Published at 1:38 a.m. Updated at 9:00 a.m.
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The best soccer player?
I would like to know who you think is the best soccer player of all time.
Louis-Philippe Sauvé
Response from Jean-François Téotonio:
A thorny question if ever there was one. Several candidates are available to us: Pelé, Diego Maradona, Johann Cruyff, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi. All serious contenders, and we could debate them at length. But with Lionel Messi’s recent triumph at the 2022 World Cup, which brilliantly completes one of the most extensive lists in the history of football, we must admit that La Pulga is now rising to the top.
You know his style of play, his goals that defy the imagination, his stratospheric strikes from free kicks. He won everything, several times, with FC Barcelona. He finally won the Copa América with Argentina in 2021, a title that eluded him all these years. The World Cup in Qatar only confirmed his status, even putting him above Maradona in the minds of the Argentines.
The author of these lines is a Portuguese native who grew up admiring the prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo. On the other hand, we see the striking contrast between the end of the careers of the two giants. Today we must face the facts: Messi is the greatest.
Concession players
In the NFL, there is the concept of “concession player”. Obviously, it doesn’t seem to suit some players to be saddled with this title which nevertheless seems very rewarding. What exactly does this title mean and what is the impact on the contract of the player in question as well as, I imagine, on the salary structure of the team?
Philippe Nantel
Response from Nicholas Richard:
PHOTO DARRON CUMMINGS, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
After a season of 1,152 yards and 109 catches, it’s surprising to see the Indianapolis Colts retain the services of Michael Pittman Jr. The pass catcher’s tag will offer him a salary of $21 million in 2024.
To begin with, there are two types of franchise tags (franchise tag). A tag offers a player a one-year contract and a fully guaranteed salary. The first: exclusive franchise label. This means that it is impossible for the player who received the tag to negotiate with other teams, but his salary will be higher than what he would have received under a non-exclusive tag. Salary is determined based on the average of the top five earners in the league at the position occupied by the player in question or the equivalent of 120% of the value of the player’s last contract. However, this label is rarely used. The second: the non-exclusive franchise label is the most used of the two. The team having affixed the tag to one of its players lets the latter go to negotiate with the other teams, but it has the right, as a last resort, to match the best offer received by the player to retain his services. If that doesn’t work, the team that lost its franchise player will receive two first-round picks from the team that signed the player. The salary offered to players given this tag is lower than those with the exclusive tag, as it is the higher of the average of the five highest salaries for players at the same position over the past five years or 120% of his final salary.
The contract limit in the NHL
Are NHL clubs limited on the number of contracts? Does this number include two-part contracts? Do they have a time limit on offering a contract to a drafted player?
Alain Cornellier
Response from Guillaume Lefrançois:
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
The two-way contracts of players who are in the American League, for example Logan Mailloux this season, are among the Canadian’s 50 contracts.
Teams are effectively entitled to a maximum of 50 contracts. The two-way contracts of players who are in the American League, for example Logan Mailloux this season, are among the 50. On the other hand, the contracts of players who play in the junior ranks and in Europe “slide” by one year ( the “slide”, in the jargon), and do not count for the current year. So this season, Owen Beck, Filip Mesar and David Reinbacher fall into this category. As for drafted players, teams have two years to offer an agreement to players from Canadian junior hockey, and four years for those who head to the NCAA or who play in Europe.
Shorthanded clearances
Why does a club with a penalty have the right to take clearances? It gives an advantage to the team that was punished…
Gilles Blais
Response from Mathias Brunet:
PHOTO RICK OSENTOSKI, ARCHIVES USA TODAY SPORTS
Jack Quinn (22) is preparing to clear his territory…
You touch a nerve. In my eyes, this is one of the most absurd rules in hockey. The implementation of this rule by the National Hockey League in 1937 only applied to tied situations, but numerical superiorities did not end after a goal like today. The World Hockey Association, established in the early 1970s, did not tolerate shorthanded clearances. Too bad we didn’t follow his example…
The best soccer club in 2024
Who is the best soccer club in 2024 according to you? Does Real Madrid have a chance of winning the Champions League?
Bob Gingras
Response from Jean-François Téotonio:
PHOTO ANNEGRET HILSE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Bayer Leverkusen (in blue), a German Bundesliga club, is still undefeated this year in 41 matches in all competitions.
No matter the season, Real Madrid is always a contender for the Champions League title. It is not for nothing that he has won the most prestigious club competition in the world a record 14 times.
But this year, the best club of 2024 is undoubtedly Bayer Leverkusen, a German Bundesliga club. At the time of writing, Xabi Alonso’s squad is still undefeated in 43 matches in all competitions. Remember that the season began in August 2023. The feat is total. Leverkusen flew away with the German championship on Sunday and finds themselves in the final of the German Cup. His biggest challenge now, to achieve a historic treble: the Europa League. Leverkusen beat West Ham 2–0 in the first match of the semi-final on April 11. Next, April 18. It promises !
2024-04-15 23:24:03
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