SirBalon

What I'm wondering from the ones you can see is that on the top righthand corner there seems to be a Sergio Ramos Sevilla shirt if I'm not mistaken and that's a rarity!

I would expect they're there because the picture is only of that section.

It's the reason I love Messi so much... Anything anti-Spurs is good with me. hahaha

Anyone that does something like that should be headlining everywhere and anywhere, even a Barcelona thread.

It's crap football, crap all round to be honest. He makes it worse by speaking rubbish that has nothing to do with any of the reasons people really watch football for. Only this weekend just gone by he spouted gibberish where we even had a member (obviously a fanboy in terms of a coach) trying to turn a DEFEAT into something positive! Mourinho isn't behind the times... He is the epitome of a troll, but in his case, one that works at the top end of the game. He is a total joke but at the same time a pig.

I didn't write many that are there... Didn't know you were a Lanzini fanboy. Added him anyway... Just for you!

Messi, Son & Co. It's not news but it is a curiosity on professional colleagues where Lionel Messi is concerned. The Argentine Barça player posted on his Instagram account some of his collection of shirts over the years and amongst them we can see players like; Francesco Totti Iker Casillas Raúl Thierry Henry Deco Sergio "Kun" Agüero David Luiz Yaya Touré Gerard Piqué Dani Alves Pablito Aimar Luis Suárez Ezequiel Lavezzi Cesc Fàbregas Manuel Lanzini And many more that the camera doesn't catch amongst others...

Alexis Sánchez sends a message once again According to Mundo Deportivo Alexis Sánchez has sent out another one of his messages (an interview on SKY SPORTS) to Arsenal FC and also with information for the Arsenal fans. It's not the first time he's sent this sort off message out and in the past he's always done it around the same time of the season seeming to be telling the club to sort things out in the transfer window so as be more competitive. These are some of his quotes; "The season hasn't been for for me because I came here to win trophies, to be playing semi-finals in the Champions League and to be winning the Premier League. I am very disappointed not to have been involved in those situations." "If a player is to be remembered and be seen as to have made it, he needs to be at a club playing at the top echelons and to win the Champions League and league titles." "Life is short and so is a footballer's career. Every training session we have I want to win, the matches we play I want to win that that's the impotence that I feel when I go home sad and seeing the faces of the fans at the end of the game living again the same disappointments. I don't just play for me, I play for my club and most of all the fans because they are the ones that top it all off when they celebrate and you get lost in the happiness. Not winning a game where you know you should be winning as a player and your intuition while playing is extremely frustrating." When Alexis was asked about his future and if he will be staying at Arsenal, the answer left quite a bit of uncertainty; "Both the club and myself will talk once the season has ended, because if I talk now I can't concentrate on what I want to do which is give 100% when I play." Los laterales de Robert, en problemas

What an arrogant pig he is. A pig and mediocre manager that's been lucky and created some of the most negative and ill tempered moments I can remember.

hahaha He's got a pretty decent record against Real Madrid and many other clubs around Europe mate. I think you're thinking about someone else... Barça don't tend to face you Malmö's of this world everyday.

5th season with more than 50 goals Lionel Messi isn't has never been a striker, has never been a real winger or a midfielder by nature. To understand the 'Messi phenomenon' we should embrace the fact that wherever he's played (all three positions) he's been the best in each of those positions. The best 9 (although it was a false 9 position he played with Guardiola), the best winger and the best attacking midfielder. Only then can we begin to comprehend the incredible goalscoring numbers he's achieved without having ever played as a natural number 9. In 5 of the last 7 campaigns he hasn't come down from 50 goals a season and it's been 8 years scoring 38 or more goals a season in all competitions. His greatest goalscoring feat to date was the 73 goals Lionel Messi scored in a football season in 2011 where he also raised the table on the La Liga season goalscoring charts to 50 goals... Infact in a natural year in 2011 he scored a world record 91 goals surpassing the previous record owned by the German Gerd Müller on 86. Natural strikers of the ilk of Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Villa and Luis Suárez have been at the club without surpassing Messi's contribution and consistency in scoring goals. Only Luis Suárez last season managed to outscore the little Argentine in La Liga but Messi still finished the season with 41 goals in all competitions and decided to play more in midfield as he has done this year although at the moment standing on 51 goals for the season and on 35 La Liga goals leading in Spain and in Europe overall. It's interesting that a natural goalscoring machine like Cristiano Ronaldo for example is in the reckoning when Messi lives off an overall terrain on the pitch from the halfway line upwards. Only being able to play defensively would unite him with the greatest all round player in history which was Alfredo di Stéfano... Maybe one day Messi will even play there because Luis Enrique said last season that he could see Messi excelling in those areas too. There are still three official games for Messi remaining this season with he two in La Liga and the Copa del Rey Final. Let's see what he surprises us with.

There's lots of funny ones with him like one when he was coach for Barcelona and they were playing Manchester United and he took Maradona off after 15 minutes because he wasn't doing what he told him to do and instead started to drop deeper and deeper looking for the ball. Menotti says that Maradona wasn't one to ever reproach his coach back in the day (at least not him) so he got his wife to do it after that game to which Menotti told the whole dressing room the next day back at the Camp Nou. But my favourite is one where Menotti was coach with a youth team back in the day when he was starting (can't remember the club, could be Boca) and there was a player Gregorutti (I hope I've got that right because I'm telling it off the top of my head). Menotti says that this kid was amazing and had the capability to be a great player but that he was the laziest player he has ever coached. He just wouldn't run... So Menotti had a bright idea and before training the next morning Menotti got up really early and went to pick pineapples at a field near his dad's house. Apparently pineapples picked right off the tree are extremely prickly. So at training everytime Gregorutti didn't run like Menotti wanted to, he threw pineapples at him hitting him with each and every one of them. From that moment Gregorutti was known as "El Piña" (pineapple in Spanish) But for me the fascination with Menotti is when he talks football... I have listened to and read for hours and hours on end everything he has to say. The man is a bloody genius. In Argentina they say you're either a Menottista or a Bilardista because of their contrasting beliefs on how the game should be played.

It must run in Argentinian blood because Diego Simeone is the same... He calls players on the telephone all the time and there's an anecdote when they won La Liga under Radomir Antić (96 I think it was) and he visited the hotel room of every single player in the squad that night and returned to his own room in time to get up. Obviously he didn't get any sleep but I feel sorry for Kiko who apparently was the last player he visited that night. My favourite character to read (although he wasn't or isn't exactly controversial) in the Argentine football world (he's an idol of mine) is "El Flaco" César Luis Menotti. A god of football and we can forget, Guardiola, Bielsa, Herrera, Aragonés or Ferguson.

hahahahaha Yeah... I remember that very very well! He managed to get all of them to cut their hair as it was the fashion back then for almost every Argentine player to have long hair. If I remember rightly, even Batistuta cut his hair as did Sorín.

So you've seen that Redondo move at Old Trafford I would expect. Lots of great great players get lost in translation these days with all the marketing behind a few usual suspects. The rest are entities of the moment and kind of get forgotten by many unless they're really avidly into football, and I mean football.

He did indeed... But then again Quique Sánchez-Flores knows Luis Enrique very well and he'll know that part of his oddness is not giving a damn what others say and he doesn't seem to care about a situation others would see as losing face. He is a very very strange character... Seems to be pissed off all the time.

Many people admire Luis Enrique's "sincerity" and many others just ask, why? I'm in the middle with Luis Enrique although if I ever do sway a bit on that bird wire because of a gust of wind, I tend to nearly fall into the "Why" camp. Keeping your mouth shut isn't lying and refusing to answer the questions the press put before you because in Spain they're more interested in sensationalism and controversy is the more intelligent action and that isn't lying... It's keeping things to yourself because you're in the media spotlight and in my personal view as a player that earns a good living, part of the job description is to be a diplomat or if you can't reach that far within your character, then keep hush. There is a part of him I admire though and that is sticking it to the press which is his biggest enemy as he doesn't trust them at all. But Luis Enrique on the whole is a curious character and I've heard plenty of anecdotes on him like this one by an ex-member of the training staff a couple of years back; "With Luis Enrique you have to walk around like you're stepping on feathers and don't want to ruin them. The most likely thing you'll get from Luis Enrique when wishing him a good morning within the halls of the Camp Nou is a "What's so good about this particular morning then!"... He's a strange fellow that seems to think in terms of targets for each individual day." I can believe that anecdote considering his love and passion for Triathlons which he is an avid participant and one of the best around. A sport consisting of individualism and various mind-blowing exhausting targets. All of that stuff he's ever said about Real Madrid is a step too far for me even if it's true. For example, Gerard Piqué gets accused in a similar vein but for me it's different. Piqué pulls the cords publicly on what he feels are general injustices. Take for example that other public issue Luis Enrique has with the present Espanyol coach, Quique Sánchez-Flores... Back in their Real Madrid playing days they both had some sort of dressing room argument which has persisted to this day. The first game this season between the two clubs at the Camp Nou had the situation where traditionally the two coaches from both clubs take a picture together by the Barcelona based press... Luis Enrique said he'd do it and then didn't turn up leaving Sánchez-Flores looking like a right plum on the pitch at the stadium... When Luis Enrique was quizzed on it he said he got into a movie on his tablet in the office and forgot the time. On the return game which was last week the press didn't even bother to ask them to both do the picture and when they asked Quique Sánchez-Flores what he thought about Luis Enrique and his refusal to shake his hand or do the picture he said this curious thing; "I'm reading a book right now you know!" To which a journalist asked; "Which book?"... The Espanyol coach answered; "It's a book by Caroline Dream called 'The Clown In You", it's good you know" Not a good way to go mending the situation with Luis Enrique is it. As for Luis Figo... My opinions of him as a player have never changed. He is one of the greatest I have seen... But he is a liar and a traitor!

Why have you come out with that? For me he was a brilliant player... A favourite of mine in the Madrid side at the time. Still remember that move he pulled off at Old Trafford that left me with my mouth open. He did have problems with consistency though in my opinion. He was always good but at times he was amazing. Why do you ask? Another player I loved a bit further back was at Atlético Madrid, Paulo Futre... Along with Luis Figo, my favourite Portuguese players of my time.

Figo is a case apart! Those that defend him will say that the whole issue revolved around him moving from Barça to bitter rivals Real Madrid (remember that in Europe nothing compares to that rivalry... Ever! Not even Celtic v Rangers or Partizan v Red Star). The problem is that players have moved between both clubs for decades and notable moves we have the Dane Michael Laudrup who moved from Barcelona to Real and the German Bernd Schuster who done the same thing (Schuster actually played for Barça, Real and Atlético Madrid). Both were insignia players for Barcelona and both are still adored by the Barça fans. What happened with Figo then? Forget how the deal was done and the mundane details thrown by one party on the "matching of wages". Barcelona matched whatever wages Florentino Pérez was willing to offer him because Barcelona didn't know how much had been offered and they told him that whatever it was, they'd match it. The ONLY issue surrounding the Luis Figo move from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid CF were the weeks previous to his move and the campaign Florentino Pérez used to win the presidential elections. These were the moves three weeks previous step by step (where it matters to the fan); Florentino Pérez states he has a marquee signing if he wins the elections. The greatest investigative sports press in the world which resides in Spain (always) ascertained that it was Figo and announced it. Florentino Pérez refuses to deny that this was the case. Figo denies it and in the last match of the season kisses the crest (yes I know we've all seen this before). Figo then offers an interview to SPORT and TV3 (TV3 is the regional Catalan tv station) where he says he is the Barcelona captain and that he would never move to Real Madrid which appeases the Barça fans and believe it's all paper speculation. Florentino Pérez wins the elections to become President of Real Madrid and presents Luis Figo as the first of the "Galacticos" Luis Enrique's move from Real Madrid to Barcelona caused a storm for these reasons which are different but certain actions caused the storm later on; Luis Enrique refuses to sign an extension to his contract. The Madrid based press state that he is plotting a move to rivals FC Barcelona. He is quizzed on holiday and he refuses to answer by smiling when asked if it's true (this is his rather underhand character which he maintains today and despises the press). He then goes for free to Barça and states that he's arrived at the best club in the world and that his career was being washed away in his past club which was only a stepping stone to get to his dream move. (remember that both clubs hold themselves as something special and those aren't the words you should choose) In his first appearance for Barça he give the hand on the inside of his elbow to the Bernabéu crowd and practically tells them to fuck off. He then subsequently talks bad about Real Madrid and his experiences at the club whenever asked. Luis Enrique's actions aren't enjoyed even by the Barça fans (the more moderate ones) and at most is treated as a curious situation because he was the first to cause such a storm in that manner of bad mouthing publicly. Luis Figo on the other hand is treated as an authentic traitor and he's come out with various reasons as to why that move happened blaming the Barcelona board. Even if it's true that the Barça board messed up (which believe me, Barça fans are willing to believe). Nothing justifies his public statements beforehand rubbishing the rumour and stating that he was Barcelona through and through and was their captain. Remember... Players as important and as big as him for the Barcelona fans had gone to Real Madrid and nothing like was seen in his return to the Camp Nou as a Real Madrid player was ever witnessed and probably never will again because clubs protect themselves now with these things using clauses and even players won't do that move, or at least NEVER in that fashion. This has been a basic explanation of the situation revolving both players and there's obviously more to it and much more detail. There's also the emotion of fans at play here which are the ones that matter and the actions and sentiments we are disputing here on a level of whether they're justified in feeling. Both sets of fans are justified to have felt like they continue to feel when either name is mentioned in my view. I won't dispute or ever pretend to do so with any of the two sets. I understand the issue and the sentiments they both have for either club depending what colours you support. There is no room for mediation or looking for equilibrium in terms of social behaviour. Clubs are seen as important as family over there and something like that is like... Well imagine! Imagine what it's like if a family member betrays you with lies and deceit.

Sack Pep!

That tells us more about common human conditions than anything else. The way Figo left Barça and what he says today and the same with Luis Enrique vice versa doing it to Real Madrid.

Mine is a unique situation in this forum as I wrote in the other forum when I joined. I know many people like me, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

I don't think Iniesta hates Real Madrid at all... Infact I have a respect for Real Madrid inside of me that has nothing to do with the present club run by the man that presides them. I am a Culé, and proud of it and support what they stand for totally. But within that social standing (because Spanish football is based on social bias) I can disagree with things on all corners of the spectrum including FC Barcelona. What occurs is that few here know where to begin with arguments like that which is good because it remains football. What I don't like is for anyone to pretend to portray a deep understanding of something that is a lot more complex than football alone which is thankfully what English football club support is. Anyway... I'm veering way off the mark there. I agree... Iniesta will probably hold feelings toward Real Madrid although I guarantee you that he is more Culé than any now! As for Fàbregas... It's curious you should quote him because of all the Catalan players in recent years, he's the only one that's ever repeated that he'd have no problem in playing for Real Madrid. Now, if you said Xavi! There's a different story. Valdés has always kept himself to himself and Piqué for example who is very vocal against everything Real Madrid stands for these days has a history in his family that is very Real Madrid.

I'm saying that their profession changes them and that their initial passion for the sport as a fan can't die. What I do believe is that their allegiances do change as I think Isco and Asensio's will change. Look at Rafa Nadal... A Barça fan as a kid (his whole family are Barcelona fans and his uncle Miguel Ángel Nadal played for Barça) and changed to a Real Madrid fan in his teens. He's a sportsman (obviously not a footballer). These things happen and they're usually influenced by something. My brother was a Barça fan as a kid and today he's an Atlético Madrid fanatic living in Madrid so he could be closer to the club. All that stuff that you can't change club may sound romantic, but it does happen in your early years. What occurs is that many don't admit where their allegiances were earlier on and infact it would be a great debate on a thread of its own although few would admit the truth.

One can only go by what he's said and if there's one person I'll never look at with a side glance when he opens his mouth it's Iniesta.