Double your Treble, Double Your Fun: The 2015-16 Season Thread, Part One

Minor nitpick: there is no such thing as a straight red for dissent. "Dissent by word or action" is a yellow card infraction. "Using offensive, insulting, or abusive language and/or gestures" is a red card infraction.

The Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees that accompany the Laws of the Game do not provide any guidance at all to officials as to what crosses the line; that's usually sorted out at the federation or league level. I haven't seen a Spanish equivalent to the USSF's Advice to Referees.

 

How I miss him.

 

I don't think they had to. If you watch the replay of the confrontation, as soon as Pique turns from the AR to walk away, he stops, because the center is right there. Carballo had come over.

One other thing that's kind-of an aside, but still interesting to me: Pique was dead wrong in complaining about the call. The recipient of the pass was indeed past all the defenders; but he was not in an offside position as the replay clearly shows that he was *behind the ball itself* when the wing passed it to him.

 

Arda threw turf at Busi and shoe at AR (he threw a freaking shoes)... what did he get? CR punched players repeatedly before getting a red. I'm convinced the red was premeditated by ref to cripple Barca. I know conspiracy and all but just pile everything together and you'll see how LPB get away with harder stuff while Barça isn't. Throw the catalan crap in there and it's more obvious.

 

Speaking of conspiracy did you know that they changed the timings of La liga games ( instead of 3 January they made it 30 December )

Guess who is playing in the club world cup this year

 

I wondered about this stuff too. I presume the Copa suspensions weren't extended to the league because that's an actual annual competition that everyone's in. There's no guarantee that Barcelona will return to the Supercopa next year, or the year after that, or the year after that; but everyone's always in the Copa del Rey for at least one tie each year.

Now, why Mourinho's penalty for sneaking up behind Tito and sticking a finger in his eye without provocation was so low, that's another matter.

 

I don't know but the spirit of Franco has endured. It's more obvious than ever with all the crap we've seen football wise and what not. It's pathetic and Spain needs to change... They belong in the developmental country department rather than a respected European industrial country.

 

December 30 is 10 days after Japan. I see no problem. Should be well rested for Betis at home.
The whole Liga schedule is being shifted (again) so midweek of December 29-31 will have a full slate of fixtures. It means the players have to cut short their winter holiday break.
It also means Arda and Vidal will have to wait one more jornada before they can take to the pitch. THAT's where the main conspiracy problem lies, not so much the amount of rest after Japan.
Barca actually play three days after returning from Japan, in the Copa del Rey second leg against a lower division opponent.
The one thing I do like about the schedule shift is that the end of the season will be as it was first announced, on May 15.
This means the following weekend is an open date, so the RFEF should have no problem returning the Copa del Rey final on that date (May 21-22) as it was initially scheduled.


Calendario update

AUGUST 2015
Sat 22: Liga J1 (A) Athletic Bilbao
Thur 27: UCL group stage draw
weekend 29-30: Liga J2 (H) Málaga

SEPTEMBER 2015
weekend 3-5: FIFA calendar
midweek 6-8: FIFA calendar
Sat 12: Liga J3 (A) Atlético Madrid
midweek 15-17: UCL-M1
weekend 19-20: Liga J4 (H) Levante
midweek 22-24: Liga J5 (A) Celta
Sat 26: Liga J6 (H) Las Palmas
midweek 29-1: UCL-M2

OCTOBER 2015
weekend 3-4: Liga J7 (A) Sevilla (Atlético - LPB)
weekend 8-10: FIFA calendar
midweek 11-13: FIFA calendar
Sat 17: Liga J8 (H) Rayo Vallecano
midweek 20-22: UCL-M3
weekend 24-25: Liga J9 (A) Eibar
midweek 27-29: Copa-4R1 (A)
Sat 31: Liga J10 (H) Getafe

NOVEMBER 2015
midweek 3-5: UCL-M4
weekend 7-8: Liga J11 (A) Villarreal
weekend 12-14: FIFA calendar
midweek 15-18: FIFA calendar
Sat 21: Liga J12 (A) Real Madrid
midweek 24-26: UCL-M5
weekend 28-29: Liga J13 (H) Real Sociedad

DECEMBER 2015
midweek 1-3: Copa-4R2 (H) [Copa-4R1 for every other tie]
Sat 5: Liga J14 (A) Valencia
midweek 8-10: UCL-6
weekend 12-13: Liga J15 (H) Deportivo
Mon 14: UCL-2R draw
Wed/Thur 16/17: FCWC-Sf (Japan) [Copa-4R2]
Sun 20: FCWC-3P/F (Japan) [J16 - Barça to play J16 in February]
midweek 22-24: Copa-4R2 (H)
weekend 26-27: Catalunya unofficial friendly
midweek 29-31: Liga J17 (H) Betis <----- CHANGES FROM REVISED SCHEDULE BEGIN

JANUARY 2016
weekend 2-3: Liga J18 (A) Espanyol
midweek 5-7: Copa-Oct1
weekend 9-10: Liga J19 (H) Granada
midweek 12-14: Copa-Oct2
weekend 16-17: Liga J20 (H) Athletic Bilbao
midweek 19-21: Copa-Qf1
weekend 23-24: Liga J21 (A) Málaga
midweek 26-28: Copa-Qf2
weekend 30-31: Liga J22 (H) Atlético Madrid

FEBRUARY 2016
midweek 2-4: Copa-Sf1
weekend 6-7: Liga J23 (A) Levante
midweek 9-11: Copa-Sf2
weekend 13-14: Liga J24 (H) Celta
midweek 16-18: UCL-2R1 or Liga J16 (A) Sporting Gijón
weekend 20-21: Liga J25 (A) Las Palmas
midweek 23-25: UCL-2R1 or Liga J16 (A) Sporting Gijón
weekend 27-28: Liga J26 (H) Sevilla (LPB - Atlético)

MARCH 2016
midweek 1-3: Liga J27 (A) Rayo Vallecano
weekend 5-6: Liga J28 (H) Eibar
midweek 8-10: UCL-2R2
weekend 12-13: Liga J29 (A) Getafe
midweek 15-17: UCL-2R2
weekend 19-20: Liga J30 (H) Villarreal
weekend 24-26: FIFA calendar
midweek 27-29: FIFA calendar

APRIL 2016
weekend 2-3: Liga J31 (H) Real Madrid
midweek 5-7: UCL-Qf1
weekend 9-10: Liga J32 (A) Real Sociedad
midweek 12-14: UCL-Qf2
weekend 16-17: Liga J33 (H) Valencia <---------------\
midweek 19-21: Liga J34 (A) Deportivo <--------------------- @NattyBo
weekend 23-24: Liga J35 (H) Sporting Gijón <--------/
midweek 26-28: UCL-Sf1

MAY 2016
weekend 30-1: Liga J36 (A) Betis
midweek 3-5: UCL-Sf2
weekend 7-8: Liga J37 (H) Espanyol / Copa-F ???
Wed 11: Liga J36 for matches involving the Copa finalists
weekend 14-15: Liga J38 (A) Granada
Wed 18: UEL-F in Basel
weekend 21-22: Copa-F ???
midweek 24-26:
Sat 28: UCL-F in Milan
midweek 31-2:

JUNE 2016
Fri 10: UEFA Euro 2016 inaugural
JULY 2016
Sun 10: UEFA EURO 2016 Final in St. Denis

 

I would be in, I was looking for it, but couldn't find it.
How does it work? Why don't you just give the password via PM so that way we know everyone?

 

So, now the Guardian is reporting that Neymar has told Man U he's open to a move there.

What an offseason this has turned out to be.

 

seriously. how lucky was Bartomeu with the timing of the elections coming right after winning the Treble?

 

About 10 years ago a legend of La Masia became a legend whom the rest of the world took notice of for one of the very first times, Leo at the Gamper against Juve 10 years ago:
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football...ears-to-day-since-messi-burst-on-to-the-scene

 

Busquets worse than suspected, could be out for 2 weeks but only miss J2 due to international break. http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...-days-the-sidelines-with-ankle-injury-4451879

Dani still seems to be out a month. http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/barca-right-back-dani-alves-could-miss-one-month-4451870

Douglas still out for awhile, but perhaps Adriano ready to play again, otherwise the Sergi Roberto rightback experiment looks to be continued (unless Bartra played there).

 

Brazilian papers have picked it up:

Supposedly this is not for an immediate transfer, but for next season.

 

Dont forget about Falcao and Valdes. Sending them to the second team, while Rooney aimlessly gives the ball away and continues his mediocre ways.