FC Barcelona Discussion

[True Blue]

7 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

To be honest... (this answers @True Blue too), he (Xavi) was offered a lifetime deal and he declined it due to what that club in Qatar offered him in terms of combining his coaching badges and earning stupid amounts of money also playing. You could say he whored himself because they offered him a great deal in the US which he nearly took. They didn’t let him do the coaching badges though. 

One of the rare Barcelona players (in the modern era) that i highly respected as a player and a person.

[Philippe Coutinho]

Not this again! "War for (over) Coutinho".

 

[bozziovai]

i'll just post it here since it includes Barcelona ----

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11833/11072694/neymar-wants-barcelona-expelled-from-champions-league-over-contract-bonus-dispute

 

what's up with this boy ???    What truly transpired between Neymar and Barca that this has gotten  to the point that they're like pirates.

[SirBalon]

FC Barcelona present record finances for 2017-2018

 

The financial team in the board released the financial figures for the year yesterday with record numbers showing the club to not only be financially secure on its future, but also showing that it is the highest economical performer of any football club in the world.

FC Barcelona rose by 4% respective of last year's figures with an increment of €29m more going now to €708m for the club's financial year.  Because the entity is formed by its members, the club is forced to present the numbers early before the annual members meeting where they will be approving or not the financial management of the club.  Real Madrid will also be doing this in the following weeks as they are run in the same manner as FC Barcelona.

Club treasurer Enrique Tombas and the executive director (CEO) Óscar Grau announced that the takings have been rising more or less in a similar manner over the past 7 years but that this year with the news that the club had dropped associations with Qatar and opened new avenues with Japan and the US has increased the public appeal worldwide helping the numbers to rise dramatically.  Infact this year they have outperformed Real Madrid CF by 3% increase and its expected that Barça have noted a whopping 12%+ increase over any rival in Europe.

The four biggest elements of the club's income have performed in this manner;

1. €264m (Marketing)
2. €178m (TV and UEFA)
3. €175m (Stadium Tour, Ticketing and Hospitality)
4. €73m (Player sales and others)

The player sales is the only aspect that has ended in a negative respective of last year's performance at -6%, but the members never take too much notice of this part financially and shouldn't affect the board too much in next month's annual members meeting.  In total the profit benefits for the club come in at a incredible €184m+ which maintains the club as always remaining in the three highest sport performances financially and is expected to be 1st for next year.

All of this should help the board maintain stability after a lot of issues surrounding a failed vote for censure this month from Agustí Benedito and the rumblings from the members that aren't happy with other aspects on how the club is being run.  The members were already expecting the club to perform well economically but they'll be finding dissent in other areas during the coming months.

[SirBalon]

José Arnáiz about to burst onto the scene

 

It was Barcelona legend José María Bakero who brought this kid in from Real Valladolid as a talented prospect for the future.  But nobody expected the situation to be so quick and for the player to make such headlines so quickly.  He's been dubbed the next Messi and although it's always ridiculous when these things get said about any player, the reason they're saying it is because of the major strides he's taking in such a short period of time at a club like Barcelona and also because he plays on the right wing.

Forgetting the fact pundits are comparing him with Messi, let's just say that he does look like something more than just special.  Infact it was Carles Aleña and a couple of others that have been looking more likely to be about to make it into the first team squad this season and now this has happened with José Arnáiz.  He's literally been ripping everything apart with ease in Spain's La Liga 1|2|3 (second division) and finding it easy.  So much so that in the past few weeks Ernesto Valverde has been attending almost every Barcelona 'B' game he can when it doesn't conflict with the first team's obligations.  He's even had Messi with a few other colleagues in the first team go to a couple of games to see him play.

He's 22 and he looks mature in the way he plays his football.  With Ousmane Dembélé out for a few months at least and Gerard Deulofeu not gaining all the confidence he should in his head coach Valverde.  It's looking like Arnáiz could be about to have his dream come true sooner than he ever expected it to.

When interviewed the other day and asked what he felt about the rumours he could be soon added to the first team squad, he said this;

"Until someone tells me different, my place is here in the 'B' team.  I don't think about the first team in terms of whether I will be there this season or not because all I want to do is play football.  But obviously I came to Barça for a reason and for all of this to be happening so soon is incredible."

 

 

 

[Carnivore Chris]

Get him in the first team next season. It can't harm and he's 22 now so it wouldn't be necessarily rushing him! Him being a "late developer" will only work in his favour I reckon as Pedrito and Busquets were somewhat like this themselves.

 

Great finisher though, whatever level he's playing at.

 

As for Carles Aleña, I'm really impressed by that lad and expect big things in the future. He's the type of player who is going to be massively needed soon as well. Hopefully a new generation of cracks are to come.

Edited October 17, 2017 by The Rebel CRS

[Carnivore Chris]

 

[Spike]

People are too obsessed with age in football. In some other sports it isn't unheard of for players in their mid 20s to make their professional debut.

[Machado]

 

[Stan]

Translating from Geordie to English  ?

[Carnivore Chris]

When everyone is fit around Christmas(as long as no other injuries occur before Dembele gets back of course):-

 

Ter Stegen

Semedo -- Pique -- Umtiti -- Alba

Busquets

Roberto --------- Iniesta

Messi ---- Suarez ---- Dembele

[SirBalon]

I want to see Arnáiz get minutes after what was seen on his debut. He gave more than what was expected and there’s one move between 4 Murcia midfielders which also showed excellent technical skills and awareness. 

Edited October 26, 2017 by SirBalon

[Carnivore Chris]

1 hour ago, SirBalon said:

I want to see Arnáiz get minutes after what was seen on his debut. He gave more than what was expected and there’s one move between 4 Murcia midfielders which also showed excellent technical skills and awareness. 

He's far less predictable than Deulofeu from what I've seen, that is for certain.

 

 

[SirBalon]

You can actually see the move now as one of the national sports pages has published it mate.  Maybe you've already seen it...?

 

https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/arnaiz-estuvo-punto-lograr-gol-antologico-ruleta-espectacular-6377240

[Carnivore Chris]

He looks class all around. Technically very good, dangerous when running at people, intelligent, an eye for a goal(especially a long shot), good finisher. He's definitely worthy of being called up to the first team for me.

[SirBalon]

7 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

He looks class all around. Technically very good, dangerous when running at people, intelligent, an eye for a goal(especially a long shot), good finisher. He's definitely worthy of being called up to the first team for me.

I hope he's not a flash in the pan...  You can never be sure with young players.  There have been many that have debuted and faded away but they have to be given the chance.  He looks like he can do an important job in the squad right now for me and should be added.  He couldn't have done more on his debut.

[ScoRoss]

£304 million over 30 years doesn't seem like an an awful lot for having their name on probably the most famous stadium in Europe.

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, ScoRoss said:

£304 million over 30 years doesn't seem like an an awful lot for having their name on probably the most famous stadium in Europe.

Grifols which is a Spanish pharmaceutical company has denies that they're about to add their name to the Camp Nou via sponsorship.

There will inevitably be a name put on it for the restructuring and remodelling of the stadium which begins at the end of this season, but as of yet it's constant speculation as to what who will be sponsoring the stadium's name.

[ScoRoss]

The most worrying thing for Barcelona in that article is that the wage bill is 84% of their revenue. That's monstrous and reminiscent of how many football teams begin to get in financial problems.

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, ScoRoss said:

The most worrying thing for Barcelona in that article is that the wage bill is 84% of their revenue. That's monstrous and reminiscent of how many football teams begin to get in financial problems.

It’s been like that for 10 years now and it’s something that’s failed to be addressed by this board. They back themselves up by saying that every year the club is making more and more gross and net profit with the new official numbers to be released that will apparently show that for the fiscal year of 2017 FC Barcelona have returned to be the number one profit making club in the world.

Tht doesn’t address the issue of the wages though and it’s something that HAS to be done. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by SirBalon

[Carnivore Chris]

The next step will be a foreign take over.

Edited October 28, 2017 by The Rebel CRS

[Guest Cannabis]

Late I know, but goals and highlights from the Murcia game for people like me who didn't get a chance to catch the game live. Great performances from both Gerard Deulofeu and debutant Jose Arnaiz who is putting his name on everyone's lips. I wonder if we will see more of him this season?

[Carnivore Chris]

Arnáiz looks the business.

Edited October 28, 2017 by The Rebel CRS

[Carnivore Chris]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SirBalon]

4 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maradona was different to Messi in the manner they both attack the opponent's goal...  The only thing in that sense that they had in common was the dribbling capacity but that's not enough because Maradona was never an attacker and was always a midfielder, many times starting from deep.  Messi has turned into that now in his latter years but as we all know, he started life as a winger, then a false-9 and now is... Well...  Now he's everything plus a midfielder.

What both Maradona and Messi do have in common and is almost identical, is their vision and their passing capabilities whether it be short, middle or long range passing.  Messi's understanding of the game, reading the situation is almost mathematical, but as we all know it's just blatantly born talent.

Like Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique said (the same thing)...  Messi can be the best in the world at whatever he decides to do on the pitch.  There is no competition in that sense.