Village Idiot

You still think he won't stay? That Barca team looks really fun at the moment. Even Griezmann and Dembele are starting to play well Yeah - by all acounts there's not been any kind of conclusive reporting, but it's the feeling I have. He wants to win in Europe and we haven't provided that in a long time. Incidentally after today he's the Barça player with most games played in official competitions, having passed Xavi.

Messi is currently on 23 goals and 11 assists in the league, and that's with us sucking for the most part of the season. Whoever gets him next year is going to win the CL.

IIRC they were 10 points clear with a game in hand. Their form was devastating, second best point total of all time after playing half a season. But since then they have gone off a cliff. Injuries have played a part, but they look spent.

They are on a pretty bad run though. Unless they find their form again I can see them losing the league. But yeah, most of my Atlético friends are a bit hysterical. They are all old school fans though.

All of my friends that support Atlético are pretty convinced it's time to move on from Simeone. I feel this is going to be a late Wenger situation, where you're aware that the team already peaked years ago and it isn't going to get better anymore, but parting ways with the manager will eventually make them far worse. It would be interesting to see what Simeone can do in another team, though.

All precincts have reported () and Laporta wins with 54% of the vote. Honestly I think he's a sleazy blowbag, but if he appoints Alemany as general manager that will be a pretty good start. I'm far more worried about the financial side than the football side, though.

In order to vote in the elections you have to be a club member with one year of seniority. Players don't get a vote for being players. Usually players from the area (Busquets, Piqué, Alba, etc...) are also members since they grew up being fans, but Messi has been a member for years too.

Is the news coverage as extensive as a Spanish election? The coverage in the Catalan media has been insane. Right now watching their election night special Take into account that 100,000 have the right to vote in this, compared to for example the 5 million in the Catalan election of a month ago.

Laporta wins with 58% according to the exit polls (because of course we have exit polls in a Barça election).

Barça election is today. Laporta the overwhelming favorite. I'd just agree to give the presidency to whomever he's voted for tbf.

Bartomeu arrested, alongside some other Barça officials. They allegedly diverted club funds to hire a consultancy company (essentially a troll farm) to improve the board's public image (and smear opposition and players when doing so). Christ

Well, if I were Bruce I would request to have all meetings with the new ownership via zoom.

Marca reporting today that the Saudis had eyed Mateo Alemany (former managing director of Real Mallorca and Valencia) as Charnley's replacement. He's rumored to become Barça's managing director after March's election, if Laporta wins (which he's likely to). You're probably more clued in than I do about whether Marca is bullshitting or not.

I said it at the start of the season that in no way was it all doom and gloom at Barca - there is so much to work with talent wise - just needs a coach to do his job and Barca should be ok VI you think Garcia, Wijnaldum and Depay will be your signings in the summer? All on a free isn’t bad (need to ship out Coutinho/Pjamic and the like) It all depends on whether Koeman lasts the season. We have an election this March and depending on who wins (and how Barça ends the season) he'll stay or not. If he stays he'll probably get his guys. As for Koeman's chances, the frontrunner (Laporta) has said Koeman will stay if he does a good job the remainder of the season. If there's an upset and Victor Font wins, Xavi will be most likely appointed. What about Messi's future? Does he favour 1 candidate over the other? As in, if Laporta wins is he more likely to stay? Or vice versa. I honestly have no idea. He surely has more rapport with Laporta, but I think he's made up his mind already and will say so once we are out of the CL/La Liga.

I said it at the start of the season that in no way was it all doom and gloom at Barca - there is so much to work with talent wise - just needs a coach to do his job and Barca should be ok VI you think Garcia, Wijnaldum and Depay will be your signings in the summer? All on a free isn’t bad (need to ship out Coutinho/Pjamic and the like) It all depends on whether Koeman lasts the season. We have an election this March and depending on who wins (and how Barça ends the season) he'll stay or not. If he stays he'll probably get his guys. As for Koeman's chances, the frontrunner (Laporta) has said Koeman will stay if he does a good job the remainder of the season. If there's an upset and Victor Font wins, Xavi will be most likely appointed.

What a brilliant game yesterday, so much fun again. Hopefully it's not a mirage, since we were quite impotent against Sevilla just a few days prior. And yes, we have some very nice youngsters.

Reports that Fati isn't recovering well from his knee injury and has had to go under the knife a second time, and might need a third. Poor lad, he had it all.

Yeah. The rough figures match what we already knew about his contract. Not sure why all this indignation theater. And I'm fine with us paying him this. Barça's problem has been paying huge sums to mediocre players, not paying astronomical ones to Leo Messi.

Why am I getting Gerryadams'd? Since we were talking English managers I just wanted to specify Rodgers' home nation.

Yeah. It's probably more illustrative to look at the top 6 instead. PL: 1. Norway 2. Spain 3. UK (North Ireland) 4. Germany 5. Portugal 6. Italy La Liga: 1. Argentina 2. France 3. Netherlands 4. Spain 5. Spain 6. Spain Serie A: 1. Italy 2. Italy 3. Portugal 4. Italy 5. Italy 6. Italy Bundesliga: 1. Germany 2. Germany 3. Netherlands 4. Austria 5. Germany 6. Austria (Yes, I was bored)

Note that even though my head says it's best if he left, given his age, salary, and our finances... my heart says otherwise. I'd love it if he spent his whole career with us, even when he can barely walk on the pitch. Like Kobe at LA.

You still think he'll leave this summer? Was starting to think he'll stay He gave an interview these holidays that while far less angry and confrontational than the one he gave in the summer, still felt like a goodbye. Said if he left he'd like to return and have a post-playing career at Barça. Spend half of the time saying how much loves the club and the city (which I don't doubt one bit)...

Messi being Messi against Málaga. Christ, I wish there was still a chance to get fans back in stadiums this season. I really need to watch him live one last time before he leaves

I love the implication that this place is the lowest of the low Wish I posted more often nowadays. But last 2 years have been very weird for me (and covid has made everything... stranger).

He's a blowhard. His stewardship of the club was actually pretty bad, but had the luck of stumbling upon Ronaldinho (not his signing) and Guardiola (not his first choice), plus the golden generation of Xavi-Iniesta-Messi and the others. By the end of his reign dude was behaving like a paranoid tinpot dictator, spying on members of his own board with the club's finances in pretty dire straits. Thing is that since Bartomeu has been even worse at all those things, people has forgotten about all the shit Laporta did. Personally I like Font, seems level-headed and a guy with a plan. But he won't win.