European Football Thread

[stokeriño]

106 years. 61 managerial reigns (although a lot of managers had multiple swings at it). Only 8 such reigns lasted for 3 complete seasons. Yup.

At least Chelsea got nearly 100 years under their belts before they started doing this.  

[The Lusophone]

I mean, its not like every other club keeps managers around for a long time any more. Barca are on their fourth manager since 2012, which is the same as Real. Looking at all the current Liga BBVA sides, Real come joint 10th in terms of number of managers since 2005, with 10, with Barca (5), Rayo (6), Villareal (7), Bilbao, Atletico, Deportivo, Espanyol, Sevilla and Sporting Gijon (all 8). Valencia have had more (12), as have Sociedad (also 12), Betis (14) and the team with the most are Granada (16), although they've also climbed the divisions in that time and at the lower level technical personnel positions tend to be rather in flux.

Managers seem to be more at risk of sackings on the continent than in this country as well, with two current Premier League clubs (hint: they both play in the North East) changing their gaffers more than Real have in this time period (not counting caretakers, in which case its a few more). Of note, 5 of West Hams 15 managers in total have been since the end of the 2004-5 season.

[TCO]

That stat about Newcastle and Sunderland would be relevant if they weren't both dogshit for almost that entire spell, including a couple of relegations between them. It's perfectly acceptable to sack managers if they're underperforming.

What Real Madrid are doing is just reckless. They're winning all around them on a regular basis and they're still sacking the world's best managers for having the audacity to finish behind what may arguably be the greatest team in the history of the sport. They sacked Ancelotti a year after he won the Champions League and got rid of Pellegrini despite him amassing their highest ever (96) points total in the league.

[Lineker]

Florentino Perez always has, and always will be, a joke.

[EddieG]

On 1/4/2016 at 23:49, Mad Jack Frost said:

I mean, its not like every other club keeps managers around for a long time any more. Barca are on their fourth manager since 2012, which is the same as Real. Looking at all the current Liga BBVA sides, Real come joint 10th in terms of number of managers since 2005, with 10, with Barca (5), Rayo (6), Villareal (7), Bilbao, Atletico, Deportivo, Espanyol, Sevilla and Sporting Gijon (all 8). Valencia have had more (12), as have Sociedad (also 12), Betis (14) and the team with the most are Granada (16), although they've also climbed the divisions in that time and at the lower level technical personnel positions tend to be rather in flux.

Managers seem to be more at risk of sackings on the continent than in this country as well, with two current Premier League clubs (hint: they both play in the North East) changing their gaffers more than Real have in this time period (not counting caretakers, in which case its a few more). Of note, 5 of West Hams 15 managers in total have been since the end of the 2004-5 season.

In all fairness to Barcelona, 1 of those managers stepped down because he had cancer, and another one was there for a couple of weeks as caretaker.

[Lineker]

The Uefa team of 2015 has been revealed: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Paul Pogba (Juventus), James Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

[Hobo]

On 4/1/2016 at 22:49, Mad Jack Frost said:

Managers seem to be more at risk of sackings on the continent than in this country as well, with two current Premier League clubs (hint: they both play in the North East) changing their gaffers more than Real have in this time period (not counting caretakers, in which case its a few more). Of note, 5 of West Hams 15 managers in total have been since the end of the 2004-5 season.

The managers position is probably a bit more valued in England than elsewhere. At least traditionally.

[Gazz]

Is it? How many PL managers have been in their jobs more than 3 years for example? Off the top of my head, it's one.

[Lineker]

Eddie Howe.

[The Lusophone]

It's very similar, to be honest. In Spain it's only really Simone and Paco Jemez of Rayo who have been there for three full seasons or longer, although guys like Valverde at Bilbao, and Sevilla's Unai Emery are in their third full season.

It's a special manager nowadays who stays with a club for even 3 or 4 years, tbh.

[Lineker]

Roma have sacked Rudi Garcia.

[Hobo]

 

It's changed recently but the idea has always seemed that in England the manager does all the jobs, signs players, picks the team, does the training. I mean it's not necessarily ever been true but certainly there seems to be a myth about managers. Whereas on the continent it's maybe been viewed differently for a lot longer.

[Lineker]

Valencia have reappointed Jesús García Pitarch as their sporting director to work with the club’s manager Gary Neville. Pitarch, a former Valencia player who fulfilled the same role between 2002 and 2004 when Rafael Benítez was in charge, was confirmed in his post on Wednesday.

[Lineker]

Quote

For many months now, there have been rumours flying around, particularly in the Madrid-based press, that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid would face similar transfer bans to the one just endured by Barcelona.

It all relates to how these three major Spanish clubs sign young players from across the globe.

On Thursday, AS have revealed that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will find out their fate today.

FIFA have already made their decision and will communicate to the two Madrid clubs in the coming hours.

According to AS, the bans will not be favourable to either side and are expected to include this current January transfer window and next summer’s.

FIFA have clamped down on the signings of minors in recent years and together with the Spanish Football Federation, have been investigating the case over the past year.

Whether the ban comes into force straight away remains to be seen as both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid could appeal it, as Barcelona did when their sentence was handed down.

In addition, Barcelona continued to sign players during the transfer ban, but were just unable to register them until it was completed. The most high profile signing in this case was Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid.

EDIT: Confirmed. Real Madrid and city rivals Atletico have been banned for signing player for two transfer windows after breaching regulations in relation to the recruitment of young players. The bans will come into effect after the current window, meaning the two La Liga title challengers will not be able to sign players during this summer's window or next January. Atletico have been fined 900,000 Swiss Francs (£622,000) and Real 360,000 Swiss Francs (£249,000).

A FIFA statement said: "The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions."

[Lineker]

Fifa has banned Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid from signing players in the next two transfer windows.

The ban will come into effect for the 2016 summer and 2017 January transfer windows.

The two Madrid clubs have been banned for “breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18”.

Atlético have also been fined 900,000 Swiss francs (£622,000) and Real 360,000 Swiss francs (£249,000).

The fifa statement in full
The Fifa Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions.

Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”). The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.

Additionally, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by Fifa Transfer Matching System GmbH (FifaTMS) and subsequently by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings. The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).

Fifa works hard to protect the rights of players under the age of 18 – whether male or female, amateur or professional. This is done through the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors, or the first registration of minors in a country other than their own, except in specific circumstances (cf. art. 19 of the Regulations) that must be approved by the sub-committee appointed by the Players’ Status Committee.

As such, the provisions relating to the protection of minors need to be strictly applied. This has been confirmed on various occasions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Opening up the door to exceptions beyond those carefully drafted and included in the Regulations would unavoidably lead to cases of circumvention of the rationale for these provisions.

The web-based Transfer Matching System (TMS) provides a crucial platform to monitor the international transfer market, to ensure compliance with the rules, and to promote transparency and best practice.

[Lineker]

Roma have named Luciano Spalletti as their new manager, replacing Rudi Garcia who was sacked on Wednesday. Roma said that Spalletti, who coached the side from 2005 to 2009, would take charge of the team immediately. Garcia was dismissed after a slump in form saw his side drop to fifth in Serie A, seven points behind leaders Napoli. 

[stokeriño]

Quote

Fifa has banned Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid from signing players in the next two transfer windows.

Got anything to say now, Zizou?

[The Lusophone]

I mean... they can still sign players in January... and also sign players in those windows... just not register them...

[stokeriño]

Fancy a year's holiday in the sun? Come to Madrid!

[DavidMarrio]

Could a team technically get around it by signing someone and loaning them out straight away? 

Say Madrid sign someone, can't register them or play them so loan them out in the mean time to another team.