior, where, despite falling 4-0 down after being thrashed in the away leg, a 3-0 victory in London nearly turned the tie on its head, leaving the Rossoneri thanking their lucky stars that they hadn’t conceded any goals while in their home leg.
So given all this, while the task ahead of them seems quite daunting, Pep Guardiola’s men aren’t invincible—as shown by their surprise 3-2 defeat to City, again, at home after seemingly having sewn up all three points pretty early in. indeed, die Roten looked certain to become only a handful of teams in Champions League history to complete their group with a 100% record only to see it all come undone in a bizarre collapse during the second half. The pressure will certainly be on the Germans as they look to become the first side since the modern-day tournament was organized to successfully defend their crow, with the last team to accomplish this was Milan in 1989 and 1990.
As for City, after two previous attempts, are finally through to the knockout rounds for their first time in their history, and will certainly face a stern test against Barcelona. However, judging by the 2012 Premier League winners’ performances in the league and continental competitions so far this year they seem to be finally finding their footing, bouncing back after a 3-1 loss to Bayern in their group to record four consecutive victories, including their last clash where they emerged victorious over die Roten in Munich. In fact, had they scored just one more goal, they would have unseated the reigning title-holders from their first place spot and certainly could’ve gotten a more favourable draw.
Nonetheless, Barcelona, whilst a top team doesn’t necessarily inspire the same fear in opponents that they once used to. New signing Neymar has started off quite brightly and is really starting to make his mark on his squad, buoyed by Messi’s absence due to injury, but obviously everyone saw how Bayern easily brushed aside the once-feared Catalan side last year in the semi-finals. Sure, the team’s supporters will argue that the Blaugrana were toothless without their talismanic no. 10 but regardless, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner is just one person—despite of what his impressive stats may say. And although he’s expected to be back well in time for his side’s crucial matches, it remains to be seen if he’ll be fully 100% to do what he does best come February. However, City have some worrying injury concerns of their own, as top scorer Sergio Aguero suffered a calf issue in the nine-goal thriller versus Arsenal and may be unavailable for their highly anticipated tie against the La Liga leaders. But certainly, for fans and neutrals alike, this will surely be one of the games to watch come next year.
The Spanish connection for the Rossoneri
AC Milan will again take on Spanish opposition in the first knock-out rounds, but thankfully it’s not Barcelona again, having already dealt with the Blaugrana in the group stages. However, at the risk of jumping the gun, they just might have to deal with Messi & Co. again should they get past Atletico Madrid after 180 minutes—but no need to harp on the future when the Rossoneri’s upcoming task will by no means be a walk in the park.
Los Rojiblancos are currently keeping pace in La Liga, which has as of late been reduced to largely a two-horse race between Real Madrid and the aforementioned Barcelona—so much so that really anyone has a 50% chance of predicting who’ll win the league at the end of the season. Impressively, not only is Diego Simone’s side staying in step with the powerhouse duo, but also is firmly sandwiched between Los Blancos and the Blaugrana. They’re five points ahead of their city rivals, and are only behind Barcelona due to the Catalans’ slightly superior efficiency in front of goal (44 vs. 43 goals). Even more impressive is Brazilian born Diego Costa still keeping pace in the league scoring charts with top marksman Cristiano Ronaldo with his 17 strikes making up nearly 1/3rd of his team’s goals so far this season.
So while “not the worst draw” as some at Milan have said, they’ll still have to be on their toes come February’s clash. After all they’re not looking good in the league—with a poor 19 points from 16 games which sees them in 10th and a disheartening 16 points off the last Champions League spot occupied by Napoli. They had some flashes of good play in their group so far, notably holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro, but other from that, despite beating a Celtic side that really made it all too easy for them due to their insipid performance in Scotland, they’ll really have to up their game if they want to get into the next round.
Seemingly easy and potentially thorny: The opponents for Manchester United and Chelsea
The other two Premier League sides, Manchester United and Chelsea’s ties can be described as seemingly straightforward and potentially tricky respectively. The Red Devils, who topped Group A have been paired off with Greek outfit Olympiacos in a tie that should be, on paper, at least, not difficult whatsoever for David Moyes’s men. In fact, one can go so far as to say that only Borussia Dortmund has made out better in their pairing: die Schwarzgelben will face off Russian outfit Zenit, who were the worst team qualifying for the round of 16 with a poor six points earned, the lowest in the tournament’s history. With no disrespect intended towards the Greek Super League leaders, they were fortunate due to their slightly superior goal advantage to get out of their group as the runners’ up. Even better, they faced off against bottom-ranked Anderlecht in their last group fixture, earning them those +2 goals (in a 3-1 victory) that rendered Benfica’s victory over PSG a moot point.
Although the Red Devils are struggling in the domestic play, they have far more experience in continental competition than their opponents, who have appeared in the round of 16 only twice previously in their history. As for Chelsea, who will take on Galatasaray, Jose Mourinho will have to contend with two of his former players, striker Didier Drogba and midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who combined to produce the solitary goal that sent Juventus packing in Istanbul. The 2012 Champions League winners haven’t had the most solid of starts domestically or continentally, despite being third in the league and topping their quartet in the group stages. They were able to earn all six points (and put six unanswered past) Schalke but were unable to get past Swiss side Basel both home and away. And, recently, in domestic play, they were dumped out of the League Cup by Sunderland, a side that sits dead last in the league with just nine points from 16 games.
But certainly the Blues are capable of doing the unexpected. No one anticipated them winning the trophy back in 2012 and they bounced back from crashing out of the group stages last year to win the Europa League. And their opponent, the Cimbom not only barely scraped through their group, with their seven points the second lowest after Zenit, but also are nine points behind leaders Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig. Moreover, their new coach, Roberto Mancini will be keen to make amends for his numerous failures to make any inroads in the Champions League with the different sides he managed in the past (in particular, Manchester City and Inter), and the club itself would like to replicate—and better—the same result they had last season, when they got to the quarter-finals for the fifth time in their history.
So, many have been called, but few will be chosen. Who will be the lucky eight to take one step closer towards the final dance in Lisbon on 24 May? We’ll just have to wait and see—but for anyone who calls himself or herself a football fan, opening days in February can’t come soon enough.
The number eight shirt is worn by box-to-box midfielders with a sharp eye for goal and here we learn about the top 10 best number 8 football players of all time.
The number 8 soccer shirt isn’t as well-known as the numbers 7 (wings or second strikers), 9 (centre striker), or 10 (goalkeeper) (playmaker). However, everybody who wears this shirt has a significant role to play in the game. These midfielders are eager to create scoring opportunities for the club. Other soccer players have worn the number 8 shirt in positions other than the midfield.
10. Marco Tardelli
During his tenure with Juventus, the former midfielder is one of the few players in history to have won every major European title as well as everything there is in Italy. In addition, Marco Tardelli led Italy to victory in the 1982 World Cup. Tardelli, one of the most decorated players in football history, began his career with Pisa in Serie C and subsequently moved to Como in Serie B before joining Juventus in 1975.
Before joining Internazionale in 1985, he spent most of his career with the Turin club, collecting several titles. Tardelli is largely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in history. Tardelli was a versatile midfielder who could play in a variety of positions. He was a hard-tackling midfielder who was also technically skilled.
9. Juninho Pernambucano
Juninho was a fantastic playmaker who went on to become one of Olympique Lyon’s all-time greats, giving countless assists and scoring over 100 goals throughout his career. He was hailed as the most stylish player of his team.
Juninho’s arrival rejuvenated the Lyon team, which had never won a domestic title previously. Juninho would go on to lead his team to seven straight Ligue 1 victories. He was chosen to the Ligue 1 team of the year three times and earned the player of the year award once.
8. Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a television personality and former soccer player. Following his playing career, he became heavily involved in soccer-related media. He is presently a BBC Sports and ITV commentator.
During his career, he played for Crystal Palace, Arsenal, West Ham, Celtic, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest. He was able to win the Premier League while at Arsenal.
His finishing ferocity, quickness, and agility have made him a household name. Wright is Arsenal’s second-highest goal scorer and Crystal Palace’s third.
Wright scored nine goals in 33 appearances for England at the international level.
7. Gennaro Gattuso
On the field, the no-nonsense, uncompromising former AC Milan midfielder was an utter menace. His all-action, tough-tackling approach made him a fan favourite at San Siro. Gattuso was clearly identifiable by his number eight. In the mid-2000s, he was a vital player of the Rossoneri squad, which was very successful.
6. Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo was a productive forward, earning him the nickname El Pistolero (The Gunslinger), but he was also a fiery player, earning him the moniker “The Dagger.” Hristo competed in the FIFA World Cup for Bulgaria in 1994. Despite his team’s fourth-place result, he was awarded the World Cup Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the tournament and the World Cup Bronze Ball for being the tournament’s third-best player.
Hristo earned the European Golden Shoe in 1990 as the highest scorer in Europe while playing for CSKA Sofia. He became a member of the Barcelona club that won four straight La Liga titles after arriving later in 1990. He presently works as a football analyst for TUDN.
5. Steven Gerrard
For many years, the ex-England star was the soul of his childhood club, Liverpool. While wearing his legendary number 8 shirt, the great Reds bestrode the Anfield turf. During his tenure at Liverpool, Gerrard was an inspirational captain who scored many key goals. Despite the fact that he did not win any league titles, he was able to lead his side to a UEFA Champions League victory in 2005.
4. Lothar Matthaus
Lothar Matthaus is regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time, having participated in five FIFA World Cups with Mexico’s Rafael Marquez. In 1990, Matthaus guided West Germany to World Cup victory. In his club career, he has represented Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan.
In 1990, he was voted European Player of the Year, and in 1991, he won the inaugural FIFA Player of the Year title. At the age of 38, he even received the German Footballer of the Year award in 1999. That only goes to demonstrate how reliable a performer he was on stage.
Matthaus is known for his marauding runs from midfield when his exceptional control and acceleration leave opponents for dead. The German legend has exceptional positional awareness, vision, and the ability to smash the ball into the back of the net from any distance. He was also a fantastic tackler and an all-around midfielder.
3. Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is a World Cup champion and one of the best midfielders of his generation. He has been Real Madrid’s number eight for over a decade. Before joining Real Madrid in 2014 and wearing the number 8, he won the World Cup with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.
Toni Kroos is a deep-lying playmaker who has led Real Madrid’s attacking squads for the past seven or eight seasons. Kroos, unlike many of the other players on this list, does not wow football fans with his ability, but he is the team’s beating heart, connecting the defensive line to the attack and beginning build-up play.
2. Frank Lampard
The Chelsea icon is widely regarded as one of the best English midfielders of all time. When he played for the Blues and England, the all-action goal-scoring box-to-box midfielder was known for wearing the number 8 shirt. Lampard has exceptional skill and vision, which enabled him to assist and score several goals throughout his illustrious career.
1. Andres Iniesta
The former Barcelona midfielder was one of the finest number 8 players in contemporary history. For rival defenders and midfielders alike, the twinkle-toed ex-Spanish international was a nightmare to face. His dribbling skill and penchant for always finding a way out of tight circumstances made him one of football’s most dangerous opponents.
He established a deadly midfield triangle with Xavi Hernández and Sergio Busquets that helped Barcelona win several La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and UEFA Champions League trophies. Andres also demonstrated his knack for scoring crucial goals. Take, for example, a crucial goal that helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Not to mention his two goals in the 4-0 thrashing of fellow finalists in the 2012 Euro final in Italy. He has been one of the best footballers in history. Iniesta was the greatest player of Spain during his days.
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Who Is Carol Dias? Meet The Wife Of Kaka
Carol Dias is famous for being the wife of Brazilian legend Kaka. Read on to learn more about her nationality, net worth, facts and family.
Despite coming from a humble background, Carol Dias has already made millions in the modelling and acting industry. Later on, in this article, we will learn more about her profession. But our main focus will be the beautiful relationship between Romarey and Brazilian legend Kaka.
Kaka is considered one of the greatest attacking midfielders Brazil ever produced. Playing with AC Milan, Kaka has achieved major triumphs. However, his greatest display came for the national team, when he helped them to win the 2002 World Cup. Kaka became a family man in 2019 when he married Carol Dias. So, let’s find out more about the stunning wife of Kaka.
Carol Dias Childhood and Family
Carol Dias was born on August 11, 1995, in Goiania, Brazil, making her Brazilian nationality. Despite having a significant online presence, she never discussed her private life on any public media. That’s why we currently don’t know the name of her parents and their occupations.
Whether she has any siblings is also unknown. We believe she didn’t have an entirely comfortable childhood, but her parents did everything to make sure she got a good headstart in her life. We are still looking for the missing information and will update the article if we find something new. So stay tuned to learn more about the stunning girlfriend of Kaka.
Carol Dias Education
Carol went to a local high school in her hometown. She was a curious student who always looked for explanations. Once she found something interesting, she would spend hours reading and researching the topic. Even though we don’t know whether the Brazilian beauty went to college, we believe she must have skipped higher studies in order to pursue a career in modelling.
Carol Dias career
Carol is a professional model. She was passionate about modelling from childhood. After deciding to go forward with modelling in her career, she started shooting for local photographers, which earned her a reasonable amount. Due to her striking looks and photogenic body, she gained popularity among experienced photographers. The Ford Modeling Agency represents her.
Her work includes collaborating with brands like Eve Beauty and EasySim 4U. She acts as a brand ambassador for many famous brands, including Soller Assessoria and Choisir. After her modelling career took off, Carol decided to take a shot at acting. She has featured in several episodes of ‘Pânico na TV’.
Carol Dias Net Worth
Carol hasn’t shared any information about her earnings. We couldn’t calculate her net worth as we don’t have the exact number of her yearly wages. However, we believe she has accumulated a large sum from her modelling gigs and acting roles.
She enjoys a luxurious lifestyle, which comes at an attractive price. So she might have a significant net worth. We are looking for more information and will update the article if we find reliable data. Carol’s husband, Kaka, has accumulated a significant sum during his peak years.
Carol Dias and Kaka relationship
Kaka met his girlfriend in 2019 after getting separated from his childhood sweetheart, Caroline Celico. We are not pretty sure how they met. But we believe it was love at first sight as the duo was instantly attracted to each other’s charm, and it was only a matter of time before anyone made a move. The pair finally communicated each other’s feelings, and it was an accurate match.
After they started going out together more often, they realised that they had to spend the rest of their lives together. They finally tied the knot in 2019 at an extravagant marriage ceremony where all their friends and family members were invited.
Carol Dias and Kaka Children
The duo welcomed their first child, Esther Leite, on October 8, 2020. Kaka also has two children from his previous wife, Caroline Celico.
Carol Dias Social media
Kaka’s alluring looks became a hit on social media. She gained immense popularity on Instagram. She mostly shares images of herself in fashionable attires. She also adds snaps from her gym activities. Due to her large audience, she has a great potential of earning money if she starts monetising. She also has a couple of collaborations. Carolina Dias shares her activities on stories and posts.
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Asmir Begovic is a Bosnian professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Leicester City and for the Bosnian national team and in this article, we will see more about the player’s Net Worth, Salary, Sponsors, Wife, Tattoos, Cars, and more.
Asmir Begovic joined the Premier League club Everton from Italian club AC Milan in 2021. He is a talented and experienced goalkeeper who has established himself as one of the best in the Premier League and Europe. He is currently the backup goalkeeper for the English keeper Jordan Pickford at Everton.
Asmir represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team and has been a great leader for the team with experience over 50 appearances for the national team. Let us get to know more about the player’s profile in the following paragraphs.
Asmir Begovic’s Net Worth and Salary
Asmir is a young player and footballing has contributed much to his earnings. The player’s net worth is estimated to be £22 m as of 2026. The market value of the player in 2026 is valued at €3.00m by Transfermarkt. He currently earns a salary of £676,000 per year playing for Leicester City.
Asmir Begovic Club Career
Asmir began his career at Portsmouth, before moving to Stoke City in 2010. He spent five seasons with the Potters, becoming their first-choice goalkeeper and earning a reputation as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League.
In 2015, Begovic joined Chelsea as a backup to Thibaut Courtois, but still managed to make over 50 appearances for the club across all competitions, including starting in the Premier League and Champions League. He then moved on to AFC Bournemouth in 2017, where he played for two seasons before joining AC Milan in 2019.
After a loan period with AC Milan for 6 months, he joined the Premier League club Everton on 20 July 2021 on a 12-month contract with an option to extend for a further year. He made his premier league for Everton debut against Aston Villa on 18 September 18 and the match resulted in a 3-0 loss. The footballer moved to Leicester City for the 2025 EFL Championship season.
Asmir Begovic International Career
Begovic has represented Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2008, earning over 50 caps and serving as their captain. He played a crucial role in their qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament as an independent nation.
After the World Cup, Begovic continued to be a regular starter for the national team, helping them qualify for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was also appointed as the team’s captain, a role he held for several years. The goalkeeper was a part of the national team for 11 years.
Asmir Begovic Family
Asmir was born on 20 June 1987 in Trebinje, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. His parents are Amir and Ajnija Begovic. His father Amir, was also a goalkeeper who played for Leotar and Iskra Bugojno whilst his mother, Ajnija, hails from Stolac.
The Begović family fled the Bosnian War to Germany when Asmir was four years old, where he began to play organized football with the local youth club FC Kirchhausen in Heilbronn. When he was 10, his family moved to Edmonton in Canada. Throughout Asmirs football career, they have always supported him both mentally and financially.
Asmir Begovic’s Wife – Nicolle Begovic
Asmir Begovic is married to Nicolle Begovic. She is a dedicated equestrian athlete with a resolute approach and commitment to the much-loved sport of Dressage. With a strong commitment and high expectations of the sport to which she has dedicated herself full-time, Nicolle demands high expectations of herself and her approach to the discipline she loves with a passion. The couple also has two daughters. the name of the eldest daughter is Taylor. The youngest one’s name is not available.
Asmir Begovic Sponsors and Endorsements
The Goalkeeper has not been seen endorsing any company on his social media accounts. But Asmir is the founder of the Asmir Begovic Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that has been created to help needy children. It also helps to build and rebuild recreational facilities in England and Bosnia.
Asmir Begovic Cars and Tattoos
Asmir Begovic has been spotted driving a Jeep in the streets of Bournemouth. Unlike many footballers, the player seems not fond of tattooing his body.
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