Samuel Eto'o

Wrap it up lads. "Win at Deportivo and Barca are Champions" https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2018/04/19/5ad8fa0bca47416e488b4577.html

Bloody hell look what Qatar's done to our boy since he left! Almost didn't recognize him. Bet the Qataris will offer him the world to get PSG to play football "the Barcelona way", much like Guardiola with City in England. https://www.sport-english.com/en/news/ligue-1/could-xavi-be-a-future-psg-coach-6768433

Xavi to coach PSG?? Could that ever happen? Say it ain't so. Can't wait for him to return to Barca as manager. Would probably be cutting and dicing some onions when I hear the news of his return Club legend. He WAS Barca. The team has lost its way a bit since he left.

Would already be Champions of La Liga with 5 matches left! (same as in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 et al) Up next: The Double

Here's the afore-mentioned thread in its entirety: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/985918060707139585.html

A bit lengthy but well worth a read. " While the domestic league is about remaining consistent for 9 months, the Champions League is simply about performing on the day, which requires having the absolute best starting XI (and a few key bench players) as well as having the versatility to handle all types of teams." "This is where Real Madrid have the edge over their rivals. They have the best right back, the best left back, the best CB pairing, the best midfield, the best striker and, crucially, have the ability to win in a number of ways. They are incredibly versatile." That's the very nature of cup competition vs league isn't it? That means that Real Madrid are mere CUP SPECIALISTS LOLOLOL! ROFLMFAO! I'm glad that we're not competing for a Treble Treble this season. It would be oh so sweet to achieve that in MADRID next season's Champions League Final venue. (Most likely in Istanbul the year after next, which won't have quite the same impact). To win the domestic double this season, have Madrid lose vs Bayern in the Champions League, and us to SMASH them into submission in the El Clasico at the Camp Nou on May 6th? Yes please!!

Here's another pertinent salient fact: the fact that ALL of Barca's European Cup/Champions League triumphs to date have invariably been part of a European Double (or Treble) (La Liga title and European Cup/Champions League trophy). I figured that since Barca were already that much ahead in the La Liga standings they could begin to prioritize the CL a little bit (forget about an unbeaten La Liga season) by resting key players. But Valverde had other ideas. Wanted to preserve the unbeaten La Liga record. So yes in some ways it does feel like a lost opportunity. Oh well can't win em all all the time I suppose. We already have. Twice What other team can say that?

Thank you for your input mate. You're not wrong: I do prize the European Cup/Champions League a great deal. It's the first competition I was exposed to and fell in love with, when Maradona was with Barca and Barca made the European Cup Final only to lose it on penalties I think it was against Steaua Bucharest. Didn't get much exposure to La Liga as a kid, though I do now. Everyone knows that Perez and Madrid prioritizes the Champions League over everything else. Look, we all know the players themselves, when asked, will tell you that La Liga, the domestic league is the one they want the most, as it's the competition they're most intimately involved with 9 months out of a year. I'm willing to wager though, that some of the players, maybe even Messi himself, if given the choice would rather win the Champions League over the domestic title for a change. He has 8 La Ligas and 4 Champions Leagues. I wouldn't say that Barca has "underperformed" in the Champions League (the way that Utd for example has) the past couple decades but just imagine if Barca could prioritize the competition the way that Real Madrid does! Would Messi have "just the 4"? I don't think so. He'd have 5-6 by now. Forget the World Cup, that alone would be more than enough to solidify his status as the greatest of all time, which he undoubtedly is. (The trade-off being that he might have fewer La Ligas of course. So again, the issue here is one of culture, mentality and priority, which competitions the club covet and value the most. ) By the way I have absolutely no idea what team it was that lost 3-0 to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico this past Tuesday. That was not Barca in any way shape or form. The simple fact of the matter is this: Barca became complacent, and you can never do that in the Champions League. We all saw what happens when you do. Even the TV networks in the USA ASSUMED that Barca would win the tie, so didn't even bother broadcast it on cable, instead consigning it to be shown live in its entirety on Facebook Live in the States.

I know, guys, I know. I'll get over the Champions League disappointment soon enough. It's just that this season we only have ourselves to blame, whereas last season we were well and truly comprehensively beaten by Juve. (Unfulfilled potential hurts more than the "simply not good enough" of last season) The Undefeated Domestic Double will do nicely, thank you very much! Oh, and to NOT have Real Madrid win the Champions League would be ideal too Hope we're wrong about Barca being the only team that can beat Madrid in the 1-game Final. Can ANYONE take Real Madrid in a 1-game CL Final? I can see Liverpool with their playing style causing problems. Roma, perhaps, but remember they're far off the pace in Serie A. and we all know what happened to Juve. I don't see this season's Bayern as being significantly better than last year's but you can never count out Heynckes and his chief architect an inspired Muller. If any team was to beat Real Madrid in the CL Final , that would be one of the greatest upsets/victories of all time. I for one would not be displeased!

This almost made me shed a tear. Almost. Has it already been 14 years! Say what you want to about this guy. At least he has PASSION. Unlike the current muppet.

If it's so easy to win the Champions League compared to La Liga (seems to be the prevailing school of thought in some circles) then why haven't other teams won it over Real Madrid? Again, priorities and winning mentality. Real Madrid have literally made it "their competition." Winning La Liga is extremely grueling and challenging. Winning the Champions League may be even harder (at least where Barca's concerned). I suppose it puts Barcelona's 4 Champions League titles in 12 years into perspective when you realize just how hard it is to win the competition. To think that Real Madrid may very well win 4 in 5 years! I shudder to think. Oh and about the stupid "Ronaldo vs Messi" debate?? Does anyone really think that either of them would be in the conversation for/contenders for the "Greatest of All Time" if not for one trying to outdo the other? Not a chance/not on your life. So let's all enjoy the both of them while we can (truly historic football times we're living in, this) without getting drawn into the silly debates as to "who's better" which seem to clog up a lot of TF365 these days. For theirs is a symbiotic relationship: one's greatness could not exist without the other. Because of that very reason, by that very same token, if Ronaldo wins yet another Ballon d'Or and Champions League title this year it'll be because of Messi (certain truths are revealed in jest, mind) We need a major overhaul: defense, midfield, even attack (Suarez and Messi not getting any younger).

The Champions League may not be the be all and end all, but it's right up there. I'd be willing to wager that Messi (at this stage in his career), with his 8 La Liga titles, would rather start winning more Champions League titles, if given the choice between the two. He has 4 to date. Let's not kid ourselves here: Real Madrid has ALWAYS prioritized and focused the CL, more oftentimes than not at the expense of La Liga. All the big guns, big boys and clubs play loads of matches each season. Such is the nature of the beautiful game that we all love. Everyone knows it's not easy winning a double, let alone a treble. So the question becomes which competition takes more priority over the others. Couple mates of mine (fellow lifelong Barca supporters) are presently in Rome. They're saying that the week is starting to feel like an eternity in the Eternal City I wanted the Champions League title so badly this season. Even more than an undefeated La Liga season and Copa del Rey. To think that Real Madrid may very well win their third CL on the trot (which puts them in the same league, maybe even surpassing the great Ajax and Bayern teams of the 1970s) when we were pretty much the only ones that could have stopped them from doing so? A bit of a bitter taste in the mouth for any true Barca supporter. (All the more so because we had complete control over how this tie would go, based upon the results of the 1st leg.) Going out to Juventus last season was understandable. They were simply better. Credit where it's due. Can we honestly say this Roma team were better, not just in the tie?) The European Cup/Champions League crowns the Kings of Europe/Champions of Europe. La Liga crowns the Champions of Spain. By default, there's a reason why "REAL/Royal" Madrid always goes for the CL crown. King of Kings. They DON'T have the small game mentality. They play their swashbuckling football and expect to win. Score as many goals as possible. Less tactical, in that sense, compared to this Valverde's version of Barca. (This Barca was supposed to be efficient/effective too but just can't match Real Madrid who have regained their form at the right time.) All the more reason for us to go all out and snatch the CL crown back from them in MADRID at the Wanda Metropolitano next season innit?? Cos you KNOW they would just LOVE to win it in their local/rival's stadium. Undefeated La Liga season/yet another domestic double this season? Check Win the Champions League in your eternal rival/arch nemesis' city next season? Check Priorities, mate I want Roma or Liverpool to win the whole thing now. A Roma vs Liverpool Champions League Final would be a dream come true. Spirit of 1984 baby. Both boast Boston-based ownership, incidentally. Non-Yanks hate stats, but here's a stat that's not insignificant: In the past 12 seasons that Barca haven't won it, every single team that's beaten us has ALWAYS made it to the Champions League Final. This probably is the case for the seasons before the afore-mentioned 12 too. So a warning to whoever gets Il Giallorossi in the semis: count them out at your peril. (Hate that Barca has to be the team that all others learn a lesson from though!!)

It hurts to say but Valverde is a small time/small game manager with a small game mentality. Lacks the tactical nous to be a true Barca great. Barca deserves and needs/requires better. Still in a state of shock. @Dalmore 's right. Barca didn't show up. At all. Not even the bad version of Barca. I blame the away jersey. Just don't like it :O) :O) Comebacks in football: didn't think we'd see anything remotely approaching the Barca 6-5 PSG last season. This one may have topped that one in terms of sheer impossibility in pure football terms. Don't blame it just on complacency. When we get a result like this (a match that should NEVER have been lost), there's something wrong at the institutional level, not just managerial (Valverde) level. All this doing well in La Liga was papering over the cracks. Something is rotten at the very root/core. The Barca board (Bartomeu et al) needs to go. Have said this for a while now. #BartomeuDimiteYa Bring in a PASSIONATE PRESIDENT (a la Laporta) while you're at it. Someone who genuinely cares about the club, someone who isn't just about merchandising and "Barca's global reach". I suppose @SirBalon said it best (apropos the Roma Barca tie). Paraphrasing cos don't recall exact wording: "This tie is not what it seems."

When I saw that Valverde took Iniesta off and put Andre Gomes on I just laughed my head off. Showed his lack of managerial acumen on the continental stage.

@SirBalon No excuses: Valverde better put a priority on an undefeated La Liga season now. What else kinda history is he gonna make? Vis a vis Real Madrid: we've won the battle but we may have lost the war. Congrats to them on a third successive European Cup/Champions League title. Hasn't been done since the mid 1970s.

@SirBalon I can forgive the tactical mistakes, the wrong strategy etc. But for Valverde not to get all worked up/was lacking in passion even when it was 2-0, 3-0? That to me is unforgivable. Give me a frothing in the mouth PASSIONATE wildly gesticulating manager a la Guardiola/Klopp any day. At least they care, unlike the dispassionate "student-of-the-game" Aquarian Valverde.

@SirBalon The exit to Roma stings more than bowing out to Juventus last year. The tie was literally ours to lose. "You had one job....................................................................................." Valverde built our hopes up so high only for it to be dashed in 90 minutes. (One could argue 180 mins over the course of the 2 matches). Guess we'll go on to win the Domestic Double now. Not my favourite pair of Double Ds mind.

Today's the Classico dos Gigantes derby (Fluminense vs Vasco da Gama). Vamos, pra cima, Fluzao!