lazio fans are the most disgusting savages in all the world imo: Non-EPL/SPL/MSL football thread 2008/09

I'm in

So Palermo's upcoming season is going to be... yeah. We've sold Zaccardo, Barzagli, Rinaudo, and Biava (ie, our entire defence), and we've also offloaded Amauri to Juve, who repaid the kindness we showed in making his career by saying "Finally I'm with a team who plays football".

In return, we've got Liverani (who I'm probably gonna get his name on my shirt this season), Marco Amelia (meh), Antonio Nocerino (mehx2) and Túlio de Melo, who's already gotten used to the calcio way of life by being part of a court case between Palermo and Parma as to who actually owns him.

Scudetto predictions: Jose (or Mister Jomo, as he's now being called) takes a lot of delight in winding up Ranieri, Sampadoria finish fourth, Roma get bought over by some rich bastards, Bologna to make it to the UEFA spots, Torino, Reggina, and Lecce to be relegated.

de Melo is pretty good. I liked him when he played for Le Mans

I'm being harsh on Amelia, we did need a new goalkeeper. Interestingly, being as Marco Ballotta is currently, for the first time in 26 seasons, starting the season as a free agent, Alberto Fontana is now Serie A's oldest player, at a sprightly 41.

in return, we've got Liverani (who I'm probably gonna get his name on my shirt this season)

you should get his name on the back of your Junkyard Dog t-shirt

^racism?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/chelsea/2559381/Adrian-Mutu-ordered-by-Fifa-to-pay-Chelsea-13.68m-over-positive-cocaine-test.html

That's kind of awesome, isn't it? Do you reckon he's actually even got that kind of money, not including property?

Google suggest he's on between £60,000 and £80,000 a week. Dividing £13.68m by £70,000 gives us 195 weeks wages... he might, depending on how well he's invested his shit.

lol maybe he can sneeze it up

barzagli and zaccardo both went to wolfsburg? do german midtable sides now have the $$$ to do luca tonis?

German midtable sides that are basically a gigantic fucking advert for Volkswagen do.

http://www.tomorrowshopefoundation.org/images/bios/Rick-Lazio-Picture.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/03LE5Jn4pudWQ/340x.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7634196.stm

actually i ought to check on how Belenenses are doing, seeing as i am officially a fan of theirs now

1 point from 3 games

come on you blues

neat story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/sep/26/africanchampionsleague

good journalism!

I Am A Fascist - Abbiati

Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has sensationally revealed he is a fascist and he is not ashamed of his political beliefs.

The shot stopper has been used sparingly by coach Carlo Ancelotti and he has been comfortable with his new role at the club.

Abbiati has decided to share his views on life away from the pitch and his revelations are likely to cause a stir in the football world.

"I am not ashamed of showing my political beliefs," Abbiati told Sportweek.

"I agree with some aspects of fascism like patriotism and the values of the Catholic religion.

"Within Fascism I disagree with racial laws, allegiance to Hitler and the war, but I like the capacity Fascism had to secure law and order. It guaranteed security for the people."

Although he has clearly stated his beliefs and disbeliefs regarding his political stance, Abbiati is unlikely to win any admirers in the world of football. The game is always fighting against such narrow minded views like fascism and racism.

The game is always fighting against such narrow minded views like fascism and racism.

― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 26 September 2008 20:55 (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Surely this just means he'll move to Lazio?

or chievo amirite

If Di Canio stays away from West Ham, I am sure you are right

lol @ german football

went to see Hertha - Hannover last night and the amount of pre-match faffing (inc. turning all the lights out, flag displays, orchestrated and somewhat sinister supporter chants) put British football to shame, at which point a truly bathetic (altho not unexciting) game of football broke out, in which West Brom play-a-likes Hannover dominated roughly 70% of proceedings, ripping through Hertha with beautifully intricate hi-speed pass and dribble football without ever really looking like scoring (I mean, they had plenty of chances, but looking at their fans, 20 or so enthusiastic sorts marooned at the far side of the Olympiastadion, all of whom had a flag, one realised that even if they had an open goal, they'd probably put it pluckily into the near post, as indeed happened). Meanwhile the inevitable Hertha waited about 60 minutes before dropping the hammer; although denied by a brilliant close-range save and defensive block, and despite their errant finishing, they scored thrice from a combined distance of about 10 yards, and Hannover, elegant to the end, were cruelly but necessarily banished. Unhappy with the shallowness of the stands (hence distance from the pitch), but this WAS the old Olympic arena so I guess fair play to Speer and chums, good job well done. Bratwurst and pancakes before the game at surrounding stalls were of course amazing, and I endorse German pre-match eating and drinking habits unconditionally.

Italian footballer Marco Materazzi has won damages from the Daily Mail over claims he racially abused Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.
The amount was not disclosed, but the paper accepted it was wrong to report Materazzi had called Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore".

haha i totally missed that story about the Milan fascist keeper. I bet they didn't fire him huh? Italia/Spain supporters/footballers/coaches bloody racists.. err ;)

we are at the top of the Dutch league though! (ok with AZ and Ajax) but who cares :)

Italian footballer Marco Materazzi has won damages from the Daily Mail over claims he racially abused Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.
The amount was not disclosed, but the paper accepted it was wrong to report Materazzi had called Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore".

― Cittaslow Mazza (blueski), Monday, 3 November 2008 13:47 (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

How much do you think Zidane has cost newspapers by not going "Nah, nothing racist" within, ooooh, six months of the final?

i enjoy Abbiati's UNASHAMED conditional declaration of fascism. i also hear he allegedly confessed to being a paedophile, except for any of the stuff to do with naked kids.

I'm a follower of Sampdoria, because I had a great-grandad from Genoa who supported them all his life, then promptly died in 1991 two months before they won their first, and thus far only, scudetto. Generally there haven't been too many thrills in my tenure following the blucerchiati, but I must say I've been quite happy the last year with Antonio Cassano in the squad, because he's a) awesome, and b) good comic relief.

Cassano is one of the true greats of sport right now. Rumour is if he stops acting the twat he'll be off to Juve next season.

anyone?

Real are kicking Barcelona off the park.

Ray Hudson is in fine form on GolTV -- something about Messi keeping his balance on an ice rink while wearing stiletto heels.

Casillas saves Madrid tonight

GET IN THERE!

royston drenthe rocking the jason lee

Well deserved goal from Messi esp. after all the kicking.

fabulous finish from Messi

"I must admit I have a dressing room curiosity over Beckham. I want to see if he is equipped as he is in the Armani underwear adverts" - AC Milan striker Marco Borriello is looking forward to our David's arrival in Italy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/7787323.stm

As an Arsenal fan... fucking hell the manager is a bastid. Sure Diarra isn't as good as the price tag but Arsene seems to be the only person in Europe who thinks selling Diarra for pittance to further the career of Alex Song is a smart idea.

I dunno, Diarra does seem to be kind of a mercenary dick, but if Wenger was into protecting the Arsenal dressing room by culling everyone who's a dick he'd end up a bit short on numbers

this thread inspired me to have a look through the European leagues for the first time this year (dunno why I haven't been keeping up at all), and I have to ask... who the fuck are TSG Hoffenheim? Why are the only team in the Bundesliga I haven't heard of topping it?

Hoffenheim v. Bayern a week or two ago was a great game with Bayern winning it in stoppage time. They (Hoffenheim) just got promoted, apparently? They're for real.

BTW fans of ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEGEND Darren Huckerby may be interested in this Q&A piece that showed up today.

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081209&content_id=208343&vkey=news_sje&fext=.jsp&team=t110

rough justice in the Macedonian league

i like the greek irridentist crap up the top right.

yeah a country that's worried about a NAME for like a decade or more should be nuked. It's beyond ridiculous.

ARMIN VAN BUUREN
From Marcello Lippi
TO ALL FANS!!!
THIS IS SOMETHING EVERY FOOTBALL FAN LOVES !!
THE ULTIMATE TRANCE PARTY WITH ARMIN VAN BUUREN !!
JOIN NOW BY ATTENDING THIS AMAZING PARTY !!
JUST FOLLOW THE LINK AND IT WILL GUIDE YOU TO THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE!!
NUMBER 1 DJ ARMIN VAAAAAAAAAN BUUUUUUURRREEEEN!!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=42556057513&ref=mf
(read less)

lol, (read less) yes please.

Former Juventus football club general manager Luciano Moggi has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of corruption.

Moggi was banned from football for five years in 2006, having been with Juventus for 12 years. He was one of Italian football's most powerful men.

His son, Alessandro, was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Juventus were stripped of back-to-back league titles for 2005/6 and relegated to the second division over the affair.

They have since returned to Italy's top league, Serie A.

Luciano Moggi, who denied any wrongdoing, allegedly influenced player moves involving the agency GEA, which was run by Alessandro Moggi.

Agent Davide Lippi, son of Italy coach Marcello Lippi, was acquitted, as was GEA's former chief executive, Francesco Zavaglia.

Luciano Moggi faces another trial on charges of sports fraud and criminal association, due to begin on 20 January in Naples.

His five-year ban was the result of a 2006 match-fixing affair.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7818118.stm

URL says it all

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/87/germany/2009/01/09/1053224/bayern-prankster-ribery-crashes-team-bus

http://videos.sapo.pt/GAkDZcSFVaZRketBa5S6

Gourcuff goal for Bordeaux. It's around the third replay when you realise quite how good it is.

oh shit

hahah yeah that goal is insane. Press is going crazy here in France

the new zizou blablabla

Not too shabby.

Bit gutting he belongs to Milan tho.

Takeover for when Kaka goes to help City win the Championship, innnit.

don't you mean the Premiership lol amirite

City can't even buy Bellamy let alone Kaka

well Milan are a bit screwed since they loaned him out with a 15 MEUR sale clause. At this stage it will be a bargain for Bordeaux. If they don't have the money they could even buy him and sell him right after with a good margin.

Current Barca: Best team, oh I dunno, ever?

xp it would be hilarious to see bordeaux sell gourcuff back to milan for 50m €

I think barca next season with Benzema instead of Henry will be even better.

More Ribery. He makes me happy.

amazing miss

anyone else got the BBC3 commentary a few seconds ahead of the visuals? It means I can turn to the TV when there are raised voices (and mute it), but others may not be so happy.

turn to the TV when there are raised voices and so not miss anything.

I've got that too - solved by streaming it on the laptop and watching on TV

Hand of Blob

hmm think that was a penalty

the overhead camera came down ridiculously low there for the free-kick

lol yeah

beckham subbed injured

If this was ITV they would probably just show another program now

so wait, adriano doesn't suck? when did that happen?

must've been after his goal

The old Adriano came back there

Actually when did Ronladhino get good again? or is this a one off?

Ronaldhino..

lol look who is coming on

Senderos!

oh dear. looked onside

nah he was offside

born offside

great finish all the same, pity.

Ah, Phil, I thought I'd never want you back but considering I've had to watch Silvestre, plz come back.

LOL Pippo.

you wonder why a penalty wasnt given there

was about to come and post "LOL SUPERPIPPO" for being quintessentially himself but y'all got there first

he could see the whole back four all through the move and at no point was he onside

Right this is good, now fuck off, I want to watch Being Human.

Also, how the fuck is Clarence Seedorf only 32?

am loving the swoopycam

ohh shit 32???!!

swoopycam makes this look like a computer game (also presence of every famous footballer ever)

haha this^^^

haha, I just noticed Kerr corrected his wrong spelling of Ronaldinho to another wrong spelling.

Not only is Clarence Seedorf only 32, so is Patrick Viera. I am slightly weirded out by the fact that I'm only 6 weeks younger than totally fucking old dude Luis Figo.

I need to stop looking footballers up on the internets.

I have lots of weird ideas about footballers' ages. My childhood memories are completely misaligned, I refuse to believe that Ryan Giggs is not at least seven years older than David Beckham, for example. I also refuse to believe that Georgios Samaras is two months younger than I am. In Yakubu years, maybe. It's as bad as being older than Newton Faulkner (although not for the same reasons).

Hey look, I spelled Patrick Vieira's name wrong. lol ironing.

The Milan derby appeared to involve 5 different clubs: Mee-lan, Inter Milan, Milan, AC Milan and Inter

hopefully Ofcom will be investigating this outrage

Sampdoria beat Milan today and Cassano scored!

Ballardini out.

Sampdoria beat Milan today and Cassano scored!

― Bone Thugs-N-Harmony ft Phil Collins (jim), Sunday, 1 March 2009 22:14 (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Pazzini as well! THE AZZURRI ARE SAVED

btw, the Primera Liga is a deeply stupid league, and the matches that take place in it are deeply stupid matches

staying a friend's i noticed a. madrid - barca was on and i said without a hint of sarcasm "this will be a boring, routine 3-3 draw", ended up 4-3 but such a scoreline was so telegraphed from the outset that i didn't actually get at all excited

thrilling carnival of attacking play my arse, more like "cannot and will not press, mark or defend"

the very currency of the goal is depleted in Spain

it could have been 8-8

la liga is a hundred times better to watch than the English league.

and the marking is usually much tighter than in the english league too. As in Messi gets kicked up and down the pitch in a way Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't.

yeah, messi gets kicked, free kick is given, chance results from free-kick

the marking isn't tighter. the defenders are forever playing wonky offside traps and losing their men. the kicking of messi isn't marking, it's "fucking hell, how are we gonna deal with this, i know, stick to him like a limpet, let him know you're there"

when it comes to defending in the penalty-area, all these teams are abominable

Which thread did we have a brief discussion of "Inverting The Pyramid" on before anyone had actually read it? Now I have finished it, I want to pontificate about football tactics for a while.

i won't dispute that it's fun to watch in a kinda popcorn manner, but i can't get emotionally invested. in Spanish football, there's little rhythm to a game, little building of momentum...it's a free-for-all. anyone can score at any time. which is good if you like goals, but not so great if you want drama, tension, and genuine excitement each time the ball hits the net

Jagger, your the first person to bitch when I advocate anti-football as the finest football style, Herrera as the greatest manager ever or Brera as the greatest footballing mind.

I like watching Spanish football, because I don't care who wins, I just like watching guys doing mad skills things and scoring goals and having no idea who's going to score more. Popcorn football is fun, it's like watching the group stages of the World Cup every week.

(I hate anti-football with a vengeance, obv)

This is kind of new in la liga isn't it? Ivan Campo/Helguera/Makelele were much more important to Real than the wanky expensive forwards not so long ago etc.

Am I Dom?

OK, here goes.

Stoke City antifootball = fucking mess, evil, awful, fuck off (although actually quite A+ funny when it's successful and ppl get all uppity)

Manchester United antifootball (which is sorta what they're playing atm) = magnificent, defensively elegant, tactically masterful, with a continual dormant threat and players of great touch and awareness reading a game and playing it accordingly

...I trust yer Italian teams, especially the catenaccio formations of bygone days, align more freely with the latter description

Even 2003 to 2006 vintage Arsenal played a kind of measured passing momentum-based football (albeit with Henry's game-turning inspiration...a man who these days is a pure finisher if anything, no longer having to produce magic for his goals), with a tough core and an ability to lock down when pressured. On ESPN Classic last night I saw a replay of the game Arsenal lost the unbeaten run in, against Man U. It was notable for huge tension throughout, some enormous game-breaking moments (lol Rooney dive) and above all a committed, organised display from both sides, Rio Ferdinand especially enjoying a quite magnificent afternoon at centre-back. He's my favourite England footballer since Scholes.

The A Mad - Barca game was characterised by harum-scarum no-holds-barred madness, typified by Carlos Puyol's appalling error for Madrid's winner. If he were playing in England, Italy or for Spain, he'd have cleared out both the ball and Aguero, and rightly so.

xpost. Man United at the moment are a great team but really are fucking atrocious to watch, unlike last season when they were scoring for fun.

And it's Carles Puyol! Don't be castilianizing!

lol well he fucked up big-time, and I think it's mostly because he was suckered by the mad-crazy atmosphere of the game and tried to fiddle the ball clear to a team-mate rather than blast it out for a corner and crunch Aguero in the same movement.

call me perverse but I enjoyed the CC final way more, probably because I was invested in the game's narrative. don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing goals, and I like big-scoring days on MOTD, as long as they're classy, unexpected, or for the right team!

check the angle on this goal from La Ligue

lol that's like an even better version of kanu's hat-trick winner vs chelsea

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1162201/Still-Spanish-inquisition-Mr-President.html

It may be in a shit paper and written by a fat bastard, but worth reading I think. It makes me so glad how well Arsenal have turned out since the Grove was planned and that we spent pennies on Cesc and co instead of too much on old rubbish Valencia couldn't afford like Morientes and Helguera.

anyone following Bundesliga? with 10 games to go it's looking tasty, despite Hoffenheim's dip

1. Hertha Berlin 49
2. Bayern Munich 45
3. Wolfsburg 45
4. Hamburg 45
5. TSG Hoffenheim 43

yeah but not as tasty as this year's french league

1 Lyon 53
2 Marseille 52
3 Paris SG 52
4 Bordeaux 50
5 Toulouse 49
6 Lille 49

Nothing to report here but just look at this face.
http://estaticos02.marca.com/imagenes/2009/03/26/futbol/equipos/barcelona/1238065920_extras_portadilla_0.jpg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/07/small-talk-interview-joan-capdevila

surreal but kind of great interview with Capdevila

Yeah: bread, Nutella and cheese. Ooh, yeah.

Genoa in the Champions League would be nice

:D

there seem to have been a lot of emphatic victories in the Bundesliga this season. mid-table teams have goal differences of +10, +14, +15, with teams immediately below them on -10, -12, -18.

"Genoa in the Champions League would be nice"

Genoa is playing the best football in Serie A, this year, so hopefully they will make it.

after all the drama in British football recently, here's Spain with some chilled-out lulz:

http://www.d1g.com/video/show/2800892

Genoa is playing the best football in Serie A, this year

Certainly consistently good football.

jeezo, that Getafe penalty

i'd have genuine problems picking a winner if you polled the dive vs pepe's reaction vs that penalty

meanwhile, in germany, here's how you perform a sliding tackle in midfield:

w
t
f

ha, I don't think I've ever seen a ball move like that from a slide tackle, never mind move like that and end up in the top corner.

Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Racing Santander

Llorente 21
David Lopez (pen) 43

Pinillos (pen) 57

Bookings:
Yeste 32
David Lopez 70
Murillo 79
Toquero 90+2

Sent off:
Yeste 55
Orbaiz 90+5

Bookings:
Garay 20
Munitis 30
Moraton 33
Lacen 41
Marcano 43
Sepsi 58
Jonathan Pereira 65
Pinillos 69
Zigic 90+2

Sent off:
Marcano 63
Pinillos 82
Jonathan Pereira 90+6

taking Pepe as a guiding principle for life, perhaps?

Pedro Munitis proving there's life after Middlesbrough :-/

17 yellow and six red

w
t
f

sounds a bit like that fucking awesome portugal-holland euro 2004 game

you mean world cup 06

i was thinking maybe it was world cup 2006 but it all blurs into one really :(

as it's my favourite ever international football game what i've seen on telly i really ought to know which tournament it was in

i don't remember it being that good :/

reading elpais.com it seems that it was terrible refereeing that resulted in all the cards and two penalties, not the game being dirty.

naw man they were totally trying to beat the living crap out of each other

34 minutes of stoppages!

most of all, the mood was just so deliciously foul-tempered

cantabrian derby, no love lost there!

only kidding, i have no idea if that's a thing.

http://www.cambridge-united.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10423~39268,00.html

^^as close as you'll get

Sacking Klinsmann when 3 points behind and with 3 games to go is a bit silly, no? How the hell does that help their season? I don't understand football.

gives him time to still win the league with chelsea or liverpool, a very understanding gesture by the Bayern board imo

maybe they're banking on Shearer becoming available tonight

some really sure what's going on at this recent Reims v Nimes game other than big fite but it's one of most viewed French clips on yt this month:

That's a lovely little ground that Reims have got there

El Clasico, anyone?

damn right. watching on sky sports 3. 1-1. Henry equalised with a beauty of a finish.

2-1 puyol scores! what a game

robben clean through and misses then from the corner alves nearly scores an own goal, great save by valdes.
Both teams look like scoring every time they go forward. It's a great game.
LJ will hate this match!

now messi goes clean through and casillas makes a save.
I hope everyones watching this.

I haven't seen a game this exciting since... about two weeks ago when we played Liverpool. :)

I miss Robben in the Premiership. He may be a bastard but he's great entertainment.

live text for those not watching
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8029555.stm

yeah its exactly like that 4-4 game. No way will this finish 2-1.

eto'o nearly scores now. Brilliant save by casillas!

amazing move by barcelona and another brilliant save by casillas otherwise it would be 5-1.

what a goal that wouldve been.

Barca choking in a very familiar 'only 1 more pass plz' fashion!

arsenal vs barcelona couldve been one hell of a champions league final, but instead its gonna be boring chelsea vs man utd again.

looks like Henry might be injured and coming off :(

oh my messi so close!

that was a brilliant effort.

We aren't out yet! And I still trust this Barca side to destroy Chelsea. Especially if Hiddink makes the mistake of thinking that being at home he can open it up a bit and *attack* once in a while.

This should be like 10-1 already.

messi scores!! barca tearing madrid to bits

You are obviously about a minute ahead of me. It's all about Xavi playing like a DM on the edge of Real's box though.

if it wasn't for Casillas this would be 6-1 at least. Barca have been truly amazing in this half.

lj will go nuts when he sees the defending for the 3rd goal

Iniesta and Xavi seem so much like complete footballers (well except for the height disadvantage) in a way I don't think I've seen since Vieira and Zidane.

Like, even Messi and Kaka still make wrong decisions, or are a bit lazy defending or whatever whereas everything Xavi and Iniesta does seems perfect.

and a great tackle by pique. LJ get it up ye ;)

lol this game

another great save by casillas. he must be the best keeper in the world.
half time

i cant believe it's halftime already. It just flew by.

Blast, I didn't know this was on, and I'm stuck 40 mind from the nearest accessible relative with Sky

40 mins away from, that is

watch the live stream a hoy hoy posted up above

It's in Spanish but it's quite good quality.

real madrid will have to through everything into the second half so there should be some goals for either side.

games kicked off

oh that was amazing play by inesta. nearly a wonder goal.

Iniesta so cool there just going through them.

I look away for a second and Sergio!

3-2

thats how chelsea will beat barca, crosses and set pieces

4-2!!!

lol this game

― caek, Saturday, May 2, 2009 1:47 PM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol this game

― caek, Saturday, May 2, 2009 1:47 PM (28 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― open up a cat of whup-ass (dan m), Saturday, 2 May 2009 20:16 (5 seconds ago) Bookmark

who said Henry was finished? 26 goals this season.

messi just missed a sitter!

BEST TEAM OF ALL TIME IN THE UNIVERSE

I miss Thierry.

I mean sure we have too many strikers as it is and some of the most exciting young strikers going (2 of whom scored today) but I miss Thierry.

did you see that turn by Iniesta???

I think Gago is still wondering where he went

that shouldve been a penalty to barca

lol Messi

5-2!!! Messi!!

that was a stylish finish.

It will be horrible if Chelsea's brute physical strength wins out over football like this

Xavi was a classy motherfucker and then I don't think anyone was expecting lolnear post. Barca are just ridiculous, this game genuinely should be in double figures (and at this rate, actually could!)

I know, but with barca's non-existent defending from set-pieces , drogba, terry and co will be fancying their chances. Plus if anyone can stop a team playing, it's chelsea.

They played 4-4-2 for the first time in forever today, right? And both Drogs+Le Sulk scored, so I pray to the Gods I don't believe in that Hiddink is as stupid as Wenger and decides that because it works in a meaningless rubbish premiership game, it'll work in the Champions League.

6-2!!!

la lolga

hmmm never knew the j in bojan was silent.

Well that was just embarrasing.

loliga! who the hell is this geordie commentator on the stream i've got (says goltv in the corner)??? "lil wascally wabbit"!?!?

what kind of commentary track was that in the stream. those (Catalan?) fellas were just babbling on and on, didn't seem to concentrate on the game.

anyway, in a masochistic way i hope Chelsea wins that semi-final.

i thoroughly enjoyed that. Go Barca!!

That stream worked really well, thanks chaps. It was Portuguese, not Catalan btw

If Barca buy a left back and a Vidic type this summer, they will be the most perfect fucking team I think I've ever seen.

Oh, that and not selling half their team to City.

From SuperFrankieLamps on 606: "Real Madrid have tactically been terrible tonight. Why oh why would Ramos try to 'outplay' Barca by picking a skilful team? He should have taken a leaf out of Hiddink's book and focused on a defensive style of play, aiming to threaten through Robben and set-plays."

fuck off chelsea and your fans.

"aiming to threaten through Robben and set-plays."

^^^umm, this is what they did do.

loliga! who the hell is this geordie commentator on the stream i've got (says goltv in the corner)??? "lil wascally wabbit"!?!?

I am guessing that's Ray Hudson, love that dude.

That stream worked really well, thanks chaps. It was Portuguese, not Catalan btw

ah! :)

"Hudson has begun to develop a cult following because of his commentating style, which consists of highly elaborate metaphors and excited, romanticized descriptions of players and goals."

aha! sounded like a younger Stuart Hall, at the end of the game he said something like "Barcelona had the biorhythms of a hawk tonight, clipping the wings of Real Madrid"

I'd never heard Hudson before yesterday. He had the entire bar I was in in stitches.

yeah, that geordie is hilarious. unfortunately i was watching it on sky sports, so i just got regular shit commentary, although i do enjoy Guillem Balagué.

<3ing these Cruz Azul supporters in Mexico, going to the games even though they're locked out

http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-mexican-fans-are-hardcore.html

trophy on fire!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8036137.stm

:D

I missed Real - Barca. Not deliberately, but sounds like the kind of game that would have left me speechless and unable to fight my corner.

watching Real get poked about was great.

I mean, Real *are* a fucking shambles. I didn't need to see the game to know that.

on paper they shouldn't be shipping those amount of goals. It's ridiculous. Cannavaro, Heinze, Diarra, Casillas!

they were doing pretty well until the Liverpool defeat

Reading through this thread, it looks like a) Casillas is as good as ever, and b) Cannavaro is a wraith of his former self

yeah there was a bit the other night when Iniesta (iirc) took the ball round him like it was nothing. Was embarrassing. I probably rate Casillas as the best in the world.

Weird how Pepe Reina is the best in the world according to roughly 50% of Liverpool fans but rarely gets a game for Spain.

liverpool fans.

Weird how West Brom are by faaaaar the greatest team the world has ever seen according to roughly 50% of their fans who sing at matches.

dunno where Hull get off singing "and it's Huuuuuuuuuuull City" etc, they clearly don't have enough syllables in their name to fit that song

"and it's Waaaaaaaaaaaatfoooooooooooooooooord"

Clyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyde

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8036128.stm

lol ajax. we should give dennis a job.

Watched almost 40 minutes of Sampdoria's 5-0 win over Reggina today, managing not to see any goals.

Casillas made an absolutely brilliant save earlier but now just made a howler and it's 2-0 to valencia after 30 mins.
good game this.

Wasn't an absolute howler imo but he should have had it. Barcelona will win the league if the score stays the same and they win tomorrow.

Juande Vamos. Jol in?

by his standards its a howler

the first goal was a thing of beauty though.

if it wasnt for casillas it would be 5-0

yeah, what a move. Aye, he's made a few decent stops. He deserves better than Madrid but I can't see him moving anywhere.

I think if Valencia get a 3rd in the next 10 mins they will give them a real hiding ;)

Madrid are second in the league, won it for the past 2 years in a row, with some of the most exciting youngsters in the game (man, i'd kill to swap ade and denilson for higuain and gago etc.) and might be buying the world player of the year. It's not like it's Shay Given Pt. 2

what a strike 3-0

xpost. Madrid have done nothing in Europe for how many years now? If I were you I'd kill to swap ade and denilson for a kit kat and a packet of walkers.

and would you swap Fabregas for Gago or Higuain?

only someone who would be stupid enough to want to swap Van Persie for Jeremy Aliadiere would be stupid enough to swap Fabregas for gago or higuain.

Sure I'd not want to swap the best young playmaker in the world for anyone bar Messi or Ronaldo (or Casillas, or Vidic, or Buffon, or Iniesta, maybe Ibrahamovic). But if you were to make a list of say the best 20 best young players in the world, Real would have at least a fifth of the list locked down (Gago, Higauin, Marcelo, Garay come to mind). Add that to the Dutch contingent (Huntelaar, Sneijder + Robben would walk into any team in the world) and the likes of Ramos, Diarra, Raul, Pepe when he's not mental and the best non fascist keeper in the world - you've got a killer first XI.

The real/only problem at Real is the lack of guidance. If they had someone like a Benetiz on the long term or weren't stupid enough to sack Capello, they'd be untouchable. As is, managers go for the easy paycheck and they are the European management equivilant of fucking Newcastle.

Personally, I don't like Real what with the horrible superiority complex, years of trying to steal Vieira and co, the Franco links and current government money - so fuck them, I hope they continue making a complete cock up of things from this season on and Villareal and Sevilla start properly fighting to break the top 2 monopoly. More likely is they see how Barca turned it around and try something similar this summer, and do alright until they make a complete twat of it in a couple years again but with no-one good enough to knock them out of the top 2 (now Valencia have gone to shit).

Barcelona were 3-1 and managed to draw 3-3 in the Camp Nou against Villareal, they would have been crowned champions at home if they'd won. Abidal also managed to get himself sent-off meaning he'll miss the Copa Del Rey final.

ha, wtf, I was rushing to go out and left at 3-2 as the board came up for 4 mins injury time, figured they would just shut up shop and coast it. It never even occurred to me to check the final score!

Yeah, it was pretty unexpected! my internet was being funny so I didn't see the match, Iniesta apparently injured so also going to miss the cup final.

Larsson related lols.

LOL, that's brilliant

lol! never forget:

was about to say the cup final is a hell of a game, but barca just scored a third one and alves got hit in the head with a bottle so I guess it's done with now

Yeah, Barca won 4-1 :)

But in other, graver, news: Lazio won the Copa Italia on penalties against Sampdoria :(

o sinisa, you were not suspended from football for nothing

Jose sure knows how to win leagues, huh?

And fucking hell Wolfsburg are a cool team, I really hope Dzeko and Grafite won't follow in the paths of every other exciting striker to play in Germany in the past decade and fade into boring and kind of rubbish obscurity.

Jose knows how to win leagues, but he was brought there to do something in Europe.

http://estaticos04.marca.com/imagenes/2009/05/17/futbol/equipos/barcelona/1242510229_extras_portada_0.jpg

Barcelona have won the Spanish league with tonight's Madrid defeat. Look awkwardly at the nick of Laporta.

http://inspireaction.mindandmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/fonzie.jpg

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45792000/jpg/_45792205_ranieri226.jpg

r.i.p. tinkerman

in other news, dzeko linked with a big money move to spurs. so obscurity, no; rubbish- almost certain

Voronin syndrome innit? Sure he's scored 9 goals in his past 4 matches but it's Germany! I do that when I feel up to it.

i scored 5 in a game last night in five a side, but in fairness i think the standard may actually have been higher than germany

Fuck Newcastle, La Liga is where it's at:

From 14th to 18th, five teams, separated by just two points, can now slip into the relegation zone next Sunday: Osasuna, Sporting, Betis, Getafe and, for the first time, Valladolid. When the dust settles, head-to-head goal difference looks likely to settle it. In fact, yellow cards could even settle it: if Betis lose 1-0 and Getafe lose 3-1 while their rivals win, Getafe would go down because they're dirtier.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/may/25/valladolid-touching-the-void-survival

Horrible horrible leg break, worst I've ever seen.

really not for the squeamish

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2599829/

fuck

it's overtaken that kickboxing one in my list of sports horror vids

actually scrap that I just watched the kickboxing thing again ooh ya fucker argh

Urgh. I sort of hate myself now for clicking on that despite adequate warning, because for it to be worse than Larsson/Busst/Eduardo then I should have known.

I don't want to see the kickboxing one.

(if you must)

ht tp://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=bv90DtpHTj4

that was an xpost ailsa, not trying to tempt you

luc nilis, alan smith etc etc etc...

I forgot the Smith one - blocking a Riise shot or something wasn't it? You don't want to do that.

it was more the fact he landed on his leg which was pointing the wrong way

Oh God, I'd forgotten about the Alan Smith one (xpost). I don't think I remember Luc Nilis.

onimo, it's OK, my stomach's not letting me look at any more. Thanks for breaking the link :-)

anyway the worst ones are the ones where the bone sticks out and there's blood everywhere...can't think of any offhand

luc nilis' collision with tim flowers ended his career and was gruesome

bone sticking out = Eduardo. There was a horrible picture in the paper which I chanced upon after a few beers which resulted in said beers making a rapid reappearance.

I remember a wee lad from Dundee Utd a few years ago nearly lost a foot due to a weird ankle-snapping incident which traumatised all around him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/1047177.stm

this thread took a turn for the dark :(

i have played in a game where someone broke their leg. incredibly weird atmosphere on the pitch for the rest of the game.

Kaka going to break the transfer record to go to Real any minute now.

more like Kracka right?