Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

This is doing the rounds and explains some of their issues:

I believe those numbers have already been disputed by people in the known about these matters.

Could it finally see the bubble pop?
If Barcelona can get into such a financial mess... A team which is practically a money printing machine....

No matter how much money you make, if you spend more than that you're screwed.

IMO something good that might come from this is that the economics and accounting of football clubs are examined more critically. It has been my impression for a long time that the reporting around a football club's economy is highly fantastic (second only to Hollywood accounting, IMO) when not directly sensationalistic, due in part by the really low level of oversight that tends to go around it, and in Spain this is compounded in the traditional model of supporter-owned teams, when the external oversight is negligible and almost nobody outside the board really knows what's the real situation.

A silly example of this is something that used to happen regularly to Atlético de Madrid and had to do with how transfers were reported. Every time they bought a player from Portugal they'd make an official announcement saying that they paid, say, 15 million € for the player, and if you contrasted that with the official announcement from, say, Benfica, they'd actually file financial paperwork with the Portuguese financial regulators (because the club's shares would feature in the Portuguese stock exchange) saying that they actually got 25 million € for the same player. In the same vein, Real Madrid would usually announce record breaking earnings basically every year to their supporter-owners, with nobody doubting their official book keeping (audited by big name firms and everything), only for the club to desperately try to form the Super League because after one year of Covid related dire straits they feared for their economic survival.

I'm also reminded to a throaway line I read once about Italian football. It said that, without fail, every single season almost all Serie A teams would miss their deadlines to have their accounting ok'ed by the league. The only club that would have their books properly made and on time every year would be Juventus, and of course we all know the kind of shenanigans they were into.

[celedhring]

I haven't posted in this thread because I'm still mourning. Bear with me.

[The Larch]

Messi is doing a press conference now to say his part and apparently he's already crying before starting it.

They've set up all the silverware he's won for Barcelona and it's frankly ridiculous:

[celedhring]

Messi is doing a press conference now to say his part and apparently he's already crying before starting it.

He's not the only one 

[Liep]

[Maladict]

If he wanted to stay that badly he could have, right? I mean, it's not like he needs another 100 million to survive.

[The Larch]

AFAIK he can't even be registered even if he played basically for free, as Barcelona is so far above the salary cap threshold even without him. They'd need to offload a bunch of their higher earners and/or have them agree really steep salary cuts (that they have already agreed to because of Covid in the last season, IIRC).

[celedhring]

The emerging picture is that we indeed could have registered him, but Laporta's board blocked it, since it would have compromised our finances.

Laporta had to agree to give up some control on the finance area in order to get enough funds to be appointed president (boards have to provide a monetary guarantee for the club's budget).

[FunkMonk]

Seeing him break down crying was something else. Wow.

[The Larch]

To add insult to injury, it seems that Aguero has injured himself during training and won't be able to play until November.

Maybe they should just not register him now and wait for the Winter transfer window?

[Josquius]

The English season started last weekend.
Strange to see fans in stadiums again....

[Liep]

So PSG is looking like a decent squad this year.

[Sheilbh]

So Real Madrid are pursuing "civil and criminal" claims against La Liga and Tebas? What's happening/the issue here?

[Duque de Bragança]

So PSG is looking like a decent squad this year.

Neymar, Messi and Mbappé only makes for a decent squad?! Goalkeepers are not too bad as well cf. Donnarumma or Navas. Midfield ?
Or is it the coach ?  :

[Liep]

So PSG is looking like a decent squad this year.

Neymar, Messi and Mbappé only makes for a decent squad?! Goalkeepers are not too bad as well cf. Donnarumma or Navas. Midfield ?
Or is it the coach ?  :

Unrelated, what cities are worth a visit in Northern Portugal?