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<keyword id="20728858" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Atalanta" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Atalanta" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Atalanta">Atalanta</keyword> stunned the football world and created history at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Wednesday! The Italian outfit thrashed newly-crowned German champions <keyword id="20174189" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bayer-Leverkusen" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bayer Leverkusen" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bayer Leverkusen">Bayer Leverkusen</keyword> 3-0 in the <keyword id="145770" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Europa-League-final" source="Orion">Europa League final</keyword>, handing Leverkusen their first defeat of the 2023-24 season and ending their unbelievable 51-game unbeaten run.<br /><br />Atalanta forward <keyword id="21771004" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ademola-Lookman" source="keywords">Ademola Lookman</keyword> delivered a masterclass performance, dismantling the Bundesliga side almost single-handedly. The 26-year-old ignited the scoreboard with a back-post finish at the 12-minute mark and followed up with a stunning curling effort 14 minutes later to double the lead. He completed his hat-trick with a powerful left-footed strike in the 75th minute, becoming the first player ever to net a hat-trick in a <keyword id="20609001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Europa-League" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Europa League" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Europa League">Europa League</keyword> final.<br /><br />This triumph secured Atalanta their first major European title and only the second major trophy in their 116-year history, with their last silverware being the Coppa Italia over six decades ago. It also marked the first major trophy for Atalanta manager <keyword id="21635115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gian-Piero-Gasperini" source="keywords">Gian Piero Gasperini</keyword>, a crowning achievement in the 66-year-old tactician’s extensive managerial career.<br /><br />Atalanta's dominant performance in the final showcased their resilience and strength, especially after their recent loss to Juventus in the Italian Cup final just a week prior.<br /><br />Leverkusen boss <keyword id="20717505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xabi-Alonso" source="keywords">Xabi Alonso</keyword>, however, remained positive despite the setback, asserting that the defeat does not diminish his team's remarkable season.<br /><br />“For me the result today does not change one bit how I feel about my players or what we have been doing. It hurts because we wanted to lift the trophy but you can't have everything,” Alonso told TNT Sports.<br /><br />“This season and achievements have surpassed all expectations. I was hoping and getting ready to maybe do something great but this has been so much more,” the Spaniard added.<br /><br />Leverkusen's hopes of a treble are dashed, but they still have a shot at securing a domestic double if they can triumph over Kaiserslautern in the German Cup on Saturday.<br />

Atalanta clinch first major European title, end Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak in Europa League final

<br /> FIFA world cup is on and each team has its own set of loyalists. Like the teams, the players also have their fans. We went through the <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Twitter">twitter</keyword> profiles of current generation of players in the <keyword id="64" type="SPORT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Football">football</keyword>’s largest sporting event and found out that these are the players who have the most number of followers. Guess who is at the top spot? Browse through to know more.<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/digitaldialogue/2014/06/12/world-cup-set-to-be-the-most-social-sporting-event-ever/">study</a> by Adobe already went on to claim that the FIFA world cup will be the most socially active World Cup ever and that too, for any sports World Cup, not only Football (in history).<br />
<br />
Also, the location of FIFA this year is the country that eats, drinks, sleeps and breathes football, and Brazil also boasts of a hugely active social media presence. Apparently, Brazil always features in the list of countries with maximum Twitter profiles.<br />
<br /> As said before, we took a look at Twitter to see the craze this gala sporting event has brought in. Check out who has made to the list of the top 10 socially popular footballers, playing in <keyword id="1901104" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="FIFA-2014">FIFA 2014</keyword>.<br />

Top 10 Most-Followed Footballers On Twitter

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mike Hewitt/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Xabi Alonso scoring the tying goal for Liverpool against A.C. Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final is one of the best in the history of the tournament. </p><p>It was a showdown between two of the most storied clubs in world soccer, A.C. Milan and Liverpool F.C., in Istanbul. Milan looked set for a route, going up 3-0 by halftime. </p><p>But the Reds of Liverpool had an extraordinary six minutes of soccer in the second half, scoring three goals in six minutes to tie the match. </p><p>The match would stay tied at 3-3 all the way through extra time, culminating in a dramatic penalty shoot-out, which also came down to the wire, with Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek saving a penalty from <span>Andriy Shevchenko to secure for Liverpool a 3-2 win in the shoot-out. </span></p><p><span>Now, Liverpool has ridden Jurgen Klopp and his high-octane gegenpressing style back to the Champions League final, this time against Real Madrid, so we thought it would be the perfect time to take a look back at the Liverpool squad that won the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. The match data below is <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/season=2004/matches/round=1972/match=1086988/index.html?iv=true">provided courtesy of UEFA</a>. </span></p>

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The 2005 Champion League-winning Liverpool team

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Pilar Olivares</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>After winning three-straight major competitions, the Spanish soccer dynasty is over.</p>
<p>Spain lost 2-0 to a younger, faster, more athletic Chile team on Wednesday. The defending champions have been eliminated from the 2014 World Cup, and their game next week against Australia will effectively be an exhibition.</p>
<p>After coming into the tournament as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/world-cup-favorites-betting-odds-spain-brazil-2014-6">one of the favorites</a>, they've been outscored 7-1 over 180 minutes.</p>
<p>Like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spain-netherlands-score-highlights-goals-2014-6">the second half against the Netherlands</a>, Spain couldn't get the type of possession we've seen from them in recent years. They were hounded in the midfield and sloppy at the back.</p>
<p>Spain's best defense through the last eight years has been its ability to hold the ball and never, ever give it away. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">That all went out the window in Brazil, and the goals started flowing in past a sub-standard Iker Casillas.</span></p>
<p>Chile opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Eduardo Vargas stabbed in a shot on a counterattack. They went 2-0 up in the 43rd minute when Spain failed to clear a free kick and Charles Aránguiz netted a soft shot.</p>
<p>The South Americans got chance after chance on the counter. It could have been worse than 2-0.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Jamie Squire/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Some will see this as the death of Spain's tiki-taka style. But in the end the demise of this Spain squad, one of the best teams in the history of the sport, has a more familiar explanation - age.</p>
<p>Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso are all over 32 years old. That trio had dominated every midfield in the world for years. In 2014 they were run off the ball and overwhelmed by well-organized opposing midfields, and Xavi was even benched for the Chile game.</p>
<p>The Netherlands and Chile will advance out of Group B. The winner players the runner-up from Group A (probably Mexico), while the runner-up from Group B plays the winner from Group A (probably Brazil).</p>

Spain Dismantled By Chile, Knocked Out Of The World Cup In Stunning Fashion

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div>Four months ago Real Madrid won the Champions League.</p>
<p>Two months later they began rebuilding the squad that made them the best team in Europe. In came <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/real-madrid-james-rodriguez-2014-7">James Rodriguez</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/17/toni-kroos-joins-real-madrid">Toni Kroos</a>, and <a href="http://www.marca.com/2014/07/16/en/football/real_madrid/1405464464.html">Keylor Navas</a> for a combined price of ~$148 million. Out went Angel Di Maria, Xabi Alonso, Nuri Sahin, and Alvaro Morata.</p>
<p>Those moves left Real full of attacking star power, but lacking in midfield muscle. Almost every current midfielder and forward in the Real squad would be the attacking focal point on another team. When taken together, though, the result is a team severely lacking balance.</p>
<p>The 2014-15 campaign is off to a rough start. They've lost two-straight games in the league, letting in six goals in the process. </p>
<p>There are problems everywhere.</p>
<p>Cristiano Ronaldo is <a href="http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/15/cristiano-ronaldo-fed-up-at-real-madrid-says-former-club-president/">"fed up" with the summer moves</a>, Real's old president recently said. Predictably, there's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/11101697/Cristiano-Ronaldos-shock-return-to-Manchester-United-separating-the-fact-from-the-fiction.html">now speculation in the English tabloids</a> that he's a Manchester United target.</p>
<p>James doesn't have a position in the team's formation. He played as a central attacking midfielder at the World Cup, where he led the tournament in goals scored, but Real's 4-3-3 isn't conducive to that role. He played on the wing at Monaco in 2013, but the wide positions in Madrid are already occupied by Ronaldo and Bale.</p>
<p>In an interview with ESPNFC, Real president Florentino Perez <a href="http://www.espnfc.com/real-madrid/story/2044070/real-madrid-florentino-perez-james-rodriguez-agenda-angel-di-maria-xabi-alonso">had this strange defense of signing James</a>, "I do not know how James plays. But he had a great World Cup and we wanted him here."</p>
<p>After a $148 million summer, it already looks like they'll have to dip into the transfer market to get someone who can win the ball in the midfield.</p>
<p>Things are equally as shaky off the field. There's <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2203984-real-madrid-transfer-news-james-rodriguez-conspiracy-denied-by-florentino-perez">a conspiracy theory</a> that Perez only signed James because another one of his companies won a nearly $1 billion contract to build roads in Colombia. Elsewhere, club legend Zinedine Zidane <a href="http://www.marca.com/en/2014/09/18/en/football/real_madrid/1411029767.html">might be in trouble for coaching Real's B team</a> without the proper credentials.</p>
<p>Real has too much talent and money to stay down long. The question is whether they can get things together before it's too late to meet their own stratospheric expectations.</p>

Real Madrid's $148 Million Summer Is Falling Apart

<p><keyword id="57149" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="FIFA">FIFA</keyword> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ballon-dor-ceremony-pictures-2013-1">announced its "World XI" yesterday in Zurich</a>.</p>
<p>It's basically <a href="http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/news/newsid=1981505/">a paper All-Star team</a> (they don't play any games or anything) that gives you an idea of who the best player at each position was in 2012.</p>
<p>The 11 players on this years team come from just three professional teams, all of which are, surprisingly, part of Spain's La Liga.</p>
<p>Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, and Iker Casillas play for Real Madrid. Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Gerard Pique, and Dani Alves play for Barcelona. And Radamel Falcao plays for Atletico Madrid.</p>
<p>Here's the lineup:</p>
<p><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:620px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Fox Soccer" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/50eb46cfecad04c079000001-960/ballon-dor-world-11-chart.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Fox <keyword id="3071" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Soccer">Soccer</keyword></p></div></p>
<p>The La Liga isn't considered the best top-to-bottom league in the world, and the current Champions League title-holders are Chelsea, an English team that beat Barca in the semifinals last year. You could argue that elite players who aren't from Spain like Robin van Persie, Neymar, or Sergio Aguero should have been included for sheer variety.</p>
<p>Still, this FIFA XI reflects the fact that Spain is the dominant cultural force in the soccer world right now.</p>
<p>The style played by Barcelona and the Spanish national team — a possession-based, passing game — is now considered the superior tactical philosophy in the sport. Playing "like Spain" has become synonymous with "playing well."</p>
<p>The best national team in the world (Spain, which won the last World Cup and European Championship), the best club team in the world (widely considered to be Barcelona), and the best player in the world (Messi) are all found in Spain.</p>
<p>All 11 of these guys play professionally in Spain, and seven of them play for the Spanish national team.</p>
<p>Here are the players, Ronaldo lagging a bit on the upper left:</p>
<p><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge" style="width:620px"><div class="image"><a title_source="Fox Soccer" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/50eb46d0ecad048778000006-960/ballon-dor-world-11-pic.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a></div><p class="source">Fox Soccer</p></div></p>
<h3>DON'T MISS: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ballon-dor-ceremony-pictures-2013-1">30 Images From The Absurd FIFA Awards Ceremony &gt;</a></h3>

You Searched For "Xabi Alonso" and got 6 results

Atalanta clinch first major European title, end Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak in Europa League final

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