Village Idiot

Lots of rumors going around that the replacement might be Guti. That would be hilarious Pochettino also being bandied about which would make much more sense. I'd hate it though!

We can only dream of winning the Champions League being described as a poor season Their cup and league campaigns have been remarkably poor. Had he not won the CL he'd been sacked. This way he gets to leave on top. I don’t think this is true at all. Based on everything I've read, Perez absolutely loved Zidane so doubt he'd have been sacked no matter what - this season at least. That said, VI is clearly more ITK than me so what do I know The "he'll be sacked/walk if he doesn't win the CL" rumor already happened during his first season. This year their domestic season has been really bad (worst league finish since the 1990s) and there were rumors swirling around Christmas. There's been long stretches of the season where the players really didn't seem to give a fuck, and they just turned it on for the CL. Imho, I think Zidane just doesn't want another year like that and he just wants to leave on his terms, and on top. Good on him.

We can only dream of winning the Champions League being described as a poor season Their cup and league campaigns have been remarkably poor. Had he not won the CL he'd been sacked. This way he gets to leave on top.

He's always been very good at combining steel with talent. An attractive manager he isn't, but he knows how to be effective. PSG job was a hiding to nothing, it's obvious that he was a figurehead in there. I just wonder how he will fit at Arsenal after Wenger. He sports a very different brand of football and I can see things going south if he doesn't come racing out of the blocks and fans/media get impatient.

Iniesta, alone on the Camp Nou pitch hours after the game had finished. https://imgur.com/a/elY54Tn Goosebumps.

Real Madrid's draw means that Atlético have secured 3rd place. That's 6 years on the trot finishing in the top 3, a club record, every single full season since Simeone took over.

Linked with Fernando Torres over at Marca, together with Benítez quotes about it. (it's just Marca asking Benítez about a possible interest and Rafa going with the generic "it would be great but it'd be very difficult to bring him here" quote)

Also, I get the feeling next season will be Simeone's last. Just a hunch, nothing to base it on.

Wow, really? He won the Spanish Supercup the year he joined, but that's a glorified friendly. Atlético were actually in a bit of a dry spell for the past years. Happy to see them win a trophy (as long as we don't compete in it...).

Yeah, yesterday was a really fun game. Dembelé was class, I hope he can build on that. Injuries have marred his season but when he's played regularly he's showed promise. At the end of the day he's assisted/scored 1 goal every 90 minutes he's been on the pitch. Two games to go and still unbeaten. I'd fucking love it if we became the first Spanish team to manage an unbeaten season. Team that came closer was Real Sociedad in the 1980s, with one defeat in the penultimate game of the season.

You need to change your avatar now. I'd say.

Yay! This deserves a nod of approval.

Sevilla sack Montella, sign Caparrós. That's about as day and night as it gets.

Should keep your powder dry for Messi imho.

And now his watch is ended.

Las Palmas president on search and capture after skipping an appointment with a judge that's investigating him for Social Security fraud I don't think it's possible to have more things going sideways in a season. I guess the stadium could sink under the sea or something.

Just had the weirdest nightmare. Second leg of the Bayern-Real Madrid CL semifinal. Santiago Bernabéu. I'm a steward, standing near the Bayern goal in the dying minutes of the second half. Result is 0-0 which gets Real Madrid through. In the distance, I can see Bayern throwing everything at Real Madrid's goal, although I can't really see the action. Suddenly, a commotion in the stadium. Goal! Bayern have scored! I jump in celebration and run to hug Manuel Neuer, who hugs me back. But Real Madrid make a quick kick-off and Cristiano Ronaldo tries his luck from midfield. Neuer - still distracted by me - isn't unable to run back to the goal and Madrid score. They are through, and it's my fault. But the nightmare doesn't end up here. Ronaldo runs to celebrate to the stands near Bayern's goal, taking off his shirt, muscles glistening. Suddenly, he takes notice of me. I congratulate him, with pained voice. He watches me and says "remember you have to name your son after me". Then I woke up, sweating.

Still in shock. Dunno what happened yesterday. For all our issues, that was not the team I have been watching this season.

Valencia get into the race for second place. What a season they're having - although lack of Europe has certainly helped -, Marcelino is truly one of the great Spanish managers. Hopefully he manages to avoid picking up fights with the board or the dressing room and builds a legacy at Valencia like Simeone has done at Atlético. They're a club with great potential.

They are reliable when they talk Spanish football outside of the Barça/Madrid bubble. That said, I can't see Rafa taking it. It would be a sideways move at best (although Real Sociedad have a talented team that should have done far better this season), and I'm sure they can't match whatever you're paying him, nor promise much in the way of signings.

The amount of free kicks he's scoring lately is amazing 8 FK goals this season. Ridiculous. One game away from the all-time unbeaten record in La Liga, too.

Voted 3. An outside chance since it will require results against Arsenal/Chelsea/Spurs which will be hard to achieve.

Only way you're getting relegated is if you lose 7 in a row imho. Relegation will be around 36-38 points worst case scenario.

Reckon with Kenedy/Slimani available for the year you'd have spent the season around 7-10. Who would've thought that attacking talent makes teams better. Kenedy in particular has transformed you since he joined. Pity he'll be somewhere else next season.

Get in. Time for a celebratory beer.