La Liga Transfer Rumours and General Chat

gimmick

Yes, it is in Barcelona. This could be the job. How do I go about the hotel route? Ring it?

eZe^

I got tickets to it last year but that was because some of my family are Soci's and have a few connections over there. It's by no means impossible, you just have to be quick.


Barca beat Boca Juniors yesterday in the Gamper Cup. They were 1-0 down when they brought on Xavi, Iniesta and Eto'o. They were still 1-0 down in the 91st minute, when Puyol equalised, and then a minute later Eto'o scored the winner. I'm liking this new never say die attitude. Don't think our team is a strong as Madrids, there's perhaps alot of youth, but if Eto'o gets back to his best I can see us with a stiff title challenge.

eZe^

Second leg of the Spanish Supercup tonight;

Real Madrid will be hoping they can overturn the 3-2 deficit in their home leg against Valencia in what should be called 'the jinxed cup'. Madrid seem to always lose the Super Cup in spectacular fashion.

Emery will hopefully marshall his troops to a win in the Bernabeu.


Probable formation;

---

casillas

---

ramos----pepe----heinze

---

drenthe-

---

diarra

---

de la red

---

robben

---

van der vaart-

---

raul

---

nistelrooy

---

---

Hildebrand

---

-Miguel----Albiol---Alexis---Moretti---

---

Albelda---Baraja

---

----Mata

---

Joaquin----

---

Villa

---

Silva

---

herbieflowers

I thought Drenthe was more of an attacking midfielder - looked good at the Olympics.

eZe^

herbieflowers wrote: »

I thought Drenthe was more of an attacking midfielder - looked good at the Olympics.

He is, but for Madrid, he has only been employed as a wingback because they lack depth there. However, if the departure of Robinho goes through, and the inevitable fact that Robben is made of glass, he will probably get his opportunity as a winger this season.

eZe^

David Silva with a beauty from outside the box...

1-0.

Jaysus he really is sh*te, not a patch on Nani.. :pac:


Edit- Van Der Vaart red card..

eZe^

What a game.....


Real Madrid were 1 nil down, with 10 men. Nistelrooy converted a penatly to equalise, then got sent off... Next Heinze put 9 man Madrid ahead on away goals. De La Red just scored an absolute screamer from 30 yards out...


Madrid winning 3-1, 5-4 on aggregate. Great game.


Edit- 4-1, Higuain... 9 man Madrid...


Double Edit- 4-2, Morientes.. If they score one more in a minute Valencia can win the cup.. Hahahahah, god I LOVE La Liga.

eZe^

Rivaldo is heading to Uzbekistan. Remember how earlier this summer Kuruvchi announced they were signing Samuel Eto'o? Everyone thought it was a joke but then it turned out that, while he's not going to play there, he along with Xavi and Iniesta paid visits to the club as part of a new partnership? Well it turns out they settled on Rivaldo!


Barca squad for Wisla game:

Goalkeepers: V.Valdes, Pinto, Miño

Defenders: E.Abidal, D.Alves, M.Caceres, R.Márquez, G.Pique, C.Puyol, Sylvinho

Midfielders: Xavi, A.Iniesta, A.Hleb, S.Keita, Y.Toure

Strikers: Bojan, S.Eto'o, T.Henry, E.Gudjohnsen, Pedro


Strong squad, glad he rested Messi, doubt we'll lose 5-0.

Team hopefully is;

---

Pornstar hair

---

--Alves

---

Marquez

---

Puyol

---

Cacares----

---

Keita

---

Toure

---

---

Xavi

---

---

Etoo

---

Henry

---

Pedro

---

Although realistically it'll be Iniesta for Toure, Abidal for Cacares, and Hleb for Etoo.

eZe^

Glad to see I'm not the only contributor to this

Ok, so the Liga starts this weekend. It looks like Real Madrid are overwhelming favourites with their current squad, their midfield is in my opinion only rivaled by Chelsea...

Arsenal need central midfielders, well, Reals list is almost endless- Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Guti, Gago, Diarra, De La Red, and Javi Garcia. They beat Sporting Lisbon 5-3 today in the Santiago Bernabeu trophy, despite fielding their 2nd string midfield, aswell as both 2nd and 3rd choice goal keepers. Robben looks unstoppable, Higuain looks to be rekindling his finishing ability from River Plate. De La Red is fast becoming one of the best CMF's in the world. Van Der Vaart is integrating absolutely flawlessly also it seems. If they sign Huntelaar they will have a complete squad. Marcelo looks to be taking on the 'new Roberto Carlos' role well also. In out and out wingers they have Robben, Drenthe and at the moment Robinho. They still have the lethal combination of Nistelrooy and Raul.

The team that faced Lisbon;

1st half;

---

Dudek

---

Ramos

---

Metz

---

Pepe

---

Marcelo

---

Gago

---

Guti

---

---

Robben

---

VDV

---

---

Raul

---

Higuain

---

2nd half;
second half line up

---

Codina

---

Torres

---

Canna

---

Javi

---

Marcelo

---

Diarra

---

de la red

---

VDV

---

Drenthe

---

Higuain

---

Ruud

They were 5-1 up at half time, that's why they drastically changed the team.



Atletico are finally in the CL again, and as 4th place seeds they will have a tough time getting out of their group, but with Aguero and Forlan they have a real shot. 4-0 against Schalke, lovely finish by Forlan for the 2nd;

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1512135/



Worrying times ahead as a Barca supporter in my opinion.

However, at least signs are showing that we are moving onwards and upwards, which is the most important thing if we want to win Liga's. I would love if we signed Di Maria from Benfica, but it seems he will be staying their for at least one more season. That means that next year we will hopefully be in the running for Di Maria and Benzema. I'd like if we bought one more player for the left sided role, perhaps if Arshavins price has come down he'd be a good shout.

Team for next season;

---

Valdes/ Pinto/ Joquera

---

-Sylvinho/ Alves/ Abidal/ Puyol/ Pique/ Marquez/ Milito/ Cacares/ Busquets

----DMF

---

Keita/ Marquez/ Toure

---

---

AMF

---

Xavi/Iniesta/Hleb/Keita

---

----SS/ W

---

Henry/ Bojan/ Messi/ Pedro/ Hleb/ Iniesta/ Gudjohnsen

---

----CF/ ST

---

Etoo/ Henry/ Bojan/ Gudjohnsen

---

Nice amount of depth I guess, a bit of youth, some B-Teamers.

Charlie

Looks as if Newcastle are close to tieing up a move for Depor's Xisco. I have to admit that I haven't seen anything of this guy, but he sounds a cracking prosprect.

Can anyone of you La Liga heads shed any light on what he is like?

Cheers.

eZe^

Xisco is meh really...



Barca with a 6-1 mauling of Sporting Gijon...


1 goal and 3 assists for Xavi.
1 goal and 2 assists for Iniesta.
2 goals and one assist for Messi.
Etoo with a goal.
2 set-piece goals.
4 goals from headers..


All in all, a good away win for Barca.

Watching madrid - Gijon at the moment. jesus van der Caart looks amazing. scored a beut of a backhel, his first goal was a lovely volley on the back of 3 secy passes and his 3rd was a cool finish.

Missed Barca cos I was catching up on prison Break and forgot about les Cules but heard it was a cracking game. Gonna Sky + the highlights at 2 o clock tonight.

7-1 in the end to Madrid. Rauls lob was unbelievable. That said Gijon are rubbish and make everyone look good. Still, when teams like Madrid are made look good they look GREAT. Sad to say that as a Barca fan though!

gimmick

Enjoyed the extended highlights of the Barca Betis game. Barcas defence is muck, but then, I believe any side with Marquez as a centre half are not going to be that good. Gudjohnsen did excellent when he came on abd got a cracker of a goal. Messi and Eto'o working well together.

Big test V Espanyol this weekend. A test which I see Barca failing unfortunately and Espanyol getting the win.

mike65

Streamed some of the Madrid - HeHo game, it was like watching Arsenals kids!

Mike

yahoo_moe

Deleted User wrote: »

Gijon are rubbish and make everyone look good.

They really are absolute muck - the amount of ball that went undefended through the centre of their defence in the Barca game and now the Real game was unreal...

~Rebel~

Just watching Valencia and Depor now, and i know we all know it already, but christ what a player Villa is! Just makes it look so natural and easy. He's just got everything.

eZe^

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Just watching Valencia and Depor now, and i know we all know it already, but christ what a player Villa is! Just makes it look so natural and easy. He's just got everything.

Agreed, and he is so underrated by people that don't know La Liga. It's a shame really.

gimmick

@ Eze^, a gang of us are headed over for the Barca Depor game in January. I have asked on the FCBES site re tickets and they say it would be an easy walk in on the day. What would your learned opinion on the matter be?

eZe^

You'll have no problem getting tickets man, there are kiosks all over Barna selling tickets to those games. It's only the really big games against Espanyol/ Real/ Valencia etc that you'll have trouble getting. Hope you have a good time! Barna is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

gimmick

Ya, I ahve been a few times to Barcelona. Never for a game though, unless you count Espanyol Vs Recre which was an awful awful affair. Great place. Looking forward to actually seeing a game in the Camp Nou rather than just doing the tour.

eZe^ why is it you call it "Barna?" And excuse my ignorance in advance!

eZe^

Deleted User wrote: »

eZe^ why is it you call it "Barna?" And excuse my ignorance in advance!

Barna is just a shortened version of Bar-celo-na. It's what locals use to refer to the city. Barça is then used when talking about FC Barcelona...

eZe^

eZe^ wrote: »

Barna is just a shortened version of Bar-celo-na. It's what locals use to refer to the city. Barça is then used when talking about FC Barcelona...

Thanks I wasn't aware of that! Must brush up on my Spanish phrases (of which I have none :pac:)!! Looking like February/March to go over so it'll be one of these I'd say:

17/18 Jan Barcelona v Deportivo

24/25 Jan Barcelona v Numancia

7/8 Feb Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

21/22 Feb Barcelona v Espanyol:eek::cool::D

7/8 Mar Barcelona v Athletic

eZe^

You'd want to be trying to make connections with some soci's or whatever if you want tickets to the Catalan derby Neil man! I would personally recommend going to the Gijon game for a number of reasons;


A)It'll be your first time seeing Barca play at the Nou Camp where you are 100% there supporter. It'll be much easier to get tickets for this game.

B)Who wants to see their team lose when it's your first time seeing them in the flesh! I can guarantee you this game will be a goals fest!


Neil, tone down the speak of 'Spanish' over there, remember these people are Catalans! :D:pac:


Catalunya no es Espana!!!!! Hahahaha

eZe^

eZe^ wrote: »

You'd want to be trying to make connections with some soci's or whatever if you want tickets to the Catalan derby Neil man! I would personally recommend going to the Gijon game for a number of reasons;


A)It'll be your first time seeing Barca play at the Nou Camp where you are 100% there supporter. It'll be much easier to get tickets for this game.

B)Who wants to see their team lose when it's your first time seeing them in the flesh! I can guarantee you this game will be a goals fest!


Neil, tone down the speak of 'Spanish' over there, remember these people are Catalans! :D:pac:


Catalunya no es Espana!!!!! Hahahaha

Yea man I'm pretty much looking at Gijon or maybe Numancia. Hence the smileys after the derby in my post! No chance a n00b like me would get tickets!

Lose? At home...to espanyol......eZe^ don;t you know the bragging rights currently dictate that concept be dismissed out of hand! :pac:

LOL dude i know, sorry, my Catalan dialect, I stand corrected! :P


Més Que Un Club

Third_Echelon

Yeah, always been meaning to get over to a game myself alright...

Boards road trip anyone?

eZe^

Lets do it.. I was planning on going over around late August to see the Gamper trophy game against Boca Juniors, but it fell to pieces...



An away game in the Ukraine tonight is going to be a toughy, but hopefully we can go on a winning streak, win the group comfortably and worry about the league until the K.O rounds come around...

eZe^

Barca were poo but won again.... Now I know how Madrid fans felt under Capello with their 2-1 last minute snatchers!!!!! :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

bohsman

I may well be up for a trip for a match. Had no problem getting tickets for a Barca Valencia match around 2-3 seasons ago.

I'd be up for it as it would give me people to cheer with! :pac:

Great win tonight, I havent seen the game (only the last goal) as I was out but yet another comeback and another show of mettle from this team. Thats one thing Pep seems to have really instilled in the team. Hopefully when the team click and gel a bit better this will really stand to them.

Delighted.

eZe^

Anyone see Exteberria's gesture to Athletic Bilbao? He is going to play his last season at his club for free. Classy player, and Bilbao have always been a club I truely respect, and it's a pity that the way commercial football has gone that they were forced to get a shirt sponsor.



''Joseba Etxeberria has signed a one-year contract extension with Athletic Bilbao which will see him play the final season of his career for nothing.
The former Spain international agreed the deal with his current contract due to expire at the end of this season.
Etxeberria said he wanted to end his career as an Athletic player, adding: "I wanted to do this gesture but never did I want to set a precedent."
Midfielder Etxeberria, 31, joined the club from Real Sociedad aged 17.


He hopes to reach the landmark of having played 500 games when he retires after a 15-year career at San Mames.
"It's an idea I've had for years," added Etxeberria, who played at the 1998 World Cup and two European Championships for Spain.
Club president Fernando Garcia Macua said: "From the club's standpoint there are not words enough to thank such a gesture."''

eZe^

Wenger: Walcott Has Edge On Messi


Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is convinced that Theo Walcott can go on to become a better player than Barcelona's Argentine prodigy Lionel Messi.


While Messi, 21, is widely regarded as one of the very best players on the planet, Walcott, 19, is just coming into his own, and has shot to superstardom courtesy of his hat-trick against Croatia last month.

“He’s different [to Messi at that age] and I think he’s more,” Wenger said at a press conference on Friday.

“If you have to look for a weakness in Messi you would say it is his ability to run without the ball, behind the defender.

“When he takes the ball to his feet he’s like a Ferrari. But Theo is more a guy who has the timing to run off the ball and that is something that is difficult to find.

“We had Marc Overmars who was especially good at that and I’m a great, great lover of movement off the ball.”

Wenger went on to credit Walcott's rapid development to a weight training regime they put him on since he first arrived as a very scrawny 16-year-old.

"He is a man now in the fight," he said. "You feel he has much more power than a year ago, or six months ago.

"We do a bit of strengthening of the upper body but not weights, because I believe in football it's more about coordination.

"Weights make you more rigid and coordination makes you more flexbile and Walcott is a guy who has natural power. He will naturally become a strong upper body player."








OHLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not even the blindest fan can admit something as ridiculous as this. The ONLY think Walcott has over Messi is raw pace off the ball.

eZe^

Barcelona have FC Basel up next in the Champions League. One of Barcelona's founders Gamper was a captain of FC Basel before moving to Spain, so that's where we got our blue/ red colours. It'll great to come up against our blaugrana brothers.....






Think both teams can wear the same home kits? :pac::pac:

eZe^

"Barcelona to bid for Miami MLS franchise
Spanish football giants Barcelona are to launch a bid to become co-owners of a US Major League Soccer franchise in partnership with Bolivian entrepreneur, Marcelo Claure.

Barcelona: Set for Miami counterparts?

The giant Catalan club will announce details of their plan to form a new MLS side in Miami on Wednesday, when the deadline expires for applications for two new expansion teams to be added for the 2011 season.

''The idea is to set up an investment company involving FC Barcelona and a Bolivian entrepreneur living in Miami, Marcelo Claure, who is the chief of an investment group featuring Americans and citizens of different South American countries,'' the club revealed in a statement.

''Claure is already the owner of FC Bolivar, with whom FC Barcelona already collaborate. The company's sole aim right now is present an application for a franchise and promote it to the MLS''.

"The company's sole aim right now is present an application for a franchise and promote it to MLS," the Barca statement continued. "If the candidature is successful, the company will become a reality, otherwise it will fold."

At present the MLS is contested by 14 teams but expansion plans will see that figure grow to 16 with new franchises in Seattle and Philadelphia joining the league in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The MLS want new franchises to play at 'soccer-specific' venues - stadia specifically built for the game - and Barcelona have said they have already held talks with Florida International University to that end.

''The most likely solution will be Florida International University, with whom negotiations are already at a late stage as the potential club seeks to use the facility for at least the first two years of its existence,'' the club said.

If successful in its bid Barcelona are expected to name to the Miami franchise after the Catalan club itself, and will view the MLS as an opportunity to expand the Barcelona brand into the United States.

Miami, and the state of Florida, have been without MLS football since 2001 when the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny franchises lost their places when the league was reduced in size.

The Fusion were founded in 1998 but failed to establish itself, with many citing the fact that the club's stadium was based in the neighbouring city of Fort Lauderdale, a long journey for the urban Latin community the league had hoped to attract.

Cities including Atlanta, Portland, St. Louis, Vancouver and Ottawa have also expressed an interest in gaining an MLS franchise on 2011."


So how do you people view this, a shrewd marketing scheme or a waste of time and money? Is this another side of the mass commercialisation of 'soccer'? Are F.C Barcelona now sell-outs in your eyes? Or will this be good for global soccer? Barcelona seem to be one of the first European heavy weights to be interested in expanding to the American market, like some Mexican teams have already done.

Personally, I have differing opinions in my head, and it depends on how F.C Barcelona approach the implementation of this idea that will be the deal clincher for me. If Barcelona set up the team and use it as a better base to develop their best youth stars and a mix of good American's then I'll be all for it.

However talking to some Canadian and other Barcelona supporting and MLS supporting people, they are opposed to it, as it means that the chances of a local team like 'The Impact' (Montreal or something) joining the MLS get lower. If this team will prevent quality teams that already exist in the remit of the MLS then I'm against the idea.

yahoo_moe

eZe^ wrote: »

a shrewd marketing scheme and a waste of time and money

Or possibly the above? But like you say, it all depends on how they approach it. I find it very hard to believe it's a pure footballing decision - if it is, they'd have to be taking a very long-term approach and accept that it won't produce usable American players or work as a testing ground for the main club for years (at present, I'd imagine playing with the B team in the Segunda Division would be far superior for any young player's development).

I'd imagine it's mainly a financial decision in trying to take cash in on the fact that Miami would have a very sizeable Hispanic population (about 60% or so) - I don't think Barca would be making this move if Miami had a team already but, say, New York had no MLS franchise.

eZe^

Oh I agree, we live in a highly commercialised world nowadays, so of course this decision is mainly financial, and I don't have a problem with that, considering the fact we have hugeeee debts before the Frank Rijkaard era. I'm just wondering how they will approach it from a footballing standpoint.

I don't quite agree with your statement about them being unable to utilise talent, for the simple fact that young potential stars in South America may feel more comfortable moving to America knowing that if they perform well with Barcelona's MLS team that they may have a shot in the big leagues. Having an American team doesn't limit them to only using using American players, like the MLS proves. I do however think it would be fairer to allow already existing professional teams to join as opposed to an entrepreneurial adventure by FCB.

redout

Lads this was on the news about two or three weeks ago. Sounds like Barca are trying to Milk it on one hand but on the other they could most certainly get some top quality players out of it. Miami is certainly being used for the hispanic connection most certainly. I am not sure how well it will work though, Beckham has not exactly set MLS on fire and there is talks about him buying LA Galaxy. He has sold them a bucket load of shirts though and raised the profile of the game. If Barca go ahead with this then they could raise interest in MLS. Spent some time in Southern Florida and I can tell you first hand there is a huge interest in La liga. Plenty of bars and homes watching on a weekly basis as it is. La Liga is shown on Sky all the way from Mexico to Uruguay every week. Barca and other spanish teams seem to have a real advantage when it comes to signing spanish speaking players, maybe they are trying to mark their territory as others try to muscle in. Man Utd have had a full time scouting troop dedicated to South America for the past year or so.

Xavi6

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_4571746,00.html

XAVI PENS NEW DEAL

Posted 30/11/08 14:01

Barcelona have finally completed a new deal for midfielder Xavi after months of negotiations.

Xavi's new contract will see him pick up €7.5million a year with five more incentives added on. The deal will run to 2014 after the club had initially stalled on a shorter contract.

There was never any doubt over the Spain international's commitment to Barca's cause but the player's representatives had been wrangling for the extra year on the clubs initial offer of 2013.

In order to finalise the deal Barca president Joan Laporta was in attendance, taking the place of sporting director Txiki Beguiristain who was absent due to important family issues.

Both parties are said to be happy with the deal and the news will no doubt please manager Pep Guardiola as he sees the 28 year-old as a key figure in his plans.

Xavi has had a productive season so far scoring six goals from midfield, helping the club to the top of the table both at home and in their Champions League group.

As expected

eZe^

Never in doubt really, there's no side in the world that he can play more effectively than he already does at Barca. It's his childhood club too, so probably none bigger in his eyes.


Was watching clips of Lineker at Barca, he really was great, the most sucessful English player to play in the Liga? I'm probably forgetting someone vital though.

redout

eZe^ wrote: »

Never in doubt really, there's no side in the world that he can play more effectively than he already does at Barca. It's his childhood club too, so probably none bigger in his eyes.


Was watching clips of Lineker at Barca, he really was great, the most sucessful English player to play in the Liga? I'm probably forgetting someone vital though.

In terms of trophies won then Steve McManaman would be the most successful. At Real Madrid he won:

With Real Madrid (1999 - 2003):

• UEFA Champions League winner: 1999/2000, 2001/2002
• La Liga winner: 2000/2001, 2002/2003
• UEFA Super Cup winner: 2002
• Supercopa de Espana winner: 2001 and 2003
• Intercontinental Cup winner: 2002

redout

11/12/2008 18:09
Sergio Busquets Set To Sign Barcelona Contract Extension

Barcelona youngster, Sergio Busquets, is set to sign a new deal with the club that will keep in him Catalonia until 2013, the contract will be finalised when Joan Laporta and Txiki Begiristain return from Japan...







The arrival of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona this season has also sparked the rise of Sergio Busquets, a young midfielder who, until this campaign, had only been trialled briefly in the first-team.

Now though, with a about a third of the season gone, Busquets has played more than his fair share of La Liga football and is nearing a contract extension.

Marca reports that Busquets will be signing a deal that will keep him at the Catalan side until 2013, and the only thing left to do is for Joan Laporta and Txiki Begiristain to finalise the deal.

The pair are currently in Japan and should return around Christmas time, when the contract will be concluded.

Negotiations took place today between director of football, Raúl Sanllehí, and a representative of the young player.

Busquets has taken part in nine league matches so far this season, four in the Champions League and two in the Copa Del Rey.




Kind of doubt thats true considering El Clasico is in two days ! As regards Busquets he looks like a great addition to the first team and has had some strong performances this season.

Third_Echelon

Yeah, I have been quite impressed with Busquets so far this season...

redout

Atletico Madrid are going to move into the new olympic stadium in Madrid for 2012. I personally think that this is a ridiculous idea as they will never fill the bloody thing with its 73,000 capacity. Sure they cant even fill the Vicente Calderon with its 55,000 capacity. Another thing is that the vicente calderon is by no means a ****hole and is a class stadium. I really dont understand the switch, seems like a waste of a perfectly good stadium. Another thing is that the stadium is called the Vicente Calderon not bloody Ramon Calderon the Real Madrid president and their arch rivals. Some journalists really dont have a clue.




12/12/2008 11:32
Atlético's New Stadium Is Great News - Cerezo

Atlético de Madrid's planned relocation may not have gone down well with every one of their fans, but the president thinks that the move will be great news for the club.

Enrique Cerezo has defended Atlético de Madrid's decision to move stadiums after accepting the chance to play in the arena that is being constructed for Madrid's 2016 Olympic Games bid.

Los Colchoneros will make La Peineta home in 2012, at current estimates, and will leave the Ramón Calderón, previously known as Estadio Manzanares, after 42 years there.

The new arena will hold 73,000 and will solve many of the club's current problems with access and parking as well as seeing the income stream increase considerably.

Voices of discontent have ben heard, with some Atlético fans wanting to remain where they are; while Cerezo understands that he believes a move is for the best.

"There will always be someone that disagrees, but it is a great step for a club like Atlético de Madrid," Marca quote him as saying. "Changing stadiums is very important and we are going to be in a much better arena, with better access and a lot bigger attendance.

"La Peineta will be three times the size of the Calderón and that can only be good news for Atlético. In three seasons, Atleti will go to play there and we hope that work will be finished by then."

Atlético are one of six clubs hoping to move into new homes in the next three years, with Valencia (Nou Mestalla), Athletic Bilbao (New San Mamés), Real Zaragoza (Nueva Romareda), Espanyol (Estadi RCDE) and Deportivo (Nuevo Riazor) all relocating too.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/701/atletico-madrid/2008/12/12/1008799/atleticos-new-stadium-is-great-news-cerezo

eZe^

An excellent article that's a few months old on Guardiola, probably my favourite player of all time.

'Pep Team' win hearts, minds and games around Spain
<h2 id="stand-first">Josep Guardiola has guided the same Barcelona players that finished 18 points off the pace last year to the top of La Liga this time around</h2>


There's plenty to see though the windows of La Masia, the Catalan farmhouse that stands proudly alongside the Camp Nou, dwarfed by the city that's grown around it - home to future generations of players, a kind of footballing indoctrination centre in all things Barça that's housed 493 players. Caught between life and death, there's the maternity hospital on one side and the crematorium on the other. Then there's the stadium itself; the tiny, soon-to-be abandoned training pitch in the shadow of its concrete stands, eye-holes ripped from the screens protecting players' intimacy; and the assorted streetlife gathering as night falls, not so much protecting its intimacy as selling it - from women to men to both.

But while David Beckham recalls a trip to La Masia spent watching the "other lads" hanging out the windows whistling at prostitutes, Andres Iniesta only had eyes for one man: Josep Guardiola i Sala. When Iniesta was a little lad plucked from the tiny town of Fuentealbilla, he plastered Pep Guardiola's picture all over the walls by his Masia bunk bed. And who could blame him?

After all, Guardiola won six leagues, a European Cup and an Olympic gold. He claimed he would have been a Third Division player if it hadn't been for Johan Cruyff but became the focal point of the emblematic, mould-breaking Dream Team that racked up four successive league titles; the metronome that kept them ticking over, constantly moving the ball on with a single touch; the man Atlético Madrid striker Kiko described in a word: "pam". "Pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam". No wonder Iniesta Blu-Tack'd him up. Born in Santpedor, schooled 100 metres from Camp Nou, a former ball-boy and La Masia resident, intelligent and engaging, a charismatic and eloquent defender of a Catalan and footballing identity, club captain and a model whose legacy survives in players like Xavi, Iniesta, and Cesc, Pep couldn't have been more of a hero.

Only he could and now, suddenly, he is. Because although he's the youngest coach in primera, much as he's losing his hair and losing weight - his staff complain that he rarely stops to eat from the tupperware tubs he takes in every day - Guardiola has proven that not only was he a unique player, he's an impressive coach. Suddenly the Catalan press that complained at losing José Mourinho is falling over itself to proclaim the "Pep Team" - "Pep's Dream Boys" was that little bit too ridiculous, even for them - the greatest thing in the whole wide world ever. Even the Madrid press is impressed, Marca's Miguel Serrano declaring: "If I was a kid now, my dad would have a hell of a job stopping me supporting Barcelona. The Pep Team's too late because you can change house, job, wife, political party and even your sex, but not your football team, yet when they play it's glorious."

Guardiola's done it with a commitment to Barcelona's ball-playing style and emotional roots: in one match in October, eight of their starting XI were youth team products and still they won. Which is what they do most weeks. In fact, it's what they've now done every week for seven weeks, hitting six past Sporting, five past Atlético and Almería and four more past Málaga this weekend, racking up 28 in nine league games - on course for the 107 set by John Toshack's Real Madrid in 1989-90. For some, this latest success was the best. A 4-1 victory against the odds on a surface more swimming pool than perfect pitch - even after four blokes attacked it with giant hairdryers. The kind of surface that, Captain Caveman Carles Puyol and hyperactive child Dani Alves apart, shouldn't have suited them. A 4-1 victory against a side that had won four on the trot, secured with spirit and practicality and even Guardiola admitting, "I told the players to hoof it." One that had every single bloody paper "Singing in the Rain", likening Xavi to Gene Kelly and, oddly, Fred Astaire; one, more importantly, that had them declaring: "it's games like this that win leagues".

Especially when they coincide with Valencia and Sevilla losing and Madrid rounding off a disastrous week in which Ramón Calderón fended off allegations of corruption and the team couldn't fend off a Second Division B side, by drawing 1-1 at Almería. Because those results carried Barcelona top for the first time since May 2007 when they took the first of two easy steps to blow the title.

"The secret," says Guardiola, "is that Barcelona have fantastic players." "The secret," counters one insider, "is that Barça have two things they didn't have last season: hunger and a coach." After all, the vast majority of Barcelona's players were there last year too, and they finished third - 18 points behind Madrid and utterly humiliated. There was no professionalism, no work, no togetherness; now, at last, there is. The complacency has gone, with Guardiola bringing huge energy. Last season, as he guided Barcelona B to the Second Division B title in his debut season as a coach, he believed that, such was the talent, just getting the first team going again would be enough.

Yet while Guardiola has changed Barcelona's attitude, got them pressing higher up the pitch, he has done more - much more - than that. "Those who said he had no experience are idiots," says one of his contemporaries, "Pep was a coach when he was a player. Experience isn't things happening to you, it's learning from them, seeking solutions." Intensely inquisitive, Guardiola was always learning - from pioneers like Cruyff and Lillo, from his spells in Qatar, Italy and Mexico. Now his players are learning from him. Obsessed with anticipating problems, his analysis of opponents is as exhaustive as it is exact, his findings presented to players in bite-sized chunks. His training sessions, worked through with those close to him and carried out behind closed doors, are to the point. "He remembers everything," says Xavi. "And everything is done for a reason, never just for the sake of it."

He is, says one of his closest collaborators, "hugely seductive". He's won over his players, got them running again. Well, some of them: he's had to tell Yaya Touré not to run so much. Busting your guts can be a red herring. The key to football, Guardiola insists, is positioning. And right now Barcelona's positioning couldn't be any better: back on top, 18 long months later.

Third_Echelon

yeah, great article alright.. A bit more insight into the manager.. As a player he was the same. High tempo always at the heart of things.. the engine of the team.. Great to see him adapt this to his role from the dugout.

dfx-

redout wrote: »

...with Valencia (Nou Mestalla)....

If the rumours are right, Valencia will be hard pushed to move anywhere unless they're bailed out.

delija_sever029

Serbian press reporting that Milos Krasic,serbian player signed today a transfer with Real Madrid.He was a CSKA member so far.Transfer fee unknown at the moment

eZe^

I was just thinking earlier how bloody good Maxi Rodriguez is. This is a VERY controversial statement so at least read the rest of post before you jump down my throat and shout Judas. Maxi Rodriguez may be as good as Steven Gerrard.

Ok, he may not be as good in big games, or as inspirational in his leadership, but my god what a player he is. I think his footballing brain is better than Steven's, he is more intelligent in his passing and build up play. His first touch is better, and physically he is as good. Sure there's no midfielder in the world who is as good as Steven Gerrard at taking a game by the scruff of the neck and leading his side to victory. But I really think that Maxi reminds me alot of Gerrard, they both score absolute screamers and are regular goal scoring midfielders (Maxi has 29 in 88 for Atletico), both players can play in the centre and sides of the midfield.

He may only be a year younger but I think since he has recovered from his injury woes he is looking like one of the best midfielders in La Liga and is very similar to the Steven Gerrard mould. Atletico can start building a regular top 4 team in Spain if they hold on to the likes of Simao, Maxi, Assuncao, Forlan and Aguero.

mayordenis

eZe^ wrote: »

if they hold on to the likes of Simao, Maxi, Assuncao, Forlan and Aguero.

While I'm pretty sure they are not cash strapped that will not be easy, Aguero and Simao will as have big offers in, and Maxi too if any other teams have sense.