From start to finish. Another year full of world-level sports is coming to an end, which will leave confirmations in the archives, such as Hamilton in Formula 1 and Djokovic in tennis, expected returns, such as Real Madrid of basketball on the roof of Europe, but also firsts, such as the qualification for the next European football championships by five Cinderellas, namely Albania, Wales, Northern Ireland, Iceland and Slovakia. The two events that have opened and closed the last twelve months are both football events, although of different importance and media attention. The first to cheer were those of the Australian national team, who at the end of January won the Asian Cup for the first time in their history, organized for the occasion in the land of kangaroos, while the last to lift a trophy were the best-known players of Barcelona, who just a few days ago won the Club World Cup in Japan (the third for the Blaugrana club) clearly beating River Plate (winner of the Copa Libertadores in August) 3-0 in the final, thanks to played by playstation of the trio Messi-Neymar-Suarez. For Barça it was the fifth title of 2015, after Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions and European Super Cup, with only Athletic Bilbao capable of ruining the Catalans' perfect year, surprisingly managing to take home the Spanish Super Cup ( and with a sensational 4-0 in the first match). But obviously there wasn't just football, on the contrary, so let's relive all the international sporting events that have characterized this last year, starting with the most popular ones, with millions of fans and enthusiasts, but not forgetting the less publicized ones as well , but which will still remain in the history of this 2015.
Tennis. If there is one sportsman who started and finished as a protagonist, it is certainly Novak Djokovic, who immediately started strong with his success at the Australian Open, reaffirmed his leadership in the men's field by closing with victory at the London Masters a month ago , beating Roger Federer once again in the final. For the Serbian it was a season lived like a cannibal, perhaps the best of his career and for statistics one of the best for a player in the Open Era, becoming the third (after Rod Lever and Federer) to reach the final in all four Grand Slam tournaments (winning three), setting a record of six Masters 1000 wins (with two other final losses) and reaching 15 consecutive finals in the various tournaments, finishing with 82 wins and only 6 losses in total. In the Grand Slam matches, the three successes came in Melbourne by beating Murray, in Wimbledon by overcoming Federer and at the US Open again against Federer, while Wawrinka took care of the killjoy, who with an amazing performance in the final at Roland Garros managed to knock out Djokovic not allowing him to hit the Grand Slam (while for the Swiss it was the second great success after the Australian Open the previous year).
Wawrinka who promises to do battle again next season and who settles down in that small group behind the, at the moment, unassailable Serbian number 1, which includes Andy Murray (capable of getting the better of Nole in the final in Montreal), Federer, who at 34 he returned to racing like a kid, giving his usual class but also inventing new shots such as the early return (and in any case overcoming Djokovic on three occasions, in the finals in Dubai and Cincinnati and in the Masters group match) , and, at least in flashes Rafa Nadal, with the Majorcan who has gone through really low and worrying moments, but in recent months he has closed on a crescendo showing in his last match in London shots that bode well for the season that is about to begin. But behind these sacred monsters, and after the various and usual Berdych, Ferrer or Nishikori, or those always looking for their best dimension (see Anderson or Dimitrov) a new wave of young people who have already shown their value is emerging forcefully, but that in the coming months could definitely explode, from Kyrgios to Thiem, from Coric to the Korean Chung.
2015 is also the year in which Andy Murray (with the invaluable help of his brother Jamie in doubles) managed to bring Great Britain back to Davis Cup victory, now in its tenth success, but which had been waiting for this moment since the distant 1936, 79 years old. The conquest of the "salad bowl" of the 104th edition of the oldest tennis trophy (but often snubbed over the course of the season by the big names on the circuit) came thanks to the 3-1 win in Ghent at home to Belgium, among whose ranks the excellent Goffin did what he could. In the women's equivalent, the Fed Cup, Prague saw the second consecutive victory by the Czech Republic, with the double final awarding the decisive point to overcome Russia.
In the women's field, the season ended with Radwanska's success over Kvitova in the final Masters in Singapore, a tournament that saw the last match of our Flavia Pennetta's career (defeated by Sharapova) and the absence of world number one Serena Williams, still shaken by the incredible knockout suffered a few weeks earlier in the semifinal of the US Open against a super Roberta Vinci, when pure class finally got the better of power. Pennetta then triumphed in the historic all-Italian final, but that defeat prevented Serena from trying to complete a Grand Slam that by now seemed already done, and which in any case does not cancel yet another year as dominatrix of the American, who has had to make way for her sixth Australian Open (beaten Sharapova), third Roland Garros (Safarova) and sixth Wimbledon (Muguruza). In just over a month her hunt for the Grand Slam will start again and as in recent seasons, despite the growth of some interesting new players (such as Muguruza or Keys), the feeling is that she has no real rivals (apart from the usual Sharapova or Kvitova ) and, barring episodes like with Vinci, everything will depend exclusively on Williams and her physical condition. What is about to end has been an unforgettable year for Italian tennis and, speaking of the triumphs in the women's field, the historic victory at the Australian Open in the doubles match by Bolelli-Fognini should also be remembered (with the Ligurian appearing slightly more constant and less controversial than previous years), but also the feat of Andreas Seppi, able to surprise King Federer in Melbourne in four sets, the icing on the cake of a more than positive season for the South Tyrolean.
Engines. In engines, the two world champions of the most important categories on four and two wheels (Forumula 1 and Moto GP) eventually graduated Lewis Hamilton and Jorge Lorenzo, but the path of the two towards the title, as you know, was profoundly different. If repeating the success of the previous year (and third overall with that of 2008) was almost a formality for the Englishman, the Spaniard had to wait for the last race of the season to get the better of Valentino Rossi amid a thousand controversies . In a Formula 1 that by now has very little spectacular and uncertain, with technology, tires and rules that are different every year to dominate, Hamilton led from start to finish, crossing the finish line first 10 times out of 19 and only leaving the scene in the last three races to team mate (so to speak) Rosberg (who finished with 6 wins, but blocked during the season by a few too many problems and not always his fault). For the Briton, who also scored 11 poles and reached 43 victories in his career, behind only Prost (51) and the unrivaled Schumacher (91), the luck of having an almost perfect car in his hands and the certainty of starting again next March 20 as the undisputed favorite, meanwhile he enjoys it among models, parties and extravagant clothes. For Ferrari, which finished second in the constructors' standings behind Mercedes, it was certainly a satisfying year, enhanced by the three victories of Sebastian Vettel (the only one to finish in front of everyone with a car other than a Mercedes) and a pole position in the Singapore Grand Prix (always by the German, who in a very short time with his ways made himself well liked by all the Italian fans). Although the two Mercedes are still far away, next season the Maranello team is called to confirm the enormous steps forward made in the last twelve months, but to do this we will also need the best Kimi Raikkonen, frankly too anonymous since he's back to riding the horse.
In motorbikes, the third triumph of Jorge Lorenzo arrived in the premier class (after 2010 and 2012) on Yamaha, a final victory which, however, will still remain marked for a long time by the strange championship finale, conditioned by the particular behavior of Marc Marquez, champion in office but cut out of the title issue already several races before the conclusion. The question of what happened in the last three races has been talked about too much, above all obviously here in Italy, with the behavior worthy of censure but within the limits of the Marquez regulation, Valentino's reasoning but the fact that he let himself fall into the trap, the declarations (some surreal) of the various protagonists and the popular upheaval that arose in our country on the eve and at the end of the last decisive challenge. What we are left with, apart from the bitterness in the mouth for a somewhat similar ending, especially for the world of motorcycling, is the regret for not having seen the work completed by a Valentino Rossi who is 36 years old and has done everything to take back that title which he has been missing since 2009 and which he conquered the first time (in 125) 20 years ago (and with the fear that the last chance has gone away). Having said that Lorenzo, with seven victories in the season, did not steal anything and in the end he rightly took advantage of the behavior of his compatriot Marquez, who, above all else, remains a phenomenon and the number one suspect to get his hands back on that world championship which he mastered in 2014 and which may be under his ownership again for many years to come. In the two minor classes, 2015 saw the Frenchman Johann Zarco put his name in the Moto2 roll of honor, while the British Danny Kent rejoiced in Moto3.
Basketball. It was a 2015 that will also go down in history in the world of basketball, with Spain and Real Madrid triumphing in the old continent and the Golden State Warriors absolute protagonists of the ball on the other side of the ocean. In Europe last season was Real Madrid, capable of conquering a poker of trophies (league, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and Euroleague) with the European title that had been missing since 1995 and returned to the blancos' cabinet thanks to success in the final played on their parquet against Olympiakos (after the two teams in the semifinals had overcome Fenerbahce and CSKA Moscow respectively). Merengues who, on the other hand, in the final act of the Liga ACB beat their arch-rivals Barcelona, holders of the title with a sharp 3-0. Having said that the historic victory of the Scudetto by Sassari came to us at the end of an incredible final series with Reggio Emilia, around Europe the major championships saw Bamberg establish themselves in Germany for the fifth time in the last six years (and seventh in the last 11), beating the new and ambitious Bayern Munich, winner in 2014, in France they celebrated Limoges for the second in a row (in the final against Strasbourg), in Greece the eternal duel between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos (in the last twenty years largely in favor of the greens) this time it was the prerogative of the former, while the VTB League was dominated as usual by the Russians of CSKA. The surprise of the year came from Turkey, where Pinar Karsiyaka first lined up the highly favored Fenerbahce in the semifinals and then the more popular Efes in the final with a clear 4-1, ending a super season finale in style. For the Izmir club, which the previous season had already made itself known by winning the national cup, it was the second title in its history after almost thirty years from the first, while for the Turkish championship the fourth winners arrived, different in the last 4 editions, after Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas.
In September there was the 39th edition of the European Championships, played between Croatia, Latvia, Germany and France, with the final phase in Lille and with Parker and his companions as big favourites. However, in the end it was Spain who celebrated, their third success in the last four editions, arriving at the event with many of its stars absent, but for which the champions present were enough (with Pau Gasol mvp of the tournament) to overcome France first in the semifinals and then Lithuania in the grand final. For the cockerels, winners in 2013, the consolation of third place against Serbia, while for Italy, which finally showed up with all its NBA and so many hopes, the competition stopped in the quarterfinals against Lithuania, obtaining at least the possibility to participate in the next pre-Olympic tournament with the aim of a pass for Rio 2016.
NBA Speaking of basketball, 2015 was the year of the Golden State Warriors, which thanks to the magic of the season's mvp Steph Curry, helped by the other Splash Brother Klay Thompson and with Andre Iguodala decisive in the final series (and in fact elected best player of the Finals), managed to bring the title back to Oakland exactly forty years after the last one in 1975. For them a simply amazing year, where everything also turned on their side, starting with the absence of the Oklahoma City Thunder from the grid of the playoffs (penalized by Durant's long injury), up to having faced what remained of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final, with only Lebron James to take the place of the other two stars Irving and Love, both out of action due to physical problems. A final series that ended 4-2 and which was therefore less spectacular and balanced than it could have been, despite Lebron at the beginning actually managing to frighten Curry and his teammates, but without affecting everyone's awareness that in that situation at the in the end, the ones with the other shirt would have triumphed. Warriors who had previously got rid of New Orleans, Memphis and Houston and who started this new season by immediately making it clear that to take the title away from the bay it will be necessary to overcome the opponents, given the records of these first two months broken by that in jersey number 30 and partners.
The best start ever for an NBA team came in 24 straight on the field by the Milwaukee Bucks (just 5 games off the Lakers' longest 33-game winning streak of 1971-72), but Golden State immediately resumed his incredible schedule (at the moment he is 29-1), beating Lebron and his Cavs on Christmas evening in the first match of the season between the two teams (waiting to cross Thunder and Spurs in the new year) and the record of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, who finished with 1995 wins and only 96 losses in 72-10, seems to be concretely targeted by this group led by the phenomenon Curry, who so far is traveling at more than 31 points per game and already has in his pocket the recognition of mvp also for this season.
Records aside, to reconfirm themselves in June too, the Warriors will have to do even more than last year because this year the race for the ring promises to be more exciting and hard-fought than ever, with the designated finalist Cleveland in the East (despite a higher level of the whole conference) that with the return of Irving too will be able to show all its potential right now, while in the West Golden State will have to contend, above all, with the Spurs renewed by the summer addition of Lamarcus Aldridge, the always fierce Thunder in search of their consecration and the Clippers of the couple Paul and Griffin, who after the umpteenth disappointment of last season have returned to the start with one of the rosters with the highest quality in the whole league.
US sports. Remaining in the States, in the other three most popular sports, Tom Brady's New England Patriots triumphed in the NFL, who last February won the 49th edition of the Super Bowl by beating the Seattle Seahawks in the usual world-wide show, in baseball (MLB) was the Kansas City Royals (beaten in the final against the New York Mets), while in ice hockey (NHL) the Chicago Blackhawks won the title by winning the last act against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The last tournament to issue its verdict in the USA was the MLS soccer tournament, a competition that in those parts has not yet reached the other four national sports, but the apex of a movement that has undergone constant development and growth in recent years (even in the wake of the arrival of some former stars from the old continent), despite the level on the field is still what it is, with clear room for improvement. The Portland Timbers succeeded the Los Angeles Galaxy in the roll of honor, in their first success in their history, thanks to a 2-1 success in the final against the Columbus Crew.
As for our two Italians engaged in those parts, the by now worn-out Pirlo failed to make an impact even in a championship with certainly not excellent level and pace, while Giovinco conquered everyone with dribbling and goals, which are I earned the prize for best player of the tournament and winner of the top scorer with 22 goals (putting behind old acquaintances of our football such as Robbie Keane, David Villa, Oba Martins, Wright-Phillips and Kakà). Having said that the consistency of the opposing defenses is certainly not insurmountable, for the former Juventus player a good revenge, the demonstration that probably he could have been perfectly fine in our Serie A (not as a substitute, but on the pitch to make the difference) and a serious candidacy for a position in the national team in view of the next European Championships in France. Since last July, US fans have also been able to admire one of the strongest players of the last twenty years, the historic Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who decided to play his last years of career with the Los Angeles Galaxy shirt, the same path he chose by compatriot Frank Lampard, the other midfielder symbol of the XNUMXs, who since last summer has brought his experience to newborn New York City.
South America. Moving to South America, football returns to being the most popular sport, especially when it comes to Brazil and Argentina. On the one hand, 2015 saw the sixth title in the history of Corinthians celebrated, after that of 2011 and after two wins in a row by Cruzeiro, while on the other hand it put everyone in line with Tevez's Boca Juniors and perhaps future Inter player Calleri, at the end of an unusual thirty-team championship, as part of the reform that began a year ago and which should lead to having a tournament in 2019-20 with 22 teams lasting one year on the models of the European ones (therefore without the Apertura and Clausura). Speaking of River Plate's triumph in the Libertadores, only a few weeks ago the Copa Sudamericana was also awarded (practically their version of our Europa League), with the first international joy of the Colombians of Santa Fe, who got the better of the Argentines of Huracan, another formation that in the same way could rewrite its history during this 2015.
Calcium. Returning to Europe, in the football field, apart from the usual Barcelona which in addition to La Liga has put another Champions League and another European Super Cup in its palmares, Seville has also been a protagonist on an international level, as has often happened in recent years. The Andalusian formation of the new Milan player Bacca has in fact won the Europa League for the second time in a row (and fourth success in the last nine editions, also considering the old UEFA Cup), beating the surprise Dnipro in the final. In Spain, the disappointment was Ancelotti's Real Madrid, who after the daring Champions League in 2014, in the past season in terms of missed goals, could do no worse and also in this league, with Benitez on the bench, finds himself already delayed against the Boat.
The national champions of the four major European leagues (besides Juve in Italy) were Barcelona in Spain, Chelsea in England, Bayern Munich in Germany and Paris Saint Germain in France, four clear successes, despite Real and Lyon having at least tried until the last few days, while in the Premier League the Blues (first after 4 years in which they had commanded the two teams from Manchester) kept City at a distance who finished second and in the Bundesliga the +10 final over Wolfsburg almost doesn't give the idea of a decisive tournament very far in advance. And the current season (apart from the Premier League) doesn't seem capable of holding any surprises, given that in a few months the usual ones should still be celebrating. Certainly PSG and Bayern will do it, protagonists of a separate journey in their respective championships, with Ibrahimovic and teammates who at the end of the first leg have an absurd 19-point advantage over second-placed Monaco (and immediately behind are Angers and Caen, with historical rivals such as Lyon and Marseille even further behind), while the Germans arrived at the winter break with a margin of 8 points over Borussia Dortmund, which woke up after the strange last season and is always dangerous, but unable to keep up with the pace of Bavarian army. Even in La Liga, the feeling is that the title remains in Catalonia and next May the place to celebrate will still be the Ramblas, although the standings say that (with one game to recover for Barça) Atletico are level on points at the top and Real just two points behind. But in a championship where the big three lose very few points along the way and direct matches become decisive (and last November 21 at the Bernabeu the Blaugrana gave a four-of-a-kind to Ronaldo and his companions), even an advantage of this kind can be extended to fund (and from January the Barcelona squad will be enriched by Aleix Vidal and above all Arda Turan, the summer signings so far unavailable due to the market block inflicted on the Catalan club a year and a half ago due to violations in the registration of minors) .
The only holder who will certainly not be able to confirm themselves as champions by now is Chelsea, who due to these first 5 shock months of theirs are now -19 from the first place of, to say the least, surprising Leicester, but above all at 17 and 16 lengths from Arsenal and City respectively and United in deep crisis are still ten points away. As always, but even more so this year, the English championship promises to be the most entertaining and uncertain of all, and this time the credit goes also to Leicester, the team that even on this side of the English Channel has earned titles and the front pages of newspapers in recent months. The Foxes, last these days a year ago, are the protagonists of a fairy tale that is going far beyond the stories that English football occasionally gives to its fans, made up of comebacks, incredible victories and broken records. The two names that have come to the fore are undoubtedly those of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, authentic drivers of the team and currently in first and second place in the scorers chart (respectively with 15 and 13 goals), in the face of the various Aguero, Diego Costa or Rooney.
The first is the striker who snatched from a sacred monster like Ruud Van Nistelrooy the record for consecutive games scored (11, the Dutchman had stopped at 10, while there were even 14 in a row in which he contributed with at least one goal or one assist). All this while only 4 years ago, in 2012 (when Vardy was already 25 years old), the current number 9 of Leicester was registered for Fletwood Town, a formation that played in the Conference championship in the fifth category, which in Italy corresponds to Excellence . He was therefore an amateur footballer, but his story is even more incredible if we consider that a few years earlier, when he was very young, football was little more than a hobby to be combined with the work of a worker in a fiber factory carbon at Stocksbridge. For Vardy, obviously called up in the last matches of the English national team for the European Championship qualifiers, there has been talk of big clubs and next season (but not already in this January session) he could wear the shirt of United (but they are in contention other big names like Liverpool or Tottenham). However, if with the striker there is the risk that this could be an exceptional season (in this moment he could also score by shooting from his home) and difficult to repeat either by staying at Leicester, but above all in a great team, what could be a true hit of the next market session is the current partner, the 24-year-old Algerian Mahrez, offensive midfielder who with his speed, his dribbling and his goals has already ended up in the sights of Real Madrid (and beyond).
How long Leicester's magic can last is not easy to say, imagining them still in that position in the final phase of the championship would be miraculous, because although in addition to the two protagonists mentioned there are other good players, in the long run the Foxes should give way to the largely better equipped and true favorites for the final victory, Manchester City above all (with the unreliable Arsenal lurking and United now behind and inexplicably without a game, but with enormous offensive potential on paper). However it will go next year, Leicester's feat in this second part of 2015 will remain in the annals for a long time, to remember this Premier League at times meaningless and magical even for other small teams, such as Crystal Palace and Watford (among whose ranks play the former Udinese Ighalo, second bomber behind Vardy with 14 centers), both close to the top positions.
Other teams champions in 2015, many of them for the umpteenth time, scattered around the various European national leagues were Benfica (Portugal), PSV (Holland), Zenit (Russia), Basel (Switzerland), Galatasaray (Turkey) , Salzburg (Austria), Gent (for the first time in Belgium), Ludogorets (Bulgaria), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Midtjylland (for the first time in Denmark), Olympiakos (Greece), Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), Lech Poznan (Poland), Dundalk (Ireland), New Saints (Wales), Celtci Glasgow (Scotland, while rivals Rangers, which went bankrupt a few years ago, managed to return to the second division), Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic), Steaua Bucharest (Romania), Partizan (Serbia), Trencin (for the first time in Slovakia), Maribor (Slovenia), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Videoton (Hungary), Norrkoping (Sweden) and Rosenborg (Norway), the latter also becoming famous recently with us for a choir during the celebrations that involved players and fans and went viral on the web.
In 2015, the qualifying matches of the national teams were also held, which were decisive for reaching the next European Championships, scheduled in France from 10 June, the first to be expanded to 24 teams and with the round of 53. Of the 23 national teams that took part in the qualifying rounds, the best 0 left (plus France by right as host country) who in a few months will compete with the aim of ousting reigning champions Spain from the throne. The only big absentee will be Holland, who finished fourth and then eliminated in a group which in the end also rewarded the third as best of the lot (Turkey), with the Orange protagonists of a horrible journey and who faced a fool like the 2-2 home draw with Iceland, the 3-2 draw always at home with the Czech Republic in the last round when at least they had to save their pride, the 0-3 defeat in Iceland and the beating (0-XNUMX) remedied in Turkey. Capable of winning only against Latvia and Kazakhstan, and with the Kazakhs the two successes were anything but easy, the various Van Persie, Sneijder and Depay (Robben was almost always out of action due to physical problems) deservedly had to say goodbye to the last stage of the competition.
For the rest everything went according to script, with the best finishing in the first two positions and all or almost all of the strongest going on to top their respective groups (the only surprise leaders were Northern Ireland, while Austria, one of the teams that showed the best game and brought home 9 wins out of ten, snatched first place from Russia and Sweden). The indications in view of the final phase have confirmed that immediately behind the usual Germany (slightly down) and Spain (the misstep in Brazil is still inexplicable), we will have to pay attention to Belgium full of talent from midfield forward and to the renewed England ( the only one to finish with full points and who must make up for the bad World Cup two years ago), as well as the hosts France, not involved in the qualifiers, but who during the arc of friendlies played in the last year and a half have put showcasing the growth of its young stars, from Pogba to Lacazette, from Griezmann to Martial.
Minor outsiders Croatia of the "Italian" attack couple Mandzukic and Kalinic, who finished second in the group of Italy, Portugal, as usual, however, too Ronaldo-dependent and then our national team, with the Azzurri who in some roles are not at the level of the favored formations, but which overall have much more quality than what has often been said in the last two years (and the landing in the quarterfinals should be the minimum wage).
The last to snatch the pass were the four national teams that had to overcome last November's play-offs: Ukraine respected the prediction against Slovenia, Ireland got the better of the unfinished Bosnia of the "yellow and red" duo Dzeko- Pjanic, Hungary somewhat surprisingly beat Norway and finally Sweden, or Ibrahimovic should be better said, beat Denmark. Those that have already won their European Championship are the 5 national teams that celebrated their first historic qualification for the final phase and they are Iceland (the first to qualify and the one that has aroused the most sympathy, with its little more than 300 inhabitants certainly not a hospitable territory for football), Gareth Bale's Wales, Northern Ireland (the national team that once belonged to George Best), Albania and Slovakia, with the last two respectively capable of triumphing in Portugal and beat defending champions Spain. For all five it will be the first experience at a European Championship, but if for Iceland and Albania it will be the debut in an international event, for the others it will be the second time after participation in a World Cup, Wales and Northern Ireland both in distant 1958, Slovakia in the 2010 edition (and we Italians remember it well).
ronaldo On an individual level last January in Zurich Cristiano Ronaldo received his third FIFA Ballon d'Or, repeating the success of the previous year (also thanks to the conquest of the Champions League in 2014 with Real), ahead of Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer. As much as an award in which the name of Gary Medel is included in the first 50 candidates (while in 2010 there was no trace of Diego Milito), the three finalists of 2015 are the usual two, Messi and Ronaldo, in the company of Neymar, with the Argentine Pulce who, barring sensational reversals, should take back that trophy of which he already has four copies in his very personal bulletin board. If on a personal level Barça's number ten has done better, but not so clearly than the Portuguese from Real (who have just rewritten the record for goals in the first group stage of the Champions League, 11), all the difference is made by the successes of the two club, with Barcelona dominating Liga and Champions among others and the blancos left empty-handed, but for the future the two will have to seriously guard against the advance of Neymar, the Brazilian phenomenon who is Messi's companion no longer merely spectacular but increasingly concrete and crucial, now perfectly entered into European football and ever closer to the level of the other two superstars who have monopolized the last decade.
In October, Cristiano Ronaldo also received the 2014-2015 Golden Boot, the award that goes to the best scorer in Europe of the season taking into account the goals scored in the respective leagues plus a particular UEFA coefficient. Needless to say Messi had finished second, but the race for the next Golden Boot 2015-2016 has already begun and perhaps this year we could have a surprise, with the two phenomena lingering slightly and who are currently giving way to Aubameyang, l striker from Gabon, former Milan spring and for three seasons at Borussia Dortmund, top scorer in the Bundesliga with 18 goals, but the race is open for many, from Bayern's Lewandowski (also the best striker in the European qualifiers with his Poland) to Lukaku of Everton, from Neymar to Gonzalo Higuain, the king of these first months of our Serie A.
Cycling. At the end of the extensive football page, let's discuss the most important events of the other sports that characterized 2015, starting with cycling. These are the results of the three main events: the Giro d'Italia went to the Spaniard Alberto Contador, once again dominating our roads after the 2008 title (the 2011 success was revoked from him), with Fabio Aru second and the other Iberian Mikel Landa third; in Paris the Briton Chris Froome triumphed, conquering his second Tour de France in July (after the 2013 edition), finishing behind the Colombian Nairo Quintana and the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde; finally the Spanish Vuelta was won by our Fabio Aru, with the home rider Joaquim Rodriguez and the Polish Rafal Majka completing the podium. For the twenty-five year old Sardinian, who this year has decided to concentrate his forces on the Tour de France, after the two podiums in the last two Tours of Italy, therefore, the first joy has arrived in a great stage race, with the hope of the many Italian fans that this was only the first great success of what certainly is the future of blue cycling. Instead, it was a less brilliant year for the number one of our movement, Vincenzo Nibali, who after winning the 2014 Tour, last season did not go beyond the fourth place finish in Paris, while at the Vuelta he was disqualified for a naivety already at the second stage.
Of the champions awaited at the end, the one who remained empty-handed was Quintana, the twenty-five-year-old Colombian climber who started with great intentions but did not go beyond second place in the Tour and even off the podium (4th) in Spain, but given his uphill, the day when we will see him again to finish one of the three major stage races with his arms raised, after his success in the Giro in 2014, should not be far away. Instead, it was finally a year of redemption for the Slovakian sprinter Peter Sagan, 26 years old on January 26th, the one who seemed to be the eternal runner-up at big events, often second, but who was crowned champion last September in the road race of the World Championships held in Richmond, in the United States United, sprinting two kilometers from the finish line and thus becoming the first cyclist from Slovakia to win a road world championship.
rugby. In rugby the two main events were the Six Nations tournament, held between February and March, and the eighth edition of the World Cup, held in England between September and the end of October. In the Six Nations, Ireland won the tournament for the second time in a row, a victory that came only thanks to the best points difference, given that England and Wales also finished with 4 wins and 1 defeat (and even before the last day mathematically France was also in the running). Another bitter Six Nations for the Italian national team, able to hit its only success in Edinburgh, against Scotland who ended the event with the symbolic wooden spoon. The World Cup saw the triumph of New Zealand, the first team to achieve three successes and two consecutive times (on the other two occasions the All Blacks had been the host federation), thanks to the victory in the final over Australia. It was the first time in the history of the tournament that no nation from the northern hemisphere had reached the semi-finals (in addition to New Zealand and Australia, Argentina and South Africa were also in the first four) and it was also the first time the host federation team , England, did not reach the knockout stage (but this did not prevent the record box office and attendance). Italy was unable to access the last phase, but with third place in its group they ensured participation in the next edition of 2019, which for the first time will be in Japan (whose national team won given a few days of world fame after incredibly beating South Africa in the group).
All Blacks who, less than three weeks after winning the cup, had to pay homage with one last "Haka" to Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand legend of the oval ball, who died suddenly at the age of 40, but after having fought all his life with serious kidney problems, which when he was only 24 had forced him to have a transplant that effectively ended his career prematurely. A career at a high level that was too short, but which had led him to become the most popular and recognizable rugby player worldwide, a true superstar who contributed to the development of rugby itself, scoring 37 tries in 63 test matches with the All Blacks ( the first at just 17 years old, the youngest debutant ever, against France) and still today the record holder for total goals scored in the World Cups (15), a number equaled this year by the South African Habana, with the difference that Lomu managed it in the space of only two editions of the tournament.
Volleyball. Usual year full of international events also for volleyball, both for men and women. As for the men in the World League, the first victory in history came for France who beat Serbia in the final (the USA third), the World Cup, played in Japan, was won for the second time by the United States , ahead of Italy and Poland, while the European Championship, which took place between Bulgaria and Italy (Italian venues Busto Arsizio and Turin) also in this case went for the first time to the French national team (with Slovenia second and third Italy). In women, the World Grand Prix went to the United States for the sixth time (ahead of Russia and Brazil), in Japan the World Cup was won for the fourth time by the Chinese (second for the Serbians and third for the Americans), finally in the Netherlands Russia took home their sixth European title (second in a row), beating the hosts in the final and with Serbia taking the bronze medal.
Athletics. For the world of athletics, the highlight was the fifteenth edition of the World Championships, held in Beijing, China, from 22 to 30 August. The expectation of the whole world was all about Usain Bolt, back from two difficult seasons and who for the first time in years presented himself in the queen race of the 100 meters not as an absolute favourite, but rather the predictions hung on the American Justin Gatlin, unbeaten in the past 23 months. Instead, he was still the fastest man on the planet, for the third time after Berlin 2009 and Moscow 2013 (joined by Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene in the restricted club of tri-world champion sprinters), stopping the clock at 9”79 and beating Gatlin by a whisker (a penny). On the lowest step of the podium the Canadian Andre De Grasse and Trayvon Bromell, both arrived in 9”92. The 100m final will also be remembered for having seen the presence of 4 sprinters disqualified in the past for doping cases: Gatlin himself, Tyson Gay, Mike Rodgers and Bolt's compatriot, Asafa Powell. World Championships in Beijing which have become a riot for the twenty-nine year old Usain, who, thanks to the subsequent victory also in the 200 meters always ahead of Gatlin and the success in the 4×100 relay with the Jamaican team (knocking out the USA of the usual Gatlin and Gay) , became the athlete with the most medals (13, of which 11 gold) in the history of the world championship (the first two silvers in Osaka 2007, then the three titles in Berlin 2009, two in Daegu 2011, three in Moscow 2013 and the last three in Beijing). All in the stadium where, at the 2008 Olympic Games, his legend had blossomed. Bolt ended up knocked out only by an involuntary tripping by a clumsy Chinese TV operator at the end of his race, moments captured in a video that became one of the most clicked videos of those months.
Jamaica's party was completed by the women's victory in the final relay (with the Americans relegated to second position), a success that contributed to the third place finish in the overall medal table for the Central American nation with 12 medals, behind Kenya with 16 to the USA record holders with 18 (but Kenya and Jamaica closed with 7 golds, while the Americans with 6).
The athletics world which in the last two months of the year ended up in a storm due to the release of news concerning doping and the Russian federation, with the IAAF suspending Russia from any forthcoming event (it will certainly skip the indoor World March, but at the moment he is also out of the Rio Olympics) and required the life disqualification of 5 athletes, including the Olympian Safinova. The accusation and the facts are very heavy, there is talk of state doping, the Russian federation continues to defend itself, but in the meantime Wada, the world anti-doping agency, has already targeted other national agencies declared non-compliant and which risk serious trouble. and they range from small Bolivia or Andorra, to the more important Argentina and Brazil, up to the positions to be clarified in Spain and France.
There is no mention of state doping even remotely, but also in Italy the year of athletics did not end in the best way (and there is no mention of the poor results obtained), in fact last December 2nd they were referred, with a request disqualification and stop for 24 months, 26 blue athletes. The accusation evaded anti-doping control and among those involved prominent names on the Italian scene emerged, from the European marathon champion Fabrizio Donato to the former pole vaulter Giuseppe Gibilisco, up to Andrew Howe, probably the best known face. Also worth remembering is the filing required for another 39 Azzurri athletes.
Social. In the era of social networks, the web is increasingly connected with the world of sport and Facebook has recently decreed which were the most discussed and commented sports protagonists of the year through the various posts or links. The response of the top 10 put boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Paquiao in the first two places, the protagonists of what last May 2 in Las Vegas had been renamed as the match of the century (and then won on points by the American), while completing the podium is Ronda Rousey, the beautiful American athlete and mixed martial arts and judo champion, considered the strongest fighter in the world and undefeated until last November 14, when she ended up heavily knocked out by compatriot Holly Holm. Following the injuries sustained from a devastating kick to the head and having her lip literally split in two, Rousey will have to stay out of the octagon for several more months, not bad for a now famous all over the world, protagonist of glossy covers and which also has participations in action films such as Fast & Furious 7 or The Expendables 3. The inevitable Ronaldo and Messi follow in the standings and Serena William, Tevez and LeBron James also find space in the top ten positions.
Returning to the most social event of 2015, the match between Mayweather and Paquiao certainly covered the two boxers in gold (and the American weekly does not skimp on showing his "sober" wealth accumulated in his career), enriched the various organizers and everything related to the event, but certainly what viewers saw was not the best show of the year. From this point of view then perhaps the now classic Super Bowl is better, even in 2015 the most watched sporting event in the world, increasingly fashionable even here in Italy (but that everyone really understands something, between yards and downs, it is so obvious).
