European Football Thread

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Forgot to mention, Inter ended the streak last night.

Very open game, will be interesting to see how Juve respond to their first real defeat (bar the cup final Napoli game last season) in ages. Streak ended at 49 too.

[Lineker]

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is set to accept an approach to become a director at Ajax, the club where he began his hugely successful professional career, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

[Lineker]

This is a great story:

Swansea City's Michu has become a shareholder of his home-town club Real Oviedo in Spain in a bid to keep them in business.

Oviedo is one of Spain's most historic clubs but reportedly need to raise 2m euros within a fortnight to survive.

The Swans' top scorer has been joined by two other former Oviedo stars, Chelsea's Juan Mata and Arsenal's Santi Cazorla, as shareholders.

"We just wanted to try to help save the club we all played for," said Michu.

"Myself, Mata and Cazorla have all bought shares, but it would be wrong of me to say how much.''

Oviedo, who play in Spain's third tier Segunda B, revealed it may be forced to shut its doors following financial hardship and the economic crisis in Spain.

The former La Liga outfit is trying to raise much-needed funds and capital to stay in business and survive.

Michu started his career at Real Oviedo, his local club in northern Spain, at five years old and stayed there until he was 21, playing over 100 games, but money problems saw them slip down the leagues.

He left to join Celta Vigo in 2007 but says his bond with his hometown club is still strong.

"The economy in Spain is very bad and the club needs around two million euros to survive," said Michu, who joined Swansea just £2m from Rayo Vallecano in July.

"A lot of people have bought shares and hopefully it will be enough by the closing date of November 17.

"It's my local club, a club I love, so I hope it will be enough."

Michu believes Swansea fans will understand his desire to keep his former club afloat after the supporters of the Welsh club did the same a decade ago.

"Swansea fans should know how much it means to me and the Oviedo supporters," said Michu.

"I remember reading up on the history of Swansea when I first arrived here; I remember reading how the Swansea supporters bought shares in this club when it was in trouble 10 years ago - and again many years before that.

"And look at the club now; in the Premier League and winning at places like Anfield. Hopefully this SOS can have a similar reaction.''

[IAceI]

Yeah - anyone can get involved as well and own a bit of the club too if they want, seems loads of people are getting in the spirit of it. Alternatively they are being harassed into it by Sid Lowe on twitter who is doing a top job of seemingly getting people to buy shares. Good to hear though, especially when ex-players are doing their part and getting involved.

[Lineker]

Are you buying into it?

[IAceI]

I'd like to have but as of right now nearly all my money is tied up in an Australian bank account I can't access and a house 10,000 miles away that I'm not living in yet. So I don't really have any to spare just now. May see if I can get something done before the closing date though. They're at least better than Ebbsfleet United.

[EddieG]

Meh, even as someone who's lived in Spain, couldn't give a shit about Oviedo.

[Starvinho]

Marseille play Bordeaux later tonight, and the game is the last of Joey Barton's ban.

[EddieG]

So the fans have raised the 1.9m Real Oviedo required, and impressed Carlos Slim (the richest man in the world) so he invested a further 2.5m

[Lineker]

Inter Milan sporting manager Marco Branca has suggested midfielder Wesley Sneijder will not be picked until he agrees an "adjusted" contract.

The 28-year-old Dutchman, sidelined after suffering a minor injury in September, has been linked with a move in the January transfer window.

"We're patient and calm as we wait for the situation to evolve," said Branca.

Sneijder was linked with a switch to Manchester United in 2011, with the player claiming "unofficial talks".

"The situation with Wes, who is part of the history of this club and a player we all care about, is that we've been discussing a possible - and for us necessary - adjustment to his contract for a while," added Branca in an interview published on Inter's website.

"We want to give the player and his entourage all the time they need to consider the terms of our proposal carefully, so the coach and the club have decided not to use the player in this period until things are clearer."

The Netherlands international joined Inter in July 2009, having previously played for Ajax and Real Madrid.

[Adam]

So Fernando Muslera concedes a late penalty and gets sent off...Felipe Melo volunteers to go in the Galatasary goal for the penalty...and he saves it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nY4DAibYozU

[Starvinho]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3U-r8T31Ns

Joey Barton doing a Schteve McClaren!

[Lineker]

Prick.

[Adam]

Why are these people so fucking stupid? How backwards do you have to be to think "oh I'm in a foreign country, I best put a stupid accent on as if this is my native country and England is a second language."

[King Ellis]

It's a reflex that's been bred into every British person since the dawn of time. If you can't speak the language, just speak English either louder, in their accent or both.

[Colly]

One of my mates is amazing for it, does it every time we go anywhere. Best one is when we were in Berlin and he had a long conversation in slow 'how you say?' speak with a man from... California. Amazing.

[MDK]

Scienticians have proved that putting on a silly accent works

[Matt]

Be fair to the lad, he's a scouser, without putting on a silly French accent, they wouldn't have a clue what he was saying.

[EddieG]

Beauty in the Bundesliga from Arango.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEMTeITWI64

[Lineker]

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund today in the Bundesliga. Titanic clash.