Village Idiot

Haven't they secured Naby Keita for next season? That should do it, but will need to make do until the summer.

What's going on with Real keeping their powder so dry atm? Can't see them being pleased with all these massive fees being thrown around without them. No idea, they spent €80m or so on a smattering of players, but with the sales of Morata, Danilo and James made back more than that. They'll sign a keeper this window (Kepa) for €20m or so. But they need a striker really badly, and could do with a LB and another CB.

Tim Vickery seems to rate him, although I've just realised you probably won't know who he is. Is Mina now or at the end of the season? I'd read a while ago that Messi didn't want him to he signed until the summer because of Mascherano. Mascherano's leaving this window for China.

We've also bought Yerry Mina, a CB from Palmeiras. Flip knows him per chance?

I'm suprised they are letting him go in January after playing hardball in the summer.

We both needed players with Dembelé and Coutinho's profiles badly. The amounts we paid for both are truly embarassing, though.

Love seeing him back, what a legend. Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

Messi's new contract has an "independence clause" where he'd leave on a free should Barça stop playing in the Spanish league. I imagine in Mancherster they will be rooting for the separatists now - wait, Guardiola is one of them already.

I haven't seen the current La Liga thread. We didn't set one up for this season yet? I haven't been around much lately... TV money figures for last season have been released. Second year with the collective deal fully implemented: First number is TV revenue, second is a small percentage that's deducted to support the lower leagues and grassroots football. Barça and Madrid got a sort of grandfather clause where the revenue they had in their existing exclusive TV contracts would be protected (as in, they can't fall below what they had before entering the collective contract), but it won't increase either until others catch up. By way of comparison, Atlético and Valencia were making €40m-€50m before the contract came in force. For comparison, a low-table La Liga club would make like €20 million before the collective deal came in. It's been a great lift for smaller clubs. A

You guys not even being linked with a striker? Makes no sense.

Montella to Sevilla. Interesting one.

Las Palmas appoint Jémez, their 4th (!!) manager this calendar year and third this season. Lots of respect for him, but he's never been a manager that hits the ground running, and Las Palmas' situation is pretty desperate.

First time since 2009 that nobody named Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo finishes as top goalscorer for the natural year. Changing of guard?

Get in, needed a lift after the election

Which thanks to the "no round of 16 between clubs of the same nation", means that Chelsea looks fucked (or maybe us or PSG are, who knows). http://e00-marca.uecdn.es/assets/multimedia/imagenes/2017/12/06/15125965602262.jpg Maybe they'll get lucky and get Besiktas, but it's a bit ridiculous that the draw can be like that.

Pity we didn't get Costa Rica from pot 3, it would've been a SPANISH EMPIRE group.

Bale injured again. Good for us but dude can't catch a break. Something rotten with his fitness, Madrid's physios, or both.

Marcelo reaches a deal with the prosecution on his tax fraud case. 4 months in jail (which he will avoid due to our "two strikes" laws) and a hefty fine.

Also, Deulofeu is so bad he should be The Punisher's major villain in season 2. Still one month until Dembelé is back.

Fair enough. Apologies if I misinterstood you, Stifler.

Should have put this one to bed in the first half, but guess I can't complain about the result.

So we aren't a functional city? Kindly fuck off man

That 80% is more than Old Trafford or Anfield can hold, though... Camp Nou is really big - probably too much given that i.e. Real Madrid have a smaller stadium in a much larger city -, but it makes sense financially since even though we only fill it very few games a season (El Clásico and later stages of the CL), STs sell out completely. As an aside, attendances used to be better when we still had terraces - the stadium held 114.000 back then too.

Well, we haven't the greatest of the atmospheres, but the influx of football tourists on biggish games usually makes it worse than the average. The Camp Nou is really old and that's why the board is trying to find the funds to renovate it (which includes selling the naming rights).

He signs one month before he was allowed to talk to other clubs and leave on a Bosman. I was really sweating this one.