European Football Thread

[The Lusophone]

There is a trade union for players already - FifPro, and football has trade unions in a great many countries too.

[gunnar hendershow]

18 minutes ago, MadJack said:

There is a trade union for players already - FifPro, and football has trade unions in a great many countries too.

It's pretty weak, weak enough in fact I didn't think of it as a union in the same vein as those seen in US sports. 

[Colly]

And yet FIFA will still push for this absurd two year World Cup cycle. 

[Benjamin]

12 hours ago, Colly said:

And yet FIFA will still push for this absurd two year World Cup cycle. 

#WengerOut

[Lineker]

 

[gunnar hendershow]

[FLiam]

First time I’ve watched Barcelona this season and they were worse than I thought. Utterly clueless as to how they should be playing. 

I do feel a bit bad for Koeman though - it’s been an absolute shit show at all levels.

[Adam]

Bayern Munich meanwhile suffered their biggest loss since 1978 last night - 5-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach in the DFB-Pokal.

It was their full first team as well - Neuer, Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Sane, Lewandowski.

[Gazz]

Part of me wishes the European Super League had gone ahead now, watching Man Utd, Spurs, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Juventus playing horrible, disorganised football and getting dicked every week by Colo Colo and Kawashima Antlers would have been great.

[Malenko]

7 minutes ago, Adam said:

Bayern Munich meanwhile suffered their biggest loss since 1978 last night - 5-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach in the DFB-Pokal.

It was their full first team as well - Neuer, Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Sane, Lewandowski.

And Bayern just beat Benfica 4-0 in Europe and Barcelona had lost 3-0 to Benfica a month ago.

Imagine if Borussia M'Gladbach played Barcelona! 

 

On a more serious note, most Barça fans seem to be really happy to know Koeman's gone. Personally, I think it would have been difficult for any manager. However I do feel they have some really talented kids that will bring them back to the top in due time. Unfortunately for Koeman he joined the club at the worst possible time.

 

 

[Szumi]

They've also been pining for Xavi to come in and "restore the Barca principles" or something, and by all accounts are set to get their wish 

[gunnar hendershow]

Don't do it Xavi! It's a trap!

[Malenko]

16 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

They've also been pining for Xavi to come in and "restore the Barca principles" or something, and by all accounts are set to get their wish 

That's been the goal for a while now and apparently he'll be the next manager. Sergi, Barcelona B manager will be in charge for a while until Xavi is official.

 

Xavi's demands, according to an article I read a while ago, were, he would need to start a season from the very beggining and he would only do it if Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets and Sergi Roberto weren't in the team.

None of these demands will be met if he starts now, but apparently it doesn't matter anymore. 

[Gazz]

Football's upper management need to stop leaning so far into nostalgia when appointing managers. Just because it worked with Pep and Zidane, doesn't mean that every bloke who won a trophy with you ten years ago needs a shot at being your manager.

[Colly]

True, but I'd be willing to give it a go.

[Hobo]

2 hours ago, Gazz said:

Football's upper management need to stop leaning so far into nostalgia when appointing managers. Just because it worked with Pep and Zidane, doesn't mean that every bloke who won a trophy with you ten years ago needs a shot at being your manager.

are you suggesting clubs should have some kind of planning and structure around recruitment that isn't just "hey, remember this guy? He's back in manager form!"

Because that is just madness.

[Lineker]

Quote

Sergio Agüero was taken to hospital for a cardio examination after being substituted in the 41st minute of Barcelona’s 1-1 draw at home to Alavés on Saturday, their first match since the sacking of coach Ronald Koeman

The striker seemed to be suffering from breathing issues but managed to walk off the pitch, with the club later confirming Agüero had gone to hospital to have his heart checked.

Caretaker coach Sergi Barjuán said: “He told me he was a little dizzy. I have found out now that they have taken him to the hospital to see what he really has. I do not know any more.”

After a cagey first half, Dutch forward Memphis Depay put Barcelona ahead four minutes after the interval with a fine strike from outside the penalty area.

The lead lasted only three minutes, however, as Alavés winger Luis Rioja conjured up an excellent equaliser, playing a neat one-two with Joselu before rounding Barça keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to score.

After defeats by Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano which led to the Koeman sacking, only 37,000 fans turned up at the Camp Nou to see the first game under caretaker coach Sergi, the club’s worst attendance for 20 years.

Eric García had Barca’s best opportunity in the first half with a header and Agüero’s long-distance shot flew wide but the best chance fell to Alavés’s Edgar Mendes.

Barcelona came out with more aggressive intent after the interval and Depay produced a stunning strike to register his fifth goal of the season.

Rioja responded quickly, however, running on to Joselu’s backheel to round Ter Stegen and place the ball into an empty net.

Barcelona’s 17-year-old midfielder Gavi dribbled past four Alavés defenders and set up Memphis whose effort hit the post and Nico also created a chance for the Dutchman which was saved by keeper Antonio Sivera.

 

[Hobo]

Damien Duff is the new manager of League of Ireland First Division club Shelbourne. He replaces Ian Morris, who had just guided the club to promotion to the Premier Division, but announced earlier this week he would be stepping down at the end of the season.

[Szumi]

Al Sadd announced that Xavi Hernandez will leave to return to Barcelona as their new coach following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman.

 

Sources told ESPN that Barca have paid Xavi's €5 million release clause and the 41-year-old will return to the club after six years with Al Sadd, first as a player before taking over as manager in 2019.

 

From ESPNFC

[gunnar hendershow]

That won't fix any of Barcelona's glaring issues. It doesn't seem like he's being fed to the wolves and expected to turn things around immediately but it's not a club particularly famed for its patience. And what they need right now is a lot of patience as the adjust to the post-Messi era.