La Liga Transfer Rumours and General Chat

eZe^

I thought Id make this thread seeing as there's one for Italy, and it seems there's a couple of members who at least have a passing interest for the greatest league in the world . I dont care if Im the only regular poster here :pac:.

So ya, recent rumblings in the world of la liga;

-It looks like Alves will be moving to Barcelona in the summer. Something I dont know if Im happy about, he is definitely the most dangerous full back in world football, but he is a mediocre defender and thats exactly what Barcelona dont need right now.

-It appears high flying Guiza of Mallorca is being eyed up by Roma as a potential transfer, the Spaniard is currently the top Spanish scorer in La Liga.

-Rumourmill also of Madrid showing alot of interest in Gatusso. So with this so called debt, they are going to sweep in on Garay, Gatusso, Ronaldo and David Villa. Good old Blanco's eh. Schuster is also planning on kicking one of Madrids best players this season, Robinho, out of the team for bad behaviour. It looks like he's following the Ronaldinho/ Ronaldo party lifestyle route.

-AC Milan are at it again, they really are trying to snatch half of Barcelona, they are now reportedly interested in Deco, Marquez and Zambrotta as they look to rebuild for the future.

Here's a couple of good articles written by La Liga journalists about all the latest happenings in Spain.

Tim Stannard- La Liga Loco;

A Mexican pottymouth and an Emo admission

Tuesday 01 April 2008 11:03

It seems that Bernd Schuster is not the only manager in Madrid to have an uncontrollable evil dark side, as Javier Aguirre does, too.

While the alter-ego of the man at the helm of Real Madrid has taken to getting up in the night, logging onto his website to criticise his own managerial decisions, Atlético's Mexican man of mayhem has been much more public in his polemical pronunciations.

By day, Aguirre is a smiling, joshing and japing mild-mannered manager. But come match day, he turns into a potty-mouthed, X-Rated video on legs.

The former Osasuna coach first showed signs of this bi-polar behaviour against Real Zaragoza, early last month, when he reportedly yelled "you're going down to the second!" - but with extra naughty words - to Zaragoza team doctor Jesus Villanueva, as he passed by the rojiblanco bench.

"I didn't know who he was", confessed a contrite coach after the game. "I thought he was the ball collector".

Evil Aguirre was back in action, on Saturday night, against Villarreal, when La Sexta's tv cameras caught Robert Pires saying, "you talk a lot", to the Mexican manager.

"He called Pires 'a son of a b****'" complained Villarreal big cheese, Fernando Roig, as way of explanation for the Frenchman's 'j'accuse'. "I didn't insult anyone", responded Aguirre unconvincingly.

Marca reports, on Tuesday, that the Atlético coach may have got a taste of his own swearing medicine from José Antonio Reyes when the whining winger was told that he had been dropped from the Sevilla squad, the previous weekend.

"Hijjjjjjjjjjjchhh de Puuuuuuuaaaaaaaa", is the nearest approximation the blog can do to what the midfielder called Aguirre in his near incomprehensible Andalusian accent.

La Sexta's incompetent commentator, Andres Montes, plumped new depths of uselessness during the Villarreal v Atlético Madrid match, on Saturday night, during the Yellow Submarine's opening goal.

"A terrible mistake from Pernia!" he yelled. "From Perea", corrected the pitchside reporter. "And a great goal from....from...from" "...Cazorla", completed his co-commentator.

Veteran Mallorca manager, Gregoria Manzano, has revealed that he will be taking a ride on the information superhighway by starting a blog. Which is all very 2005.

"My blog will allow me to reflect and explain my decisions on areas that have not been asked about", he revealed. And in an exclusive, La Liga Loca can bring you an early draft, hacked off the coach's laptop by FourFourTwo's crack ubergeek team.

"Hello. My name's Gregorio. At least, that's what they tell me. I don't remember that much these days. I'm the manager of Mallorca! And we have fish on Friday! I like fish. Where am I? What does this button...".

In shocking news that has stunned the city of Seville, a close friend of Sergio Ramos has revealed that the Real Madrid defender can't stand flamenco music - something that will ensure a hostile reception on his next trip down south.

"He hates it, but has to pretend the opposite", admitted Olaf Prilo to a local Andalusian paper. "He's more into My Chemical Romance and anything Emo"

---

Says it all really.

Small club comforts

Phil Ball
Archive

Life without Javier Clemente would be an awful lot duller. As you may or may not know, the pugnacious little chap from Bilbao (or Barakaldo, as he insists) had been contemplating taking up the post as Iranian national manager, after being released from his contract as the top man of Serbia's slippery football ladder, but on insisting to the Iranian authorities that he would accept their money but not their requirement that he actually reside in the country to earn that same money, he ended up at relegation-threatened Murcia.

Mind you, not before he had turned down the chance to go to save Zaragoza as well - which shows you just how desperate it must be over there now. Mind you, they do have better restaurants in Murcia. Try the thistle in almond sauce, the 'bomba' rice and the 'zarangollo' (pumpkin, onion and tomato). Much better than watching the football team, and of course, if you are a citizen of Murcia, there were two teams to watch last season, Ciudad de Murcia having been subjected to a 'Wimbledon' and moved down the road to Granada, as in Granada 74. Now there is only one Murcia, and they look as though they are on their way to a swift return to the Second Division, despite Clemente's presence.

This is, astonishingly, the Basque's 17th club, since he made his debut as a manger with the modest Arenas de Getxo back in 1975. After his success with the ruff and tuff Bilbao title-winning side of 1983 (the Butcher of Bilbao included) he tried his luck at Espanyol and Atlético Madrid before being handed the national manager's job. He managed Spain for six years, during which time he managed to fall out with just about everyone, apart from his buddy Angel Villar, the head of the Spanish Federation and an ex-Athletic player himself, of course.

The Madrid-based press, as you can imagine, were never exactly enamoured of the appointment, with its whiff of politico-cultural nepotism. And sixteen years on from that appointment, Clemente was at it again, going hammer and tongs in an interview with Marca last Friday, scattering soundbites to the four winds like an evangelist at Speakers' Corner.

Murcia were due at the Bernabéu on Sunday, and to state the obvious, needed to win. Eight points adrift of safety, would the famously defensive Javi put out an attacking team? Javi said no, of course. In fact he went further, leaving behind two of the squad's forwards and taking a delegation of defenders and midfielders - a collective he then called the 'bus'. This refers to the Spanish concept of a team who go to an away game in search of a draw, meaning that they also take the team bus out onto the pitch and park it in the goal area. Clemente himself was responsible for the birth of this metaphor, but went even further last Friday by alleging that if necessary, he would also bring along the AVE train and the nearest Iberia 747.

Not content with this little statement of mild intention, he was egged on perfectly by the interviewer into heating up the match to the sort of boiling point that everyone here thrives on. What did he think of Schuster, asked Rodrigo Errasti. 'Pah' spat Javi. 'It's easy to manage a big club. It's less work, it's very comfy and it's easy. You get more wins without having to prepare anything really. In a smaller club, you have to work much harder'. Well of course, the first answer to Clemente might have been that he couldn't know, since he never has managed a big club - Spain and Serbia being countries. Schuster said as much the next day, in a good-humoured and laid-back riposte to Clemente. He also suggested that it wasn't so much a case of harder or easier, as much as 'different'. He should know, having done a laboured apprenticeship at clubs like Xerez, Levante and Getafe.

And is it really that much easier? Ask the six managers who preceded Schuster the question, none of whom lasted longer than a season. Jupp Heynckes was sacked after winning them the Champions League and Capello went in the summer after restoring the league trophy to the Bernabéu cabinets. Easy? Everything's relative Javi. Frank Rijkaard might say the same over at Barcelona, although he has lasted remarkably well, given the pressures.

If Clemente goes down with the ship this season - and after succumbing 1-0 to Real Madrid in the Bernabéu it rather looks as though he will - is he under any obligation to stay? Does it matter to him and does it matter to the fans whether he stays? Clemente's version of manger-as-mercenary, dropping into every port that asks him to disembark, is surely much easier, since it carries along with it no emotional commitment, no real responsibility. The ship sinks anyway, and off you go to another appointment, until retirement arrives and the golf course calls.

Besides, the bus that Murcia parked in the area proved swiftly unnecessary, with the sending off of Madrid's right back Torres after twenty minutes. Agh! Murcia suddenly realised that they could attack - that they would actually be obliged to carry out this strange and exotic tactic. They did it half-heartedly, as do all Clemente's teams, and paid dearly for it in the end when Sneijder scored a cracker in the 60th minute to more or less secure the league title, unless of course, you're a Barça fan and an incurable optimist.

With the Catalans drawing 2-2 at lowly Recreativo, after twice being in the lead, and Villarreal blowing it 1-0 at Almería, Madrid sit nine points pretty at the top of the league with six games to go. The only hope still clinging to the steep sides of the Camp Nou is that Messi will shine forth (he reappeared as a sub against Recre) and galvanise the side, so lacking in spirit and resolve in the past few weeks. He will paper over the cracks and lead them to victories over Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Bernabéu, the latter result being the only plausible way that the Catalans could possibly still aspire to the league title. And if they don't (and even if they do), it's time for a clean-out

Adeus Ronaldinho and Deco, adieu Monsieur Henry, and vaarwel Frankie. And judging by the amount of hankies wafting around the Camp Nou recently, it could be adéu to Joan Laporta, increasingly paranoid as his recent behaviour suggests. Mind you Joan, just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

But back to Clemente. During the interview he claimed that Schuster had feigned his famous injury, when tackled by the Butcher of Bilbao, Andoni Goikoetxea. 'He was already injured' claimed Javi. 'Goiko didn't even touch him'. Well it could be true - but such revisionism is hardly relevant, unless you want to fan the flames again. Schuster sensibly preferred not to comment the next day. More seriously, Clemente claimed that when he had been invited to the homage to Juanito at the Bernabéu, he had been insulted to such a degree that he decided to leave, and on so doing was threatened by a Madrid fan on the way out wielding a knife.

'I can't say if he was actually going to stab me with it, because I ran off like a madman' he announced in Marca, as if this was really the most sensible thing to bring up on the eve of the match. In the next statement, sure enough, he complained that several Madrid peñas (fan clubs) were now having a go at him, as if he expected anything else. Flowers perhaps?

Another manager in the news is Ronald Koeman, the only man in the western world at present capable of making George Bush look popular. After a brief flurry of excitement, when Valencia won 3-2 at the Bernabéu and then secured this coming week's Cup Final appearance by knocking out Barcelona, gloom and despair have returned to the Mestalla, with Koeman proving to be about as diplomatic and tactful as an air raid.

'I'm a winner' he announced to the press last week, when asked if he felt 'supported' by the fans and the players. That is only partially true of his managerial record, with three Dutch league titles to his name (and two resignations) and a less than glorious time with Benfica. But to be fair, he was no disaster, and maybe the truth of the matter is that the squad he has inherited are just not up for it, fed up as they are of the way that the season has gone - with its internal (and public) trials and tribulations.

A cup final win over Getafe might just save him and his assistant Jose Mari Bakero, but after the latest capitulation at home to the still excellent Racing Santander, Valencia are now the poorest home side in the competition, statistically-speaking. This is an astonishing fact, given the intimidating walls and white noise of the Mestalla, traditionally a place where the timid feared to tread. Now Valencia are only five points ahead of Zaragoza, a side who may be due a mini-revival. If that happens, then the cup final will prove a welcome distraction from a situation that is turning to critical.

It beggars belief that a side containing Villa, Silva, Marchena, Joaquin and Baraja can be in such free-fall. And they won't have it easy against Getafe, as Bayern Munich can testify. Anyway, Valencia have already won the cup six times before, so it's time to give Getafe something for the cabinet shelves. It would be a fitting reward for a team that suffered shocking luck last week, in another heart-stopping European night in the UEFA Cup. Bayern eventually beat them, but only after ten-man Getafe had shot themselves in the foot, in front of King Juan Carlos, the Prince, and uncle Tom Cobley and all. But they died with their boots on, in a fantastic game.

Nothing against Valencia, but I'd love to see Getafe win on Wednesday. If they do, one wonders what Ronald Koeman will say when asked if it is easy to manage a big club.

The bolded sentences are for anyone solely interested in Madrid and Barcelona info.

So Sergio Ramos is an emo, doesnt surprise me. :pac:



La liga tabe;
Team Pts Pl W D L
Real Madrid 69 32 22 3 7
Barcelona 60 32 17 9 6
Villarreal 59 32 18 5 9
Atletico de Madrid 54 32 16 6 10
Racing 53 32 15 8 9
Sevilla 51 32 16 3 13
Almeria 45 32 12 9 11
Espanyol 45 32 13 6 13
Deportivo 43 32 12 7 13
Mallorca 41 32 9 14 9
Getafe 41 32 11 8 13
Betis 41 31 11 8 12
Osasuna 40 32 11 7 14
Athletic Bilbao 40 31 10 10 11
Valladolid 39 32 10 9 13
Valencia 39 32 11 6 15
Recreativo 37 32 9 10 13
Zaragoza 34 32 8 10 14
Murcia 29 32 7 8 17
Levante 22 32 6 4 22

It really does look more and more likely that Zaragoza will be playing in the Segunda division next year, how bizarre. With the quality in the side they should be fighting for a CL place, even Valenica are only 5 points safe.

In more Blaugrana news;

New Barcelona away shirt for next season:

http://www.sport.es/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=44&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=492971&idseccio_PK=803

Amazing how bad Valencia have been this year. And all the more bizarre when you look at the quality they have in their team.

monkey9

I heard Gattuso was linked with a move to Bayern Munich. But surely La Liga is a better option than the drab Bundesliga!

monkey9

Sergio Ramos is into My Chemical Romance??? Surely he should be dropped for the rest of the season and then sent on loan to Shamrock Rovers!!

eZe^

.

It's duvets and drugs at the Copa del Rey

Wednesday 16 April 2008 15:11
Tim Stannard

Despite being stranded in Spain for a good few years now as it struggles to save the pennies for that golden Easyjet ticket home, La Liga Loca has yet to completely adapt to its Iberian environment.

The blog will literally die if it has to wait until 11 o'clock at night for its evening meal and it walks a good four times faster than most five abreast in the frickin' way Madridileños, an irritating issue that is leading towards imminent pavement rage and a probable heart attack within the next few years.

The blog definitely needs its beauty sleep and likes to be tucked up in bed at a reasonable hour. Besides, Elsa Pataky can produce such a pout if La Liga Loca doesn't have her cocoa ready by 10.

And this is why, in typically British fashion, it must have a good old moan today as La Liga Loca is set to go to tonight's Copa Del Rey final at the Vicente Calderón.

But it is not 100% happy about it, as it may not leave the stadium until past one in the morning.

This is because of the ingenious plan of whoever controls these kinds of things to play the match at 10 o'frickin' clock at night. On a Wednesday.

An absurd time that even Marca admit "is not good for children," although it should have added travelling supporters, spectators and anyone with a job to the list.

Should Getafe pick up the title, then the 21,500 fans can look forward to celebrating their triumph by legging it like lemmings to the nearest railway station hoping that there will be trains still heading south.

And the Valencia support can enjoy an early-hours-of-the-morning arriving miserable trip home on the hundreds of coaches hired to bring them to the Spanish capital. Or try to find somewhere open in La Latina, past two, to drown their sorrows.

However, those participating in the mass exodus from the Mestalla are ready for any eventuality with their travelling Copa Del Rey kits - 'Koeman Stay!' signs, 'Koeman Go!' signs, white handkerchiefs and victory scarves.

"We have a support that we don't deserve," admitted club president Agustín Morera, in a comment that can be taken in more ways than Paris Hilton.

Those Valencia fans heading up the hill to Madrid on Wednesday may find three hitchers by the side of the road. And should they decide to pick them up then they could be sharing their car with Albeda, Angulo and Cañizares. The club has made no attempt to organise their travel to watch the final despite still being members of the squad as the judge at the Albeda v Soler case was recently told.

One man who is particularly desperate to lift the cup come 2.30 in the morning - should extra time and penalties be required - is Fernando Morientes, as the Copa del Rey is the one trophy he has yet to win. "This could be one of my last chances to win a title," he confessed.

One man who probably doesn't give a flying fig about the result is Ronald Koeman who looks set to be sacked whatever happens on Wednesday night.

"If it's my last match, then that's the way it is. I'm not worried about it," shrugged the soon to be 9 million euros richer Dutchman.

La Liga Loca has long since given up the pretence of unbiased reporting so will be happily cheering on Getafe until whatever time in the morning.

But it has a sneaky feeling what with life being the cruel, relentless, miserable experience that it is, that it will be Valencia lifting the trophy come Thursday morning.

scruff321

Deleted User wrote: »

Amazing how bad Valencia have been this year. And all the more bizarre when you look at the quality they have in their team.

how is edu doing at valencia havent really heard anything much about him in ages

armour87

Ramos can listen to whatever he wants,
It's fine by me,
He's the new,
Mal-di-ni,

Thank-you

Villareal for the title

An Citeog

"Hijjjjjjjjjjjchhh de Puuuuuuuaaaaaaaa", is the nearest approximation the blog can do to what the midfielder called Aguirre in his near incomprehensible Andalusian accent.

La Sexta's incompetent commentator, Andres Montes, plumped new depths of uselessness during the Villarreal v Atlético Madrid match, on Saturday night, during the Yellow Submarine's opening goal.

QFT! The Andalusian accent is horrible and I fúcking hate that commentator. I have to turn off La Sexta whenever he's commentating, which is pretty much always. The only other channel that I can watch the matches on has commentary in Catalan!:( Only he could ruin this goal and that's him on a good day!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKOD1eNPLqo

monkey9 wrote: »

I heard Gattuso was linked with a move to Bayern Munich. But surely La Liga is a better option than the drab Bundesliga!

You ever watched/been to a Bundesliga game?:rolleyes:

scruff321 wrote: »

how is edu doing at valencia havent really heard anything much about him in ages

He's had so many injuries that his career hasn't really taken off there. Haven't really been following Valencia this year but he got a bit of a run in the team this season and hasn't exactly set the world alight. He's not the only one though! I'll have a look at them tonight against Getafe.

Was going to go to the Barça-Espanyol match on Saturday but I don't think I'll make it. Funds are running low and I'm hopefully going to Barça-United next Wednesday and got free tickets for Espanyol-Zaragoza the weekend after that.

Anyway, the league is Madrid's to lose, which they've tried their best to do this season and are still 9 points ahead. Expect wholesale changes in the summer, particularly at Barcelona and it might see them actually competing for the title!:p

eZe^

An Citeog wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKOD1eNPLqo

Look at Puyol in the clip, he makes that goal. How great was he 2 seasons ago.


Free tickets to a barca game? Lucky cabron.

An Citeog

eZe^ wrote: »

Look at Puyol in the clip, he makes that goal. How great was he 2 seasons ago.

Free tickets to a barca game? Lucky cabron.

Yeah, that drag back looked almost natural!:p

Nah, the free tickets are for the Espanyol-Zaragoza game. Never been to a game in the Estadio Olímpico before so hopefully it'll be decent. Especially for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Lxig8SU5U

Catchy, isn't it?!:D

Anyway, Copa del Rey final between Valencia and Getafe has just kicked off. Line-ups are:

Valencia

Hildebrand
Miguel
Albiol
Alexis
Moretti
Marchena
Baraja
Silva
Mata
Arizmendi
Villa

Getafe

Ustari
Cortés
Cata Díaz
Tena
Licht
Contra
Casquero
De la Red
Granero
Albín
Manu del Moral

Valencia 1-0 up through Mata/Arizmendi deflection in the 5th minute.

An Citeog

Make that 2-0 to Valencia. Alexis scores a header in the 11th minute.

eZe^

29 members of the UK Barca Penya got tickets for the game at Old Trafford, I couldnt because of exams... Looks like their even a couple of spare lying around..


Im watching the Copa Del Rei from Rojadirecta.. Poor Getafe.. =P

eZe^

2-1, Granero converting from the penalty spot. We got a game!

Dont be at yourself

Valencia won, but it's really papering over the cracks. With Barca rumoured to be eyeing up Silva to replace Ronnie, and Arsenal & Chelsea keeping tabs on Villa, they might struggle to reach the heights of recent years.

On the plus side, if they can keep hold of the likes of Sunny and Mata, they'll have a good, young base to build on.

eZe^

Silva to barcelona? Would love it but Im yet to see a suggestion.


-Andres Iniesta is out for 3 weeks after picking up and injury a couple of days ago, ruling him out of at least the first game in the CL against ManU. That means Barcelona are missing Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Puyol and Toure is still carrying the knock on his back, he's waiting until the end of the season before getting the hernia operation. Injury plagues could ruin any chance they have of beating ManU, but they're boosted at least by the return of Deco.

-Avram Grant has started taking drugs, maybe he bought some off Frank Rijkaards dealer, because now he is talking about how he wants Messi and Kaka to the Bridge, saying that he thinks they will come because Chelsea is a big club. Nice one Grant, lie back and take another hit from that bong, and dont hog it, Frankie over there did go halvsies on it with you.

-It looks like Julio Baptista's rollercoaster ride with Real Madrid is coming to an end, Calderon has given permission for 'The Beast' to be finally allowed leave his lair permanently. He is no longer in Schusters long term plans thanks to the return of Wes Sneijder and Guti 'Divesalot' Haz.

-It looks like Juve are interested in Higuain!! How crazy, first they buy Sissoko, and now they are going for arguably the worst finisher in European football. Former world player of the year Fabio Canny is also reported to have recommended Drenthe to the the Turin giants.

-Great news for the Spanish national side, after the European Championships this summer Luis 'racist' Aragones is going to step down as coach of the national side. He will be replaced by the much loved Del Bosque. He has again left Raul 'Blanco' Gonzalez out of the preliminary squad for Euro 08, what a crazy man, at least he hasn't dropped him for a 17 year old...Cough cough Sven. However Aragones feels he is not to old to continue as a manager, and believes he will go on to manage outside of Spain. Thats all well and good Luissss, but dont expect to be getting a contract with arsenal anytime soon!!!! :pac::pac:

-Atleti's Maxi Rodriguez has admitted that he would like to finish his career at with Los Colchoneros. This will no doubt make him an even bigger hero among the Atleti faithful. Also, the most sought after young striker in Europe, Kun Aguero, is staying at Atletico according to president Cerezo. The young 19 year old has been arguably the brightest player in la liga this season, forming one of the most devestating partnerships in Europe along side ex ManU flop Diego Forlan.

-Ronald Koeman's Valencia have clenched the coveted Copa Del Rei trophy after beating Laudrup's Getafe 3-1 last night. Koeman's side took a 2-0 lead by the 10th minute thanks to Alexis and Mata, hope was given back to Getafe when Granero converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time. Getafe fought back, but unfortunately Pato could only parry a long distance effort into the path of Morientes, who sealed the Madrid sides fate. Final score 3-1, but I'd be willing to bet my house, car and family on Koeman being out of a job this summer!

PHB

-Andres Iniesta is out for 3 weeks after picking up and injury a couple of days ago, ruling him out of at least the first game in the CL against ManU. That means Barcelona are missing Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Puyol and Toure is still carrying the knock on his back, he's waiting until the end of the season before getting the hernia operation. Injury plagues could ruin any chance they have of beating ManU, but they're boosted at least by the return of Deco.

That's great news for United. Iniesta and Messi are by far Barcas two best players this season, one of them out and one of them not fully fit is good news.
I hadn't heard Puyol was out? What's that about?

Avram Grant really has started taking drugs. Messi to leave Barca for Chelsea. A joke. Kaka to pick Chelsea over all the other clubs who would be interested in him, Barca, Real, United, Arsenal, joke.

eZe^

Puyol suspended for the first leg!

Mitch Connor

Hopefully Messi will pick up a muscle strain at the weekend...don't want him to play against United.

eZe^

Well, you'll be playing against a Messi and Deco that have at most had one games match fitness. If either of those gets injured your looking to face a Barca B team at the Camp Nou.

Mitch Connor

I'd be happy with that.

Though beating a fully fit barcelona would be great.

eZe^

Im not that worried about the starting 11, even with the injuries, Im just worried about the lack of depth we'll have on the bench, because with all the injuries, people who are usually subs will be starters.

Most Probable Line-up;

---

VV

---

-Zambrotta---Marquez----Milito

---

Abidal-

---

Toure

---

---

Xavi

---

Deco

---

---Messi

---

Etoo

---

Henry

---

That means the bench will only be;

Pinto
Edmilson
Bojan
Gio
Sylvinho
Gudjohnsen
Thuram
Vasquez

No real game changers there besides Bojan. Pity.

DSB

monkey9 wrote: »

Sergio Ramos is into My Chemical Romance??? Surely he should be dropped for the rest of the season and then sent on loan to Shamrock Rovers!!

He'd be killed.

Im not happy about that. I wanted Barca at their strongest so that we could have no excuses about winning or losing. Iniesta is top top quality.

PHB

Screw that Neil1984. I doubt Milan's victory in the CL will be sullied because they played our 2nd string defence. It's a squad game, even in the CL.

eZe^

Oh for F*CK sake. More injury news;

''Bruises for Henry, Zambrotta and Xavi

Henry has bruised his Achilles heel. Zambrotta also took to a knock, this time to his right calf, and was also missing at La Masia. Xavi has bruised his right foot, and was absent too. Víctor Valdés and Eric Abidal were also feeling the effects of the Champions League clash, and worked out in the gym.

And not only were some of the players suffering from the after-effects of the game with Schalke 04 (1-0), but Rijkaard then had a further problem to contend with, the reoccurrence of Marquez’s injury. The Mexican took two knocks to the same foot that he injured in Glasgow and his name was added to the worryingly long list of players with physical problems to contend with.

Seven reserves

As Abidal, Henry, Zambrotta, Xavi, Iniesta and Valdés were all missing along with those with longer term injuries, seven members of Barça B were called upon to make up the numbers, namely Espasandín, Pau, Dimas, Toribio, Chico, Jeffren and Urbano. ''



We're really breaking records this season. Toure, Iniesta, Marquez, Milito, and Etoo need to live in a spa for the next 6 days. This is ridiculous, has a team EVER had this many injuries in one season.

Going into this tie with only 2 CB's, Milito and Thuram. We're dead.

eZe^

eZe^ wrote: »

This is ridiculous, has a team EVER had this many injuries in one season.

Going into this tie with only 2 CB's, Milito and Thuram. We're dead.

Yes, we did last year!!!:D


i wouldnt say you're deaad. fergie may well go to negative town yet.

PHB

PHB wrote: »

Screw that Neil1984. I doubt Milan's victory in the CL will be sullied because they played our 2nd string defence. It's a squad game, even in the CL.

I suppose you're right. I just feel that united are more than capable of beating Barce's best 11 and i wanted to see where we were by testing ourselves against them.

eZe^

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, we did last year!!!:D


i wouldnt say you're deaad. fergie may well go to negative town yet.

Were you also potentially missing players like Xavi and Iniesta. And playing a midfielder and forward who haven't had match experience in months, and had a DM who is putting off getting an operation on his back until the end of the season!!!!???

I was slowly getting optimistic, but this is ridiculous, maybe we should play the game at the Mini Estadi, seems more appropriate seeing as its basically barca b.

PHB

Are they confirmed as out or just doubts?

eZe^

Well they didnt train. So they are definitely doubts.

PHB

Jesus, so :

Puyol is suspended.
Ronaldinho is defo out.
Iniesta is out for 3 weeks!
Messi and Deco are only just returning from injury, and will have at most one game before the first leg.
Henry, Zambrotta, Marquez, Toure, and Xavi are now all doubts after picking up knocks (although most are likely to play)

That said, the league is over, and the entire team will be rested this weekend.

eZe^

PHB wrote: »

Henry, Zambrotta, Marquez, Toure, and Xavi are now all doubts after picking up knocks (although most are likely to play)

We play Espanyol this weekend, so there's no time to rest. It turns out the injury report I looked at is old...

Marquez is the only one who is likely to miss the game completely. Toure wont miss out, its just he's waiting until the end of the season to get an operation, so thats why he hasnt been playing at 100% the past few weeks.

eZe^

eZe^ wrote: »

I was slowly getting optimistic, but this is ridiculous, maybe we should play the game at the Mini Estadi, seems more appropriate seeing as its basically barca b.

Jesus the B's must be good if Eto'o, Messi, Bojan, Zambrotta etc all play for them!!

eZe^

Deleted User wrote: »

Jesus the B's must be good if Eto'o, Messi, Bojan, Zambrotta etc all play for them!!

Again, Messi lacks match fitness, Bojan was playing in the B's just a couple of months ago. Eto'o Ill concede, but sometimes when I watch Zambrotta I wish we demoted him to the B team.

An Citeog

Henry, Iniesta and Marquez all took some part in training today (link). Horrible weather today, so hopefully they all picked up the flu or something!:p

After Barça's performance last weekend, Rijkaard will have to play a strong team, particularly as it's the Barcelona derby. I'm hoping for a tough game on a heavily waterlogged pitch!:D

eZe^

Great news!

Xavi6

From Goal.com -

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=652739

10 Best La Liga Signings This Season -

1) Touré Yaya
2) Daniel Güiza
3) Rubén de la Red/Esteban Granero
4) Giuseppe Rossi
5) Andrés Guardado
6) Pepe
7) Carlos Martins
8) Mata
9) Seydou Keita
10) Simão Sabrosa



http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=651508

10 Worst La Liga Signings This Season -

1) Nikola Žigić
2) Javier Saviola
3) Rio Mavuba
4) Javier Portillo
5) Iván Helguera
6) Gabi/Peter Luccin
7) Asier Del Horno
8) José Antonio Reyes
9) Thierry Henry
10) Arouna Koné

armour87

I think the criticism of Henry is maybe a little harsh but Guiza may be the world signing of the season!

An Citeog

With the Barça-Espanyol derby on tomorrow night, Rijkaard has some big decisions to make. Does he rest his players and keep them fresh for Wednesday night's Champions League tie against Man United or does he play his strongest team and hope they can put in a performance and get back to winning ways?

Not sure what to expect tomorrow night. Espanyol will be really up for the game and I really think the Barça player's focus is on the United game. There's definitely scope for an upset here and an upset it would be. Espanyol haven't won at the Camp Nou since 1982. Barça have most definitely been poor lately, only managing to pick up 6 points from their last 7 games. Espanyol have been even worse, with 11 defeats in their last 14 games. Add to that 2nd top scorer and Espanyol talisman Raúl Tamudo (10 goals in the league and 1 behind Luis Garcia) hasn't scored since January 5th. I really think this game will be too close to call. Both teams have been shocking of late but there's nothing like a derby game to give you that little spark!:D

Anyway, here's hoping for a nice open game of football. Another Messi injury wouldn't be too bad either!:p

eZe^

Full squad to face Espanyol:

Valdés, Pinto, Abidal, Sylvinho, Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Márquez, Touré Yaya, Xavi, Deco, Iniesta, Gudjohnsen, Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Bojan, Giovani.

Iniesta has made a speedy recovery it seems, looks like for Man Utd its going to be potentially Barca's strongest possible line up this season, which is reassuring.

eZe^

Fantastic article from goal.com;
http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=663217



Sky and La Liga: A Loveless Marriage

The decision by broadcasting behemoth SKY to drop live coverage of the Copa Del Rey final has irked many Spanish football fans around the world this week.

The broadcaster’s loveless and seemingly ungrateful relationship with what is a marquis product does appear both arrogant and stupid. We shouldn’t be shocked though.

It is symptomatic of Sky’s in-your-face, uncompromising, cutthroat approach to business that has made it such a powerful force in the broadcasting sector.

What’s more, it isn’t the first time the company has dropped this clanger. Indeed, if my memory serves me correctly, the Copa Del Rey final has been dropped by Sky before. There are also numerous weekends throughout the season when La Liga coverage seems undernourished given the quality of entertainment the competition offers and the worldwide interest. It is notably evident in Sky’s frustrating ‘as live’ coverage (I mean, is there really any point? In the current communication and media age, it’s a concept as outdated as VHS). This is when Sky shift around coverage to a time of the day that suits them, or over-focus on Real Madrid and Barcelona to the extent that non-live coverage of the Clasico couple usurps live action of other matches.

This recent move is not a major departure from past behaviour, but that doesn’t make it any less noteworthy and worthy of debate. There’s an interesting and somewhat paradoxical tug of war at play where Sky seem to be cutting off their nose to spite their face, and where, partly by definition and partly by accident, their Spanish coverage trumps that of their Ace card and favoured pupil in class, the Premiership.

As we all know, England’s Premier League is the Sky’s golden ticket. Not only is it the most lucrative member in the corporation’s bristling arsenal of sporting events, it’s effectively Sky’s baby. Rupert Murdoch’s multinational made the Premiership the beast it is today. It all means an overt bias and lessening of journalistic integrity in Sky’s coverage. It ensures the company spend an exorbitant amount of time marketing the Premiership, and blurs the line between the reporting and promotion of the competition, such is the inclination to get the veritable pom poms out for the “insert superlative” league in the world.

Broadcasting the game in Spain has been a huge success for Sky. This has been particularly the case this decade, because when they picked up coverage in the nineties Serie A was still in its pomp, before viewing figures dropped in the 21st century.

Any other sports broadcaster would be mad keen to market and cover La Liga to saturation point, but Sky have, as mentioned above, other priorities. That tunnel vision gives rise to ignorance and evidently some disrespect for Spanish football, as well as the watching fans, because the company see La Liga as either incomparably subservient to the Premiership or as competition for it. As a product then, La Liga appears to be both a real boon and a slight threat. Either way, Sky’s Copa crap out doesn’t look good for one of the world’s premier sports broadcasters.

It’s a shame, because La Liga is a great competition, and a great product. It’s a competition that for many surpasses the Premiership in quality and entertainment terms. People have different tastes in football - just as they do for everything else they enjoy - a basic human trait that renders the ‘best league in the world’ debate largely weightless. Crucially, La Liga coverage is presented with far less drama. The event carries the show, not the bells and whistles of the build up.

Those individuals that have covered Spanish football for Sky over the years have done a decent job of it. Sure, they could do more, though they have far less time on air and almost certainly less resources than their Premiership counterparts. They also seem to genuinely enjoy the football, quite possibly because there isn’t the relentless pressure to plug the show. It improves the coverage for the viewer. There’s no hard sell, no feeling it is a corporate event. It is far more relaxed and personable. As a result, the enthusiasm and interest of the presenters, reporters and pundits transfer to the viewers more freely and genuinely.

Most of all, the punditry of La Liga is far better than that of the Premiership because journalists are used just as much, if not more, than ex footballers. This was probably deemed a necessity by Sky, in attempting to provide specialist expert knowledge on foreign football to often insular British fans (an insularity the corporation has helped to create), and it works extremely well.

Anybody and everybody can be a Sky Premiership pundit, providing they have kicked a ball professionally. Far too many of their studio guests, all ex-footballers, offer absolutely no insight whatsoever. They appear in tokenistic fashion, talking in circles and clichés, just as current players are taught to do though media training, essentially as an indirect, two-pronged gagging tool. It stops players making regrettable comments while preventing the interviewer/journalists from writing an interesting story; such is the meaninglessness and nullifying effect of the player’s response. Unfortunately, many of the current Premiership pundits do precisely the same, forgetting that they are supposed to be interesting, original and incisive – an expert.

The most memorable and entertaining instances of Premiership punditry and ‘expert’ opinion in Sky’s coverage comes during their Soccer Saturday Show, but that is primarily because the observations and behaviour of the panel could easily be replicated by the mentally incompetent inmates in the seventies film One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. It works better as comedy or farce than a sports show.

The end result of all of this is that Sky’s La Liga coverage too often bites the dust because of economic and branding interests, and it is almost certainly not the only competition or sport that suffers. For now, I’m afraid, not much is likely to change. That said, the more fans or (as Sky would view it) consumers voice their discontent, and the more La Liga is pushed into the back of beyond, the likelihood of better coverage or a challenge to Sky’s broadcasting exclusivity will hopefully increase.

KdjaCL

Bitter article by a bitter man, Soccer Saturday is without doubt the greatest footballing tv show ever.

i agree there should be a Soccer El Saturdayo style show BUT in SPAIN, sky are english so english football is their baby quite rightly.

I would like to see better coverage of la liga, would also like to see better coverage of Eircom league but as long as sky milk the cash cow its not gonna happen and tbh i dont blame Sky. La Liga is a niche and fact most on here (cept me) watch streams of la liga to see their teams proves it really(the whoel spoiler incidents spring to mind:mad:).


As regards transfers Sevilla selling Fabiano Alves and Capel for 100 million or so and spending 5 of it on Diomansi Kamara off West Brom.

kdjac

eZe^

Just heard from a mate that Etoo reportedly stated if Barca don't win a trophy next season he will be leaving the Camp Nou.... Thought he had more heart than that... Why does he always come out and say one ridiculously stupid thing every year.


http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJQwI977BM-cH32XLY6J4keKRJoQ

Its true.

Could somebody tell me when it stopped being the obligation of the players to deliver titles for the club and started being the other way round? If Etoo wants titles he should f*cking well work for them and honour his contract.

An Citeog

eZe^ wrote: »

Just heard from a mate that Etoo reportedly stated if Barca don't win a trophy next season he will be leaving the Camp Nou.... Thought he had more heart than that... Why does he always come out and say one ridiculously stupid thing every year.


http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJQwI977BM-cH32XLY6J4keKRJoQ

Its true.

Could somebody tell me when it stopped being the obligation of the players to deliver titles for the club and started being the other way round? If Etoo wants titles he should f*cking well work for them and honour his contract.

Yeah, I caught a snippet of that interview on TV earlier on. Don't think it was that bad tbh, All he said is that he wants to win trophies and if he can't do that at Barça, then he'll do it somewhere else. At United hopefully!:p

eZe^

La Liga Loca!

Monday's Good Day, Bad Day - Round 33

Monday 21 April 2008 11:38
Good Day
Levante

Ah. It's been another vintage year for the goons nominally in charge of the game in Spain.

Changing kick off times and locations the day before matches. Doing diddly squat about the TV wars. Forgetting all about Betis' punishment. Tucking the Copa del Rey final away to a handy Thursday two in the morning slot...

But their biggest triumph must be having completely ignored the pecuniary plight of lowly Levante. Quite how the situation can arise when the players of a top flight club can go unpaid for over a year without either the league, FA or even unions dragging themselves away from their 10 course dinners to do anything about it is anyone's guess.

If the Levante players follow up on their threat to strike on Sunday then all power to their footballing elbows. Two wins on the trot have won the players a huge amount of respect and praise from the Spanish press. And all deserved.

As the t-shirts worn by the squad as they came out onto the pitch read - "Solutions Now!"

Espanyol

In the wonderful world of Espanyol not losing is considered a good day, so here's happy-chappy Paul from Barcelona.

"A thoroughly deserved point for Espanyol against the self-proclaimed biggest club in the world. We defended so well against a team who never seriously looked like scoring. Zabaleta was fantastic, Kameni made up for his howler last week.

Even with the introduction of Messi, Barça were still poor though not as poor as their supporters.

What a shower of ***** (answers on a postcard). At home, in a local derby and they get out-sung by around 800 Espanyol fans. Our worst turnout for years but a lot of people did boycott the match in protest against recent performances.

I met a group of lads from Swindon who said they were so shocked by how quiet it was. Rumour has it Barça will be sponsored by Kleenex next season judging by the amount of hankies being waved about. In fairness it wasn't a great match but a moral victory for Espanyol."

Paul, Barcelona

Real Madrid

The post match a'leaping and a'laughing celebrations from the Real Madrid players may have been a little on the premature side, but they are understandable considering that the Racing clash was a match that many - including this blog - expected Real Madrid to lose on Sunday.

Instead, it was the best away performance for some time with some swoon and swagger returning to their game. And maybe that was because Guti wasn't on the pitch to slow the game down to a snail's pace as he muses over which pass to pick.

A win on Sunday against Athletic and a defeat for both Villarreal and Barcelona means that it will be curtains on this year's title 'race' next weekend. And thank merciful Zeus for that, says La Liga Loca.

Villarreal

A victory at last after two disappointing defeats. "Our obligation is to finish second," says Manuel Pellegrini. Villarreal's obligation is to not roll over like fluffy, wuffy kittens when things start to get a little sweaty.

Dani Güiza

Has now broken the record for most goals scored by a Mallorca player in a season with a hat-trick on Sunday bringing the diamond Güiza up to 21 and hot on the heels of a failing Fabiano at Sevilla.

The Mallorcan magician should still be selected ahead of Raul for Euro 2008 no matter what a moaning Marca is saying, purely on the grounds that he scowls considerably less and his goal celebration is not as fingernail-tearingly annoying. Although not by much mind.

Deportivo

The side's six man defence serves them well yet again with a victory over Osasuna that even Miguel Angel Lotina says was a trifle undeserved - especially because of an iffy penalty.

Incredibly, Deportivo have had a second half of the season that would see them in the Champions League places if it had been repeated in the first. But, that's a big if.

Unai Emery

Perhaps the best sight of the weekend was the sight of a rain-soaked Unai Emery leaping around the touchline like a lagered-up loon as all four of his side's strikes against Sevilla slammed home.

Ricardo Oliveira

Finally the on-loan Brazilian striker remembered where the goal was after firing blanks for the past three games. His two goal haul was enough to keep Zaragoza out of some serious relegation do-do. At least for this week anyway.

Betis

Looks like Paco Chaparro managed to drag his players back from the mental tropical island they had all gone to.

33 points from 19 matches for potty Paco and Manuel Ruiz de Lopera is still contemplating whether to renew his manic manager's contract or not. It's not as if he will have alternative options queuing around the block to sign him up over the summer.

Bad Day

Barcelona

As La Liga Loca wrote elsewhere - Surrender Monkeys.

And it has nothing more to say on the subject.

Atlético Madrid

There were two very loud noises in Madrid this weekend. One was the calor gas van at seven in the frickin' morning with what sounded like a game of bowls with the canisters being played by the driver. The second was the boos and barracks floating up the hill from the mad-as-hell maniacs at the Vicente Calderón.

The rojiblancos are currently riding their luck in their Champions League chase. Despite letting a lead go in the last minute against Valladolid and crashing to a dreadful defeat against Betis on Saturday they are still in prime position to be knocked out by Viddvolvv Krz in the Champions League qualifiers thanks to the footballing failures of Racing and Sevilla this weekend.

"I'm just one more manager who had handkerchiefs being waved him," shrugged Javier Aguirre who must have a sneaky feeling that Atlético's traditional season-ending balls up is now well underway.

Getafe

Not quite in crisis mode, but a run of no wins in five and just one goal scored suggest that the season is turning as sour as La Liga Loca's last attempt to make risotto.

"The team is affected by the cup final and that's human," admitted Michael Laudrup after Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Levante.

Just one more victory should drag a clearly exhausted Getafe over the finishing line. And with pathetico Atlético as the next visitors to the Coliseum they may not have too long a wait to do it.

Sevilla

No idea what's going on down there at the Sánchez Pizjuán. And nor does Manolo Jiménez who looked like a man on the brink of blubbing on Saturday night.

Valencia

Pathetic. Rubbish. Shameless. Useless. Abject. But most of all, very, very funny.

Osasuna

La Liga Loca was watching the Real Madrid game with a couple of exiled Osasuna fans on Sunday night. And they told the blog two things.

No, Osasuna won't be going down. And no, the home fans will not be giving the Real Madrid players a warm hand on their entrance if they turn up to their formidable fortress as champions. They may have some commemorative cigarette lighters to take home with them though.

Marca says that Osasuna are going through Groundhog Day. But without the ice-sculpting. Instead, the side are dominating games but missing chances and coming away with nothing to show for their work.

---

=================================================================
Barca - Tomato-Eating Surrender Monkeys
"We're not in the ideal position to win the league", admitted Frank Rijkaard, on Saturday night, after the dourest of goalless draws against Espanyol, at Camp Nou.

As understatements go, it rivalled rogue trader, Jerome Kerviel, asking his SG bosses if his billion dollar blunder was "going to look bad" on his appraisal.

Yet again, Barcelona had served up a display limper than a handshake from Larry Grayson and had left Real Madrid eight points clear at the top of the table, with their match against Racing Santander still to play on Sunday night.

And yet again, Barcelona had failed to win a game against opposition who brought less to the party than a tight-fisted agoraphobic.

On Saturday night, Espanyol were so primed for a pummelling the players could have turned up with targets painted on their shirts.

Having spent a very merry Christmas in the Champions League places, the poor old Pericos have since had a dismal time in the Primera.

Ernesto Valverde's men had picked up just nine points from forty two before Saturday's derby - a lamentable record that would have seen the manager booted into touch, according Valverde himself, had it not been for a spectacular first round record.

But Barcelona have not been faring much better.

Allegations from a club official of injuries being faked and the likes of Deco, Ronaldinho and Rafael Marquez being sidelined ran in parallel with the poorest performances on the pitch, with the Catalan club only managing seven points from the previous twenty-four.

Before Saturday night's match, the admirably optimistic Rijkaard claimed that, "miracles happen, if you believe in them".

On Sunday morning, the Dutch coach would have been gloomily munching on his pan con tomate reading of rebellion in the Catalan-crazed press.

"It was more of the same," sighed world-weary Josep Maria Casanova in Sport. "Impotency, frustration and bad play" wrote the columnist on the derby.

And not on his post-partido marital machinations, as the Freud-obsessed Spanish Thing first assumed.

It was an opinion mirrored in a gleeful Marca who wrote that Barcelona 'have thrown in the towel' on domestic glory and are only focussed on the Champions League.

And that was clear with Rijkaard's starting line up on Saturday night.

Whilst the Catalan press noted that Manchester United chose to play a near full strength team against Blackburn, Barcelona left Eric Abidal, Andrés Iniesta, Deco, Leo Messi and Thierry Henry on the bench - the latter suffering from a fever, according to his manager.

But after a typically lacklustre first half which produced a paltry two shots on target for the home side, Rijkaard decided to chuck the ever impressive Iniesta onto the pitch after the break, along with his miracle-maker, Messi.

The results were almost immediate with the Argentine causing more chaos and carnage in the opening minute that the likes of Eidur Gudjohnsen and Giovani had managed over the previous forty-five.

'We need 11 Messis', yelled the headline in Sport, on Sunday, and they were quite right - although the midget-magician would need Hulk-like quantities of growth hormone to fill in at centre back.

The performance of Messi put some lead into the footballing pencil of the home side and confirmed Carlos Tevez's recent declaration that "Barcelona is one thing with Messi and another without him."

From the off, he was hounding the Espanyol rearguard and starting to make things happen. But his display merely showed how lopsided and one-dimensional the current Barcelona side is without Ronaldinho on the left.

With suggestions that his current six week lay injury off is hokum and reports that the Brazilian slept on the bus during a recent training away-day before joining the party for a bonding BBQ, d'inho is unlikely to appear in that place ever again.

Instead, its a role that Bojan Krkic had to fill on Saturday night, and it was a complete waste of the youngster's fox in the box prowess.

What is causing most frustration to the fans - who again waved handkerchieves, papers and plastic bags at the Barça board, despite Sport's ridiculous claims that the referee was the true target of their tears and jeers - is the meek manner of their players' performances.

The squad is still outrageously talented but barring a few honourable exceptions seems to posses stomachs for a finger buffet, but not for a fight.

Last season, a Capello-inspired Real Madrid won ten of their last twelve games to grab the title from Barcelona's clutches in an incredible title charge.

But with the roles reversed this year, the depressing defeatism at the Catalan club from is evident with Barça managing just one win in their last eight matches and losing more leads than a forgetful Barbara Woodhouse.

And it is a run that has allowed Real Madrid to limp towards the league title, almost challenged - a title they will win should they beat Athletic Bilbao next weekend, and Barça and Villarreal both lose.

With European football being the funny old beast that it is, Barcelona clearly cannot be discounted over their two testing ties with Manchester United.

Man for man, they are a more than a match for Sir Fergie's footballers. But unless the Catalan club adds some pace, power - but more importantly - pride to their performances over the two legs, they could be on the end of spanking so severe even Max Mosely would flinch.

With Samuel Eto'o admitting on Sunday that he would leave the club if it looked there were no more titles to be won and the protests from the Ultra groups becoming more fearsome by the day, defeat for Joan Laporta's players against Manchester United is simply not an option.

"I can still imagine us winning in Moscow" said the club president on Saturday night.

Looks like he's not the only one who believes in miracles.
===========
hahaha

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3457369,00.html


Was only a matter of time really, Valencia are riskin losing a lot of players this summer Id imagine.

Dont be at yourself

Valencia's run-in is tough as nails. They've got Barca and Atheleti, as well as a crucial 6-pointer against Zaragoza.

Albelda, Canizares and Angulo have all been brought back into the fold, but will they be match fit? How badly will they want to save the club after their treatment?

eZe^

Ex Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has stated his interest of managing either the Blaugrana or Real Madrid. With Calderon backing Schuster for at least another season with the possibility of winning the league title tonight, it seems that Barcelona may get the Portuguese manager.

The ‘Special One’ has been a free agent since leaving Chelsea earlier this season and reports have constantly linked him with both Milan and Inter. However it seems as if Mourinho wants to return to the Blaugrana - the club where he learned his trade working alongside Sir Bobby Robson as a translator during the mid-nineties - or their arch-rivals and current La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
“Barcelona are a fantastic club and I enjoyed my time there,” Mourinho told ABC.
“I don’t know if my future will be to train Barcelona or to play against them.
“What I know for sure is that I would like to return to the Blaugrana.”
Mourinho also revealed his penchant for Barcelona’s bitter rivals, Real Madrid and the former Blues tactician revealed that he wouldn’t mind sending some time on the Santiago Bernabeu bench.
“Every coach would like to train Real Madrid, I am not the only one,” concluded Mourinho.
With Barcelona under par domestically and with Real Madrid stumbling in Europe the door at either club is likely to be open come the end of the season. There have been rumours suggesting that Rijkaard’s time in the Catalan city is up and if they fail in their Champions League bid then Mourinho could arrive sooner rather than later.

An Citeog

No thread for this weekend's La Liga fixtures, KdjaCL must be away!:D No point in starting one now, so I'll just post in here.

I was at the Espanyol-Zaragoza game earlier today. Finished 1-1 but it nearly bored me to tears. So much for attacking Spanish football!:p Riera's cross come shot was an absolute peach of a goal and Oliveira got Zaragoza's goal from the penalty spot. Not much of a match report but bar a couple of long range efforts and Luis Garcia failing to connect with the ball when the goal was gaping, there really wasn't much to write home about.

First half of the Madrid-Atlethic match was very good. End to end football, some unbelievable saves from Casillas (including a penalty), chances for both teams adn a goal from Saviola after the keeper failed to hold onto a shot. Madrid bossed the game in the second half though and within minutes of Robben and Higuain coming on, both had scored. Finished 3-0 and the title is all but mathematically Madrids: 10 points ahead with 4 games to play. Will it be enough to keep Schuster in his job though?

delija_sever029

Rijkaard said Ronaldinho definitly leaving Barcelona this summer,Manchester city offering 40mill and Milan 15mill,but Ronaldinho said he want to play for Milan and no other club and barcelona should make agreement with italians....

CorkMan

Good to see other La Liga followers here! I have been following it all the time for 6 years, such a league.

Casillas showed he is the best goalie in the world once against last night, pure inspiration!