Official Ongoing Football/Soccer 2011/2012

[watt]

i have a sinking feeling that a chelsea win will coincide with arsenal finishing fourth. on top of my own interest, i'm down with bayern getting a 5th title.

Yeah, I will be rooting for Bayern.

[Toofer_Spurlock]

Not having Terry, Ramires, Ivonavic, and Miereles is probably gonna hurt Chelsea a lot. And Cahill will have to get his fitness back fast.

[Toofer_Spurlock]

The only reason I'm upset Chelsea are in the final is because it makes English people happy and they'll keep saying they "clearly" have the best league in Europe despite how shit all of their teams have been this season.

[delgriffith]

Guardiola was as much influenced by Bielsa as anybody. He'd be the most logical choice for Barcelona, though I can't see how a "sabbatical" would work - whoever gets the job is going to be told "whenever Pep wants to come back, you have to step down"? I love that story about Guardiola driving through the middle of the night to go find Bielsa in his little town in Argentina to talk tactics a few years ago.

[watt]

If Chelsea pull it off will they be the worst team to ever win the CL?

[delgriffith]

If Chelsea pull it off will they be the worst team to ever win the CL?

They're definitely the worst team to reach the final since Liverpool in 2007. And if they won they'd be the worst team to win since Liverpool in 2005.

[delgriffith]

Let's just pretend the 2003/04 Champions League never happened. Every single major team in Europe was in transition, such a weird year.

[Toofer_Spurlock]

Guardiola was as much influenced by Bielsa as anybody. He'd be the most logical choice for Barcelona, though I can't see how a "sabbatical" would work - whoever gets the job is going to be told "whenever Pep wants to come back, you have to step down"? I love that story about Guardiola driving through the middle of the night to go find Bielsa in his little town in Argentina to talk tactics a few years ago.

You got a link for this story?

And you can hate all you want, you can't take Istanbul away from me.

[delgriffith]

I'm not hating, it was a great final and an amazing performance. But it wasn't a good team, or the best team in Europe. But that's the beauty of a knockout tournament.

And the meeting took place in 2007, before Guardiola took over: http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/asado-once-horas-tertulia-casa-bielsa-1207800

[Toofer_Spurlock]

Xabi Alonso might've been the only world class player on that team, and it was when he was really young.

[delgriffith]

They ate barbecue, spent 11 hours talking tactics/watching videos on Bielsa's computer.

"Shortly before taking the sporting Barca B in the summer of 2007, Pep Guardiola traveled to Argentina to meet with half a dozen technicians and soak in its working methods. One was Marcelo Bielsa , who shared barbecue at his country house on the outskirts of Rosario and a talk lasting more than 11 hours in the presence of the writer and director David Trueba."

[delgriffith]

Xabi Alonso might've been the only world class player on that team, and it was when he was really young.

I miss Xabi Alonso playing in the Premiership

[RoyalCheese]

Bilbao is easily the most exciting team playing in Europe right now

[Toofer_Spurlock]

Xabi Alonso might've been the only world class player on that team, and it was when he was really young.

I miss Xabi Alonso playing in the Premiership

Me too. I have dreams about him managing Liverpool some day. I've heard in the Madrid dressing room he's the only one who gets to discuss tactics with Jose.

[Seamus]

Xabi Alonso might've been the only world class player on that team, and it was when he was really young.

Gerrard definitely was, I'd say Hyypia was and arguably Carragher (at the time). Hamann and Finnan were both great players as well though they fell just short of world class. Really the miracle of Istanbul was that we won it with Djimi Traore in the team.

Edit: oh and as much as I love Alonso I want Hyypia to manage us one day. That man is a god to me.

[Seamus]

The only reason I'm upset Chelsea are in the final is because it makes English people happy and they'll keep saying they "clearly" have the best league in Europe despite how shit all of their teams have been this season.

I think 95% of us will just be bitter about it instead

[fraew]

man, why didn't we buy Llorente when we had the chance...

[Lucky]

BREAKING MASSIVE IMPORTANT SOCCER NEWS


QPR-CHELSEA HANDSHAKES CANCELLED CUZ OF TERRY THE CUNT


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17855978

[Lucky]

Also, wow I did not realise an amateur (CFA) team are in the Coupe de France final against Lyon

[Vaneigem]

I don't think Bielsa will be the next Barca manager, I'm 90% sure they will just promote Tito Vilanova.

[Lucky]

Guardiola definitely going. Press conference in 1.5 hours.

lol Luis Enrique is being talked about as a possibility. And I've seen AVB's name mentioned as a possibility for Roma.

: /

[kitties]

BREAKING MASSIVE IMPORTANT SOCCER NEWS


QPR-CHELSEA HANDSHAKES CANCELLED CUZ OF TERRY THE CUNT


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17855978

Terry is such a wanker. Glad he's not playing the Final and Chelsea are going to get their asses handed to them. Also, my vote for Bilbao as the most awesome team right now, the guys just enjoy playing the game, score some awesome goals, and just win.

[Lucky]

I'm 90% sure they will just promote Tito Vilanova.

!!

[Vaneigem]

I KNEW

[darkendofthestreet]

BARCELONA IN CRISIS!!!!!!

[d2michael]

cant wait for more eye poking action

[Toofer_Spurlock]

As long as Bielsa stays with Bilbao this is great news.

[Lucky]

Good job Athletic should remain mostly intact.

[RoyalCheese]

I really want to see them in the UCL some day

[Lucky]

Still a very small chance they could do it this season.

52 Malaga - Valencia, Barcelona, Atletico, Gijon
49 Levante - Granada, Zaragoza, Mallorca, Athletic
48 Athletic - Zaragoza, Real, Getafe, Levante
48 Atletico - Betis, Sociedad, Malaga, Villarreal