News: 2015-16 General Discussion Thread

I am still amazed at how Atletico is able to keep their top players and sell only those they want. Griezzman just extended and and got a 100M release clause. Koke has been in the sights of Euros elites for over 2yrs but he is still there.

 

In my opinion - there are two primary reasons (potentially three).

1. They have built a strong and winning culture under Simeone. They refuse to let themselves become doormats and they deal with critics and opponents relatively harshly. I don't personally like Simeone, but he has built a strong following and a culture that commands respect from his players. Now they did lose Turan to Barca, so they're not invincible either - but culture and image are huge things for footballers and marketers.

2. Their management understands that they need to pay healthy salaries in order to retain top talent. This is our single biggest failing as a club imho, and one reason why Watzke drives me crazy. Atleti pays Koke around 10M a year, and I have no doubt Greizmann got a healthy bump in his salary as well. They don't seem to nickle and dime players the way we do - and I think it helps their image.

3. Let's be honest - Madrid is a beautiful city.

 

I wasn't impressed when I first visited Madrid.

 

1. I think Dortmund built this type of culture under Klopp as well. He also built a strong following and culture that commanded respect but that didn't stop losing Sahin, Kagawa, Gotze and Lewy

2. This is the one I agree with the most the penny pinching is always going to hurt. Every club in Europe now sees Dortmund as a shopping mall, and even the BVB players seemed to agree that its a club to get playtime and move on to bigger things. I am an opposing fan so my views might be viewed with suspicion, If 5 players under 20 is the mark of a great transfer by Germany's second biggest club then what do we expect from Nurnberg and Frankfurt of this world?

With Miki, Maybe Auba gone who are the players these 2 look up to? Who would control these Dembele and Mor when they start with teenage tantrums? And TBH with a few great seasons all these youngsters too would start trying to move on to a destination club. I'm already seeing Weigl linked to PSG

I would use Bayern as an example, when Tobias Rau, Valerien Ismael, Hashemian, Gorlitz were our transfers and reinforcements, do you wonder why world class players like Ballack saw their future away from the club? Of course we fans were bitter, called them names and whatever, You know what turned it around? We fell out of CL and had to buy Toni, Ribery and Klose all in one season, we were back but became complacent again buying Borowski, Donovan, Baumjohan etc then our ambitious players like Ribery Lahm and Schweini started getting linked to Madrid

and blaming Bayern, other top clubs who buy or the players for being greedy would only work for so long after a while the players that believed it would even get tired of it and would move to even your rivals to win titles before they get old like we saw with RvP and Hummels

To be a top club you have to spend money. Thats the truth you make some bad buys and more good buys but that shouldnt deter you. With avergae clubs like West Ham and other PL clubs even more awash with money it would be increasingly difficult Atletico buys big Martinez 35M, Vietto-20M, Savic-25M, Carrasco-20M, Griezmann-30M, Mandzukic-25M, Falcao-40M etc

 

It's a beautiful city, way better than Barcelona.

 

Well said.

I completely agree that this treadmill of star players needs to end now! It's a self perpetuating problem, where the more we allow it to happen, the more we "become" the transitional club that players come to as a springboard for their next move. What do we lose by offering Miki a salary of 9M rather than 7M? Would it really impact our ability to be financially or operationally viable in any way? Absolutely not. It's a ridiculous assertion, especially for a player whom the coach has a lot of faith in.

Not only would it signal that we are a club that is willing to retain talent, it would also reinforce the message to our younger stars that we will reward you for bringing your best to this squad. That we will invest in your youth, and solidify your future.

I think Watzke should be commended for his ability to lure in young players like Dembele, Mor and Bartra - however he should be equally held accountable for the fact that in the last 5 years we have had every single star player on the clubs team sheet (with the exception of Reus) leave. Gotze, Lewa, Sahin, Gundogan, Kagawa, Hummels, and likely Miki will all leave within a period of 5 years. That is simply unacceptable.

I'm not naive enough to believe that we can retain every top tier player that we bring into the club - but losing 7 of them in 5 years (and 3 in 1 year) is absurd!

 

Marvin Duksch remember him? Related news

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...es-unveiling-signing-man-in-mask-ewald-lienen

 

Happy Birthday, Aki! 🎂 🎁 🎉 pic.twitter.com/xM61Mg2Avi

— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) June 21, 2016

745152359840382976 is not a valid tweet id

 

I wish Marvin all the best, shame that it did not work out with us. Although in hindsight it is somewhat amusing how crazy some people acted about him.

 

It didn't work out for anyone.

 

http://www.bvb.de/eng/News/Overview/54-916-BVB-fans-renew-their-season-tickets

 

Looks good. But the kit from our 12/13 CL campaign is better IMO.

 

CL draw is made on the 25ht of August! We are in pot 2. Can't wait!! And I believe that this will be the first year with the new rules (league champions regardless of coefficients go in pot 1 etc).

http://www.bvb.de/News/Uebersicht/Borussia-in-Lostopf-zwei-Auslosung-am-25.-August

 

The previous season was the first with the mentioned new rules. This is the reason why PSG, Juve, PSV and CSKA were in the first pot instead of Real, Atletico, Porto and Arsenal, which had higher UEFA coefficients.

 

I see. With BVB out of the CL I paid little attention to it last season. Thanks for the correction

 

Not sure if this has been posted or not:

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmmmm not too sure what to think. I prefer it over the new CL one.

aren't they trying to help out the smaller clubs from smaller leagues?