Robert Lewandowski Moves to Barcelona

[Dr. Gonzo]

8 hours ago, SirBalon said:

This a really good post!

The Maradona part particularly although there is context to the eventuality of him “carrying Napoli”. Napoli had an amazing side when Maradona was there.

Players like Ciro Ferrara, Alemão, Fernando de Napoli, Careca, Andrea Carnevale and Maradona himself.

Back then it was difficult or impossible to find a club that had a multitude of huge names and what you had was a core element. Plus the “Bosman Ruling” didn’t exist and the 3 foreigner rule applied not just to other continents, but also European footballers. The first club to become a “Super-Club” and take advantage of the “Bosman Rulling” was AC Milan if memory serves me correctly.

What was incredible is that that Napoli side didn’t manage to win the European Cup (subsequently Champions League). But that is unimportant because they were a genuinely great side.

I digress... What I mean is that back then players were more willing to make a move from ‘Big Clubs’ to what we would deem today to be more ‘normal’ clubs. The decision tended to be more a normal one as wages in general weren’t all that “crazy”.

Anyway... A great post mate.

That's all very true.

And also I don't think that the Liverpool and Roma sides that Gerrard and Totti respectively carried at times were full of crap players. I think it's a bit similar to the Maradona situation at Napoli - a few very good players were around them (although maybe not as many)... but still not quite the caliber as some of the teams they were competing against.

I don't think it's any knock on any very good side to not win the European Cup/Champions League, tbh. Yes, it's a huge achievement and yes... the winners get etched into history and get the deserved accolades for winning club football's most prestigious tournament. But it's just such a hard tournament to win and you are literally up against all of the strongest sides in the continent (especially back then in the European Cup era, when only champions were allowed in).

[True Blue]

Fuck you Barcelona I am filling a report to Uefa for your transfers, no way the can have a budget at all with the debt they have.

[Dr. Gonzo]

4 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Fuck you Barcelona I am filling a report to Uefa for your transfers, no way the can have a budget at all with the debt they have.

Tbf they restructured their debt so it gets paid off over a lot longer time, which works out better for them in terms of FFP and La Liga rules. But they're also needing to add cash quick by selling off assets and I'm not sure that's really the best thing for a future Barca board to have to deal with.

It's weird their answer to the short-termist thinking that got them in this mess is more short-term thinking. I know they probably feel a lot of pressure to keep their fans engaged, especially the foreign fans in the US and Asia that are more inclined to spend huge amounts of money on shit like kits and Barca branded merch, and they probably feel like being competitive is the only way to do that.

But they've just spent a lot of money on a striker that's probably in his final years of his career given his age... and I know he's world class and probably the best striker around... but is it worth trading so much of their future revenues for? They'll probably be looking to replace him in 2-3 years, even if he does really well, just because of his age... they probably should have just gotten him to agree to sign a pre-contract in January to move as a free transfer.

Although I think they also had to mortgage against their future because of signings like Raphinha.

[True Blue]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Tbf they restructured their debt so it gets paid off over a lot longer time, which works out better for them in terms of FFP and La Liga rules. But they're also needing to add cash quick by selling off assets and I'm not sure that's really the best thing for a future Barca board to have to deal with.

It's weird their answer to the short-termist thinking that got them in this mess is more short-term thinking. I know they probably feel a lot of pressure to keep their fans engaged, especially the foreign fans in the US and Asia that are more inclined to spend huge amounts of money on shit like kits and Barca branded merch, and they probably feel like being competitive is the only way to do that.

But they've just spent a lot of money on a striker that's probably in his final years of his career given his age... and I know he's world class and probably the best striker around... but is it worth trading so much of their future revenues for? They'll probably be looking to replace him in 2-3 years, even if he does really well, just because of his age... they probably should have just gotten him to agree to sign a pre-contract in January to move as a free transfer.

Although I think they also had to mortgage against their future because of signings like Raphinha.

I hope they fold but good post agreed

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 minute ago, True Blue said:

I hope they fold but good post agreed

I don't think they'll ever fold, but I do think the future for them might look very different. I'm not sure they can be the club they want to be in this era of football and keep the socio-ownership model, not unless a board can come in and make the difficult decisions and convince fans patience is needed so they can build up the club to last in the long-term. Otherwise, I don't think they'll be able to stop themselves from needing to sell their soul and become one of the oil baron clubs.

[SirBalon]

4 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I don't think they'll ever fold, but I do think the future for them might look very different. I'm not sure they can be the club they want to be in this era of football and keep the socio-ownership model, not unless a board can come in and make the difficult decisions and convince fans patience is needed so they can build up the club to last in the long-term. Otherwise, I don't think they'll be able to stop themselves from needing to sell their soul and become one of the oil baron clubs.

Even now with all of the issues they’ve got it seems impossible for them to sell their identity and become an owned club. As I’m sure you know, they’re one of the few remaining European clubs actually owned by the fans but even that is disputable considering the recent sale of the Camp Nou name to Spotify so as to finance the restructuring of the stadium.

But I’ve heard people that tend to know a lot of what goes on at the club saying that more and more louder voices on putting a motion for for voting on selling the club is gaining motion. That would be the end of the mystique imo and if they do it, then Real Madrid would eventually follow suit which in Spain would change everything.

But with football and how much it’s changed over the past decades, there doesn’t seem to be any other way sadly.

But every woe FCB are suffering is all down to them. They brought this on themselves.

[Dr. Gonzo]

6 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Even now with all of the issues they’ve got it seems impossible for them to sell their identity and become an owned club. As I’m sure you know, they’re one of the few remaining European clubs actually owned by the fans but even that is disputable considering the recent sale of the Camp Nou name to Spotify so as to finance the restructuring of the stadium.

But I’ve heard people that tend to know a lot of what goes on at the club saying that more and more louder voices on putting a motion for for voting on selling the club is gaining motion. That would be the end of the mystique imo and if they do it, then Real Madrid would eventually follow suit which in Spain would change everything.

But with football and how much it’s changed over the past decades, there doesn’t seem to be any other way sadly.

But every woe FCB are suffering is all down to them. They brought this on themselves.

Yeah, I think those glory years led a lot of Barca fans... and even the higher ups on the board... to think they'd never end. And it seems, especially during the Barto years, they forgot about things like their exceptional youth development... which served them so well to get to those golden years... and started spending big on superstars.

I fear it'll cost them their soul, as there aren't too many big clubs left in Europe that haven't had to sell their souls to remain where they want to be. But who knows what the future holds. Maybe bringing in established players now will allow Xavi to give more chances to the youth in the years to come and they can get back to something that looks more sustainable & if they're lucky, their mortgaging against their future pays off.

[Spike]

19 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Even now with all of the issues they’ve got it seems impossible for them to sell their identity and become an owned club. As I’m sure you know, they’re one of the few remaining European clubs actually owned by the fans but even that is disputable considering the recent sale of the Camp Nou name to Spotify so as to finance the restructuring of the stadium.

But I’ve heard people that tend to know a lot of what goes on at the club saying that more and more louder voices on putting a motion for for voting on selling the club is gaining motion. That would be the end of the mystique imo and if they do it, then Real Madrid would eventually follow suit which in Spain would change everything.

But with football and how much it’s changed over the past decades, there doesn’t seem to be any other way sadly.

But every woe FCB are suffering is all down to them. They brought this on themselves.

I’d hate to be a Barcelona fan right now, good thing we are booth Gooners, ay Tone

[Cicero]

I'd like to hear what financial experts/analysts say on Barca's expected projections. 

[SirBalon]

46 minutes ago, Spike said:

I’d hate to be a Barcelona fan right now, good thing we are booth Gooners, ay Tone

I told you years ago you were a Gooner. I could tell... There’s a certain je ne sais quoi that was there. 

If so many Barça fans weren’t so up their derrière, they’d actually see this moment in history as something potentially special (due to the youth and starting from scratch) instead of being glory hunting so and sos.

[Spike]

1 hour ago, SirBalon said:

I told you years ago you were a Gooner. I could tell... There’s a certain je ne sais quoi that was there. 

If so many Barça fans weren’t so up their derrière, they’d actually see this moment in history as something potentially special (due to the youth and starting from scratch) instead of being glory hunting so and sos.

Definitely explains my irrational desire to antagonise everything Tottenham related

[Viva la FCB+]

I bloody love Müller.

Thomas Müller🗣: "I wish him [Lewandowski] good luck in Barcelona. Maybe instead of 8-2 they will just lose 7-2 now [laughs]"

 

[Spike]

51 minutes ago, Viva la FCB said:

I bloody love Müller.

 

 

 

He didn’t even need to say it, the fact speaks for itself Barcelona have an atrocious record against Bayern, it is quite shocking.

[Viva la FCB+]

14 minutes ago, Spike said:

He didn’t even need to say it, the fact speaks for itself Barcelona have an atrocious record against Bayern, it is quite shocking.

True but its a beautiful thing. Hes taking a closer dig at Lewy specifically because he only scored 1 in that 8-2 agg 

[Spike]

Just now, Viva la FCB said:

True but its a beautiful thing. Hes taking a closer dig at Lewy specifically because he only scored 1 in that 8-2 agg 

That isn’t a dig, he is just joking around. Digs are hostile, or at least that is how I understand it.

[Viva la FCB+]

2 hours ago, Spike said:

That isn’t a dig, he is just joking around. Digs are hostile, or at least that is how I understand it.

Light hearted jab, yeah whatever you wanna call it. Mueller is very much like that.

[SirBalon]

On 21/07/2022 at 00:26, Viva la FCB said:

True but its a beautiful thing. Hes taking a closer dig at Lewy specifically because he only scored 1 in that 8-2 agg 

Didn’t he also add (in an interview) that Lewandowski had good legitimate reasons for demanding his departure from Bayern?

[Viva la FCB+]

4 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Didn’t he also add (in an interview) that Lewandowski had good legitimate reasons for demanding his departure from Bayern?

Not sure specifically but Im sure theres no bad blood between players. By all accounts he had a good sendoff. Management and fans is a different story but with time Im sure that will change as well. 

[SirBalon]

3 minutes ago, Viva la FCB said:

Not sure specifically but Im sure theres no bad blood between players. By all accounts he had a good sendoff. Management and fans is a different story but with time Im sure that will change as well. 

I just find it extraordinary that he would’ve selected to make his disappointment with Bayern public like he did.  The only reason I say this is because (with my limited knowledge of Bayern history in this respect) in general Bayern have never had this kind of public outburst from one of their biggest stars.

[Viva la FCB+]

21 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I just find it extraordinary that he would’ve selected to make his disappointment with Bayern public like he did.  The only reason I say this is because (with my limited knowledge of Bayern history in this respect) in general Bayern have never had this kind of public outburst from one of their biggest stars.

Not really to this extent that I can recall? Ribery wanted out at one point it, Ballack was a little messy if memory serves? but nothing really quite like this. Even last time Lewy was pushing hard for his move to Real before ultimately signing his last extension it never went this far. I am more surprised given after that Real nonsense he seemed to double down and get to work. Turned into the consummate professional, staying late at practice, helping younger players, praising his teammates and it clearly paid dividends, he turned into the absolute machine that he is. 

[SirBalon]

36 minutes ago, Viva la FCB said:

Not really to this extent that I can recall? Ribery wanted out at one point it, Ballack was a little messy if memory serves? but nothing really quite like this. Even last time Lewy was pushing hard for his move to Real before ultimately signing his last extension it never went this far. I am more surprised given after that Real nonsense he seemed to double down and get to work. Turned into the consummate professional, staying late at practice, helping younger players, praising his teammates and it clearly paid dividends, he turned into the absolute machine that he is. 

Interesting. I remember all that now!

This may be absurd, but could it be that the colours he really has emotions for are BvB rather than Bayern and thus these outbursts?

[Viva la FCB+]

3 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Interesting. I remember all that now!

This may be absurd, but could it be that the colours he really has emotions for are BvB rather than Bayern and thus these outbursts?

I dont even think its a BVB vs Bayern thing. I think its more he has a fairly clear career plan. Time will tell when he himself reflects back but I dont think he necessary has loyalty to either team and thats totally fine imo. He wanted to play in Spain while he still can at a high level. Lewy and his wife have mentioned before about finishing his career in MLS too. 

[SirBalon]

2 minutes ago, Viva la FCB said:

I dont even think its a BVB vs Bayern thing. I think its more he has a fairly clear career plan. Time will tell when he himself reflects back but I dont think he necessary has loyalty to either team and thats totally fine imo. He wanted to play in Spain while he still can at a high level. Lewy and his wife have mentioned before about finishing his career in MLS too. 

I know it’s innocent of me and whatever you want to throw into the bargain basket to boot... But I don’t like that type of character. Sure, he’s given his fair share and both clubs have benefited. But the clubs made a bet too. That deserves loyalty imo.

[Viva la FCB+]

48 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

I know it’s innocent of me and whatever you want to throw into the bargain basket to boot... But I don’t like that type of character. Sure, he’s given his fair share and both clubs have benefited. But the clubs made a bet too. That deserves loyalty imo.

Yeah thats totally fair. Its kind of why the mixed reaction overall. If he came out and made his desires clear Id accept that, I wouldnt like it but Id get it. How it all went down still leaves a sour taste. None of that changes one of the best strikers in Bundesliga historys career when we look back in the future but I still dont like it.