Barcelona: Charged with corruption .... again!

I know it's Barcelona, but the problems aren't just on the surface, they run very deep with that club right now. Are top coaching prospects rushing to manage a team that poor when they're not exactly spoilt for resources to fix it.
 
That defence is irredeemably bad. Dest is a League 1 player and Pique and Roberto are maybe Prem relegation level if we're being kind. Ronald McDonald is OK but nothing special. That might not matter too much in La Liga but a CL team is always going to expose that at times. I think even Kiev might manage it. They can only win if they can become a team who keep the ball incredibly well again so that they don't need to defend. But Luis Enrique won't be interested in that job I don't think and it ain't happening under Koeman.
 
The squad is enough for top 4 to keep the club geting CL money, they need someone to motivate their squad rather than someone who keeps ranting.
 
Koeman definitely on the brink. My concern now is that Barca will replace him with some brilliant candidate (Ten Haag/Flick) and get their place restored in the league, and then we will all lament that we let another manager slip off to our rivals ala Tuchel/Klopp. And we will be stuck with Ole because of the age old "there are no good candidates left" excuse. Rinse and repeat.
It won't be Flick. He just brute forced his way to the jon as German national coach, there is no way he leaves that early.
 
Not sure what people think they can do. They cannot sack Koeman as they'll owe him €12m, which I can imagine he wants since he paid out €6m to leave his previous job. I really do not see him not insisting on that money. However, if they do that, they go over their cap.

Then, even if they do sack him, they've no budget to hire anyone. At that point they would either have to promote someone from Barca B or have a player manager or something. No way do they get a Ten Hag or something.
 
Sort of enjoying their downfall simply for the way they behaved in the recent past - both the fans and the ownership . The arrogance, the self -entitlement fueled mismanagement - was nauseating. It is irritating that the other club with similar traits but well managed - Real - will become undisputed in Spain, but still.
Agree somewhat, not sure what the fans are like but i couldnt stand the 'more than a club' shit having a holier than thou attitude to football and pull every dirty trick in the book to unsettle other players
 
Barca are Europa League level, they are saved by the fact they play in a weaker league.

I'd be interested to see how Barca would perform against the likes of Leicester, West Ham, Villa, Arsenal and Spurs.
 
Barca are Europa League level, they are saved by the fact they play in a weaker league.

I'd be interested to see how Barca would perform against the likes of Leicester, West Ham, Villa, Arsenal and Spurs.

This year Barca are bad, but a 2019 Barca would have walked all over those teams. And the “weaker” league just had their 11th best team take United to the brink.

We are wank this season though.
 
To join Barca, Koeman had to buy out the national team contract (6m) as Barca couldn't afford to. He then negotiated a deal that would see them have to pay him 12m if he was let go before the 3 years was up. They can't actually afford to sack him apparently - they don't have 12m is what I have read.

Was Bartomeu responsible for that deal as well? Because that sounds just as disastrous as some of their player contracts :lol:
 
This year Barca are bad, but a 2019 Barca would have walked all over those teams. And the “weaker” league just had their 11th best team take United to the brink.

We are wank this season though.
Chelsea won the UCL last season despite struggling to get top 4.
 
i'm not sure what barca really can do right now b/c that squad just isn't good and they are in the midst of a massive transition. This is on the board b/c they KNEW it was coming once Messi was either gone or not capable of being the guy who ran a game like it in the past. they've bought poorly and are in so much debt there is no room for strengthening so it's completely on the young kids who aren't ready. It could be 2-3 years before Barca get back to being a european power club and that's IF guys like Frenkie don't leave before that happens.
 
There was an article on DailyMail quoting their salary cap for next year reduced to 85M euros compared to 600+M for Real. Not sure if they can keep hold of some of their best talents.
 
Barca are Europa League level, they are saved by the fact they play in a weaker league.

I'd be interested to see how Barca would perform against the likes of Leicester, West Ham, Villa, Arsenal and Spurs.
You said yourself, Barca are Europa League level, so I think they’d be aiming for 10 out of 12 points minimum
 
This year Barca are bad, but a 2019 Barca would have walked all over those teams. And the “weaker” league just had their 11th best team take United to the brink.

We are wank this season though.
Agree re 2019. Should really have won the CL that season…Ajax Barca would have been an amazing final :(
Re Villarreal I thought it was interesting listening to the commentator here mentioning a few times the ex-Championship players in the Villarreal squad; think former QPR and Bournemouth players both played last night. But didn’t look out of place. They are a well drilled team, Ramos is a really good manager, just didn’t work out for him at Arsenal, that club is a mess.
 
And he got the Barca job based on that CV? I understand he played for them but that’s a poor CV to be a manager at one of the top 5 biggest clubs in the world. I understand Ole is in a similar boat.
 
And he got the Barca job based on that CV? I understand he played for them but that’s a poor CV to be a manager at one of the top 5 biggest clubs in the world. I understand Ole is in a similar boat.
What that CV doesn’t tell us just how poor that Valencia run was, he had them as a real relegation contender and was showing terrible decision making. Fast forward a decade later and he’s terrible in Spain again, making weird decisions like letting Suarez go without even seeing him train.
 
This year Barca are bad, but a 2019 Barca would have walked all over those teams. And the “weaker” league just had their 11th best team take United to the brink.

We are wank this season though.

Is Juve the 10th best team in Italy?

Is Leicester the 13th best team in England?

The best team in Moldova just beat the best team in Spain, what could that possibly mean?
 
And he got the Barca job based on that CV? I understand he played for them but that’s a poor CV to be a manager at one of the top 5 biggest clubs in the world. I understand Ole is in a similar boat.
He wasn't doing a terrible job with the national team was he? Not perhaps enough, but for a club unable to pay a 6m release, perhaps a guy who said he'd pay it himself was perfect!
 
Is Juve the 10th best team in Italy?

Is Leicester the 13th best team in England?

The best team in Moldova just beat the best team in Spain, what could that possibly mean?
They didn’t play Atletico :wenger:

Edit: I was joking but I also didn’t realise Real were top of la liga :lol:
 
Is Juve the 10th best team in Italy?

Is Leicester the 13th best team in England?

The best team in Moldova just beat the best team in Spain, what could that possibly mean?

Villarreal have won once all season. Leicester aren’t a top 6 team in England
 
I encourage everyone to check out this clip from Laporta’s press conference. It’s brief but includes subtitles:

 
You said yourself, Barca are Europa League level, so I think they’d be aiming for 10 out of 12 points minimum
The thing is the North London clubs aren't so weak that they couldn't hack it in the Europa league but there are simply better teams in the same league.

I think Barca are better than Spurs but I think it would be a close match. Certainly Spurs' attack us better at the moment even with a sulking Kane.
 
Villarreal have won once all season. Leicester aren’t a top 6 team in England

Draw with both Madrid and Atletico, really should've beaten at least the latter. Leicester have been 5th the last two seasons and won a cup.

The point is the table after 6 games means very little. Barca would suffer more in the PL currently because the margin of error for top teams in La Liga when they're not at their best is bigger.
 
Draw with both Madrid and Atletico, really should've beaten at least the latter. Leicester have been 5th the last two seasons and won a cup.

The point is the table after 6 games means very little. Barca would suffer more in the PL currently because the margin of error for top teams in La Liga when they're not at their best is bigger.

Barca currently are wank as I said before, but I do think people overrate EPL teams a fair bit even if it is the best league in the world right now
 
Barcelona's only two concerns should be qualifying for the Champions League and further developing their young players. If they get bounced out of the CL in the group stages, its embarrassing but ultimately pretty meaningless compared to getting bounced out in the R16 the following February. The money isn't that different between group stage and R16 exit and they have zero chance of winning the tournament

I think they should probably just stick with Koeman unless it seems like making top four in the league is getting endangered or there is some kind of major issue between him and the truly upper echelon young players that is hurting their development (ie, not Puig). Their hope should be to just survive a tough season, qualify for CL, then get appoint a real manager next summer when they can do a real search and also have an improving financial picture.
 
There was an article on DailyMail quoting their salary cap for next year reduced to 85M euros compared to 600+M for Real. Not sure if they can keep hold of some of their best talents.
I saw something about this in the German press as well. Didn’t have time to check on it though. Surely this cannot mean that Barca can only spend €90M on wages next(?) season.
Can someone please enlighten me?
 
And he got the Barca job based on that CV? I understand he played for them but that’s a poor CV to be a manager at one of the top 5 biggest clubs in the world. I understand Ole is in a similar boat.
Barca hardly select managers on their cv. Now in contention; Pirlo, who did manage a near impossible feat of failing to win the title with Juve and Xavi who may or may not have an impressive record managing some dudes kicking a ball about in the dessert.
 
The thing is the North London clubs aren't so weak that they couldn't hack it in the Europa league but there are simply better teams in the same league.

I think Barca are better than Spurs but I think it would be a close match. Certainly Spurs' attack us better at the moment even with a sulking Kane.
I was just taking a cheap shot and Spurs and arse current European standing :)
 
Barca hardly select managers on their cv. Now in contention; Pirlo, who did manage a near impossible feat of failing to win the title with Juve and Xavi who may or may not have an impressive record managing some dudes kicking a ball about in the dessert.
Managing Barcelona is no trifling matter that’s for sure
 
Considering the wankness of current barca side, one must admire the business side of woody. I am not sure how barca will recover in 2 3 seasons without spending big money. They look like broke at the moment.
 
This year Barca are bad, but a 2019 Barca would have walked all over those teams. And the “weaker” league just had their 11th best team take United to the brink.

We are wank this season though.

Thats such a dishonest, nonsense argument.