Next Wave: The Born Leader
07 February 2012
Mamadou Sakho is immense.
The imposing figure of Mamadou Sakho only tells part of his story. He is a tower of power at the heart of defence, who bosses the aerial battle and takes no prisoners with his no-nonsense approach to defending.
But there’s more to Sakho’s game than physical dominance. He’s tactically brilliant, mature beyond his years and he takes up defensive positions that give him total control over opposing forwards.
On the pitch he leads by example and others follow his brave, determined approach. Off the pitch, his unique style has won him even more follower ...
Next Wave: The Believer
06 February 2012
Javier Pastore is different.
The playmaker from Argentina resisted pressure to change his physique and style of play. In a footballing world where power is king, Pastore defies the rules. He's proof that a creative, elegant player can make it to the very top.
He stuck to his principles and ...
Next Wave: The Visionary
05 February 2012
Mario Götze is a technical genius.
The German attacking midfielder with an eye for goal has so many strengths it’s almost unfair on his opponents.
A classy first-touch, a scorching turn of pace and the ability to deliver probing short passes or sweeping long-balls make Göt ...
Next Wave: The Menace
29 January 2012
For defenders, Bojan Krkic is a troublemaker.
Defences can’t relax even for a second when Bojan is around. He causes havoc amongst opponents and makes them pay for the slightest lapse in concentration.
A graduate of the world-famous La Masia, Bojan has the pedigree and the attitude ...
Next Wave: The Driving Force
24 January 2012
André Ayew is relentless.
The wing sensation is a full-back’s worst nightmare. With the ball at his feet he’s lively, direct and unpredictable and without it his work-rate and positional sense stifle his opponent’s every attacking intent.
The Ghanaian moves at spee ...
Next Wave: The Control Freak
23 January 2012
The Nike CTR360 Maestri II Elite is designed with one objective: control.
On the pitch, you want to dominate. Every touch should be perfect. Every pass: total precision.
New pass and receive pads give added traction on the ball for clinical distribution.
Dampening pods help cushion the pa ...