General Football Thread

[Arjen Robben]

Bet this just annoys Argentina even more, "WHY COULDN'T WE DO THIS A FEW WEEKS AGO?"

[Lineker]

Much better than England gane that's for sure.

[GoGo Yubari]

Nicklas Bendtner is a fucking legend.

[RoyWill Rumble]

Every so often I'll watch this (and put it on mute) to remind myself that Ronaldinho was (and probably still is) one of the most skilled dudes to ever kick a ball ever.

[Cheeky Hughes]

Apparently Alvaro Negredo was given shit in his Valencia presentation because he refused to kiss the badge. That just silly, the man's only just arrived there!

[The Lusophone]

Two British-Nepalese human rights workers investigating the conditions of migrant workers building Qatar's 2022 World Cup infrastructure have disappeared in the Gulf state.

They are thought tp have been held by local security forces.

[Summers]

Apparently Alvaro Negredo was given shit in his Valencia presentation because he refused to kiss the badge. That just silly, the man's only just arrived there!

Papers seem to be making more of it.

He was asked to kiss the badge, said he'd only do that once he's delivered the goods for Valencia, some fans shouted some crap about Sevilla, and the subject was changed.

[Gazz]

Valencia were Negredo's boyhood club, as were Real Madrid, Almeira, Sevilla and Man City.

[hugobomb]

Nicklas Bendtner is a fucking legend.

What exactly is that defender appealing for?

"We should get a free kick because Bendtner is shit"

[The Lusophone]

Clearly he's appealing for that fan to ve removed from the pitch.

[Gazz]

I believe that just being Nicklas Bendtner constitutes ungentlemanly conduct is and an automatic free kick and booking.

[Lineker]

Basingstoke missed out on Ronaldinho; he's signed for a Mexican team.

An Austrian footballer has been banned for 70 matches for headbutting a referee.

Ismail Gunduz of amateur side SK Rum received the punishment after he reacted furiously to being shown a second yellow card in the 87th minute of a match against SPG Innsbruck West.

"We distance ourselves from Ismail Gunduz's behaviour," Rum coach Michael Messner told a local paper.

"He was thrown out of the club with immediate effect."

The suspension was imposed by the Tirol Football Association, which governs the Tirol Liga, the fourth division of Austrian football. The club was also fined 257 euros (£204).

"The barrier of 70 games is certainly a high punishment, but on account of the various witnesses' questionings also defensible," Tirol FA spokesman Horst Scherl told BBC Sport.

He added that Gunduz could have been banned for up to 78 matches.

Gunduz defended himself, claiming that he slipped. "This sentence is madness," he said.

"I will do all I can to return to the pitch."

[brenchill]

Give me Ronaldinho in his prime over Messi any day. What a player.

[Rafael]

If he kept that form for 4/5 more years we would be comparing him to the likes of Pelé, Maradona and Danny Simpson.

Edited September 8, 2014 by RafaelFms

[The Lusophone]

I think there's a problem with comparing players like Pele with those that came after him, especially in the last few years. Pitches were much worse, balls heavier, boots heavier, conditions for training worse, hell we know more about any individual player now than we did about whole teams at the time, just in things like stat tracking.

If we had players like Pele et al playing today... would they be above and beyond the Messis and Ronaldos of today?

[MDK]

Dover vs Barnet is on BTSport if any one is interested in a nice bit of hoofball, rustic tactics and agricultural tackles.

[MDK]

Just as I type that Barnet score a fairly decent goal, good technique on the header.

[Lineker]

What exactly is an agricultural tackle?

[Thrilla]

It is where you plow into the opposing player and rake your studs across his ankles.

[Gazz]

San Lorenzo have named their new stadium after the Pope.

The D'Angelo Dinero Dome.