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I don't know how closely you've been following Barça in the last year or so mate. But till now we've had one official attempt foiled by not reading the club constitutional laws to censure the current president and board. Now in recent days there's been Víctor Font who is building a big support in the attempt to censure again and this time not make the same mistake as the previous group. What I'm saying is that the only hooe is to get this present board out as soon as possible. The way they win over sentiments is to buy big names and relax the uproar in very particular moments. Barcelona isn't Real Madrid and never will be. They (Barça) can only succeed by doing things in their traditional manner because chaos brings the club traditionally down to its knees and there's been four famous depressions throughout the club's history where they suffered a lot. Barcelona can't live like Real Madrid even if they match their earnings year upon year and Real Madrid cannot be and function like Barça. One basis it's history around its foundation which is its academy (Barcelona) while the other club have always been globetrotters. When Messi finishes? It will be the end of a dynasty. Curiously the most successful dynasty in the history of football including the Franco infused 60s era for Real. Nothing lasts forever but then again you don't get Lionel Messi's appearing out of nowhere everyday. I would say that unless the club can return to its traditions then they will indeed go through another depression. But hey! I wouldn't have it any other way to be honest. It's a genuine club and Inknow that sentence won't be understood by many. You have to study deep into the culture and the history of this sport within Spain to understand why I said that and how it can be a genuine sentiment. Barça fans have always held themselves as a superior football phenomenon in Spain which has always been the envy of those from the capital... Even with their riches and success. Imagine that! Imagine being second best (aside from contemporary history) and still be able to muster unequivocal envy. Cycles my friend! Cycles and football is just a sport. I've already started to teach the religion of true football to my son so as he doesn't suffer a bout of anything untoward.

Actually, I find this stuff interesting. Always a chance to learn through football about human interactions and dealings. But there is no news about it coming from Brazil. The last I read was from Mundo Deportivo. Barça already paid 4 million euros for the priority rights and have until July 15th to pay the other 26 million euros. There´s no clause about antecipating the move to July, so Grêmio wants a compensation of 10 million euros, while Barça agrees to pay only 3 million euros. Arthur moving earlier to Barcelona really hurts Grêmio´s chances to retain the Libertadores title, so there´s good reason to why they want a big compensation for it.

The difference between Real Madrid and Barcelona is that Real have eternally been able to live in chaos. They've learned to deal with it even to the detriment of seasons going awol in the past three decades. Barcelona have become a buying club only in the last 20 years even if they always had one or two great foreigners. Real have always been ,pre adept in that sense (I won't go into the reasons behind how they became used to this though ). Add to it all this ragtime bunch of individuals and this is the result. People must always remember that Josep Maria Bartomeu isn't even a football fan. His sport is basketball 100% which even there he's managed to ruin a dynasty in 5 years, so imagine with football. But this isn't an opportunity to talk Barça's internal political history, just if you had more info on what the scenario was like because there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever Barça need Arthur or someone of the ilk in July, not January.

I thought the transfer was already completed.

I know mate. This is evident after what Romildo Bozan (Grêmio president) said three days ago that there's an agreement signed which Grêmio as an entity will always respect but anything other than that and then negotiations start anew. This Barcelona board have consistently done this which is why honourable people like Andoni Zubizarreta and just the other day, Robert Fernández have been sacked! https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/gremio-apremia-barcelona-cumplir-pactado-con-arthur-6867798

Class signing, although I was never sure why they sold the lad in the first place personally. He's always had the talent. I suppose moving to Espanyol helped him progress though and 12 million is nothing today.

@Eco wait til we have to explain what the Duckworth-Lewis method is

What I bought - What I received -