Football features

FOOTBALLERS can afford the ultimate luxuries in life, like sprawling homes, cars and expensive jewellery thanks to their hefty salaries.
But unfortunately that makes them easy prey for opportunist thieves – who’ll target anything of value to steal.

Dele Alli is the latest footballer to be targeted by burglarsCredit: EPA

Police arrive on the scene of Alli’s North London home after intruders broke in and stole watchesCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun

Manchester City ace Kyle Walker became the latest footballer to beef up his security detail – buying a doberman for £40,000 from guard dog specialists Chaperone K9.
Last year, Dele Alli became was a victim of a robbery, where two burglars broke into his North London home, assaulted him before taking off with expensive watches, including a £150,000 Richard Mille 11-03, a £150,000 Patek Philippe 5980 Nautilus and a £50,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chrono.
Then in 2019, ex-Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were chased by a moped gang, who tried to car-jack the German playmaker’s Mercedes G-Wagon, as the pair drove along a North London road.
While  Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was burgled when he was on Champions League duty with the Reds, who were playing away against Bayern Munich.

While the Senegalese forward was tormenting the Bavarians, his mansion was being ransacked by burglars, who nicked items including mobile phones, car keys and designer watches.
But what security measures do footballers take to keep themselves safe from harm?
IN THE CASE OF DELE
Since having his timepieces nicked, Dele is trying to make them too hot to handle and has circulated their makes and models.
And his football pals have told him they will pass on the details to their watchmakers in the hope they can catch the thieves.

A source told The Sun: “These robbers might think they have hit the jackpot stealing these watches, but they are going to face real problems cashing them in.
“Footballers use a handful of dealers and none will touch a stolen watch because they know it could cause serious problems down the line.

Dele Alli’s prized watches were stolen from himCredit: Dele Instagram

A £50,000 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chrono was taken in the burglaryCredit: Dele Instagram

Ali and his pals have circulated their makes and models to make the goods too hot to handleCredit: Dele Instagram
“It’s not unusual for cops in Dubai and Italy to demand to see papers for watches when passengers pass through security.
“Can you imagine if a watch stolen in a violent robbery ends up on a wrist of a player who then gets arrested?
“Dele is well connected through the England squad and knows players in Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and London where all the main dealers are.
“These dealers know if they accidentally bought any watch that turned out to be one of Dele’s, then they would never sell to a footballer again.”
PANIC ROOMS
One of the big trends in the last few years has seen footballers installing bulletproof panic rooms inside their lavish properties.
Costing anywhere from between £40k to £1m, they provide a secure hiding spot for families at home during a burglary.
David Beckham recently installed one in his family’s Kensington abode, along with a 24-hour, 60-camera CCTV system.
Paul Weldon, managing director of The Panic Room, fits them for high-profile clients around Europe.
He told us: “A panic room is a room that’s self-contained, that if the house becomes under some form of aggravated break-in, the family can get into that room, be safe and secure and have some independent communication to call for help.

Former Arsenal pals Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Ozil were the subject of a car-jacking last yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The moped thugs had given chase to Ozil’s Mercedes G-Class SUV in North London

Bosnian left-back Kolasinac bravely managed to send the attackers scarpering

Panic rooms have become a huge trend for footballersCredit: The Panic Room Company

A bulletproof panic room can cost anything from £40k to £1mCredit: The Panic Room Company

Panic rooms are normally installed within an existing room in a propertyCredit: The Panic Room Company
“In a residential home, we try to locate somewhere on the first bedroom floor where there’s a closet of two metres by two metres that can double up as a fully-blown panic room.
“Generally, our rooms are installed inside an existing room and they have the capability to withstand bullets from a handgun and a shotgun.
“They range from about £40,000 to £1m in price – and clients don’t just use them to protect themselves, they’ll store specialist wines, art work, and put their safes in there too.
“But you have to remember, a panic room is a last resort. With a big, detached property you’ve got to incorporate other systems.
“It may be at night you set perimeter alarms, or a ground floor alarm. So at least you’ve got some warning that someone is knocking around.
“If the alarm activates outside, you can get your family inside a panic room and call the police. But it’s got to be used with other security features of a property.”
SPECIALLY-TRAINED GUARD DOGS
Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Mark Noble, Phil Jones, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jesse Lingard all swear by Chaperone K9 – a Leicestershire-based company that provides specially trained guard dogs to protect Premier League footballers’ families.
The majority of dogs they provide are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, and each pooch has been put through a rigorous 12-month plus training programme.
According to Chaperone K9’s website, the dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats, including home invasion, road rage, personal attacks on the person and their family and robbery.

Chaperone K9 provide guard dogs to footballers, including Marcus RashfordCredit: Chaperone K9

Mark Noble invested in two German Shepherds from Chaperone K9 to protect his familyCredit: Chaperone K9

Man Utd star Phil Jones also believes having a Chaperone K9 dog in your home warns off intrudersCredit: Chaperone K9

Rashford paid upwards of £15,000 for a Chaperone K9 dog to protect his Cheshire propertyCredit: Chaperone K9

Hugo Lloris recently added a guard dog from Elite Protection to his familyCredit: Instagram
Once given a command, they will spring into action with an apparent initial display of aggression to ward a potential assailant off simply by barking.
If there is more than one attacker, they are taught to position themselves between you and the potential threat, continuously barking to keep the assailants at bay.
And should the assailant continue to pose you a danger, a Chaperone K9 has learned, on command, to bite and hold the attacker until you tell the dog to release them.
Since the Alli incident, more footballers have said to have invested in the ferocious guard dogs – also using rival firm Elite Protection, like Hugo Lloris.
PERSONAL BODYGUARDS
When you’re as famous as someone like the Beckhams, surrounding yourself and your children with burly security guards is a necessity.
On the school run in LA, former members of the SAS would flank the family’s brood before they went to class.
And when Brazil captain Dani Alves was at PSG, Titan Security were asked to look after his safety during a meet and greet.
“When Dani launched his new clothing line in Paris, we supplied security staff for him,” Matthew Watson, director for Titan Security Europe explained.
“Measures were taken in store where Dani was signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

David Beckham and his family are regularly flanked by security, some of which are SAS-trainedCredit: AFP – Getty
“Crowd control and proximity of general public in this setting had to be considered due to the nature of it being a high-profile footballer, as well as two-way earpiece radio support to bodyguards on site.”
Watson believes in the wake of the recent incidents more footballers will seek personal security.
“In light of recent events, anticipation is for this market to continue to grow,” he said.
“Affluent footballers are often a target due to lack of security around them, and they are very much in the public eye.
“While brazen attempts to rob these individuals is becoming more frequent, with salary’s being posted and shared on social media.
“That means footballers today are at risk more than ever.”

Dani Alves required security detail when he was attending an event in ParisCredit: PA:Press Association
RAISING AN ALARM
Shield Security provide alarms and systems for footballers in the Yorkshire and Humber region, as well as the North of England.
When Southampton forward Shane Long was plying his trade at Hull City, he enlisted their services.
“During my time with Premier League football club Hull City, my family were fortunate enough to benefit from the services of Shield Security,” he revealed.
“As a professional footballer, I often spend a great deal of time away from home, and with that in mind, my wife and I wanted the best security protection for our family.”
Not only does Shield offer state-of-the-art alarms that can detect the most cunning intruder, they also offer security staff that stay at the home overnight, which is something Long invested in ahead of Hull’s ill-fated Europa League campaign in 2014.
“We can offer guards to patrol the premises for footballers when they’re away, which is a decent visual deterrent,” Shield Security manager Alex Lee, 26, told us.
“While some of the clients will request patrol cars visit four or five times a night to have a look around the premises.
“But it’s mostly going technology-wise now. What happens with these burglaries is the robbers tend to know when a footballer is going away, so it’s pretty hard to prevent against.”
Lee revealed that footballers are spending up to £20k to ensure their mansions are covered by alarms, cameras and barrier fences.

Shield Security provide alarms, barrier fences and more for footballersCredit: Shield Security

Shane Long asked Shield Security to provide a patrol guard to look after his property when he was awayCredit: Reuters

CCTV cameras are installed around footballers’ homes, with video and alerts sent straight to their phones if an alarm is triggeredCredit: Getty – Contributor
“A lot of footballers tend to live in houses that have gated houses.
“So the first port of call is a gated intercom. They have a video camera pointing at the entrance and that goes direct to an app on their mobile phones.
“There could also be cameras right around the site, with some players even doing internal cameras by their back doors, as well as intruder alarms.
“We install perimeter fences too that have a laser going from pillar to pillar, so any movement over that and an alarm will be triggered.

“It’s not too different to what your average Joe is getting really, but the only difference is it’s on a larger scale because of the size of their houses.
“Most footballers’ homes are five bedroom homes, so they’re spending anywhere from £5,000 to £20,000.
“But if that’s the price of keeping them and their family safe, they will happily pay that.”

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FOOTBALLERS’ security has never been more crucial.
Kyle Walker is the latest footballer who has invested some of his salary in a guard dog, trained by Chaperone K9 – who specialise in providing security pooches for the wealthy and famous.

Kyle Walker has beefed up his security with a guard dogCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The Man City ace splashed £40,000 on a doberman from Chaperone K9

Walker is said to have spent £40,000 shelled out £40000 on a Doberman guard dog after a series of raids on footballers.
Dele Alli was one of many high-profile stars robbed – when masked men held him at knifepoint and punched him in the face, as they made off with watches worth around £350,000.
Months before that, Crystal Palace star Mamadou Sakho’s home was ransacked, while Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have also recently had their safety jeopardised by muggers looking for money and jewellery.
To combat thieves, Premier League stars are now fighting back. Here’s who has beefed up their security.

JACK GREALISH
Aston Villa star Jack Grealish bought a £25,000 Belgian Malinois pooch from Chaperone K9 last year.
The England midfielder posted a picture on his Instagram story of the dog sticking its tongue out, accompanying it with the heart-eyes emoji.
His new pooch’s suppliers captioned the picture by saying: “Welcome to the Chaperone K9 family.”

Jack Grealish is the latest footballer to invest in a four-legged friend for securityCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Aston Villa ace Grealish welcomed a Belgian Malinois to his family for £25kCredit: Instagram / @chaperonek9
MARCUS RASHFORD
Like many footballers, the Manchester United and England forward shopped with Leicestershire’s Chaperone K9, who specialise in training and selling expert guard dogs.

Rashford got himself a huge Cane Corso dog named The Saint that would’ve set him back somewhere in the region of £25,000.
He showed off the pooch on Instagram in 2018, and looked mightily impressed with his purchase.

Marcus Rashford has a Cane Corso called The Saint
PAUL POGBA
Rashford’s Manchester United team-mate Pogba is also a firm believer in protecting yourself with a big dog.
He spent around £15,000 on a Rottweiler in 2019 after he became a target for irate fans.
Pogba stepped up his security measures weeks after “Pogba Out” was sprayed outside the club’s training ground.
He hasn’t had trouble since.

Paul Pogba invested in a Rottweiler when he was a target for Man Utd fansCredit: Chaperone K9
RAHEEM STERLING
The Manchester City winger is a man with lots to protect.
Sterling, a father of three, has a £15,000 Rottweiler called Okan looking after him, his missus Paige Milian and their family.
The Three Lions star was forced to act after Paige returned from a shopping trip to their £3million Cheshire to find a male intruder at their home.

Raheem Sterling bought Okan after his missus Paige Milian walked in on an intruder in their home
PHIL JONES
Manchester United defender Jones already boasted family pets – a couple of adorable pugs.
But they weren’t going to offer him the security he and his wife Kaya needed – should someone threaten their safety.
That’s why they brought in German Shepherd Buddy for £15,000, who will happily save the day if they’re ever in trouble.

Buddy, the German Shepherd, sits with the Jones family
MARK NOBLE
West Ham captain Noble is extra careful when it comes to home protection.
He bought a Belgian Malinois called Striker from Chaperone K9, and also has a German Shepherd as its companion.
Both probably boast as much bite in the middle of the park as the Hammers midfielder.

Mark Noble’s Belgian Malinois will have as much bite as he does in the middle of the parkCredit: Chaperone K9
TYRONE MINGS
Towering defender Mings may look an intimidating presence at 6ft 5in, but he feels more secure having man’s best friend in his home.
Like Sterling and Pogba, he went for an intelligent Rottweiler to protect him and the pooch has helped him settle at Aston Villa.
“Pablo, he’s a Rottweiler, he is here [in Birmingham] he’s at home,” Mings told the Birmingham Mail when asked who helped him find his feet in the Midlands.
“He’s great, he’s the best thing ever. We got him as a protection dog.”

Pablo, who belongs to Tyrone Mings, helped the defender settle in BirminghamCredit: Chaperone K9
ANDY CARROLL
The Newcastle striker was left terrified when he was the target of a gun-wielding motorbike rider who tried to steal his watch while he was in his car waiting at the traffic lights.
So, he bought a Cane Corso to protect him and his family, including ex-TOWIE star Billi Mucklow.
They named him Bane after the murderous Batman villain played by Tom Hardy.

Meet Andy Carroll’s Cane Corso, Bane
RIO FERDINAND
Back in March, BT Sport pundit Rio added teeth to his home security.
A German Shepherd, trained by Chaperone K9, was acquired by the former Manchester United star who was concerned his family may become targets if he was away for work.
A source told The Sun: “They already have stringent measures in place but you can’t be too careful.
“They also love going out for walks as a family in the countryside, so having a dog makes sense.”

BT Sport pundit Ferdinand wanted a dog to protect his family when he was on away days (it’s the one on the right)
HUGO LLORIS
France goalkeeper Lloris went to a rival firm for his security pooch.
The Spurs stopper called up Elite Protection Dogs for a four-legged friend to mind his premises whenever he’s away.
The London-based firm uses only German and Belgian Shepherds that “come from military and police backgrounds”.
Its website says the dogs are “dedicated to shield you . . .  from any possible danger or threat as taught through intense training, mental stability and obedience”.

Hugo Lloris got his pet from Elite Protection DogsCredit: Instagram
HAMZA CHOUDHURY
The Leicester City star popped into Chaperone K9’s Leicestershire HQ and personally saw his Belgian Malinois in development.
According to Chaperone K9’s website, the dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats, including home invasion, road rage, personal attacks on the person and their family and robbery.

Once given a command, they will spring into action with an apparent initial display of aggression to ward a potential assailant off simply by barking.
If there is more than one attacker, they are taught to position themselves between you and the potential threat, continuously barking to keep the assailants at bay.
And should the assailant continue to pose you a danger, a Chaperone K9 has learned, on command, to bite and hold the attacker until you tell the dog to release them.

Leicester star Choudhury went to Chaperone K9s HQ to see his dog being trainedCredit: Chaperone K9

The dogs are able to recognise and deal with a number of different threats

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THERE is no doubt about it, in the past decade we have witnessed two of the greatest footballers ever push each other to their goalscoring limits.
Last Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, scored his 20th league goal of the season as Juventus defeated Spezia in Serie A.

It’s the 12th consecutive season the Portuguese legend has managed to register 20-plus goals in a league campaign across Europe’s top five leagues.
But how does that compare to his great rival Lionel Messi, 33, who also has managed 20-plus goals in his last 12 campaigns – and is just one away from making 13 in a row.
SunSport takes a look at their numbers in the past years.
2008-09
The first time any one of these greats registered 20 goals came in Messi’s fifth season with Barcelona.

23 goals in 31 league games saw Pep Guardiola’s team roar to the title – some nine points ahead of nearest rivals Real Madrid.
It wasn’t enough for Messi to win The Pichichi Trophy – with Diego Forlan netting the most – an astonishing 32 goals.
Ronaldo, in his final season as a Manchester United player managed 18 Premier League goals.

Lionel Messi registered his first 20 league goals a season haul in the 2008-09 seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

2008-09 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last year at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
2009-10
After his £80million transfer to Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Messi would go head-to-head for the first time.

Having the benefit of experience playing in LaLiga, the Argentine was top goalscorer in the competition with 34 goals in 35 games.
Ronaldo, who wasn’t even Real’s top scorer (Gonzalo Higuain managed 27), scored 26 goals in as many games. Ronaldo might’ve marginally had the better goalscoring ratio, but Messi had the numbers.

Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2009 for £80m to ignite his rivalry with MessiCredit: Action Images – Reuters
2010-11
With Messi setting the bar, Ronaldo knew he had to record special numbers to defeat his rival in the goalscoring charts.
Astonishingly, he bagged 40 goals in the 2010-11 season – nine more than Messi managed.
Still, for all his efforts, Barça were champions once again.
2011-12
The numbers went astronomical in 2011-12, with both players reaching the peak of their powers.
Between them they managed an incredible 96 league goals, in a season where Jose Mourinho wrestled the title off Guardiola after three years of Barcelona dominance.
Messi hit a remarkable 50 league goals, while Ronaldo managed an equally impressive 46. Nearest to them was Radamel Falcao with 24, which was a measure of how far ahead the pair were of everyone else.

At the peak of their powers Ronaldo and Messi managed 96 league goals between them in the 2011-12 campaignCredit: EPA
2012-13
Barcelona reclaimed their title in impressive fashion – by 15 points in the end.
Messi, was of course, central to that with 46 in just 32 games and was top scorer again.
Ronaldo was second with 34 in as many games. Although he did finish top scorer in the Champions League that season.
2013-14
Injuries meant both Messi and Ronaldo didn’t play as many league games as they had managed previously.
The latter won back the Pichichi Trophy with 31 goals to Messi’s 28, but both both missed out on the LaLiga title, as Atletico Madrid were crowned champions.

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Again, it’s worth noting Ronaldo excelled in the Champions League – with 17 in a campaign that saw Real crowned European champions. It’s a record that’s not been broken.

Ronaldo landed the Pichichi Trophy for the 2013-14 seasonCredit: Getty – Contributor
2014-15
In one of the closest title races in years, Barcelona pipped Real by just two points in the end.
But Ronaldo amassed his highest ever league goal total – scoring 48 goals in 35 matches.
Messi’s 43 would’ve done it any other year, if the former Manchester United player wasn’t around.
2015-16
The top scorer mantle was passed on in 2015-16 to Luis Suarez – the first time it wasn’t Ronaldo or Messi in six seasons.
Messi’s 26 was his lowest since 2008-09, while Ronaldo’s 35 showed he was still on top of his game.
Again, Barcelona were champions by just one point in what was a nail-biting climax to the league season.

For the 2015-16 Messi had to share his goals with Neymar and Luis SuarezCredit: Corbis
2016-17
Despite recording his lowest amount of league goals (25), Ronaldo’s Real were champions for the first time since their 2011-12 season.
Messi, who had the presence of Suarez and Neymar around him, managed an impressive 37 goals.
However, he would’ve been frustrated to see Ronaldo’s lifting ANOTHER Champions League trophy.
2017-18
Domestically, Messi proved he was king again.
His 34 strikes helped propel the Catalans to the LaLiga trophy. Ronaldo’s 26 were an improvement from the previous season.
However, a new challenge was around the corner.

Messi proved he was the domestic king in 2017-18 scoring 34 times in the leagueCredit: AFP or licensors
2018-19
At 33, Ronaldo embarked on a new challenge and moved to Juventus in an £88million deal.
With his rival gone, Messi still continued to deliver – scoring 36 times in La Liga.
In his debut season in Italy, Ronaldo just passed the 20 goal threshold with 21 in 31. He finished a disappointing fourth in the Capocannoniere hunt.
2019-20
Ronaldo came back with a bang in 2019-20 – recording 31 goals in a campaign that delivered back-to-back league titles for his club.
It wasn’t enough to be crowned top scorer – with Ciro Immobile managing an amazing 36 – equalling a Serie A record of most goals in a season.
Messi ended his LaLiga campaign on 25, six less than Ronaldo, but as Pichichi Trophy winner.

In his second season at Juventus Ronaldo scored an impressive 31 Serie A goalsCredit: AP:Associated Press
2020-21
This season, with still plenty of games left to play, Ronaldo leads the Serie A scoring charts with 20 goals in his 21 games.
He beat Messi to 20 by a fraction, who has 19 in his 23 league games.

Even though they’re perhaps past their peak, the numbers still remain positive, despite current advesity.
Their clubs are trailing behind in their respective title races, which hasn’t helped their cause.
But who will finish on top? Messi or Ronaldo?

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THIS week there wasn’t much fanfare about the signing of Jonatan Soriano, a Spanish journeyman striker, by Spanish second tier side Castellon.
The 35-year-old has spent the majority of his career playing for unfashionable clubs including Red Bull Salzburg, Girona, and Beijing Guoan.

Jonatan Soriano, just signed by Castellon, is the journeyman striker you’ve never heard of who rivalled Messi and Ronaldo’s goalscoring records

But, at one moment in time, he was just as prolific as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – rivalling those two legends for the European Golden Shoe.
However, because a points system favours players in tougher leagues to win even if they score fewer goals than a player in a so-called weaker league, Soriano missed out on the award.
Incredibly in Austria, in just six years, the master poacher scored a staggering 172 goals.
CATALAN BOY
Soriano hasn’t always plied his trade in the lower leagues.

In fact, he began his youth career playing at Barcelona’s cross-town rivals Espanyol before he was released in 2009.
Then, he joined Barça with a view to play in the reserves for their third division side.
Soriano showed promise and was given a run out by the first team – playing in the dying minutes of a 2–0 win at Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in a Copa del Rey tie.

Soriano joined Barcelona in 2009 after he was released by EspanyolCredit: AFP – Getty

At 27 Soriano was left on the football scrapheap when he was released by Barcelona
It was to prove to be his only appearance with the senior side, despite finishing the following season as top scorer in Spain’s Segunda Division B with 32 goals.

In 2012, Barcelona refused to renew his contract and Soriano was left on the football scrapheap aged 27.
REDEMPTION IN AUSTRIA
With lots to prove, Soriano joined Red Bull Salzburg that same year.
But in his first season, he needed time to settle and managed a modest five goals in 15 games from January.
However, his second season was a different story. 26 goals in 32 league games showed his proficiency in front of goal.
A highlight came in a 6-2 win over Wolfsberger – a game he netted a hat-trick in – just hours after he spent the morning with wife Cristina Sabater in hospital celebrating the birth of his daughter.
The 2013-14 season was Soriano’s most prolific – with an astonishing 48 goals in 43 games.

Soriano enjoyed his best years in football at Red Bull SalzburgCredit: Getty Images – Getty

In 2013-14 Soriano scored 31 league goals which would’ve been enough to win the European Golden Shoe awardCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Soriano once scored a hat-trick hours after his wife Cristina gave birth
It was the same campaign he was crowned Europa League top scorer – netting a brace against Ajax as Red Bull Salzburg reached the last 16 before they were knocked out.
His 31 league goals tied him with Luis Suarez and Ronaldo in the European Golden Shoe stakes.
But it was a technicality he lost out on.
HE WAS ROBBED
Since the 1996-97 season, European Sports Media have awarded the Golden Shoe on a points system.
The weightings are determined by the league’s ranking on the UEFA coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league’s clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons.
So, players who score goals in one of Europe’s top five leagues have the opportunity to score more points than that of a player who plays in a lesser known league.
Poor Soriano, then, wasn’t even in the running.

With goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues counting for more in a points system for the European Golden Shoe, Soriano was robbed of the awardCredit: Getty Images – Getty

In his six seasons with Red Bull Salzburg, Soriano scored 172 goals
“I understand that the Austrian league is not at the level of that of Spain, England, Germany… but whoever understands football knows that it is not easy to score goals anywhere,” he said.
Soriano’s tallies of 29, 48, 46, and 32 from 2013-16 would have had him competing with Messi and Ronaldo, if it wasn’t for that points system.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
172 goals and six seasons later, Soriano moved to China.
He spent two seasons at Beijing Guoan, following a recommendation by former West Ham striker Frederic Kanoute.
A return of 31 strikes in 36 games in the Chinese Super League ensured he was a success. He even had a medal to show for his time there – winning the Chinese FA Cup.
But then, as a free agent, Soriano moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal FC, where goals were harder to come by.
One year later, the poacher returned to Spain with Girona on a short-term deal last term.

In China Soriano won the Chinese FA CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Soriano’s goalscoring touch alluded him at his last club Girona

It didn’t quite work out there, with just one goal to his name in 16 appearances.
However, Castellon will be hopeful Soriano can find his shooting boots again to help them beat the drop.
And maybe he can rival Messi and Ronaldo once again.

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THERE is no doubt about it, in the past decade we have witnessed two of the greatest footballers ever push each other to their goalscoring limits.
Last Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, scored his 20th league goal of the season as Juventus defeated Spezia in Serie A.

It’s the 12th consecutive season the Portuguese legend has managed to register 20-plus goals in a league campaign across Europe’s top five leagues.
But how does that compare to his great rival Lionel Messi, 33, who also has managed 20-plus goals in his last 12 campaigns – and is just one away from making 13 in a row.
SunSport takes a look at their numbers in the past years.
2008-09
The first time any one of these greats registered 20 goals came in Messi’s fifth season with Barcelona.

23 goals in 31 league games saw Pep Guardiola’s team roar to the title – some nine points ahead of nearest rivals Real Madrid.
It wasn’t enough for Messi to win The Pichichi Trophy – with Diego Forlan netting the most – an astonishing 32 goals.
Ronaldo, in his final season as a Manchester United player managed 18 Premier League goals.

Lionel Messi registered his first 20 league goals a season haul in the 2008-09 seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

2008-09 was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last year at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
2009-10
After his £80million transfer to Real Madrid, Ronaldo and Messi would go head-to-head for the first time.

Having the benefit of experience playing in LaLiga, the Argentine was top goalscorer in the competition with 34 goals in 35 games.
Ronaldo, who wasn’t even Real’s top scorer (Gonzalo Higuain managed 27), scored 26 goals in as many games. Ronaldo might’ve marginally had the better goalscoring ratio, but Messi had the numbers.

Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2009 for £80m to ignite his rivalry with MessiCredit: Action Images – Reuters
2010-11
With Messi setting the bar, Ronaldo knew he had to record special numbers to defeat his rival in the goalscoring charts.
Astonishingly, he bagged 40 goals in the 2010-11 season – nine more than Messi managed.
Still, for all his efforts, Barça were champions once again.
2011-12
The numbers went astronomical in 2011-12, with both players reaching the peak of their powers.
Between them they managed an incredible 96 league goals, in a season where Jose Mourinho wrestled the title off Guardiola after three years of Barcelona dominance.
Messi hit a remarkable 50 league goals, while Ronaldo managed an equally impressive 46. Nearest to them was Radamel Falcao with 24, which was a measure of how far ahead the pair were of everyone else.

At the peak of their powers Ronaldo and Messi managed 96 league goals between them in the 2011-12 campaignCredit: EPA
2012-13
Barcelona reclaimed their title in impressive fashion – by 15 points in the end.
Messi, was of course, central to that with 46 in just 32 games and was top scorer again.
Ronaldo was second with 34 in as many games. Although he did finish top scorer in the Champions League that season.
2013-14
Injuries meant both Messi and Ronaldo didn’t play as many league games as they had managed previously.
The latter won back the Pichichi Trophy with 31 goals to Messi’s 28, but both both missed out on the LaLiga title, as Atletico Madrid were crowned champions.

Messi and Ronaldo’s fight to be crowned the GOAT continues to rage on
Again, it’s worth noting Ronaldo excelled in the Champions League – with 17 in a campaign that saw Real crowned European champions. It’s a record that’s not been broken.

Ronaldo landed the Pichichi Trophy for the 2013-14 seasonCredit: Getty – Contributor
2014-15
In one of the closest title races in years, Barcelona pipped Real by just two points in the end.
But Ronaldo amassed his highest ever league goal total – scoring 48 goals in 35 matches.
Messi’s 43 would’ve done it any other year, if the former Manchester United player wasn’t around.
2015-16
The top scorer mantle was passed on in 2015-16 to Luis Suarez – the first time it wasn’t Ronaldo or Messi in six seasons.
Messi’s 26 was his lowest since 2008-09, while Ronaldo’s 35 showed he was still on top of his game.
Again, Barcelona were champions by just one point in what was a nail-biting climax to the league season.

For the 2015-16 Messi had to share his goals with Neymar and Luis SuarezCredit: Corbis
2016-17
Despite recording his lowest amount of league goals (25), Ronaldo’s Real were champions for the first time since their 2011-12 season.
Messi, who had the presence of Suarez and Neymar around him, managed an impressive 37 goals.
However, he would’ve been frustrated to see Ronaldo’s lifting ANOTHER Champions League trophy.
2017-18
Domestically, Messi proved he was king again.
His 34 strikes helped propel the Catalans to the LaLiga trophy. Ronaldo’s 26 were an improvement from the previous season.
However, a new challenge was around the corner.

Messi proved he was the domestic king in 2017-18 scoring 34 times in the leagueCredit: AFP or licensors
2018-19
At 33, Ronaldo embarked on a new challenge and moved to Juventus in an £88million deal.
With his rival gone, Messi still continued to deliver – scoring 36 times in La Liga.
In his debut season in Italy, Ronaldo just passed the 20 goal threshold with 21 in 31. He finished a disappointing fourth in the Capocannoniere hunt.
2019-20
Ronaldo came back with a bang in 2019-20 – recording 31 goals in a campaign that delivered back-to-back league titles for his club.
It wasn’t enough to be crowned top scorer – with Ciro Immobile managing an amazing 36 – equalling a Serie A record of most goals in a season.
Messi ended his LaLiga campaign on 25, six less than Ronaldo, but as Pichichi Trophy winner.

In his second season at Juventus Ronaldo scored an impressive 31 Serie A goalsCredit: AP:Associated Press
2020-21
This season, with still plenty of games left to play, Ronaldo leads the Serie A scoring charts with 20 goals in his 21 games.
He beat Messi to 20 by a fraction, who has 19 in his 23 league games.

Even though they’re perhaps past their peak, the numbers still remain positive, despite current advesity.
Their clubs are trailing behind in their respective title races, which hasn’t helped their cause.
But who will finish on top? Messi or Ronaldo?

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