Copied from the BBC Sport website; Barcelona's league fixture against Atletico Madrid in December could be staged in Miami - with La Liga officials hopeful that FIFA will approve the plan. It would be the first time a La Liga match has been played in the United States. FIFA, football's world governing body, will make the final decision on the proposal. The match is currently scheduled for 22 December, before La Liga pauses for its winter break. Both Atletico and Barcelona are scheduled to play in a four-team Spanish Super Cup in early January, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. So much for Winter breaks allowing footballers to have a rest. Atletico and Barca are playing in some Cup in Saudi Arabia. And now just before that they're going to fly to the USA. Any chance of their players going on strike over being asked to play too many games?
I read something about Sir Alex Ferguson today which soured me. Man United have just made 250 staff redundant to cut costs - the average salary of the junior staff axed was £40,000. It turns out that since he retired as manager in 2013, Fergie has been paid £2,000,000 a year by the Glazers as a stipend, to basically do fvck all. He’s 83 now, he can’t travel much, and he recently admitted to a former player that he no longer watches the games closely. Not a political point, but @The Penguin will be aware of Fergie’s background as a Govan Trade Unionist and lifelong socialist. It turns out nothings too good for the workers. Just so long as SAF is getting his £2m a year first. Many within Old Trafford are said, justifiably, to be irked at Fergie milking the club like this at a time when the infantry are getting fired. INEOS announced this week that Fergie’s freebie as an Ambassador has ended. I wonder why ?
Remember Fergie generously presenting Curbs with a cheque for a flight to New Zealand after his last game? It was paid for by Richard Murray. I never judge anyone by their political stance unless they’re off the scale.
To be fair to Ferguson, it isn't his fault that Man Utd are drowning in debt and having to lay hundreds of staff off. That will be down to the Glazers. Correct me if I'm wrong but MUFC was debt free until they bought it. And the Club was raking in the rewards from all the Leagues and Cups they kept winning. I'm not a Man Utd fan. But if I was, bearing in mind what glory he brought to the Club, I would be happy for Sir Alex to take £2m per year even if he lives to be 120.
I only just noticed that the clubs in the so-called "champions league" are all in the same league. Do they all play each other? That's a lot of games. Looks like another step towards a European SuperLeague.
No they don’t all play each other. They are seeded at the start I believe and then they draw who they play. At the end of the league stage the top third qualify for the knock out stage with the middle third of teams enter a playoff stage to join them and the lowest third positioned teams of the league stage being eliminated
This ridiculous 36 team CL "League stage" is an obvious (as well as clumsy) short-term stepping stone. It will not last longer than 3 seasons. Probably not even that long. It is paving the way for a full blown UEFA European Super League.
UEFA's claims that more games in their 36 team "League stage" would be competitive and exciting are looking pretty threadbare. We are three games in, and already there are a lot of multi-goal thumpings of minnows by stronger teams. In what way are these games more exciting or relevant than the old group-stage mismatches?
If I was a Saints fan, one thing I would not want is condescending 'praise' from Pep Guardiola. Guardiola was patronising even more than usual following City's win over Southampton. Dribbling on about what he could learn from the manager of a team who have 1 point. What Pep can plainly not learn from him is genuine humility. If that match had ended 0-0 there would have been no sugary sentimentality from Pep for his little opposite number. There would have been a list of grumpy reasons why Southampton and the officials cheated City out of their entitled three points. Keep your simpering false praise to yourself Guardiola. It isn't wanted.
Agreed I don’t know the intent but if I was on the receiving end of that I would have interpreted it that way
The now familiar “we are being held back by injuries” excuse is being trotted out, and it’s not even November yet According to Rich Cawley / NJ, 25% of the squad is currently injured. Excuse my naivety, but isn’t there a risk when you sign known crocks & has beens that this could happen ?
