European Football Thread

[Colossus]

Also, Witsel could be going to Zenit as well. Two players that could walk into 95% of the teams (I feel that Witsel would start in any team not named Barcelona), are going to the Russian League. Good god

[GoN_]

I already talked about both Witsel and Hulk in the Summer Transfers Thread.

[EddieG]

Also it's 7 years this week since Ronaldo's dad died. Might be why he's sad.

[Sam]

He stated it was for professional reasons, I'm sure he's sad about that too but when asked he did let that much out.

[Thrilla]

Also, Witsel could be going to Zenit as well. Two players that could walk into 95% of the teams (I feel that Witsel would start in any team not named Barcelona), are going to the Russian League. Good god

Might just be me but I've never heard of him.

[EddieG]

Also, Witsel could be going to Zenit as well. Two players that could walk into 95% of the teams (I feel that Witsel would start in any team not named Barcelona), are going to the Russian League. Good god

Might just be me but I've never heard of him.

Not just you.

[GoN_]

Tells more about how you see football than anything else.

[Thrilla]

Possibly. I watch a lot of football, predominately English but I have a passing recognition of the big players in Europe, if this guy is one of the best midfielders in Europe I at least expect to have heard his name in passing, seen it in a newspaper, read it on here, none of which took place before his move to Zenit.

[Rich]

Witsel is a player I have heard of and seen before ans is definitely a very very good footballer, but not one I had heard of as bandied around as a £40mil player, while he is good, I think it is a bit of hyperbole to say he could walk in to just about any major European team's first XI

[The Quasi Juice]

Possibly. I watch a lot of football, predominately English but I have a passing recognition of the big players in Europe, if this guy is one of the best midfielders in Europe I at least expect to have heard his name in passing, seen it in a newspaper, read it on here, none of which took place before his move to Zenit.

It did, you're clearly very focused on your own competition. Witsel has been a very big talent for years, and performed like a boss last year.

[Adam]

Possibly. I watch a lot of football, predominately English but I have a passing recognition of the big players in Europe, if this guy is one of the best midfielders in Europe I at least expect to have heard his name in passing, seen it in a newspaper, read it on here, none of which took place before his move to Zenit.

It did, you're clearly very focused on your own competition. Witsel has been a very big talent for years, and performed like a boss last year.

For years? He's only 23 and until a year ago had only played for Standard Liege and a Belgian national side that haven't been in a major tournament since 2000, when they were hosts. I think I only know him from playing FIFA 12 to be honest, he's hardly touted around as one of the leading midfielders in the world.

[GoN_]

To be honest, until one year ago I knew him mostly because of Football Manager. Anyway, he was truly amazing last year. One of those players that anyone could see clearly that was bound to bigger teams.

[erperro]

Didn't he do the not celebrating thing last year because he wasn't happy with how the fans and media were treating him? I'm pretty surprised they don't absolutely love him, any negative qualities are pretty much outweighed by the fact he'll score 60 goals a season and is 99% of the time a joy to watch.

He is not spanish, there's their biggest problem.

Err.... Are you serious? I can't believe you are saying that. I can name a lot of Madrid players that aren't spanish, but Madrid loves them anyway.

[Colossus]

The big problem is that he's Portuguese

[Colly]

Hasn't this already been covered?

[erperro]

The big problem is that he's Portuguese

Pepe and Carvalho have not had any problems.

[EddieG]

Last I heard is that Pepe, Carvalho and Ronaldo are in a separate group and don't talk much to the Spanish guys.

[Pesci]

I think there's a middle ground with Witsel. FM players have probably known him for years. Outside of that, the only time I'd heard about him before last season was when he did that absolutely disgusting tackle to fuck that guy's leg up a few years back. Over the last season or so, though, I have heard about him being pretty swish for Benfica.

I suppose it depends how into European football outside of the "top five" you are. He's been a big prospect in Belgium for ages, but I can't say that's a league I follow at all.

[GoN_]

Didn't he do the not celebrating thing last year because he wasn't happy with how the fans and media were treating him? I'm pretty surprised they don't absolutely love him, any negative qualities are pretty much outweighed by the fact he'll score 60 goals a season and is 99% of the time a joy to watch.

He is not spanish, there's their biggest problem.

Err.... Are you serious? I can't believe you are saying that. I can name a lot of Madrid players that aren't spanish, but Madrid loves them anyway.

I've already said that that was a joke... About him being portuguese, I see where Colossus is coming from because we've seen some hate for Mourinho from Real Madrid's fans and Coentrao has been bashed for the last year. Mourinho got Madrid to two Champions League semi-finals in the row after years without getting there, won the league and still got bad reactions from Madrid's fans. The same with Ronaldo after two outstanding seasons. With these two, I could understand that it could be about the fact that they are pretensions assholes but Coentrao did nothing to deserve all the bashing except a few bad games, in which he was played in a position he was not used to play anyway.

Edited September 6, 2012 by GoN_

[IAceI]

Madrid have just lost 1-0 away to Sevilla so Barcelona's earlier 4-1 win over Getafe means they have a two point lead in the league and are 8 points ahead of Real Madrid already after four games. PS... Ramos' miss. Lol.

But more importantly!... over in Belgium, only one of the top seven teams: Zulte Waregem - complete with Thorgan Hazard now - have won this round of matches so far, with Standard Liege to play tomorrow against Beerschot. Unbelievable that after Club Brugge scraped a 1-1 draw with Kortrijk last night that Anderlecht, Gent and Genk have all faltered. Great chance for Standard tomorrow to get themselves in the title hunt.