REAL MADRID slipped 16 points adrift of Barcelona in the La Liga standings at the weekend following their 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo.Barca meanwhile thumped Levante 3-0 at the Nou Camp, with Los Blancos star Marcelo calling his side "sad and f***ing sunk" in their race to win the title.With the La Liga crown almost certainly going to Barcelona that makes FOUR of Europe's Big Five leagues all-but done and dusted... already.We take a look at how things are standing in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 at the halfway stage of the 2017-18 season.LA LIGABARCELONA appear to be storming to yet another Spanish top-flight title, opening up a massive lead over biggest rivals Real.With the Galacticos down in fourth, it now seems one of Atletico Madrid and Valencia are the biggest challengers.Atleti sit nine points behind Ernesto Valverde's men, with Valencia two points further behind. Fellow big clubs, Sevilla and Villarreal, seem to be well out of contention - on 29 … [Read more...] about Barcelona move 16 points clear of Real Madrid as four of Europe’s Big Five leagues appear to have been decided already
Europe
Neymar, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane… the top ten most valuable stars across Europe revealed
PHILIPPE COUTINHO clinched his £145million move from Liverpool to Barcelona this month… but still doesn’t feature amongst Europe’s ten most valuable players.According to data from the CIES Football Observatory, the new Barca forward comes in only 16th, valued at £109m.That means, based on factors such as age, contract length and international appearances, the La Liga giants paid £36m over the odds for the “Little Magician”.Outside of the top ten, massive names such as Mohamed Salah, Leroy Sane, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling all narrowly miss out.But who makes the top ten when it comes to the most valuable players in Europe?In first place, somewhat unsurprisingly is Neymar – valued at £189m – who swapped Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain for £198m last summer in a world-record deal.The Brazilian is followed by former team-mate Lionel Messi, who is worth £179m – narrowly above Tottenham star Harry Kane.The … [Read more...] about Neymar, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane… the top ten most valuable stars across Europe revealed
Neymar, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane… the top ten most valuable stars across Europe revealed
PHILIPPE COUTINHO clinched his £145million move from Liverpool to Barcelona this month... but still doesn't feature amongst Europe's ten most valuable players.According to data from the CIES Football Observatory, the new Barca forward comes in only 16th, valued at £109m.That means, based on factors such as age, contract length and international appearances, the La Liga giants paid £36m over the odds for the "Little Magician".Outside of the top ten, massive names such as Mohamed Salah, Leroy Sane, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling all narrowly miss out.But who makes the top ten when it comes to the most valuable players in Europe?In first place, somewhat unsurprisingly is Neymar - valued at £189m - who swapped Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain for £198m last summer in a world-record deal.The Brazilian is followed by former team-mate Lionel Messi, who is worth £179m - narrowly above Tottenham star Harry Kane.The England ace sits third in the list, valued at … [Read more...] about Neymar, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane… the top ten most valuable stars across Europe revealed
The ‘respectable’ capital flat being used to clean Europe’s dirty money
One of the high, single-paned front windows at 78 Montgomery Street is broken. A magazine has been taped across the crack, obscuring the view of a small, overgrown garden where an old disused telephone box lies on its side. This is Edinburgh, one of the Scottish capital’s oh-so-respectable neighbourhoods of stout Victorian tenements. The address, smashed glass aside, could not seem more legitimate. In reality, it could not be more criminal. That is because number 78, on paper at least, is one of Europe’s great money-laundering hubs, a centre of elaborate multi-billion-dollar schemes to clean some of the continent’s dirtiest money. Loading article content READ MORE: Edinburgh and the oligarchs The property’s owner, John Hein, finds this characterisation of his home to be “preposterous”. But after years of almost constant police visits over one investigation or another, Mr Hein now acknowledges he lives at one of Britain’s most crooked … [Read more...] about The ‘respectable’ capital flat being used to clean Europe’s dirty money
Is Emmanuel Macron Europe’s new Angela Merkel?
For many years, Angela Merkel's dominance in Europe remained unchallenged. After Donald Trump was elected US president, some English-language newspapers even declared the German chancellor the "leader of the free world." But things have changed: Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) fared badly in the September general elections, and she still hasn't managed to form a new government. Until this is achieved, Merkel remains in office on an interim basis. And her status as Europe's leading figure has certainly taken a hit. Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, has shot to political stardom. The young, charismatic politician emerged victorious from the French presidential elections, leaving far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the dust. He has also succeeded in reforming the French labor market — an impressive feat given the fierce opposition he faced. Recent economic data have further emboldened him. And surveys indicate that Macron is regaining public support, following … [Read more...] about Is Emmanuel Macron Europe’s new Angela Merkel?