Barcelona - a lot of moaning about them and some praise

I know this is off topic, and probably silly, but I don't care because I hate seeing this thread title.

"Facing Barcelona is the ultimate test because they are the best team in the world. Afterwards you need a week to recover because your concentration has been allconsuming, and therefore it's utterly exhausting. Barca play the sort of football I aspire to, the sort that anybody who plays the game, and really knows the game, would like to emulate."

-- Paul Scholes

great quote

source? :)
 
First, I'm sorry for bumping this thread but it's the only thread on Barcelona.

Anyways, some harsh words from the Barcelona camp recently towards the ref. Pique accusing the referee in the Sporting match of having decided before the match to send him off. Obviously the ref association not happy about those comments and then we get this in respond of that.

Barcelona hit back over refereeing standards

A spokesperson for the Barca board said

Our place in the table isn't solely down to the officials," he said. "All I am saying is that we are not having any luck, but hopefully in the remainder of the season we will have no grounds to feel how we feel now."

And basically said that the response from the ref association was just an opportunity for them to have a go at the big boys in Spain. Because of this they've decided not to attend the meeting for the Copa del Rey final match venue.

Firstly, Pique should really keep his mouth shut. There's one thing to tell that the ref was shit but to say that he was purposely biased should warrant some fining from club and league and some ban. Imagine telling a judge in a courtroom something like this (not that it's the same). Then the board decides to stick by that comment and react all Liverpoolly.

The culture is different there and all that but I'd be shocked if Liverpool would respond like this with their thinking caps turned on Suarez mode.
 
Funny, I was trying to find this thread the other day, I searched "Barcelona" and it didn't came up.
 
First, I'm sorry for bumping this thread but it's the only thread on Barcelona.

Anyways, some harsh words from the Barcelona camp recently towards the ref. Pique accusing the referee in the Sporting match of having decided before the match to send him off. Obviously the ref association not happy about those comments and then we get this in respond of that.

Barcelona hit back over refereeing standards

A spokesperson for the Barca board said



And basically said that the response from the ref association was just an opportunity for them to have a go at the big boys in Spain. Because of this they've decided not to attend the meeting for the Copa del Rey final match venue.

Firstly, Pique should really keep his mouth shut. There's one thing to tell that the ref was shit but to say that he was purposely biased should warrant some fining from club and league and some ban. Imagine telling a judge in a courtroom something like this (not that it's the same). Then the board decides to stick by that comment and react all Liverpoolly.

The culture is different there and all that but I'd be shocked if Liverpool would respond like this with their thinking caps turned on Suarez mode.

This whole thing sounds like they're slowly but surely realizing that they're not going to extend their league winning streak and it's hitting home hard. That red card might have been harsh and they might have been victims of some other incorrect decisions but they only have themselves to blame for what has been the deciding factor: their away form.
It's always easier to blame others for your own failure.
 
This whole thing sounds like they're slowly but surely realizing that they're not going to extend their league winning streak and it's hitting home hard. That red card might have been harsh and they might have been victims of some other incorrect decisions but they only have themselves to blame for what has been the deciding factor: their away form.
It's always easier to blame others for your own failure.

I think most people realise that they're still the best team in Spain, they are just knackered from competing on so many fronts.
 
I think most people realise that they're still the best team in Spain, they are just knackered from competing on so many fronts.

Best team in Spain on a head to head basis against Madrid, but over a season so far it is Madrid. I don't think you can split them to be honest.
 
Brilliant:

It's the old successful club / referee decision cycle:

Successful club do well - seems as though referees give decisions their way when in actual fact it's the other teams fouling them because they can't get the ball - bitter fans at other clubs cry conspiracy - media latch on - myth prevails about decisions going their way - refs subconsciously affected - decisions start to not go their way etc etc
 
Real are definitely hungrier for the title, but I still think Barcelona are better.
Let’s put it that way, in a CL final I would rather face Real.
 
Some selective quoting going on in this thread.

Here's the full statement.

"Our place in the table isn't solely down to the officials," he said. "All I am saying is that we are not having any luck, but hopefully in the remainder of the season we will have no grounds to feel how we feel now."

He added: "We are talking about referees, but not criticising them. The job of a referee is very difficult. They make mistakes because it's a tough job. We stand by our policy of not discussing referees, but this year we have found that we are not having much luck."

Don't see much to get outraged about there. Ref's have a tough job. They make mistakes. Barca have been unlucky with decisions this season. What's wrong with that?

Certainly not a patch on Mourinho's ranting about refereeing conspiracy theories the last time their respective positions in the league table were reversed.

Takes a brass neck for anyone at either of the big two in Spain to say this, mind you.

"It should be noted that the behaviour of our players and coaching staff has been and is impeccable for Barcelona and the Spanish team,"

Hehe. You think?
 
Exactly. How anyone can claim Barcelona is the best team in Spain, when in fact they are 10 freakish points behind Real is beyond me...

If Barcelona win the CL all the talk will be about them again. Madrids title win will slip under the radar.

But yes the form team in Spain right now are Real Madrid and they look deserving champions
 
If Barcelona win the CL all the talk will be about them again. Madrids title win will slip under the radar.

But yes the form team in Spain right now are Real Madrid and they look deserving champions

They would be the first team to make the double right? I really hope they don't....
 
I think describing Real as the form team is a little unfair. They've been the best team in the league all season.

Barca still better have the better record, head to head, though. Best XI vs best XI, I'd go with Barca every time. The difference this season has been a bit of bad luck with injuries (actually, more like absence of the very good luck from the last season or two) and the fact they don't have the same strength in depth as Madrid.

It's actually a surprise it took Madrid so long to dominate the league, when you consider the insanely expensive squad they've assembled. I don't know how any team can realistically compete over a season with a club that spent £59m on a player and play him mainly as an unused sub.
 
I think describing Real as the form team is a little unfair. They've been the best team in the league all season.

Barca still better have the better record, head to head, though. Best XI vs best XI, I'd go with Barca every time. The difference this season has been a bit of bad luck with injuries (actually, more like absence of the very good luck from the last season or two) and the fact they don't have the same strength in depth as Madrid.

It's actually a surprise it took Madrid so long to dominate the league, when you consider the insanely expensive squad they've assembled. I don't know how any team can realistically compete over a season with a club that spent £59m on a player and play him mainly as an unused sub.

Although I agree to an extent you shouldnt forget that Barcelona have spent a lot of money themselves.

Makes the way we are still in the race and probably favourites for the title even more a great achievement, considering what City have spent compared to us.
 
Although I agree to an extent you shouldnt forget that Barcelona have spent a lot of money themselves.

Makes the way we are still in the race and probably favourites for the title even more a great achievement, considering what City have spent compared to us.

Barca have spent big. Only on a few positions though. Their fringe players tend to be young and homegrown.

In a way, Barca's spending/squad is similar to Fergie's approach at United. Madrid are more like Chelsea/City in that they spend stupendous amounts of money to buy two established two top class players for every position.
 
I don't know how any team can realistically compete over a season with a club that spent £59m on a player and play him mainly as an unused sub.

Any team that has its own TV deal can and Barca do just that. I used to think that Barca were the lesser of the two evils but they're just as bad, the diving, the whinging and not giving a damn about the smaller teams by taking the lion share of television revenues.

They may not spend a tenth of what Madrid do on players due to their youth system but their on the pitch antics, are probably the worst of any of the top teams in Europe.
 
Any team that has its own TV deal can and Barca do just that. I used to think that Barca were the lesser of the two evils but they're just as bad, the diving, the whinging and not giving a damn about the smaller teams by taking the lion share of television revenues.

They may not spend a tenth of what Madrid do on players due to their youth system but their on the pitch antics, are probably the worst of any of the top teams in Europe.

Bold: So you expect Barca to refuse that money they earned from TV rights and give it to the charity? It's not their problem, Barca didn't create that rule, they are just enjoying it.
 
Any team that has its own TV deal can and Barca do just that. I used to think that Barca were the lesser of the two evils but they're just as bad, the diving, the whinging and not giving a damn about the smaller teams by taking the lion share of television revenues.

They may not spend a tenth of what Madrid do on players due to their youth system but their on the pitch antics, are probably the worst of any of the top teams in Europe.

Not sure why you're bringing on the pitch antics into it but both of the big two teams in Spain are as bad as each other. For every Busquets there's also a Pedro.

Regarding the TV revenues, it is what it is. Fact remains that Madrid have outspent Barca by a huge amount over the last decade or so.
 
Bold: So you expect Barca to refuse that money they earned from TV rights and give it to the charity? It's not their problem, Barca didn't create that rule, they are just enjoying it.

They did create that rule, along with Madrid they are also keeping a vice like grip on it and bullying anyone who thinks it might be a good idea to change it.
 
Bold: So you expect Barca to refuse that money they earned from TV rights and give it to the charity? It's not their problem, Barca didn't create that rule, they are just enjoying it.

Of course. The obvious point is that you don't see people on here constantly bemoaning the fact that our £100m+ Commercial income or £40m+ Champions League income isn't distributed throughout the league.

They did create that rule, along with Madrid they are also keeping a vice like grip on it and bullying anyone who thinks it might be a good idea to change it.

What is your view on our hoarding of Commercial/Champions League revenue?
 
I don't see how Barca's spending can ever be seriously compared to Madrid's. Barca aren't the ones who have enjoyed a competitive advantage akin to a Chelsea or City over the years.

On the revenue sharing, it would be nice if income from Europe was shared, just like it would be nice if the governing body grew some balls and finally put something like a salary cap in place (they don't accept any government involvement but somehow can't implement widespread changes that curb the amount money in the game, I wonder why). Domestic leagues and the Champions League are obviously quite separate products though, reliant on all the clubs involved, so I don't see how a refusal to share European money with clubs outside the competition is an equivalent to what goes on in Spain. That League TV revenue can be divided proportionally is a farce, something incredibly short-sighted.

And it has no doubt been discussed to death before but this is a pretty embarrassing thread. Why are Barcelona supposed to bother us more than other teams, because they've humbled us in a couple of finals? Along with the Ronaldo obsession it points to some weird inferiority complex among United fans these days.
 
Barca have spent big. Only on a few positions though. Their fringe players tend to be young and homegrown.

In a way, Barca's spending/squad is similar to Fergie's approach at United.

Surely something that has to be admired. With Barcelona it's a strange one. They play fantastic football, don't go around throwing money around and still they are very hard to like (for me that is). Probalby the on- and off-the field antics from many of their players. And also that they beat us twice in the final...
 
Surely something that has to be admired. With Barcelona it's a strange one. They play fantastic football, don't go around throwing money around and still they are very hard to like (for me that is). Probalby the on- and off-the field antics from many of their players. And also that they beat us twice in the final...

Me, it's more because of their antics and cheating during certain matches.The two finals, well they were just better than United.I have accepted it
 
Do Barca not have the highest wage bill of any club in the world? Hard to match that up with a team that "don't go around throwing money around".
 
What is your view on our hoarding of Commercial/Champions League revenue?

You mean the money that is available to anyone who qualifies and progresses in the Champions League? I'd call it an incentive and in no way a monopoly personally.
 
They did create that rule, along with Madrid they are also keeping a vice like grip on it and bullying anyone who thinks it might be a good idea to change it.

You can't be serious there. Who said they have to listen them? Barca's spokesman is God, so they have to listen them whatever they say?
Sorry, but that thinking is nothing better than Scousers' about FA and Fergie.

Vato, I'm expecting you here soon.
 
Do Barca not have the highest wage bill of any club in the world? Hard to match that up with a team that "don't go around throwing money around".

Fair point. Here's the top 10* from 2010.

1. Barcelona La Liga £4,775,894
2. Real Madrid La Liga £4,441,368
3. Chelsea Premier Lge £3,634,860
4. Inter Milan Serie A £3,622,122
5. Manchester City Premier Lge £3,539,981
6. Bayern Munich Bundesliga £3,489,735
7. AC Milan Serie A £3,409,606
8. Manchester United Premier Lge £3,082,739
9. Liverpool Premier Lge £2,979,884
20. Arsenal Premier Lge £2,872,666

Of course, we all know the astonishing amount of money Real and Barca both earn from the unfair TV deals in Spain. If they're not going to spend as much money as Madrid on new players, stands to reason they'll use the money to ensure the players they already have aren't tempted to move.

On a side note, the wages Liverpool seem to be paying their squad of journeymen is hilarious. Can only have got steeper since then too.




*avge. annual wage/player
 
You can't be serious there. Who said they have to listen them? Barca's spokesman is God, so they have to listen them whatever they say?
Sorry, but that thinking is nothing better than Scousers' about FA and Fergie.

Vato, I'm expecting you here soon.

Who said they have to listen to them? You don't understand the situation at all do you?

Real Madrid and Barcelona are La Liga. Without them, La Liga would not bring in anything like the revenue it does and because of this they take a higher percentage of the TV revenue.

It's thought that if Barca and Real withdraw, the rest of La Liga will receive even less than the paltry percentage they receive and with finances already extremely precarious and this could leave to a catastrophic collapse with liquidizations all over the place.

With this is mind, this is how Perez and Laporta/Rosell bully the other clubs into submission.

It's pathetic and the reason the league will never be as competitive as the Premier League.