Brazil versus Spain a mouthwatering final
The stage has been set for an exciting Confederations Cup final tomorrow between hosts Brazil and world champions Spain.It is, I think, the best possible final though I thought Italy were unlucky on Thursday against Spain in the semi-final which went to penalty kicks. They had enough chances to get a win but you’ve got to put the ball into the back of the net and Spain, during the penalties, were able to do that.I think it is the best final that you could wish for. Spain and Brazil are known as two of the best footballing nations and it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.I’ve enjoyed watching the matches. You could put two cockroaches together playing football and I would enjoy it. The people in my house get annoyed when I’ve got the television on because they know it’s going to be football.Spain are a very good team and the way you have to beat them is by not allowing their players to run into your area, nullify the midfield and put pressure on their defence, and if you do that you’ve got a chance.If you let them stroke the ball around it is going to be very difficult. The good thing for Brazil is they are playing at home and are going to have the crowd behind them.The Maracana stadium is a historical place and the result could go either way.Both teams play good football and if Brazil don’t win it will be very difficult for their fans. You just don’t know what will happen in light of recent protests in the country. You would hope it is going to be safe for everyone.But the match should be a good advertisement for the World Cup in Brazil next year.The Confederations Cup means the European players won’t have much of a break before the new season starts. Players with English Premier League clubs will report back for pre-season training next week while the clubs in the other divisions are already back in training as their season starts a week earlier.After the old season ends, many players get bored because they are so used to being in a routine.Three weeks to a month is long enough and you don’t need more than that to recover unless you’ve had a serious injury.When I played we would go back in mid-July and then it usually depended on what competitions the club played in. It is common for clubs to take a pre-season tour and play in competitions to help earn some revenue.With clubs paying enormous salaries they have to find ways to recoup some of that money.Carlos Tevez was the headline transfer this week, leaving Manchester City for Juventus in Italy. I’m not really surprised at the move, considering the turmoil that has surrounded him, including the well documented fall-out with former manager Roberto Mancini when he refused to come on as a substitute in a Champions League match in 2011 and eventually went home to Argentina for a few months.I’ve always rated Tevez, though, and the initial £10 million fee Juventus have paid for him, rising to £12 million with add-ons, is a bargain as far as I’m concerned.I first told Harry Redknapp about Tevez when he was an 18-year-old after seeing him play for Boca Juniors. He’s an excellent player, a very intelligent player and he enjoys his football. You can see that with his enthusiasm and work rate.You know yourself as a pro when it is time to move on and he probably feels ‘I’ve been in England long enough and it is time to go and try something new’. I think it is going to be a win-win situation for Juventus. I think he’s a fantastic player and I’ve always rated him highly.