SirBalon

Of course they are... They're people, men who were once boys. They support clubs but it's true that their profession makes them more pragmatic in their approach to what we see as support. Take Iniesta for example who we've just touched upon... He was as you said but now there's very few Cules that will beat him for the passion he has for the club. It's like being in any profession and how it's seen from outside.

Indeed he was a Real Madrid sympathiser. He was and continues to be an Albacete fan (also the man that's saved them with over €3m invested in the club)

That picture is overused... Trust me! There isn't a Spanish kid in Spain that is a City fan. It's a known fact he's a Barcelona fan.

There is no heir to Andrés Iniesta because he is totally unique and one of the greats. What's for sure is that one day there'll be a permanent fixture in his place because Barça aren't going to play with 10 men. The closest thing in the squad right now is Denis Suárez, but he's nowhere near that level and probably will never be because Iniesta has been Iniesta. Maybe in the future he can be something special, who knows. Isco and Asensio (two Barça fans) are a good shout, but they chose their destiny and as much as it hurts me, I hope they have great careers because I love the way they play the game even though it's totally alien to what Real Madrid are historically.

Messi? That's another of his stories isn't it. Apparently in that one Messi was in the toilet at the time in his house, where he entered and had an interesting conversation.

Interesting... It's how things used to be done and I remember stories of many managers in the past doing things like that where they even go to the player's house. These days clubs have directors for sport to do these things. He would be a great great signing without a doubt. If Alexis leaves (he's currently talking to Bayern Munich) then it could open a path to signing him but that would be sad really as I'd prefer to have both players at the club. We could offer Özil and pay the £70m instead of the £100m couldn't we? Can't see Monaco saying no to that.

Hahahaha... Believe me that I wanted to but this is the busiest time of the year for me at work and I literally have to juice myself yo post on here which I love doing.

I hope you understand this because I haven't got time to translate it this morning. This is an interview with Marcos Senna held yesterday and there's an interesting bit on Andrés Iniesta. “A Iniesta le pediría que jugara hasta con solo una pierna”

Enter Danilo who hilariously was bought for a massive price from FC Porto by Florentino Pérez to replace Dani Carvajal because he's Brazilian and the Real Madrid president thought he would be more marketable. All of this after Carvajal had played one tremendous season on his return from Bayer Leverkusen.

Dani Carvajal suffered a grade two hamstring injury in yesterday's Champions League game against Atlético Madrid and has been ruled out for 3 to four weeks. Massive blow for Real Madrid.

But don't you think that ONE a summer depends on which one? Without a doubt you're building in the correct manner, but I do feel that if a pillar departs it could bring it all down unless he is replaced adequately.

Iniesta to continue another year? There's been quite a bit of speculation surrounding the future of Andrés Iniesta due to the fact his contract ends on the 30th of June 2018. He has made comments in recent times that have left journalists thinking that the end could be in the horizon, but yesterday in an interview with a Japanese sports magazine he said that he will definitely be at Barcelona next season and that any contract negotiations he's ever made have always been left for the end of the season. Iniesta says he wants to concentrate on the final weeks of the season because the team still have things to play for and that then and only then will he sit down with the club and plan the future. On the 30th of May Iniesta will be 33 years of age and even though that should point to a few more seasons at least at the top level, the fact is that the constant injuries he's getting and the amount of care taken by his coaches in hand picking the games he plays in is becoming more and more prominent. This season Andrés Iniesta has played only 10 La Liga games as a starter from 20 games he's been available for selection due to the lengthy injuries he's had. Only last week after El Clásico he got injured in training and could be out for a minimum of two weeks, this with Luis Enrique being extremely careful in the games he picks Iniesta to play in. The pale Manchego played two games in a row for the first time since November and that seemed to have taken its toll on his body and broke once again. Be it what it may, there's no doubt he's an insignia of the club just as Lionel Messi is. One of the most important iconic figures at the club with a career to rival any footballer's anywhere in the history of the game. He is one of the most loved figures in the game due to his character and one of the game's most graceful players ever. Because of these things, the club have left it open for him to pick and choose what he wants to do with his new contract and however he wants to have it written. It's upto him and he will dictate proceedings because his career at the club is one to be respected amongst the greatest that have ever played for the club. Something the club don't want to happen though and it's the only reason they're uneasy about what Iniesta's decision may be is because if in the unlikely event Iniesta wants to move to a less intense league, then they would want to know well in advance so as he gets the send off a player of his magnitude deserves and that the "socios" will be judging the club board on their every move from now on with one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Iniesta seguirá al menos un año más en el Barça

Man????

This is definitely Tesco Dos Bichos...

One man is an imposter? A bit of humour here because the guy on the right of that picture above is Lionel Messi's lookalike and you can say fair and square that Riza Parastesh from Iran is as an authentic double as you're gonna get. Riza is from Tehran and as you can imagine, everywhere he goes he is stopped in the streets where people want to take pictures and get his autograph. Infact if you watch the video provided, you will see one guy who wants to kiss him and Riza is rather perplexed by the situation!... Even funnier is the anecdote he has to tell about his father!!! You have to say that this proves there's a parallel universe, and that place is in Iran. hahaha

Barça 'B' Champions of Segunda 'B' Group III Barça's youth side FC Barcelona 'B' have a chance to return to La Liga 1|2|3 next season after qualifying for the play-offs by winning their third tier regional division with 8 games to spare. A magnificent season with record points and goals scored for the Barcelona B Team after two previous seasons that can only be described as a disaster. There are some real young talents coming through once again and there is talk of another golden generation in the making at Barcelona's professional youth setup. There's still work to be done as you don't get automatically promoted by winning that division in the third tier and now they will play the eventual winners of the other regional divisions. Triunfo del Barça B, que se proclama campeón de Liga

The Barça 5-0 Real Madrid game isn't remembered as a game by the Barcelona fans, so I understand where Tanksie is coming from. That game is a piece of art that belongs in 'El Prado' in Madrid. Or maybe better in the Louvre because as Piqué would say, you don't want to provoke the masses with these kinds of things... Better to stay hush and put our finger to our lips while in public. I say that honestly though... It's a game to watch in awe and a demonstration of the football you can't even access on amateur mode on EA FIFA.

Quique Setién to be named new Valencia CF head coach There's been a lot of speculation surrounding ex CD Lugo and present UD Las Palmas coach Quique Setién. Las Palmas have been trying hard all season to get him to sign a new contract but he's refused with reasons unknown. The truth is that Setién is one of Spain's most rated coaches coaches although he's been plying his trade for years at Lugo where he done miraculous work considering where they were before he took over all those years ago. There were even rumours that the technical director for sport at Barça, Robert Fernández had spoken to him about the possibility of being the Blaugrana coach in the future, but that may be at a later date. So Valencia who desperately need to find an identity once more after years in the wilderness and terrible errors by the present owners of the club since they took over couldn't have done better than sign the Cantabrian who if given the chance, will surely do a great job. Valencia is a bit of a poisoned chalice because of their fan base that traditionally doesn't give their coaches all that much time to reproduce something. He'll probably be given one season by the fans where he'll have to either be close or qualify for the Champions League next season (yep, that's the massive jump they'll expect but it doesn't end there) and from there onwards only competing to win La Liga and the Champions League will do. That's the issue with coaching this massive club... The pressure from their strange set of fans and not so much anything else. It hasn't been confirmed that Quique Setién will be the coach at Valencia CF next season but it's looking very very likely indeed. Dan por hecho el fichaje de Setién

Piqué hits out at the Madrid based press again Gerard Piqué seems to be on a mission these days with an open war against the Madrid based press. This week's victim is none other than the editor of AS (Like MARCA, AS proclaim themselves to be the voice of the nation's football) and his weekly column, Alfredo Relaño. In this case he's criticised the article he wrote dedicated to Lionel Messi's celebration when after scoring the winning goal in 'El Clásico' at the Santiago Bernabéu, he sowed the stadium his shirt holding it up after taking it off. Alfredo Relaño hits out against Messi saying that his actions could've caused a riot in the stadium (curiously only 400 Barcelona fans travelled and they were situated at the top of the stadium) and that it was a provocative act by the Barcelona player which could've also led to objects being thrown at him. Alfredo Relaño also compares Raúl's finger to his mouth shushing the Camp Nou as a more educated act than Messi standing with his shirt opened up in his hands. Piqué Tweeted this with the article in AS highlighted; Piqué's words translated: "It seems that Leo has taken them to their limits. Now they can't even hide it these days from the top. It seems it's a more provocative act to show a shirt than tell a whole stadium to be quiet." Duro mensaje de Piqué al director de AS

Come to Glorious Galaxy FC and join our party on the yacht.

That word is banned on this thread mate! I hope you were naked when you typed that.

First goal for Barça by Macherano, 100 in La Liga for Barcelona this season and 500 in the Luis Enrique era Tonight against Osasuna, Javier Mascherano scored his first ever goal for FC Barcelona entering his 8th year at the club. At the moment Masch scored the penalty (he was forced by the players to take it as they all said none of them would) it became not only his first goal, but also Barcelona's 100th in La Liga this season and the 500th goal in the Luis Enrique era. Javier Mascherano had this to say about the penalty and subsequent first goal for the club; "Under the insistence of all of them, it was too difficult to say no" "It was more an anecdote than anything else, more a show of affection from my teammates and they made me do it. The only thing I thought about was hitting it hard because I didn't want to make history for missing the opportunity." "This is a collective sport, a game made up of a team of players. Every one of us has his roll and mine isn't to contribute with goals." "The most important thing was the result and the three points after what the team achieved in the Bernabéu." On the opportunity to challenge for La Liga; "It's clear we're competing against a very strong rival and it's difficult that they're going to leave too many points behind. Our obligation is to put pressure on them." ¡Primer gol de Mascherano, 100 del Barça en Liga y 500 con Luis Enrique! Mascherano sobre el penalti: “Ante la insistencia de todo el mundo, fue difícil decir que no”

Well it is shiny.

Well in effect it's a European Trophy! All this stuff about Wenger not winning any is rubbish.