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Mid-Day Ticker: Messi eyes Barca record, Kaiserslautern fires manager and more

Messi getty

Lionel Messi is set to make Barcelona history yet again.

After some recent adjustments to the total goal-scoring tally, the 24-year-old striker is one goal away from tying Cesar Rodriguez for Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. La Vanguardia newspaper in Spain, in collaboration with Barcelona, revised Rodriguez's total tally down to 232 goals. It's a record that has stood for 57 years but could topple tonight when Barcelona welcomes Granada.

Messi has scored 51 goals in all competitions for Barcelona this season, including 31 in league play. It's worth noting that Rodriguez's tally only includes goals scored in official games. The record tally for goals scored in both official and friendly games belongs to Paulino Alcantara, who scored 369 goals in 357 games from 1912-1927.

Here are some more stories to keep your Tuesday going.

KAISERSLAUTERN FIRES MANAGER

Last-placed Kaiserslautern have announced the firing of manager Marco Kurz following the club's 4-1 defeat to Schalke over the weekend. Kaiserslautern sits in last place in the Bundesliga and has not won in 16 games. They are six points off safety with eight games remaining.

Kaiserslautern's last league victory came on Oct. 22 against SC Freiburg. Last season, Kurz finished seventh in his first stint in the Bundesliga since gaining promotion but it's unlikely Kaiserslautern will be able to survive relegation. Assistant coach Oliver Schaefer and goalkeeping coach Gerry Ehrmann will jointly take over on an interim basis.

TERRY OUT FOR CITY CLASH, TEVEZ SET FOR RETURN

Carlos Tevez could mark his return from sporting wilderness during Wednesday's clash between Manchester City and Chelsea. The temperamental Argentina striker has not appeared for City since refusing to come on as a substitute against Bayern Munich in September. Tevez has apologized to City manager Roberto Mancini, who said Tevez could appear as a substitute.

Chelsea will be without captain John Terry for Wednesday's massive game. The 31-year-old defender re-injured his knee playing in Chelsea's Champions League game against Napoli last week. He had missed two weeks prior to the Napoli game. Terry could be fit for Saturday's game against Tottenham Hotspur.

HAVELANGE HOSPITALIZED WITH BACTERIAL INFECTION

Former FIFA President Joao Havelange has been hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro due to a bacterial infection. 

Havelange, 95, resigned from his post in the International Olympic Committee in December for "undisclosed health reasons." This allowed him to avoid sanctions for allegedly taking payments from a marketing firm during his tenure as FIFA president in the late 1990's. The doctor treating Havelange said he is suffering from septic arthritis, a bacterial infection of the joints that can prove fatal if not treated rapidly. The doctor said there is reason to be optimistic about a recovery but Havelange will remain closely monitored.

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What do you think of today's stories? Is Lionel Messi the best player in Barcelona history or does Alcantara hold that mantle? Did Kaiserslautern make the right call in firing their manager? Can Tevez make an impact despite the long absence?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Messi? 51 goals this season thus far? How many people have done this before at this age & in this caliber of a league in modern day football/soccer????…….. Freaking amateur try scoring 61 then I’ll be impressed.

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  2. The only real questions now are whether he sticks around at Barcelona long enough to hit 500 and if he can bring Argentina out of 25 years of underachieving to win the WC.

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  3. Still remember the U20 World Cup game in 2005 when the US played and beat Argentina, 1-0. Messi didn’t start! When he entered at the beginning of the second half, instantly you could see he was above the rest. Messi started every game from then on and was winner of the Golden Boot and Ball.

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  4. Messi is the greatest, he will change the way soccer is played, but I bet he plays at least twice as many games a year.

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  5. Really. I say no. There is a reason that most of the worlds best soccer players are under 6’0″. You don’t think the rest of the world produces tall athletes. Dirk Nowitzki has horrible soccer skills and he hails from Germany. Just because an athlete is really good in one sport deos not mean he will be good in another. Or I hope you are being sarcastic. Dwight Howard may have been decent in soccer, but it’s ridiculous to assume he would be the greatest of all time because he is 6’10” Crouch is 6’7″ and is nowhere close to being a great soccer player. He is average. Jan Koller 6’5″ slightly above average striker, not a world beater. Greates soccer players Maradonna 5’5″, Pele- 5’8″, Cruyff- 5’11”, Romario- 5’7″ and the list goes on. only a handful of great players have been over 6’0′ or taller.
    We as Americans need to get off of this brainwashing that taller means better athlete. Soccer is won mor by the brain than it is by braun.

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  6. Answered my own question…although it was mostly tongue in cheek comments last October. Still, seems like a bargain:

    From Football Italia:

    “If Moratti give us €250m and Leo wants to leave, then maybe we can talk,” Guardiola laughed.

    “But I seem to have understood that Messi doesn’t want to leave and a player’s opinion is decisive in football.

    “The last word is always up to him,” Guardiola concluded.

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  7. Lol this guy looks like a Hobbit, he is only 5’4″… Dwight Howard would be the greatest of all time if the US cared about soccer.

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  8. I do wonder what his transfer fee would be? I can’t think of a value that wouldn’t be worth it.

    Anyone know what the Cosmos padi for Pele?

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  9. It’s amazing to look at Messi’s goal total as a whole, but it’s even more ridiculous when you consider his age and the fact that they’ve all come over the course of just 7 seasons. That’s an average of 33 goals across all competitions a year…….for 7 straight years. 3 plus years of which he wouldn’t have legally been able to go to a bar in the United States.

    Yeah, he’s not bad.

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  10. Ony a matter of time before Sluaterns coach was fired.

    I really do hope that this Messi lad doesn’t get benched behind Villa and Sanchez. He seems to be playing really well at the moment. Only time will tell if Messi can hack it at Barcelona. As always China is a good choice if things don’t work out.

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  11. A lot of the success he’s having right now could be attributed to the novelty of his size. The 6’2+ defenders have trouble locating him on the field.

    I’m reserving my judgment till teams start bringing in quicker sub 5’8 defenders to slow him down.

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  12. With you Tony. He’s so small, and pale, I see a major risk of flameout when he gets in there with the big boys. But MLS is always an option

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  13. Whoa, whoa, whoa! You sure you want to climb out on that limb? He’s what, 23? 24? He hasn’t even reached his full hieght yet. What he’s done in Spain is nice, but I’d like to see him take the next step – maybe a mid table EPL team. Then we’ll see if he pans out

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  14. GSS. are u serious? that was as sarcastic as comments come.

    breaking a barca goal scoring record at the age of 24. absurd.

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  15. was this sarcastic? he is already head and shoulder above anyone playing right now.. yea he could get even better, but its not like there is a chance he will flop.

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