OUT: Rosell, IN: Second Place | The 2013-2014 Season Thread Pt. 2

Just to clarify, it sounds like Barca's request to lift the ban until a final decision is made is what has been granted, correct?
The ban of two transfer windows is still being considered but until FIFA render their final verdict Barca can deal in the market, yes?
This is how I understand the article anyway.

 

Madridistas accusing other clubs of bribery. lol
The hypocrisy spouted by White Trash never ceases to amaze.

 

Yes. If they are found guilty they will still be suspended for the next 2 transfer windows. Even so in this case TAS is next so we could be seeing the trial dragging until 2015 or even 2016.
What I think will happen is that Barca will be found guilty by FIFA and banned for one transfer period (january 2015) and Barca will be fine with it

I love the guy who said "they are called UEFALONA for a reason"

I mean sure it has FIFA right there in the name

 

I don't see much Serie A but his Lille team never looked defence first to me. They were quite offensive and entertaining.

 

Let's call it how it is: a double standard.

One disgrace compounded by another.

 

Let's not pretend that Real Madrid (or any other 'elite' club) wouldn't do the same.

 

what do you mean?

 

What right did the club have to be let off the hook? They f**ed up and now don't have to pay for it. Screwing up in the first place is one disgrace, getting let off the hook is yet another.

This all depends on whether or not the initial ban was justified. I'm not knowledgeable about FIFA's policies nor the club's inner-workings to determine that myself.

 

Yes, that's correct.

(fwiw, I think this is step 1/2 of appeal: the second is to get rid of the ban entirely)

 

this whole thing is kinda complicated, so i'm not sure if i'm understanding this right. but i was under the impression that they have not been let off the hook, and will likely still have a transfer ban pending their appeal. all they really managed to do at this point is postpone the punishment so that they will have time to present their appeal and plead their case, a process which can't be completed before the transfer window opens. So we will be able sign player this summer, but we probably are still going to have to pay for it through a transfer ban the following window or two.

 

If we blow two seasons budgets in the Summer window- the ban will have minimal effect !

 

maybe. assuming all the new signings pan out and no one gets injured or loses form for whatever reason. but a lot can happen.

 

as the old Church Lady on SNL used to say, 'talk amongst yourselves'

 

I'd add Masch to that six tbh

 

We can just spend €120 million and stockpile - sell nobody but add 6 top quality players .

 

Oh, well I'd add more than just Masch to that list, but yes Masch is critical especially if we sell Song. Now I'm not anti Song, he's done OK in limited PT at DM, but not at CB, so assuming we add at least one world class CB and sell Song then Masch could back both DM (Busquets) and CB (new signing, Pique, and Bartra). Bartra is another one I'd add to the untouchable list (maybe the list was just untouchable established starters), without keeping Bartra and Masch we'd need to sign 2 world class CBs and that may just be too tall an order since we've not managed to sign a single one in years.

I also think it may work to sell one of Alves, Adriano and Montoya but not two, certainly not three. I'd prefer we kept Pedro and Alexis but at a minimum we need to keep one of those two. Xavi is going nowhere unless he wants to do a Puyol, but maybe at 34 they just don't want to call him untouchable, assuming he stays his minutes will get reduced. I'd bring back Rafinha and hope he'd soon join the ranks of untouchables.

But really we are not a selling club or an especially deep club, so our sales will mainly be of players long deemed surplus (Bojan, Cuenca, Affelay, JDS) OR will be dictated by who we first buy. If we buy a world class forward and bring back Deulofeu then we can, for example get rid of one of Pedro or Alexis and also Tello. If we buy a world class attacking midfielder and bring in Rafinha than we can, for example, more easily part ways with Sergi Roberto, JDS, Song or even Cesc (though I really don't think Cesc is leaving).

I really expect this to be the busiest transfer summer ever as we may need to sit out next summer (though I suspect we ultimately accept a bigger fine and sitting out only January 2015 transfer window as our punishment) so I hope we don't leave it all till August as we too often seem to do.

I hope chemistry of such potentially major squad turnover works out.

 

Yea but remember Masche can only at his maximum level as DMF with a real CB behind him. He's too slow and short as a CB. His actual function is to disrupt opponent midfield .

 

I always thought Masch was quite fast?? Too short, sure, but I can think of plenty of slower defenders. Pique for one has a reputation of being slow.

 

19 goals allowed in 34 Serie A games ... best in the league. They are offensive only when Totti plays.

 

Besides screwing Shakira, what exactly did Gerard Fvcking Pique do to merit being untouchable??

 

Well yea pretty fast for sure but you can say the same about Alves, he's pretty fast but against opponent like Bayern and RM, Robben, Ribbery, Ronaldo, Di Maria, Bale... they're still easily outpaced and it has been proven.

 

Being a main defender in a side that won 3 Champions league (twice with Barca, once with MU) + winning 2 Euros & a World cup. Winning championship with 3 different sides, cant argue about it.

John Terry got sent off and his team won that semifinal and final without him , I dont think Chelsea think he deserve to be replace by someone else?

 

That's surely enough

 

You can take out that one if you want... just like Messi and Iniesta in 2006 campaign, didnt change the fact they have contribution. Not to mention Pique was only like 21 at the time.

Also, Pique actually scored more goal than Messi in 2007-2008 CL.