Fútbol, Le Foot, Voetbal, ποδόσφαιρο

[jim mk2]

Ronaldo has a better La Liga goalscoring record than Messi - even though he has played for an inferior team during much of his time with Real - with his goals-per-game tally (171 in 159 appearances) significantly stronger than Messi's total of 233 goals in 267 outings.

Ronaldo is also the Ballon d'Or holder.

Not bad for a showpony.

[somersetrover]

Ronaldo has a better La Liga goalscoring record than Messi - even though he has played for an inferior team during much of his time with Real - with his goals-per-game tally (171 in 159 appearances) significantly stronger than Messi's total of 233 goals in 267 outings.

Ronaldo is also the Ballon d'Or holder.

Not bad for a showpony.

Messi's goals to game ratio is less because he has been playing at Barca since he was a youngster Ronaldo started in La Liga at his peak. Ronaldo has always been the main man whereas early in his career Messi played out wide and wasn't the main man as Eto'o Ronaldinho and then when he left Henry were at Barca. Also Ronaldo has 172 goals in 160 La Liga games and in that time Messi has scored 182 in 159 which is 'significantly stronger'

The Ballon d'Or was a fix this year for Ronaldo he had a good November when votes were being done and he scored3 against Sweden with a defence made up of centre backs from Celtic and West Brom and then voting was extended after that game. He scored34 goals and 6 of them were penalties last year his worst return in 3 seasons . He did nothing as always in a big European game, when he was really needed in the second leg of the Champions League semi final against Dortmund he was anonymous. He lost the Copa final on his home ground and got sent off. And in World Cup qualifying he played in an easy group which they couldn't win and he only scored in two games against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland. And Messi still has double the number of Ballon d'Or's.

As for saying he plays in an inferior team to Messi well just think why are the fascists inferior to Barca well that answer is simple Lionel Messi. There is not a lot between the two teams man for man apart from Messi he is just a class above anything else in world football and come the end of his career he may well be the greatest of all time.

Edited March 23, 2014 by somersetrover

[Salgado Is A Hero]

The best team in world football that are 3rd in their league and were pumped senseless last season by Bayern Munich? Nah don't see it.

By the "fascists" and "overrated show pony" stuff, I presume you're another Barca apologist.

They're nowhere near as good anymore, hence why they're gonna change their manager at the end of the season.

[jim mk2]

Barcelona are dull as ditchwater to watch - there's more to football than constant passing. I usually fall asleep when they are on TV. Guardiola has alot to answer for in my view, and Bayern are becoming almost as bad though they still have a certain amount of Teutonic directness.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Wilpshire Blue

[somersetrover]

Barcelona are dull as ditchwater to watch - there's more to football than constant passing. I usually fall asleep when they are on TV. Guardiola has alot to answer for in my view, and Bayern are becoming almost as bad though they still have a certain amount of Teutonic directness.

Guardiola is been a pioneer of the game like Sebes, Michels and Cruyff before him.

The best team in world football that are 3rd in their league and were pumped senseless last season by Bayern Munich? Nah don't see it.

By the "fascists" and "overrated show pony" stuff, I presume you're another Barca apologist.

They're nowhere near as good anymore, hence why they're gonna change their manager at the end of the season.

Third in the league but a point of top and they have beaten the side in 2nd twice this season, they are also in the European Cup Quarters and the Copa final not bad really is it. As for the Munich defeat there were a lot of problems of the field what with The managers illness clearly had a huge effect on the team, Messi was not fully fit and Rossell creating problems in the board room. They are much more stable now with Rossell gone and it would be a mistake to sack Martino.

As for me being a Barca apologist. If you mean by that do I like Barca yes I do they are a model football club in my opinion (stained slightly of late by Rossell but that will come out in the wash) in how they conduct themselves as a club on and off the field. I also like Barca because during the Franco years they were a symbol of anti-fascism and hope for the Catalonian people and indeed all the repressed people of Spain, the Camp Nou was one of the few places where Catalonian could be spoken. As for Ronaldo being an overrated show pony I think he is and Real are fascists there ground is named after a fascist and Franco had his corrupt paws all over them, putting large amounts of state reserves into them. The Franco government threatened Barca players and their families if they didn't lose to Madrid in a cup semi final, refs were also threatened to let Madrid win. And Josep Sunyol who was Barca President at the time was arrested and executed by Franco troops. So the reason I call Real fascists is because they are.

Edited March 24, 2014 by somersetrover

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Franco didn't particularly like football, but was originally an Atletico Madrid fan, however he grew to like Real as their success reflected well on his regime in Spain. Also, Barca have their own far right-wing element of their fan base, called Boixos Nois.

Franco was around over 50 years ago and it's a little sad imo to call them fascists when it clearly has nothing to do with them anymore, as well as the fact that it was only their success that attracted Franco anyway. It would be like hating Bayer Leverkusen for their ties over 50 years ago to IG Farben and the Nazi's, or hating us for our ties to Thatcher.

They might be in the quarter finals of the Champions League but so are the two other Spanish teams that are ahead of them in the league, plus Real are also in the final of the Copa Del Rey. So I'm not sure how that proves they're even the best in Spain, let alone in Europe. There's also Bayern Munich to consider, who I'm sure most neutrals would say are stronger than Barca.

Barca aren't a model football club either. Off the field, tax evasion by their star man, and dodgy dealings with the Neymar transfer would suggest otherwise.....on the field, well, the likes of Jordi Alba, Alves, Busquets, Neymar etc are hardly role models are they, with their constant diving and cheating. Even ones like Iniesta constantly produce fake cards and hassle the referee...........90% of the time, the lack of atmosphere at the Nou Camp makes their games almost painful to watch, plus they have shirt sponsors on the inside of their shirts. They also pretended to be all high-and-mighty by having a charity as a sponsor for many years, with the plan being all along to eventually get a real one, and therefore being able to charge extortionate money for the privilege.

Messi being injured against Bayern proved how much they relied on him after Guardiola left. If he was playing, I'd imagine Bayern still would have won, due to Barca's dodgy defence that they still haven't bothered to fix.....maybe it would have been 7-3 on aggregate or something, as opposed to 7-0.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Salgado Is A Hero

[old darwen blue]

Well I enjoyed it and the best team won.

barca

Barca

BARCA

Edited March 24, 2014 by old darwen blue

[roverandout]

a lot of barce's players have come up from their youth team, whereas real Madrid have spent big on most of theirs, I have a lot more respect for what barce have done than real!!

[Eddie]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Big Team A 3-4 Big Team B

Don't know why so many on here spend their time hating the likes of City and United but can then have a soft spot for teams like Real, Barcelona or Bayern. Local rivalries aside, big clubs are big clubs. Some will have a few more home grown players in them at any one time, but they are all spending obscene amounts of money and that makes them good.

Don't know why people feel that it wasn't a red. Contact was minimal, but once he got goalside he had to avoid making any contact and it was a deserved red card. Real were the side that got the better decision when Real was clearly tripped outside of the box - something that was clear as day even at full speed.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Barca have spent absolutely loads on transfer fees themselves. Particularly with the likes of Neymar, Villa and Zlatan, plus they have the highest wage bill in sport.

Madrid, for whatever reason, don't use their youth team that much, and release the majority of their youngsters with buy back clauses if they come good, like with Carvajal.

So Spanish youngsters all know that Barca is the team to join, and therefore due to their size compared to the other teams, they essentially have the pick of all the decent Spanish youngsters.

[Amo]

Don't know why so many on here spend their time hating the likes of City and United but can then have a soft spot for teams like Real, Barcelona or Bayern.

Some of us support the little guy.

[somersetrover]

So Spanish youngsters all know that Barca is the team to join, and therefore due to their size compared to the other teams, they essentially have the pick of all the decent Spanish youngsters.

That hasn't always been the case though Barca are reaping the rewards of the youth system that they and the great Johan Cruyff invested heavily in during the early 1990's. Madrid however rather than giving youngsters a chance go down the Galacticos route and spent ridiculous sums of money on the likes of Bale, Ronaldo and many more over the years. Last night Barca used 13 players last night 9 were from the youth set up, Madrid used 14 players only two from the youth system. Last night was undoubtedly victory for football.

As for an early post of yours saying the Camp Nou had no atmosphere I've to Clasico's, big European matches and just standard league games there and of all the sporting venues I have gone to in over 50 years of watching sport it is by far the best atmosphere that I have been in, it is the coliseum of football.

Edited March 24, 2014 by somersetrover

[Eddie]

In the 'academy' products you can see Valdes (still three years with another academy), Pique (time spent with two other clubs during key years and was bought back for 5m), Alba (similar to Pique and bought back for 4m), Fabregas (similar to Pique, but in this case for 40m),

The only true products of their academy that started that match are Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta and Messi and it is still a starting line up that cost nearly 200m euros to assemble. Hardly a victory for football.

[Audax]

Real Madrid lost, Atletico in first and their last match of the year will be vs. Barcelona, by a point, Atletico leads the Spanish League with Barca in 2nd.

[Audax]

Fan killed in Sweden, Djurgarden is topflight I gather over there.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/26812686

[Stuart]

Very pleased for Gareth Bale.

[roverandout]

what a bunch of pansies they are in la liga, rolling around when someone steps on their toe, gareth bale is quality but he still looks like a monkey

[K-Hod]

I love how Bale was pushed off the pitch, then just ran back on and beat his man again to score. Superb goal.

[cn174]

Interesting news from Germany.

A few years ago Red Bull wanted RB Salzburg to join the German Bundesliga, and the DFB said no. So instead Red Bull bought a 5th division team SSV Markranstädt from Leipzig and changed them into RB Leipzig. This season they have compe second in the 3.Liga and therefore should be in 2.Bundesliga next season however the DFB have rejected them a licence unless they change three things:-

- their badge is currently the Red Bull logo, like the other RB teams. This isn't allowed in Germany so they must change it so it does not incorporate sponsorship

- In germany there can't be a majority ownership by one person or company, whereas RB Leipzig is owned solely by Red Bull

- they must also drastically reduce thier 'membership fee' which is currently at €800/person. As a comparison, Bayerns membership fee is €60.

This is the second time in two years that the DFB have rejected a licence - last year was Duisburg for not filing their accounts on time. Just thought it is an interesting difference between there and England where both the football league and premier league appear to have no rules, principles or backbone.

Edited April 24, 2014 by cn174

[JWUpper]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27159955

Sad news about Villanova

[roverandout]

very sad, I thought he was getting better, shame, was given a great chance to manage a team like Barcelona and now hes lost his battle against cancer

[somersetrover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27159955

Sad news about Villanova

Terrible news, its un believable really to think that this time last year he was leading Barca to the league title and now he has gone.

Edited April 25, 2014 by somersetrover

[Stuart]

Anyone seeing the scenes in the Coppa Italia final. Not starting because of crowd trouble. Not so much flares as explosions!

[Stuart]

Looks like it's a consequence of this...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2619602/Napoli-fan-suffers-gunshot-wound-violent-clashes-ahead-Coppa-Italia-final.html?ico=sport%5Eheadlines

[Guest Norbert]

Sounds mental.