Fútbol, Le Foot, Voetbal, ποδόσφαιρο

[Billy Castell]

So he did. Perhaps he will continue this trend and follow Jose to Real Madrid when the Special One has a crack at international football (or takes over from Sam). I can't see Rafa making Inter a force in the CL. He might win a couple of league titles early on, but his average abilities will assert themselves. Then I don't know where he'll be other than Russia on a big contract.

[Roberto Policano]

Benitez will be named Inter's manager tomorrow.3 year deal,5 million a season.

[Majiball]

Roberto must be a happy boy

And you'd best be giving us back Salgado before the season starts!!!

Good luck in the final.

[Roberto Policano]

I thought we'd bloody muffed if when we drew at home after a dire performance.

It will be tough against Brescia,but we have a chance.

We have little chance of surviving in Serie A,but it will be good fun while it lasts.

[67splitscreen]

Roberto must be a happy boy

And you'd best be giving us back Salgado before the season starts!!!

Good luck in the final.

Better still if he's left sided we'll have him as well.

Commentators nightmare.

[67splitscreen]

Barca, problems ahead, Maybe no smoke without fire as they say, £125m borrowed to pay wages.

[philipl]

La Liga depends on the ability of cubs to blackmail their local communities. It is simple as that.

If the Spanish economy goes broke (and it is teetering) the clubs will collapse with it as the folk they use "leverage" with (local politiians and businesses) will have nothing left to contribute to the clubs' coffers.

This is not a great time to be E350m in debt and to be looking for another E150m from what is effectively a crippled banking system in Spain. Especially when the TV rights company Mediapro are in "protection from their creditors"- the major creditors being Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Methinks Fabregas will only be playing at the Nou Camp as an Arsenal player.

[Billy Castell]

I bet Real Madrid will be bailed out though. Again.

[RoyRover]

Thumbs up or down

Will he stay or has he been told it's time to move on.

Sounds like he is on his way to Schalke. Click.

[Roberto Policano]

Roma up for sale,£8 million pounds.Bargain.

[philipl]

Roma up for sale,£8 million pounds.Bargain.

...and their debt?

Unicredit have effectively foreclosed on Roma's owners' 67% stakes 49% of Roma is owed £271m!

Cheri Lunghi/ Karren Brady style Chief Executive there.

Edited July 10, 2010 by philipl

[FourLaneBlue]

I bet Real Madrid will be bailed out though. Again.

Real Madrid is effectively an offshoot of the government at times. They have always received biased treatment.

A loathsome club.

[Amo]

Is this the best penalty ever?

[cn174]

Is this the best penalty ever?

Haha, that's ace. I can only imagine what would happen if Roberts or Dunn attempted it!!

[67splitscreen]

Nope. All time best

[cn174]

Now as much as we'd like to throttle a ref now and again, I've never seen anyone have a go before...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iYnBYm8Gw&feature=player_embedded

[Florida Rover]

Yeah,here was the summary from what happened in that video: Paraguayan footballer Jose Pedrozo has been handed a 27-game ban for attempting to choke a referee during a Chilean second-division match at the weekend. The governing body of Chile's professional league handed down the penalty late on Tuesday. The ruling stated that the defender had been banned for 20 games for attempting to choke Marcelo Miranda, five more for trying to attack him again after being pulled away, and two more for the red card he received just moments before the incident. Pedrozo resigned from the Chilean club Rangers after the match on Saturday and said he was returning to Paraguay.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

He didn't even touch him

[Amo]

How not to do it.

[Majiball]

Ballacks Scores

[RoyRover]

I'm currently in France on my holidays. I went and saw Rennes play Lille last night on the opening game of the Ligue 1 season. It was a really good game, which ended 1-1. I paid €12 to get in. There's no way you be paying that for the Premiership. Asamoah Gyan came on for Rennes and should have won it for them in injury time when he missed an absolute sitter; totally unmarked in the box, about five yards out and he heads the ball wide. Rennes gave a debut to another one of their promising youngsters, from what is fast becoming one the elite youth academies about. He was called Yacine Brahimi and he is a real star in the making. Five of Rennes starting 11 all graduated from the youth teams and it would have been six, had Yann M'Vila not be injured. Despite being owned by one of the richest men in the world, Rennes are totally committed to producing their own players and then bringing in one or two players in the summer to compliment the youngsters. If they were to win anything, it makes it all the sweeter in the knowledge that they have produced the players. I'm glad to see that we are doing the same thing and have some very good young players making an impact on the first team.

[67splitscreen]

Tochline dip..

De Jong MK.2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH2gH2sFdYg&feature=player_embedded

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Probably happy to be sent off considering how soaked he was

[Eddie]

I'm currently in France on my holidays. I went and saw Rennes play Lille last night on the opening game of the Ligue 1 season. It was a really good game, which ended 1-1. I paid €12 to get in. There's no way you be paying that for the Premiership. Asamoah Gyan came on for Rennes and should have won it for them in injury time when he missed an absolute sitter; totally unmarked in the box, about five yards out and he heads the ball wide. Rennes gave a debut to another one of their promising youngsters, from what is fast becoming one the elite youth academies about. He was called Yacine Brahimi and he is a real star in the making. Five of Rennes starting 11 all graduated from the youth teams and it would have been six, had Yann M'Vila not be injured. Despite being owned by one of the richest men in the world, Rennes are totally committed to producing their own players and then bringing in one or two players in the summer to compliment the youngsters. If they were to win anything, it makes it all the sweeter in the knowledge that they have produced the players. I'm glad to see that we are doing the same thing and have some very good young players making an impact on the first team.

That's true of most clubs in France though. The fact is French clubs can't afford to buy many players from abroad, so that makes it necessary to produce a reasonable amount of talent and encourages clubs to give youth a chance. It has positives and negatives, but it's nice as a supporter that there are often "home grown" players and that players do stay at clubs a bit longer.

[RoyRover]

That's true of most clubs in France though. The fact is French clubs can't afford to buy many players from abroad, so that makes it necessary to produce a reasonable amount of talent and encourages clubs to give youth a chance. It has positives and negatives, but it's nice as a supporter that there are often "home grown" players and that players do stay at clubs a bit longer.

Rennes can afford to buy players. They just choose to develop their own players. I'm sure it must be necessary for the likes of Nancy, Lorient or Sochaux to produce their own players as they don't have the budgets to buy a number of players.