This could be the jersey to finally get me to buy one now that we have a paying jersey sponsor. Supposedly next year's away jersey will be based on the Catalan flag or Senyera (Sport via TB):
Even with the wrong number of stripes - that would be a good looking home shirt design, just add blue and maroon. Blue shorts, socks with two maroon stripes on blue background, and you got yourself the best looking Barca home kit since 08/09, maybe even better than that. As for the Senyera away shirt, why not. But wish the QF-logo would be on colour other than white.
Interesting blog post about the growing push for Catalan independence in Spain and how FC Barcelona fits into it. In short: Pep said he would vote for independence, Tito defended Pep's right to make the statement but didn't go farther than that, Rossell has said that no matter what FCB would stay in La Liga and La Porta is gung ho in favor of independence. I didn't really think about it before but I guess the "leak" of the new Senyera away kit for next season was perfectly timed to coincide with the Catalan national holiday. http://blogs.elpais.com/trans-iberian/2012/09/lip-service-to-catalonia.html
If Catalonia would be independent, and I'd be a supporter of a team who gets only a small piece of Liga's television money, I'd have thoughts of what is Barca doing in La Liga.
Here's a pretty good article on how the EA Sports FIFA video game franchise is growing the sport in the USA. In particular, the "support your club" feature has Barcelona as the most popular team in the majority of states. I hope La Liga as a whole can pull its head out of it's collective ass and market itself properly here in the states like the EPL has. The country is only going to be more invested in the sport and I'd hate to see Barcelona and the rest of the league miss out. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/291?cc=5901
Interesting. I was watching a video on ESPN.com last night about the Packers-Seahawks debacle and there was an ad before it with Snoop Dogg pitching the new FIFA game. The NHL benefited from gaming in the 90s too, although they've squandered that all away. I hope soccer does better. Image from that blog post: not sure exactly what this is measuring but interesting how Barca is tops in many states. Man Utd is popular in New England and Chicago Fire is popular in N.Dakota (!). I'm guessing some of those other colors represent MLS teams (Columbus, SLC, KC and Seattle).
I'm also reading people floating the idea of an Iberian league and bringing the Portuguese league into the mix too. It makes some sense to me. No idea how you'd merge them though. Would almost have to be a breakaway league instead.
Not impressed. Let's see him do it with no hands to the ground and in a match. Maybe he's just in the first phase in a project that climaxes in doing it Higuita style somewhere. CdR maybe?
Looks like the process is in the experimental phase right now. This weekend's Portuguese clash between Real Moudrid and Deportivo La Corunha is being billed as a fixture for Spain's La Liga.
Big Messi story/video on ESPN today, have not watched it yet, likely to be controversial based on this tagline - from Argentina but home is his own bubble: Finding A Place In This World Lionel Messi is from Argentina, but there is little evidence remaining to prove where a star was born. Instead, home is his own bubbl http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=Lionel-Messi
There was another similar infographic poster here a few weeks ago (before the elbow injury) that was better I think, but this is current... The amount of left leg and head injuries alone !!!
Massive amounts of Barca love in Sports Illustrated. Grant Wahl has features on Xavi, Rosell, the youth academy, and his all time XI (didn't we have a thread on this back in the day?) Goalkeeper: Andoni Zubizarreta (1986-94) Right back: Dani Alves (2008-current) Center back: Ronald Koeman (1989-95) Left back: Carles Puyol (1999-current) Defensive midfield: Pep Guardiola (1990-2001) Right midfield: Xavi (1998-current) Left midfield: Andrés Iniesta (2002-current) Attacking midfield: Johan Cruyff (1973-78) Right winger: László Kubala (1951-61) Center forward: Lionel Messi (2004-current) Left winger: Ronaldinho (2003-08) Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/10/03/barcelona-best-xi-messi-xavi/index.html#ixzz28NXermE9
Great Ray Hudson quote: Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/10/03/barcelona-xavi-spain/index.html#ixzz28NaWDE00
Not sure if this has been shared, but someone's illustrating the literal things Ray Hudson says...and it's awesome... “They’re like a happily married couple, Messi and Dani Alves. Messi washes, Alves dries. Fabulous together.” http://illustratedray.tumblr.com/
I guess some of you saw the video of the Brazilian boy with no feet some weeks ago. He now got the chance to go to Barcelona and visit his idol Messi and the rest of the players at the training ground.
Not sure how to embed this video, but here is a video by Sid Lowe of the Guardian on the interplay between Catalan independence movement and Barça with interviews of Joan LaPorta, Johan Cruyff and various others (politicians, historians). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2012/nov/22/fc-barcelona-catalonia-independence-video