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After unnecessary comments after the loss against Barcelona, Mourinho got the well deserved suspension. Now it has come out Mourinho wanted it specified that he was all clear now. UEFASpokesman William Gaillard:

I was quite surprised to hear that he wanted the slate cleaned, because as far as we were concerned everything had already been sorted out.. We have a tradition in football that applies to managers just as much as it does to players. If you are sanctioned, you serve your suspension, pay your fine or whatever and then you start again with a completely clean sheet.

I stated earlier that Mourinho will always be in the news. Even if its for last season’s controversies which are over by now!

Ronaldinho has signed a contract till 2010 after team mates Eto’o, Xavi, Deco and Valdes had done the same. This is huge news for a Barcelona fan like me. The best news I have heard in days. What it means is that Barca will have a strong core group which can make it a champion side with pedigree history can refer back to. Barcelona showed immense skills last season. People who watchthe English Premiere League will vouch that Chelsea is the best team in the world but I would vouch that Barca is the best.

With a lengthy contract, Barcelona has a chance to show every one their true potential and silence the doubters. Best of all, ronaldinho is saying what every Barca fan would want him to say:

I am very happy in this side and this type of contentment doesn’t have a price. I want for nothing here and look forward to staying for many years

The side was a shadow of its former self last season. They were displaced from the traditional big 4 of english football. This early season has been worst than ever in their history. So a boost was definitely needed. The signing of Michael Owen, a scoop considering Owen first wanted to go there on loan may be one of the crucial turning points in the history of Newcastle.

In Shearer and Owen they have former England pairing. Shearer is on the way to retirement but Owen is still very young and has a lot ahead of him. Will Owen decide to stay more than a year? Who knows. You can never say in football.

In a big surprise, Barca failed to score versus newly promoted Alaves. I am worried. Barcelona is one side which showed last season it could score a lot of goals. Bonano, the former Barca player jept out of his skin to avoid Barcelona a win.

I hope this is just a hitch start and not a sign of things to come.

After the joy of watching Barca play beautiful one touch football under Rijkaard, I cant wait for the first game on Saturday. Apart from the magic of Ronaldinho, I am looking forward to seeing Van Bommel in his first la liga match for Barca.

The first port of call for the Catalans will be Mendizorroza stadium, home of newly promoted Alaves and the league’s second smallest venue with a capacity of 19,000.

Madrid is looking more knit than last season with the likes of Baptista and Robinho. Can they pose a serious challenge? I certainly hope so as it would lead to a good battle as to who finally ends up the champions.

Also, I really hope Barca can win the Champions league this season and show every one what a great team they are.

It was just West Brom but the display by Chelsea versus West Brom was impressive. Wright Philips was fast and persistent. Makelele and Lampard were strong. I thought Ession showed a bit of inexperience but did not lack in enthusiasm. Drogba is some one I am not hugely impressed by. Maybe try Crespo more for a while.

Barcelona start their Spanish league defense over the weekend and they have a stronger side.

Will we have another Chelsea versus Barca clash with a stronger team for both squads? The prospect with a hopeful Barca victory makes me smack my lips!

Between work 10 AM to 8 PM the sport action I have been able to catch up has been the excellent Ashes contest and the football.

The Ashes have truly surprised me. I did not give the English a chance to win even a test even though I was sure they would give a good fight. I have never seen a close Ashes contest and feel luck I am able to catch the best Ashes contest since 1989.

I managed to catch three Premiership games over the weekend. Liverpool and Gerrard could not score but I liked the well fought out match nevertless. Arsenal vs Newcastle was scratchy but the backup strength of Arsenal looks good. Chelsea vs Wigan was a classic and a heartbreak when Crespo scored.

Too bad the net connection in my room has been non existant for the past few days resulting in a dormancy in posts in the blog.

The Robinho deal with Real is looking on shaky grounds now. And now they have signed Baptista going one up on Arsenal.

So what does the future hold for one of the most talked about new Brazilian players? Brazil keeps producing amazing talent despite football being a world game and all the money and training being in Europe. At least the world should get a chance to know how good Robinho can be in Europe.

Meanwhile Real is still pretty sure Robinho will end up in Madrid. We have not heard the last of this.

Jose Mourinho, after saying Chelsea may stop needing players in his last year said a few days ago that he is recruiting players so that no one takes his place for granted in the side and not because he needs them. So why wont the players start taking their places for granted in 5 years time!?

Also, now there is a lot of bad blood between Arsenal and Chelsea after Mourinho called for Dein to quit. FA has criticsed Mourinho over the comments and Wenger on a different is ruing the purse Mourinho has at his disposal.

Mourinho is frank, Mourinho is blatant, Mourinho is abrasive, Mourinho is calculated and Mourinho will go to any means - psychological warfare/not follow transer rules to accomplish his task of winning. Most crucially he is opinionated and the manager of the team which won the English Premiership last season.

He was in news last year and he will be in the news much more than ever before this season.