Disagree. When healthy, he was phenomenal. In terms of Spain, he played in one of the best midfield at international level so can't hold that against him, and beyond that, he was always injured or not in shape.
Celta are on the verge of firing Rafa Benitez. I read that if they get the wrong result this weekend he could be gone and a new coach installed before they play us. Mallorca are playing well recently but we know from the past that we can't rely on others. As has been pointed earlier, the Valencia game is gonna be super tough. Those guy will play it as a CL final and of course their shitty fans will be up for it too. I don't know if you or others will agree with me but i don't think we've been playing all that well since the Girona game. We miss Jude a lot. Also this team does pick and choose when to ratchet up the intensity. For example, we took the Girona game very seriously and our intensity and focus was great but we saw the consequences of it in Germany when we looked super cold. Back in the day we all used to hate Valencia because of their butchary and now all this added shit they've pulled has only intensified my dislike for that club. My wish is that we can go over there and get a convincing win but at the moment any win will be just fine. Rooting extra hard for Vinicius on saturday.
One more in the long list of reason to dislike that club. The Violencia days were not fun. They screwed us over in the David Villa transfer saga too but that turned out to be a blessing because we signed Karim instead. Manifesting a big win on Saturday but any win will do.
Yeah, that Valencia game is immense and I truly hope the team approaches it just like they did with Girona. Attack from the start, pressure them, get a goal or two early on and take it from there. Just don't let them intimidate us, really important to keep focus!
Xavi is 10yrs older than Thiago and played his last tournament for Spain 10yrs ago Any reason why teenage Pedri and Gavi are staring tournaments ahead of Thiago?
❗@gerardromero: "YES! YES! THINGS ARE HAPPENING TODAY! BOOM BOOM!" pic.twitter.com/fR1Tt8j24t— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) February 28, 2024 ❗Deco met today with Haaland's agents. Haaland is Laporta's big dream.— @gerardromero pic.twitter.com/S7Sox1ERtA— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) February 28, 2024 This has to be mental abnormality
Lol that was all in your head man. Valencia weren't violent and they definitely never had anything against Madrid. They dealt with us fairly. Same as Depor, Osasuna, etc.
Every time I'm reminded of this day I'm gutted. I think this is the most painful moment for anyone supporting this team. But my theory is that all that pain (including 12 years of losing in Europe) is what made 92:48 so insanely great. https://t.co/Gt697xJjkS— Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) February 28, 2024
Definitely hurt bad. That squad was insanely good. Felt for Mou, and I actually don’t think he’s been the same since.
I have to say, I can't understand people that kind of describe rooting for the most successful team in European football as some sort of deeply emotional labor. Imagine being an Alaves or Granada fan. A Schalke Fan i used to know was feeling like garbage so much I wondered how he does this to himself at times.
It was such a shame, because RM was incredible that season. When the players decided to push against Bayern, the score was 2-0 within 20 mins. And how about the three biggest sure bets missing a PK, in Ronaldo, Kaka and Ramos? What a squad that was, a shame. Should have been the 10th.
Literally the only successful team I support which is why I find all this conspiracy talk so crazy. I’ve supported small teams my whole life, I know what it is to be let down, disappointed, and to NEVER get the benefit of the doubt with calls. Even with them I don’t call it conspiracy, just life. The big clubs and big stars will get the benefit of the doubt. Madrid is the one team I never have to worry about lol. I know we are going to win a title every other year at worst, have the most prestige, have a ton of money, have the best players, great coach, best president, and is the most respected organization in the sport. It almost feels weird to me but I love it lol
I think most adults love the history of the club just as much as the present, a lot of the younger fans basically ignore everything past Ronaldo/Benzema/Bale
🚨🇫🇷 BREAKING: Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years due to doping. pic.twitter.com/1BsdRmijOq— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 29, 2024
Supporting Real Madrid during the Ronaldinho era was hell for a Brazilian. Everyone supported Barcelona and, obviously, hated Real Madrid. Until CR and Mourinho came and kicked our asses in terms of self-confidence and self-esteem, I'd say it felt like supporting not a small but a secondary team. Nowadays, it certainly feels like supporting a powerhouse. But despite all the money and prestige, RM was a supporting actor for many many years.
Actually I would argue that being a Madrid fan between 2003-2010 (with the exception of 07-08) was way worse than lower-mid table teams that were never expected to achieve greatness. Having an expectation of always winning and then constantly falling short while your biggest rivals do sextuples was pretty traumatic not gonna lie. I remember almost every elimination clearly from the golden goal against Juve, Roberto Carlos screwing up right from kickoff against Bayern, Juninho destroying us year after year with Lyon (one year I was in the stands), Higuain missing sitters, Torres killing us with Liverpool, that toxic Clasico where Pepe played DM and got sent off, all culminating in that shootout against Bayern. Thankfully in the next 10 years we exorcised every ghost - Barca, Dortmund, Bayern, Juve everyone and that’s also why those CL wins felt so incredibly sweet. Ramos and CR would not be the monsters that they were without that backstory I think. But to each their own of course
I spend my Saturday afternoons at a stadium of a now English 3rd tier club who are close to going down to the 4th tier, and potentially going out of existence due to poor ownership Football is football and victories are victories. I think that's something that unites fans around the world. A desperately needed victory for a 4th tier club over a rival feels as good and as big as a Champions League QF win.