The Calcio Discussion Thread

[Xifio]

traitor?

if it was unprovoked, then yes ... but if the player was betrayed by the club management first, then no ... Figo's is the latter case ...

 

[Arnau]

Betrayed how? he only wanted more money and Floren can give it.

 

[Xifio]

Figo did want to stay ... but he signed with Real Madrid a couple of days after Gaspart beat Núñez ... so clearly there are more factors involved than you care to admit ...

I feel Barça betrayed Figo coz he signed to win big trophies with the club ... but Núñez was never willing to pay top salaries to his star players, and kept selling them ... how can you win the big trophies if you are going to keep selling your star players when they can demand top-level salaries? football is a job like any other ... the privilege and honour stuff comes second ...

I was 10 when Núñez sold Ronaldo, and couldn't understand it; even today I consider it one of the stupidest decisions ever ...

Figo won every trophy with Real Madrid within 2 seasons of being there ... from a sporting point of view, he made the perfect choice ...

 

[Arnau]

But Gaspart does pay insane wages to everyone, why did he sign for Madrid then? the pre-contract with Florentino was already signed before, Pérez take advantage from Barcelona's power vacuum to get Figo.

 

[Xifio]

coz Gaspart is a typical megalomaniac club president, who would have enjoyed his predecessor's star player and captain being sold in exchange for a world record fee?

 

[Arnau]

No way, Gaspart and Nuñez are close friends and he actually says "Figo se irá al Madrid por encima de mi cadáver".

 

[Xifio]

well, he lived through it, so Gaspart was being unnecessarily laconic ... and don't tell me he didn't want that world record sack of cash to kick-start his reign ...

Gaspart is no gentleman, and showed that he's an idiot too (he spent ALL that Figo cash AND MORE on overpaying for guys like Manu Petit, Gerard López, Geovanni, Rochemback, Christanval, etc.) ...

Luís Figo has always been a class act, both before and since that incident ... there are factors that triggered his decision that will never be accepted by Barcelona fans ... but that doesn't change my opinion of Figo ...

 

[Filipower]

This whole Figo shenanigan has been talked and proved over and over again that Veiga and a couple of other morons were to blame. Of course in the mind of a fan he could have always shouted in the streets that he wouldn't go, chained himself to the Nou Camp and forget all about all the rest, but that's just not how life works.

I understand that he'll forever be a traitor to Barça fans, but sometimes you think something is one way when it's a totally different thing.

 

[vitu]

I thought this was the Calcio thread.

 

[Filipower]

He works closely with Internazionale, serving as an ambassador for the club at functions across Europe.[12][13] He is also a board member of the Inter Campus charity project run by Inter Milan.[14]

It's Calcio related

 

[lucacalciatore]

City cleaned up an half experimental Inter team yesterday.

Castaignos looks promising.

 

[Xifio]

time for calcio to get used to a max of 3 teams in the Group Stage for a couple of seasons ...

if only Udinese had gotten ~€70mil for selling their best players, instead of just ~€70mil; then they could have purchased some solid replacements to ensure they got through ... oh well ...


---


also listening to the match on Fox Soccer was painful ... the support commentator unsurprisingly had the shortest memory and most flawed logic ever ... but Eric Wynalda saying "we've taken our antacid tablets as Arsenal fans" is disappointing, and equally disgraceful ...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Doesn't sound very journalistic, but I think you get the same "home country" cheering in every country. USA isn't England, but with the shared language it's close enough. But yes, the USA needs someone who knows what the **** they're talking about on the air; if I knew how to crack into the business I'd get on that.

 

[Xifio]

very interesting Champions League draw for Italy:

- Inter have it easy, and should win the group comfortably if they are to be considered serious contenders; I am glad that Gasperini's being eased into his first excursion to the big boy competition ...

- Milan will qualify, but in 2nd ... ironically the best team to emulate would be Inter from 09/10: José's team didn't ever look like challenging Barça for top spot in the Groups; but they learnt their lesson, bedded in their new recruits, made crucial January signings, and beat Barça on the way to winning the cup!

- what a challenge for Napoli! this summer, they not only managed to keep hold of their stars, but have reinforced, which is great! but success has gone to President De Laurentiis' head, and he has been shooting his mouth off ever since his side made the Champions League ... luckily Barça brought them down to earth in the Gamper Trophy, so they will be humble and hopefully prepared going into that amazing group ...

 

[lucacalciatore]

Napoli are in the hardest group, which is a shame, because I was looking forward to seeing them do quite well.

Milan also have a pretty tough group.

And imo Inter's group is a fair bit harder than what people are making it out to be!
I wouldn't be making huge predictions yet...

 

[kp41]

Tbh, Inter and Milan had a very good draw.

 

[kp41]

Wtf, new fashion's in town named players strike. Serie A first week is off .

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Micheal Bradley is going to Chievo. Please tell me this is a good thing Xifio.

 

[Xifio]

Micheal Bradley is going to Chievo. Please tell me this is a good thing Xifio.

he's going to be fighting relegation with the flying donkeys -- what's not good?

but seriously, he'll gain so much understanding of the tactical, technical, and cerebral side of football than he ever could/did in Germany or England ...

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Relegation battle? Dammit...