Post: #126

I had a feeling that Barca would not be able to handle Bayern, but I never thought Dortmund would give Madrid an ass kicking like that. I really can't see the Spanish teams coming back in the second leg.
The Barca coach messed up, he should have replaced Messi with Villa. Xavi was pretty poor as well, at one point I thought he was not on the field. If Iniesta/Xavi aren't playing well then Barca has no chance of winning.

Post: #127

I have £10 on Dortmund at 25/1 that I bet when they drew against Man City last autumn, I'm hoping they do it, been cheering them all the way seeing as my team no longer have great European nights. Once upon a time it was us spanking Real Madrid 4-0

Post: #128

Can't believe Bayern took Gotze right from under Dortmunds nose. Huge loss for them in the coming years. Considering how lopsided Bundesliga already is, while accounting for Pep Guardiola's presence it's downright unfair. Seems like Bayern's strategy is to cripple Borussia for years along with any chance that the league is remotely competitive.

Post: #129

Bayern have always owned the Bundelisga, haven't they?

They seem like the Man Utd of Germany.

Post: #130

(04-25-2013 11:25 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Bayern have always owned the Bundelisga, haven't they?

They seem like the Man Utd of Germany.

True 8 out of the last 14 league titles or something like that. Come to the think of it of all the big European leagues, none were particularly competitive at the top. I mean in La Liga Atletico made a nice run but that's about it.

Post: #131

(04-25-2013 11:25 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Bayern have always owned the Bundelisga, haven't they?

They seem like the Man Utd of Germany.

Yeah that's true. However, I respect that club enormously, because like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal they have generated their own revenue and not relied on sugar daddies like Man City and Chelsea...and now PSG, Monaco...etc. To be fair, Real Madrid were bankrolled by General Franco and I think even now their debt is handled somewhat 'nicely' by the Spanish government, as in they aren't penalized for it.

Not sure about Barca, but I know they have huge debts too.

Post: #132

Post: #133

(04-25-2013 12:28 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-25-2013 11:25 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Bayern have always owned the Bundelisga, haven't they?

They seem like the Man Utd of Germany.

Yeah that's true. However, I respect that club enormously, because like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal they have generated their own revenue and not relied on sugar daddies like Man City and Chelsea...and now PSG, Monaco...etc. To be fair, Real Madrid were bankrolled by General Franco and I think even now their debt is handled somewhat 'nicely' by the Spanish government, as in they aren't penalized for it.

Not sure about Barca, but I know they have huge debts too.

Finally someone that says that. I have been telling that to people for years. Real received a lot of help back in the day from Franco (just mention Di Stefano as an example, who was supposed to go to Barcelona and then went to Real and was a cornerstone in their first European Cup wins that laid the foundation of future success). But they also got a training ground etc. back then. A few years ago they sold their old training ground that Franco gave them for a lot of money. The thing was that it was once at the outskirts of the city but as Madrid grew, it suddenly became very valuable. This was before the bubble burst in Spain, of course. With the money Real were able to get new state of the art facilities and what not. So, even today Franco has an effect on the club. One of the reasons why I dislike the club.

Post: #134

(04-25-2013 03:59 PM)Gavin1234 Wrote:  

(04-25-2013 12:28 PM)Teedub Wrote:  

(04-25-2013 11:25 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Bayern have always owned the Bundelisga, haven't they?

They seem like the Man Utd of Germany.

Yeah that's true. However, I respect that club enormously, because like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal they have generated their own revenue and not relied on sugar daddies like Man City and Chelsea...and now PSG, Monaco...etc. To be fair, Real Madrid were bankrolled by General Franco and I think even now their debt is handled somewhat 'nicely' by the Spanish government, as in they aren't penalized for it.

Not sure about Barca, but I know they have huge debts too.

Finally someone that says that. I have been telling that to people for years. Real received a lot of help back in the day from Franco (just mention Di Stefano as an example, who was supposed to go to Barcelona and then went to Real and was a cornerstone in their first European Cup wins that laid the foundation of future success). But they also got a training ground etc. back then. A few years ago they sold their old training ground that Franco gave them for a lot of money. The thing was that it was once at the outskirts of the city but as Madrid grew, it suddenly became very valuable. This was before the bubble burst in Spain, of course. With the money Real were able to get new state of the art facilities and what not. So, even today Franco has an effect on the club. One of the reasons why I dislike the club.

I dislike Real too, they were known as the Franco club, it's why I have affection for Barcelona, who've really only started winning major shit since Cruyff took charge in the early 90s

Post: #135

I like Madrid, because of the whole Figo-Zidane-Ronaldo-Carlos etc galactico team, but I know full well their history with Franco is hardly within the realms of fair play.

Post: #136

I only ever really liked Guti and Ronaldo from that Galactico period. Guti because he's one of the most underrated players ever. He's a bit gay looking though, a playboy at heart.

Post: #137

Haha yeah good ol' Guti. Really good player. You didn't like Zidane?

Post: #138

For you Matt





Even retired he's better than Torres is at Chelsea haha.

Post: #139

Haha Ronaldo is class. I'm interested to see what happens with Torres this summer, I'd take him back in a heartbeat.

Post: #140

I don't know what has happened to him. He started getting shit in his last Liverpool season. He's lost some pace that's for sure.

Post: #141

He was still our top scorer with 9 goals by the time he left, and he had a lot of assists and a hand in something like 70% of our goals. It's a myth he was shite, it was Hodgson's fault. He left him 30 yards away from his nearest team mate most of the time while we sat back defending and soaking up pressure - the Hodgson way.

Chelsea is a poisoned club. The same thing happened with Shevchenko when he went to Chelsea, so I'm not surprised it's happened to Torres. He hasn't looked like he's wanted to be there since the very moment he drove out of Liverpool to go sign a contract with Chelsea, and I think that has a lot to do with it. He could still score 20 goals for us if he came back next season, I'm sure of it.

Anyway, I've stuck a tenner on a Madrid/Barca final at 51/1 on Paddy Power. Will be boss if that comes through.

Post: #142

I'm sticking a tenner on Barca to go through and a tenner on a Messi hat trick.

Post: #143

I think Ronaldo is perfectly capable of dragging Madrid through to the final as well. However, as we discussed I respect the German teams enormously for their approach to the game, both in terms of playing, but also their club's financing/organization etc, so I would not begrudge them their chance in the final. If it is an all German final, I would want Dortmund to win.

I was right, this might as well be called "The Football [or soccer] Thread"

Post: #144

Zidane is my all time favorite player.

Post: #145

Torres suffered a few injuries and was never the same again.

Looks like Real Madrid are out of the CL and I don't see Bayern folding like last year, but Barca are capable of a comeback.

Post: #146

...And it's over. Mourinho's Madrid are out.

Post: #147

Fuck off Madrid.

Post: #148

Interesting article on how German football recovered after some poor performances in past UEFA's. They invested heavily in youth football, and encouraged more local players over investing in foreign stars for the Bundesliga. Now they're on their way to an all-German finals.

Quote:In 1997, German football was on top of the world. Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, the two powerhouses from the Ruhr area, had won the Champions League and UEFA Cup, respectively. A year earlier, Berti Vogts' Germany had triumphed in the Euro 1996 final against the Czechs.

Below the radar, however, something strange and disconcerting was happening: Germany was running out of decent players. The influx from GDR-trained professionals that was supposed to make "Germany unbeatable for years to come" (according to Franz Beckenbauer after winning the World Cup in 1990) had dried up along with the funding for the specialized sports schools where they had been drilled from a very young age. In the Bundesliga, newly rich clubs awash with TV money had gone on a spending spree, doubling the number of foreigners from 17 percent (1992) to 34 percent (1997) in five years.

Quote:All across the country, 121 national talent centers would be built to help 10- to 17-year-olds with technical practice. Each center would employ two full-time coaches at a cost of $15.6 million over five years. The second key point was a new requirement for all 36 professional clubs in Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 to build youth academies.

Anybody at the Premiership paying attention???...

Post: #149

(04-30-2013 03:13 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  Zidane is my all time favorite player.

Gio, one of his best games ever was a champions league semifinal between Juve and Dynamo Kiev. Played in the Ukraine, Juve won 4-1.
1998 I believe.

Post: #150

delighted with that dortmund win, could do the winnings from their victory in the final, it's in the stars