In a soccer world where the few financial juggernauts dominate the league titles, Atletico Madrid has refused to be defeated by their richer European rivals.  With a budget of a mere 89 million pounds, they have come up near the top in La Liga, where other teams such as Real Madrid have significantly higher war chests (500 million pounds).  On Tuesday they will play Chelsea who has a budget of 250 million pounds, and for Atletico to play their star goalkeeper Courtois (Chelsea loanee) they would have to play their opponents 6 million pounds, money they can’t spare.  Atletico continues to be bullied by richer opponents, but somehow comes out on top despite this all, with the latest being Chelsea, who doesn’t need the 6 million pounds like Madrid does, still a formidable foe.  Amazingly, Atletico is also La Liga’s champions, beating out both Real Madrid and Barcelona, with the latter being so wealthy they could afford the massive millions it took to lure Neymar to their already all-star team.  Perhaps there will be a new breed of managers who focus more on keeping players for the long-term than purchasing already big name individuals.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/how-atletico-madrid-produced-a-miracle-on-a-shoestring-9271523.html

As more international competitions have developed in European soccer, there has come to more and more circumstances of players on loan in other leagues matched up against their home team.  A recent example of this is the upcoming Champion’s League semi-final paring Chelsea against Athletico Madrid.  Madrid’s star goalkeeper, Belgian Thibaut Courtois, is currently on loan again  from the Blues, with much discussion of it becoming a permanent move.  However, as these two sides are forced to compete, there has been much speculation who will play.  Part of the agreement sending the Belgian to La Liga was that every time the Spanish side plays Chelsea, the team must pay 3 million pounds if they wish to play him, meaning it would cost 6 million for the combined two matches.  Also, if they do play Courtois, that could also anger the Blues’ management, and decline a possible summer transfer.  As more players become put on loan, there arises the question what teams should do in this awkward situation.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2024346-it-would-cost-atletico-millions-to-play-thibaut-courtois-against-chelsea

The 2014 Brazil World Cup, which is dominating soccer news (and will continue to do so), has brought forth new debates and discussions across the sport.  One beneficial part of the games few think about is that players on the weaker teams will shine for the first time on the international stage in front of millions, and with it able to give them the opportunity for a transfer to a big-name team.  With the increasing difficulty of being “discovered”, those players on teams such as Iran and Honduras might find the possibility of leaving their home countries for a European club, and with it a chance at greater success and salaries.  Also, players on the more favored teams, besides the few superstars, can shine with their highly skilled compatriots, and with a strong finishing in the end can mean continued light on them that can propel them to bigger and better things.  As we prepare to watch the world cup, this article shows it’s important we not only watch for dark horse teams, but also players new to the international spotlight.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2015369-20-unknown-players-most-likely-to-earn-big-transfers-via-world-cup-performances/page/4

Yet another worker in Brazil preparing for this summer’s World Cup, Fabio Hamilton da Cruz, passed away while working on the construction of the country’s new stadiums.  Da Cruz’s death brings the total to seven, bringing international outcry and interest into Brazil’s preparation, with open questioning if they will be ready in time and if they are speeding up production at the risk of dangerous working conditions.  The new Corinthians stadium he was working on was supposed to be finished in December, but was delayed because of other workers’ deaths.  With even the FIFA General Secretary saying the situation is not ideal brings to question the readiness of Brazil as the world turns its attention onto them.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2010690-world-cup-worker-dies-in-sao-paulo-stadium-accident

After learning about the dangers of soccer fixtures across the Balkans, this particular article piqued my interest.  To bolster the fan base, the management will verbally assault the press, promoting a view of the team written about’s tough and harsh nature.  Also, to promote the image, the manager will vilify opposing teams, creating an enemy mentality.  As tensions rise for upcoming rival fixtures, safety concerns arise due to the intense fan base that exists across the Balkan countries for various teams.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2000869-hajduk-vs-dinamo-croatias-eternal-derby-is-europes-fiercest-grudge-match

With such unequal injections of wealth into various English Premier League teams, this article explains why the second-division English league, the Championship league, can be more entertaining.  With such a low financed group of teams, all have relatively similar chances of being promoted or relegated, with it coming down to the luck and skill of an individual player in a game.  The author discusses how in the EPL, it is always going to be clear who would win a non-headliner game, such as Manchester United against Cardiff City, but in the Championship league, anything can happen.  With better odds against all teams, the second-division league provides spectators with a more affordable, and evenly matched set of games, compared to the first division.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1704601-10-reasons-the-championship-is-more-fun-to-watch-than-the-premier-league/page/7

This Bleacher Report Article explores the depressed reactions of fans and the team of Juventus for being relegated from the Champions League to the Europa League for a second time in three years.  This begs the question if even top-tier teams should be considered for Europa League, which is considered as an opportunity for lower-league teams and players to shine on the continent stage not possible in other occasions.  With Chelsea winning the Europa trophy last year, it seems as if Champions League-level teams will battle for the championship while one of those relegated early will merely take the Europa championship, perpetuating a cycle of wins never going towards those lower-league times that would effect them drastically through increased funds and recognition.  With development of a team possible only through evenly matched competitions, Europeans must ask themselves if the Europa League needs modifications for more open play between the often-neglected players of the continent, not as a runners-up award for those falling from the Champions League.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1972109-juventus-should-not-view-a-potential-europa-league-title-as-a-failure

With the English Premier League constantly referred to as the best league in the world, one must ask the question if this is still the case.  With Bayern Munich showing once again it can beat top-English club Arsenal, a competitor for first in the EPL, in Champions League shows a continental giant shaking up soccer.  While it might not have the stiffest competition, we must ask ourselves if massive pumping of money into clubs can create even more unequal distributions, where one or two teams may dominate an entire nation, such as Bayern and Dortmund in Germany or Real and Barca in Spain.  There may become the day where only Champions League soccer provides a true outlet for the world’s best teams, with competition for league titles no longer interesting.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1966474-arsenal-win-shows-bayern-munich-are-a-class-above-the-premier-league

As soccer becomes more and more commercialized, sponsors are continuing to gain increasing amounts of power in clubs.  From such extreme situations like Michael Jordan hiding the Olympic sponsor’s brand because it was different than his, they can dictate not only what one can and can’t wear, they also provide guidelines on how the players should act.  When scandalous behavior occurs, such as Tiger Woods’s extramarital affairs, companies such as Gatorade can pull their sponsorship.  This article from Bleacher Report indicates they are now doing even more.  The clothing company Adidas, the article reveals, has a stipulation that a player may not be a follower of the Scientology religion.  This was revealed in a contract of an unnamed Bayern Munich player, in Germany where Scientology is illegal to practice.  While it probably won’t be effecting any players on their sponsorship, this article forces the question of how much power can these corporations have over deciding how athletes may live their lives, both on and off the pitch.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1954563-adidas-sponsorship-contracts-have-a-cancellation-clause-for-scientology

This article examines the rationale behind hosting not only the 2014 World Cup, but also the 2016 summer Olympics in a country trying to tackle a recession where millions are currently struggling on a day-to-day basis.  After winning the bid to be the World Cup hosts years ago, they still have difficulty setting up in time, with many worried development won’t be completed by the onset of the games, or with lackluster infrastructure support.  The Confederations Cup, a practice event for the hosts could hardly have gone worse, with massive protests over corruption and frivolous spending rocking the streets across the country.  With worker safety still a major concern and fires in Cuiaba, it’s not a silly question to wonder if Brazil properly prepared for this responsibility that costs untold amounts of money.  Only the following months will let us know if Brazil was a smart choice for soccer’s greatest competition, and whether or not they will be taking home the cup