Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

IIRC Busquets is entering into the last year on his current contract. Do you see the club extending him in the future or would they rather say goodbye to him at the end of the season?

It's strongly rumored that he's off to the MLS after his season.

Still a good player with no easy replacement (De Jong seems the obvious one, but for whatever reason he's never been played there a significant amount of time by any of the managers), but a contract that we can do without.

And it'd definitely be the end of an era, being the last of the Xavi - Iniesta - Busquets mythical midfield still in the club. Who are left on the team from that generation? Pique, Alba and him?

[celedhring]

IIRC Busquets is entering into the last year on his current contract. Do you see the club extending him in the future or would they rather say goodbye to him at the end of the season?

It's strongly rumored that he's off to the MLS after his season.

Still a good player with no easy replacement (De Jong seems the obvious one, but for whatever reason he's never been played there a significant amount of time by any of the managers), but a contract that we can do without.

And it'd definitely be the end of an era, being the last of the Xavi - Iniesta - Busquets mythical midfield still in the club. Who are left on the team from that generation? Pique, Alba and him?

Ter Stegen and Sergi Roberto played and won stuff with that midfield, although I wouldn't associate them with that generation of players.

EDIT: Of course, there's Alves too :p

[The Larch]

IIRC Busquets is entering into the last year on his current contract. Do you see the club extending him in the future or would they rather say goodbye to him at the end of the season?

It's strongly rumored that he's off to the MLS after his season.

Still a good player with no easy replacement (De Jong seems the obvious one, but for whatever reason he's never been played there a significant amount of time by any of the managers), but a contract that we can do without.

And it'd definitely be the end of an era, being the last of the Xavi - Iniesta - Busquets mythical midfield still in the club. Who are left on the team from that generation? Pique, Alba and him?

Ter Stegen and Sergi Roberto played and won stuff with that midfield, although I wouldn't associate them with that generation of players.

EDIT: Of course, there's Alves too :p

But Alves is out after last season, IIRC.

I was thinking mostly about former members of the Barcelona - Spanish national team golden generation combo. Putting Sergi Roberto there doesn't quite cut it. 

[The Larch]

By the way, apropos of Barcelona, it is being more or less given for granted that Barça will both:

1) Renew Dembele.
2) Sign Raphinha for a small fortune.

I mean, weren't you guys meant to be in financial trouble? Are those two moves sensible ones? Don't those players basically play the same position?

[celedhring]

By the way, apropos of Barcelona, it is being more or less given for granted that Barça will both:

1) Renew Dembele.
2) Sign Raphinha for a small fortune.

I mean, weren't you guys meant to be in financial trouble? Are those two moves sensible ones? Don't those players basically play the same position?

Dembele is signing at a discount and reporedly just for two years (which diminishes the risk if he again elects to sit on his arse the majority of time). The Raphinha money it's why I guess De Jong is being sold. Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

We do need more wing players, tbf. Dembelé can play both wings actually.

[The Larch]

By the way, apropos of Barcelona, it is being more or less given for granted that Barça will both:

1) Renew Dembele.
2) Sign Raphinha for a small fortune.

I mean, weren't you guys meant to be in financial trouble? Are those two moves sensible ones? Don't those players basically play the same position?

Dembele is signing at a discount and reporedly just for two years (which diminishes the risk if he again elects to sit on his arse the majority of time). The Raphinha money it's why I guess De Jong is being sold. Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

We do need more wing players, tbf. Dembelé can play both wings actually.

What about Fati and Torres? Can't Gavi play in the wing as well? Is Depay and/or Aubameyang staying in the team this season?What about Braithwaite?

[celedhring]

By the way, apropos of Barcelona, it is being more or less given for granted that Barça will both:

1) Renew Dembele.
2) Sign Raphinha for a small fortune.

I mean, weren't you guys meant to be in financial trouble? Are those two moves sensible ones? Don't those players basically play the same position?

Dembele is signing at a discount and reporedly just for two years (which diminishes the risk if he again elects to sit on his arse the majority of time). The Raphinha money it's why I guess De Jong is being sold. Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

We do need more wing players, tbf. Dembelé can play both wings actually.

What about Fati and Torres? Can't Gavi play in the wing as well? Is Depay and/or Aubameyang staying in the team this season?What about Braithwaite?

Fati, Depay, Aubameyang... are inside forwards, not true wingers. Xavi wants classic wingers that can stretch out play - his preferred style is closer to Guardiola 2008 than the latter incarnations. Only Dembelé can do that in the current roster.

[FunkMonk]

https://twitter.com/ManagingBarca/status/1546484521050157056?s=20&t=bnvpMYijSRAAYCokxgs8Vg

Managing Barça
@ManagingBarca
❗| No one in football, not even agents know how FC Barcelona will get the money to sign Raphinha.
@FabrizioRomano
 [🎖�]

 

[celedhring]

The CJEU is seeing the Superliga case today and tomorrow. According to insiders it's expected it will eventually rule in favor of UEFA (the case is essentially the Superliga's remaining promoters questioning the legality of UEFA's de facto monopoly on professional football in Europe).

The EU attorney general will publish its opinion on the case (which the court doesn't have the follow, but they usually align) on December. So we won't probably know until early next year. As said, it is expected the CJEU will rule in favor of UEFA - although it might not be a home run and the court might impose limits on the tools UEFA uses to protect its position.

Anyway, this is pretty much a "whoever wins, we lose" case.

[The Larch]

Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

Seems to be official now.

[celedhring]

Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

Seems to be official now.

Ah well, I guess we just can't help ourselves.

That said, he's a hell of a player.

[FunkMonk]

Still, the Raphinha thing is very much a "I'll believe it when I see it" thing.

Seems to be official now.

Ah well, I guess we just can't help ourselves.

That said, he's a hell of a player.

Yeah he's quite good. Gutted he didn't come to Arsenal to join the samba party.

Speaking of, Gabriel Jesus joined and immediately balled in the friendly against Nürnberg, scoring 2 goals and creating 2 more. Seeing a player like him instantly show how far above he is quality-wise over everyone else in the team is boggling. Arsenal used to have several players of his level in the first team. Jesus joining just goes to show how much Arsenal have fallen in the last 5 or 6 years because he completely outclasses every other player in the team by a factor of a million 

Seems they're getting Zinchenko from City as well, which would be a great pick up to rotate with the constantly-injured Kieran Tierney.

[FunkMonk]

An incredible behind-the-scenes look at Arsenal's legendary 2021/2022 season

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Mikel Arteta being a cunt
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My favorite part is when they include someone saying "this is the worst Arsenal team I've ever seen" in the trailer   

[Zoupa]

         

[FunkMonk]

         

There's a Spurs one on Amazon too when Mourinho was manager if you're curious