A memorable and historic FIFA World Cup provided the focal point for an eventful year in the beautiful game. Now, as 2010 draws to a close, Football-Daily-News reflects on some of its most eye-catching statistics and remarkable achievements.
days as Manchester United manager was the Sir Matt Busby record broken by Sir Alex Ferguson on 19 December. In becoming the Red Devils’ longest-serving boss, the 68-year-old Scot added another distinction to a career in which he has overseen more than 2,000 matches and won 36 major trophies.
appearances, 400 goals and 31 major trophies was the collective haul with which Raul and Guti departed Real Madrid in May after a combined total of 43 years with the club. Guti had spent a quarter of a century with Los Merengues, having joined the club’s youth team in 1985, while Raul had racked up more goals (323) and games (741) than anyone in the Spanish giants’ glittering history.
career goals was the landmark reached by Martin Palermo earlier this month. This milestone strike capped a memorable year for the 37-year-old in which he became the oldest Argentinian to score in a FIFA World Cup and established himself as Boca Juniors’ all-time leading scorer, breaking Roberto Cheero’s 72-year-old record.
points from a possible 114 was the record tally with which Barcelona finished their 20th championship-winning campaign in May. Pep Guardiola’s team ended the season without ever having conceded the lead at Camp Nou, having scored three or more in 50 per cent of their league matches and conceded just 24 goals for the club’s best defensive record since 1973/74. Incredibly, however, Barça have succeeded in improving on those standards this season, becoming the first side in La Liga history to accrue 43 points before Christmas.
goals in 54 Barcelona appearances is Lionel Messi’s amazing tally for 2010. The little Argentinian, whose prolific exploits over last season earned him the European Golden Shoe, ends this calendar year having provided more goals (42), assists (15) and dribbles (166) than anyone else in La Liga.
years of Istanbul domination came to an end in Turkey this year, with Bursaspor snatching the Super Lig title on a dramatic final day to become the first champions from outside the Bosphorus since Trabzonspor in 1984.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations matches without defeat was the record sequence established by Egypt en route to an unprecedented third successive continental title in January. The hero of the Pharaohs’ landmark triumph was Mohamed 'Gedo' Nagy, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer despite not starting a single match.
FIFA World Cup goals was the landmark reached by Miroslav Klose during South Africa 2010, leaving the Germany striker in joint-second place with Gerd Muller in the all-time standings and just one behind record-holder Ronaldo.
unanswered PSV goals handed Feyenoord the heaviest defeat of their 102-year history in October. The Rotterdam outfit, former European champions and traditionally one of the ‘big three’ in the Netherlands, conceded eight times in the second half to comfortably eclipse their previous worst reverse: an 8-2 loss to Ajax in September 1983.
nations have now won the World Cup after Spain joined this elite club in July. La Roja became the first team to win the global showpiece having lost their opening game, and the first from Europe to lift the Trophy outside their own continent.
years and 10 months have now passed since Jose Mourinho last lost a home league match. This incredible run was extended by another year after the Portuguese coach survived 2010 without his Inter Milan and Real Madrid teams being beaten on their own patch on league business. Inter’s 32-month unbeaten run in home Serie A matches came to an end in November, but you need to look back to February 2002 - and a 3-2 defeat for Porto by Beira Mar – for Mourinho’s last league loss.
clubs can now boast a European and domestic treble after Inter Milan became the latest to achieve this feat earlier this year. Previously, only Celtic (1967), Ajax (1972), PSV (1988), Manchester United (1999) and Barcelona (2009) had added Europe’s premier club trophy to a national league and cup double.
African Footballer of the Year awards, the latest of which he claimed earlier this month, have established Samuel Eto’o as his continent’s most decorated player. In surpassing Abedi Pele and George Weah, both of whom won Africa’s top award on three occasions, the Cameroonian capped a tremendous year in which he became the first player to win a European and domestic treble in successive seasons.
players – David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol – accounted for Spain’s entire haul of goals at South Africa 2010. Previously, no team had ever won the FIFA World Cup with fewer than four different goalscorers. La Roja’s overall tally of eight was also the lowest of any world champions in history.
team ended South Africa 2010 unbeaten: New Zealand. That unlikely statistic was sealed when the Netherlands’ 14-match winning streak in the World Cup qualifiers and tournament proper came to an end in the Final.
defeats in over 30 matches in 2010 enabled Rosenborg to become the first team in Tippeligaen history to survive an entire campaign without losing. Over the past two years, the Trondheim outfit have lost just once in 60 league games.
