Official La Liga Thread

[Baddar]

*heads to The Cube*

...wut, Phillip Schofield!? Oh wait, wrong Cube.

[Lineker]

Barcelona have ended their long term stance of refusing commercial shirt sponsorship by signing a record £125m deal with the Qatar Foundation.

The Catalan giants have paid to carry the Unicef logo for the last five years and the children's charity will share shirt space with the new sponsors.

Barcelona have a sizeable debt but now claim to be "the undisputed brand leader in world football".

The deal will be worth £25m a year from next season through until 2016.

In July, an audit revealed Barcelona's debt to be £369.5m after a loss of more than £64.36m in the 2009/10 season.

The new sponsorship arrangement could free up some transfer funds for coach Pep Guardiola - who worked as an ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar Foundation is a non-profit organisation concerned primarily with education projects in the Middle East.

It is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, the wife of the Emir, who was central to Qatar's final World Cup bid last week.

Senior club executives said the deal was a "remarkable milestone because it represents a record level of revenue for a football club and has more value still in the current economic climate".

Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid each earn about £20m a year for their rights, while Bayern Munich make closer to £23m.

Marketing experts will seek to find a way for both logos to be displayed on the Barcelona shirts, although if that is not possible the Qatar Foundation will take priority.

That's a massive deal, shows what debt they are actually in now that they've caved in finally on having a paid shirt sponsor.

[Lineker]

Real Madrid are absolutely murdering Levante, 7-0 with 20 minutes left to play. La Liga is not as good as the EPL when it comes to strength in depth!

[Lineker]

Some good news

Sevilla's Sergio Sanchez has been cleared to play again after being sidelined for almost a year with a heart condition.

Sanchez was diagnosed with the condition in January and told to refrain from all physical activity. However, after a subsequent operation the 24-year-old defender has now been given permission to resume training.

Sanchez told SFC Radio: "It was a very hard road, long and full of obstacles, but I've been surrounded by the best people.

It was a very hard road, long and full of obstacles, but I've been surrounded by the best people.

Sergio Sanchez, Sevilla defender

"Thanks to them today I have been given this news and I can celebrate Christmas in a totally different way from last year. The first thing I did was cry and hug my family. The doctor has given me his sincere congratulations and I exploded with joy."

There will no doubt be a similar reaction throughout the club, which was stunned by the death of 22-year-old Spain international Antonio Puerta after he suffered a heart attack in a game against Getafe in August 2007.

Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque also died after suffering a heart attack following a training session in August 2009.

[Starvinho]

Cristiano Ronaldo bagged another hat-trick in La Liga tonight (Real Madrid 4-2 Vilarreal), taking his tally to 22 in 18 League games this season, 30 in 27 in All Competitions and 63 in 62 since his move to Real Madrid 18 months ago. Phenomenal...

[therockbox]

And yet still not as good as Messi >_>

[Starvinho]

And yet still not as good as Messi >_>

Debatable! They're two different type of player though, both worlds ahead of any other player at the moment. I think Messi has something daft like 28 goals in 24 games this season too, equally phenomenal!

[Lineker]

Barca are winter champions following Real's draw with bottom side Almeria.

What a last few minutes, Ronaldo whacks the crossbar before fireworks at the other end kicks off! Barca vs. Malaga on now. Who was the minutes silence for?

[britneyspearsisgod]

Real Madrid were simultaneously lucky and unlucky to get a result out of that match. They didn't deserve a win and were fortunate for the draw, but the moment they pushed for the winner they were unlucky to not get a goal. Very strange. Good result for Barcelona - I find it hard to see them losing the title this year, but you can never tell with Madrid behind. Madrid seem to have problems in getting the ball past the defence and scoring goals. They definitely need somebody to step in with the ability to put the ball in the net.

Xavi with a fantastic goal there too. As I said, I find it hard to see Barcelona at any point giving this title up any time soon.

[Baddar]

I didn't watch the whole game, but had SkySports on when Iniesta scored the opening goal - bloody brilliant.

[britneyspearsisgod]

La Liga's best attack versus La Liga's worst defence - it wasn't going to end any other way bar a miracle.

The table at the half-way point:

  	  		P 	GD 	PTS

1 	Barcelona 	19 	50 	52

2 	Real Madrid 	19 	30 	48

3 	Villarreal 	19 	18 	39

4 	Valencia 	19 	9 	37

5 	Espanyol 	19 	0 	34

6 	Athletic Bilbao	19 	-2 	29

7 	Atletico Madrid	18 	5 	27

8 	Mallorca 	18 	2 	27

9 	Getafe 		19 	-1 	27

10 	Sevilla 	19 	-5 	26

11 	Real Sociedad 	19 	-2 	25

12 	Hercules 	19 	-6 	22

13 	Deportivo 	19 	-11 	21

14 	Racing	 	19 	-11 	20

15 	Osasuna 	19 	-8 	18

16 	Malaga 		19 	-17 	17

17 	Sporting Gijon 	19 	-10 	16

18 	Real Zaragoza 	19 	-15 	16

19 	Levante 	19 	-11 	15

20 	Almeria 	19 	-15 	14

Interesting to see how Malaga turn things around, considering their new Sheik owner.

Edited January 16, 2011 by XEON BSIG

[EddieG]

Turn things around? The dude's been there since the summer. Pellegrini is doing a teeny bit better, and getting some decent players in.

Hard times being a Malaga fan. I'll just keep treasuring the time we beat Leeds at Elland Road.

[britneyspearsisgod]

Exactly. So he's been there since the summer and it's not going to plan. Turn it around

[Baddar]

lol, Real - beaten 1-0 at Osasuna, and are now 7pts behind Barca after they beat Hercules 3-0.

...Messi's first goal is worth checking out if you haven't seen it already. (Y)

[Lineker]

A man armed with a dagger is reported to have tried to stab Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho as he signed autographs in a Spanish airport.

A member of the club's security staff was said to have received a 4cm (1.5in) stab wound in the incident at La Coruna in Galicia, northern Spain.

The incident happened last Friday but has only just been reported by the Cadena Sur news channel.

It is not clear if Mr Mourinho was aware of the attack at the time.

Cadena Sur says the security staff member did not realise he had been stabbed until he was on the team bus.

However, security cameras at the airport may have captured the incident, it says.

Quoting a source at Real Madrid, Cadena Sur says the club has increased security for its game against Racing Santander this weekend.

Oh dear Jose. When 'arry goes down for dodging the taxman, please won't you come to N17?

[Lineker]

The next round of Spanish league matches has been postponed due to an ongoing dispute over television revenue.

Spanish clubs have demanded that a law which required at least one game a week to be broadcast on terrestrial free-to-air television be revoked.

But in a statement, the league cited a 'lack of progress' in talks involving the Spanish government to resolve the problem.

The games will instead be played on 12th June, three weeks after the league is currently scheduled to end.

"The board of the First Division Football League (LFP) was informed late on Tuesday, 22nd March of a lack of progress in the negotiations the league has initiated with the Government, the Higher Sports Council and parliamentary groups involving a grievance with respect to other sectors," said the league statement.

"Therefore, the LFP has upheld the decision taken at the last General Assembly on 11 February, which agreed to postpone the round to be played on April 3 until there is a palpable evolution in dialogue."

The stoppage will affect both the Primera Division and the Segunda Division, although not all clubs support the move and reports in Spain have said there may be further legal moves by clubs who want to play.

Marca reported that six clubs - Sevilla, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Espanyol and Zaragoza - have asked a court in Madrid to order the games to go ahead.

[Lineker]

Spain's league programme will go ahead as planned this weekend after a Madrid court upheld a challenge by six clubs against a proposed strike.

The country's professional league had called for a walk-out in protest over a rule that states one match per week must be shown for free on television.

But clubs including Sevilla and Villarreal mounted a legal challenge against the proposal.

The strike would have meant the Spanish season being extended by three weeks.

But the court's ruling means Real Madrid will now face Sporting Gijon on Saturday, three days before their Champions League quarter-final first-leg meeting with Tottenham.

Spain's Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) announced its intention to strike in February as it sought to get the 1997 broadcasting law revoked.

The league argued that removing the obligation to show one match on free-to-air television would allow them to negotiate more lucrative deals with pay-TV channels.

Negotiations with political leaders followed in an effort to find a solution, but the LFP last week reiterated its decision to walk out on the weekend of 2-3 April.

That prompted the six "rebel" clubs - Sevilla, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Espanyol and Zaragoza - to break ranks and mount a legal challenge.

They argued the strike would be "disproportionate, inopportune, against the interest of clubs, the competition and supporters and, what's more, against the law".

Spain's Secretary of State for Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky, also made "a call to reason" for games to be played.

"The main losers are the citizens and football players because the competition has been extended by about 20 days," he said before the court ruling.

"I hope common sense prevails, and we maintain our readiness to defend the interests of citizens."

The strike would have caused the Spanish league season to be extended from the weekend of 21-22 May to 11-12 June.

Reigning champions Barcelona lead the Spanish title race by five points from rivals Real Madrid with nine matches to go.

[Starvinho]

Real Madrid 0-1 Sporting

It finished about 15 minutes ago and it ends Mourinho's nine-year unbeaten home record.

[Lineker]

El Classico tomorrow! Hopefully the missus won't insist on having Britain's Got Talent on...

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's refusal to speak to the media ahead of Saturday's game against Barcelona prompted a walkout by journalists.

"Mourinho doesn't want his words blown out of proportion," said the Real coach's assistant Aitor Karanka.

"He doesn't want to be the one who raises the temperature."

Barca are eight points clear of Real in La Liga, with the two sides also due to meet in the Spanish Cup final and two legs of a Champions League semi-final.

About 30 Spanish journalists walked out when it was announced that Mourinho would not be speaking to the media.

Mourinho sat next to Karanka as the former Real defender answered questions at a media conference broadcast on live television and radio.

The former Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan coach has antagonised journalists in Spain since his arrival at Madrid at the end of last season by reducing their access to players and training.

After Saturday's league match the two clubs will meet in the Copa del Rey final on 20 April, which will be followed by their Champions League semi-final - with the first leg at Real's Bernabeu stadium on 27 April and Barca hosting the second at the Nou Camp on 3 May.

Real are without injured midfielders Lassana Diarra and Fernando Gago and the suspended Esteban Granero.

But striker Karim Benzema is fit having appeared as a substitute against Spurs, while midfielder Sami Khedira is also available after recovering from flu to start against Spurs.

Barcelona will be without striker Bojan, who could be out for two months after damaging his knee against Almeria last weekend.

But captain Carles Puyol, who has missed the last three months because of a knee injury, has been included in the Barca squad.

"The Puyol thing was a surprise for us as well," said Barca coach Pep Guardiola. "He's been out for a long time, but he's our captain," Guardiola said.

"He has been in pain up until now, but now that's gone and that's why we have decided to call him up."

Guardiola added: "I expect Madrid to play with a lot of intensity and I have the feeling that we will have to win the game in order to win the league.

"Nothing is decided yet, not by a long way. We could win a title, win two titles, or lose all three."

[Baddar]

el boringo.

EDIT: Ok, so Real are down to 10 and Barca go 1-0 up through a Messi penalty. At least the game should become more open now.