I'd love to see Pique wearing a Shakira jersey
Barcelona: Charged with corruption .... again!
- Thread starter The Boy
- Start date
I'd love to see Pique wearing a Shakira jersey
I'd love to see Pique wearing a Shakira jersey
I am hoping for a 'Never Mind the Bollocks' shirt. Be prefect for 99% of their fans.
CruyffMaradonaMessi on Wednesday:
"We will focus on the league."
CruyffMaradonaMessi today:
"We will focus on the Copa del Rey."
"We will focus on the league."
CruyffMaradonaMessi today:
"We will focus on the Copa del Rey."
I al praying for a 'Los Chunguitos' jersey.
Karma. It is time to get Xavi and Laporta out. Xavi did a lot worse than Koeman with a better squad. Terrible mismanagement.
‘We are back’. No, you are fecked.
‘We are back’. No, you are fecked.
Tbh, I find it amazing more is not being made of the CJEU judgement which is due in Dec-Jan. If that judgement goes in favour of UEFA (as expected) Real, Barca and Juve could be looking at multi-year European bans.
If that happens, I don't see how Barca don't end up in real real trouble as a complete ban from Europe would probably cut their revenues by 20% of something.
Personally, I have done quite a bit of reading around this case and I think the SL teams are in a bit of trouble, if they expect to win it as most of the evidence/support from Governments was in favour of UEFA and their is a feeling the court will go with the argument that football clubs are a cultural product and thus need certain protections to allow competition.
If that happens, I don't see how Barca don't end up in real real trouble as a complete ban from Europe would probably cut their revenues by 20% of something.
Personally, I have done quite a bit of reading around this case and I think the SL teams are in a bit of trouble, if they expect to win it as most of the evidence/support from Governments was in favour of UEFA and their is a feeling the court will go with the argument that football clubs are a cultural product and thus need certain protections to allow competition.
UEFA will never ever in a thousand years ban Real and Barca from CL. Only if the Super League is up and running.
Not sure, I can see them pulling the trigger on it if they get the win in Dec-Jan; as expected. The SL was/is a major issue for the whole of football and particularly their authority which was undermined. Everyone bar Real, Barca and Juve repented but they've gone on further and still want to persist with it.
I see some sanctions coming their way if the ruling goes as expected as it will not only complete the job in ending the SL, it will send the message that trying to undermine them in future will result in actions that hits a teams bottom line.
I can seriously see a 2 year ban (maybe with one suspended.) Cannot see them getting a free pass for it.
I mean Barca is only playing the CL's group stage games anyways.
True. However, no Europe at all will be a joy to behold. Probably require some Lever's on it's own as European participation must be worth a minimum of €50m a year once you take in participation/performance fees, ticketing/merchandising, sponsorship contracts etc.
Additionally, would also be interesting to see how the player's contracts are worded because if they qualify via the league. The players' would've done their job so be interesting if they can cut back if they do get a ban in such circumstances.
Starting to see rumblings of Tuchel to be brought in. Not if ElNacional is a good source? I don't know the Barca trusted sources?
Regardless of how the player's contracts are worded, you know the Barca management and their media lackeys would push hard to remove the bonuses or reduce their salaries "for the good of the club".
Tier 7,000
yep. The team under construction thing is head scratching.
They are that broke they mortgaged the house to gamble on immediate success by spaffing hundreds of millions on players. Now one of the main sources of income looks in jeopardy, and they’re just a “team under construction”
Begs the question; where is the money going to come from for this construction? Also, they signed multiple players already to target titles? Are they just temporary works?
They're in a bad position already as it's very likely they go out of the champions league in group stages. They're still doing alright in the league but they assembled a large squad to compete in all fronts so it would still reflext bad on Xavi as a manager.
It's still pretty early to write him off but everyone was aware it was a pretty bold and risky strategy to pull all those levers and bet everything on some form of short term success.
It's still pretty early to write him off but everyone was aware it was a pretty bold and risky strategy to pull all those levers and bet everything on some form of short term success.
The team that wins the ucl isn't always the best side in the competition.
Real Madrid were very lucky last season, in 2018 (luck in the semi and the final), 2016 (easy draw plus lucj in the final) and 2014 (mainly in the final).
Chelsea were lucky in 2012. Nowhere near the best team that season.
Liverpool were lucky in 2005.
Inter weren't lucky but neither were they the best side in 2010. Mourinho's tactics won the ucl for them.
Define best? If you win something then you are surely the best at that moment, right?
It is like those BS from Carragher and Owen how last year Liverpool was team to beat.
I’d argue they were the best side in Europe during those times with only a Pep side being better which is my point, really.
I can’t think of the last time a real underdog won it. The best teams in Europe are reaching multiple finals in a handful of years.
Especially if it’s around backing an unproven manager, albeit a club legend. If you have to take such a gamble, you take it with someone proven at the very least.
I dont think they spent the money well or wisely. Their full backs and busquets are just kind of terrible. Buying a million centre backs looks wise in hindsight but Christensen being injured sounds predictable, Araujo seems to be racking up a fair bit of injury time too. Kessie seems to be redundant. Their reluctance to use the only decent dm in the squad looks increasingly silly.
Pedri and Gavi are great. I'm just not convinced by anything else in that team (Lewandowski the obvious exception for a year or two).
Pedri and Gavi are great. I'm just not convinced by anything else in that team (Lewandowski the obvious exception for a year or two).
Umm Real Madrid were lucky as he'll last season and honestly were not the best side or even amongst the best sides.
When we won the ucl in 2008, we were, along with Chelsea the best team in the competition. Unquestionably.
Similarly when Bayern (2013, 2020) Barcelona (2015, 2011, 2009) won it, they were the best teams in the competition.
On the flip side, when Chelsea won it in 2012, they were no where near the best side in the competition.
Last season, City (for me the the stand out side and should've won) and Liverpool were the best sides in the competition. Real were thoroughly outplayed by PSG and by City but somehow despite being second best managed to get through. The final was more tactical then anything.
But that is the beauty of every cup competition. Inferior teams due to grit ,determination and some luck can overcome odds in one off games.
Real Madrid weren’t an underdog last season and their big comeback came against a Pep side which backs my point. It’s a Pep side that has its fixture turn into a back and forth feck fest. PSG are CL bottlers, that’s not a lottery and Madrid deserved to win. They completely outplayed Chelsea away from home and were always going to score in the Bernabeu. It’s no shock that City bottled a CL tie and no surprise that Pep was the manager of a major team completely losing control of the second leg of a tie. They outplayed Liverpool in the final.
There’s no lottery there. Everything followed form. Where’s the lottery?
I would grant you that Real Madrid had some luck. But not even amongst the best sides? Compared to who?
Most of the top clubs had pretty easy rides to the semifinals. City, Liverpool, and Bayern didn't have to play anyone of comparable budget in the knockouts until the semis; Chelsea only in the QFs.
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Great point - people's opinions are skewed by the English media which is fairly clueless and doesn't grasp nuance when it comes to UCL, Euro Cup or the World Cup. They live in a bubble where the Premier League is the best league in the world, English teams are the best in the world, and then anytime they get knocked out it's a huge teardown of said teams.
Jamie Carragher who's a reasonably ok pundit otherwise was saying as early as February that Real Madrid has no chance at all of winning the Champions League. I can understand 'they're not favorites', or 'they're one of the 5 teams that could win it', but to say they have no chance is ridiculous. A team that has won it 4 times in the last decade has no chance, really?
Madrid earned it on the pitch - they showed ridiculous tenacity, mental strength, and poise when it mattered. They weren't gifted an easy draw nor did they benefit from any refereeing decisions. The English teams had much easier draws by comparison
Don’t placate him/her…
Your goals weren’t deflected off a beach ball or from dodgy penalties. And you beat PSG, Chelsea, City and Liverpool.
Late goals count the same as early goals and number of chances, possession % and xG can go whistle. There’s a difference between fortunate and luck… you deserved it.
I wouldn't call Real lucky but its hard to see Benzema repeating the season he had. So many clutch goals. The Chelsea, City and PSG ties were all close and Real couldn't have complained much if they went out against any of them. Liverpool was pretty convincing though (maybe partly because Courtois looked unbeatable)
The only game won while being better than their opponent was Chelsea at the bridge. I'll correct myself on the luck thing. Let me just say they won despite not being the best side in the tournament due to a combination of their never-say- die attitude and their opponents prolifigacy/failure to kill off games.
There is something about Real and the UCL though. They don't need to be the outstanding side to win it.
If you go down the years:
UCL 2014: Completely outplayed in the final but still won. Last minute goal to equalise and than extratime goals against a fatigued opponent.
UCL 2016: lucky draw. Again outplayed in the final, Griezmann penalty miss and than win on penalties.
UCL 2017: Good value
UCL 2018: Outplayed in the semi final in both legs and in the quarterfinal at home (got a last minute penalty) but still won.
UCL 2022: Outplayed several times but still won.
The trend has been digging deep and somehow winning whenever their opponent completely outplayed them. I don't think any other team has won so many times despite being outplayed.
This is interesting.
UCL 2014 Real had more posession, shots, shots on target, etc than Atlético.
Atlético defended brilliantly on a low block waiting for Real' mistakes and scored on a Casillas blunder.
Many (including Xavi and all the culés) would say Real dominated the game (they had more posession and chances). You consider they got outplayed by Atletico's low block. Ok.
UCL 2022 This time Real defends on a low block waiting for opponent's mistakes to score. Yet you still think they got outplayed.
What's the difference?
Real Madrid were certainly not outplayed in 2014 against Atletico.
The maximum rival in the league just won which means, objectively speaking, another handicap for Xavi's team.
Tomorrow, Barcelona - Villarreal at the Nou Camp. What will happen? I don't know but I do hope we can say Good Evening to each other by then.
Tomorrow, Barcelona - Villarreal at the Nou Camp. What will happen? I don't know but I do hope we can say Good Evening to each other by then.
It will be a difficult game, Villarreal is very well worked tactically. I guess Barcelona will make some changes from Sunday, mainly in the wingers and maybe Busquets.
It's Xavi's job to prepare the team mentally for the remaining games this year, so we can at least compete for LaLiga. I really hope Ansu starts together with Dembele, so Ous can finally play on his strong side. Raphina's performance these last few weeks were very bad, so he deserves the bench for a few games. Also I don't want to see Busquets after he bottled both important games. Let Frenkie play on that position, stop clinging on this old man who will leave in the next summer anyways.
It's about time....
Frenkie has won 10 out of 10 duels yesterday. A perfect game from him.
Last summer was the best chance to get him. He was always going to displace one of Busquets or Gavi when given the chance.
This guy is a club legend, won everything many times, was one of the best defenders in europe. He was also a big part of one of the most successful teams in football history. It's one thing not wanting him to be on the pitch anymore, but another to ride on the hate train.
This guy is going through a hard time. His family life is shattered, his ex wants to take his children away to the united states. His privacy is also non existent anymore after the breakup. An army of "journalists" follow him everywhere. Millionaire or not, there is always a human behind the mask.
And now even culers, fans of a team he gave half his life for, post videos from marca, a known "barca hate" outlet. Wouldn't be the first time if they cut a video in the "right moments" to support some ridiculous allegation. In my opinion, the hate he is getting is pathetic, especially from culers. Shameful whistles yesterday from some "Social Media generation" fans.
There was a couple of Barca fans even trash talking about Messi in the Barca thread during the summer. So nothing surprises me.
Usually I feel like your posts are way over the top but here you are spot on I think.
Being a legend of the club incapacitates him to warm up in conditions? No.
People can criticize anything from respect, not insult.
This player has done so many barbarities as a Barcelona player, even lying to the Barcelona fans without turning red. And people are tired and it's normal to be whistled.
This guy has always been a narcissist and if he is going through a difficult family situation then he would have thought about it before being infidelity to Shakira repeatedly.
When any player makes a mistake in his professional behavior, it must be corrected in addition to a severe sanction.
One of the best things about Messi leaving is that many people who put him above the club have gone with him.
The sooner you guys get rid of Busquets and Pique the sooner you can truly start your rebuild.
And you are in the position to judge his warmup routine from home, watching a cut video from a known barca hate outlet? Given his career and his age, I find that statement pretty arrogant. I believe that by now, he knows exactly what his body needs to get match ready. And by the way, such videos never show a full picture. He could have done more before or after. All in all, a shameful behaviour towards a club legend in my eyes.
Calling him piquenbauer here is anything but respect. I know about the origin of his nickname, but that doesn't make it better to use it in this fashion. It's on the same level as those whistles yesterday in my opinion.