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Football 2013 review

Review of the Year Football

From the combination of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement to Luis Suarez's beautiful and beastly behaviour and Gareth Bale's world record transfer, it is fair to say 2013 has not been a quiet year in football.

Best story: Gareth Bale's world record transfer

Love them or loathe them, transfer sagas always make the top headlines. And what more could you ask for than Britain's superstar player moving to the globe's biggest club in a world record deal. After months of rumours, speculation and none-too-subtle hints from clubs and player, Gareth Bale moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid on the final day of the summer transfer window in a huge €100m (£86m) deal. Watching the Wales international address the Bernabeu in his pigeon Spanish at his unveiling was slightly surreal but what cannot be disputed is his undoubted footballing ability. Bale has scored nine goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for Real, including a perfect hat-trick against Real Valladolid, as he has settled in style in Spain's capital. The Premier League's loss is the Primera Liga's gain. Conversely, Jose Mourinho coming back to England from Spain was also a brilliant story from 2013.

Shock of the year: Luis Suarez bites Branislav Ivanovic

The sub-header pretty much says it all. For all his goalscoring brilliance, Liverpool's Luis Suarez again caused outrage with his scandalous behaviour when, in a Premier League game against Chelsea in April, the striker took a bite out of opposition defender Branislav Ivanovic. Suarez escaped immediate punishment in the match, adding insult to injury by scoring an injury-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw, but was later given by a 10-game ban by a Football Association independent regulatory commission. It was far from his first offence in a career which has included more past misdemeanours than it would be possible to list in 150 words and it is a reason why the South American will never be truly taken to the hearts of football lovers. The slow motion replays of Suarez biting Ivanovic made the incident all the more horrifically inexcusable.

Team of the year: Bayern Munich

Everyone has been raving about the Bundesliga in 2013 and it has been justified given that two of Germany's top-flight clubs contested the Champions League final. But there was of course only one winner in that final and that was Bayern Munich defeating Borussia Dortmund. The European Cup was far from the only trophy Bayern won in the past year when it is combined with the Bundesliga title, the German Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and, most recently, the Club World Cup. Bayern have simply been the best team on the planet in 2013. Spearheaded by star players, such as Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Franck Ribery and Thomas Muller to name just a few, they ended last season under the management of Jupp Heynckes. But, as is their potential, style of play and status in football, they were even able to attract the manager every other club in the world would have wanted, Pep Guardiola. What is there left for Bayern to achieve in 2014?

Crystal ball: England flop at World Cup

Forgive the doom-mongering but England do not have a hope at the World Cup next summer, with or without Ross Barkley. In Brazil in 2014, having been drawn against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, some pundits have been suggesting Roy Hodgson's men will benefit from the additional motivation of being in a difficult group, avoiding any danger of complacency. But this ignores the fact that by the very nature of a tough draw it means England are playing against teams who are far superior. Amid the heat and humidity of South America, it is easy to envisage England taking just one point at the most and finishing bottom of Group D. Happy New Year, indeed!

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