Village Idiot

People are really putting way too much stock on the TV money thing. If Barça and Madrid gave up - say - €50m each and distributed it evenly across the league every team would get €5m which would hardly solve their woes while Barça and RM would still have thrice the budget of Valencia and Atlético. It's an easy scapegoat for the fact they have failed to expand and have no appeal outside their regions.

That's what they always say, but they packed the stadium in 2002 and nothing has ever happened in the stands (heck, half the team are Barça players and there are more Catalans in the team than from any other Spanish region nowadays). It's all because the regional government doesn't care about it and won't grease the right palms.

The Spanish FA is immensely corrupt, yeah. That said, I like the idea of Spain playing throughout the country to get the team near the fans and not just the Madrid ones. However, it's quite sad that yesterday they were playing in a third flight stadium while they haven't been in Catalonia in 10 years.

Oh and Torres didn't even make the bench against San Marino, he didn't look happy.

I can answer that with a no. Never. Ever. It's good fun though, might join the tartan army for the trip to Madrid, will be outstanding craic. Starting to get p*ssed off that they go and play in a dump like Las Gaunas and they won't ever grace our corner of the land with a game. Never. Half the starters are from Barcelona FFS.

Routine 6-0 win for us against Liechtestein, that sees us qualified and Thiago locked to Spain. A couple nice goals but nothing interesting to note about the game.

As a neutral, every time I thought about SJP I thought about that sign due to this reason. Every photo always seemed to display it on the background. It's sad.

The beheading part is usually optional.

Sevilla president José María del Nido has summoned all La Liga club presidents except Barça and Real Madrid to a meeting this thursday to discuss, among other things, the distribution of the TV money and measures to force a change. He has called it "a revolution", in the French sense of it.

Slightly surprised Brazil didn't seem to try to tempt Thiago to play for them. I think they could really use a midfielder like him.

Okay, tomorrow we are playing might Liechtestein. We'll clinch qualification for the EC if we win, and Thiago will be locked for Spain if he takes the pitch (which I'm certain he will). Xavi will become the outfield player with most Spanish caps if he plays, too. Another record he snatches off Raúl We are looking a bit shaky at the back though, there's a gulf in quality once Piqué and Puyol are not there, but Del Bosque should try harder than to put a DM (Javi Martínez) and a player that isn't even a starter for his club (Albiol).

Still figuring out why were Chile and Mexico playing in Barcelona yesterday, it's not like we have a big community of either nationality and the stadium looked rather empty. Also puzzling to see Guardado scoring the winner while Deportivo, his club, were playing a game the same night. Gogo international friendlies.

Iniesta was on fire the other day. He's been at his best since the new season started. Slightly funny/pathetic that every game involving RM/Barça players together in the pitch seems to end in fisticuffs.

Sahin ruled out for further two months, has only trained two days since he joined Real Madrid. Was he injury prone before?

Seems to have lost his way (and his head) a bit these past two years, but there should be a player in there so it could be a big move for Atlético (and not much risk in it since it's a loan).

My first thought when I heard Drenthe got transferred to Everton was "poor Neil". Anyway, no big business in Spain in the last day, apart from the Diego loan which had been in the works for quite a while. If you think you have it bad, look at Espanyol's transfer window. Sold their best player for €17m and brought a 35 year old on a free as replacement.

Apparently Atlético have closed the loan of Diego. No word if there's a buyout option. Excellent signing. Lots of upside if Diego gets his head back in place, little risk if he doesn't.

Him rejecting the contract offer.

Somehow Atlético have managed to sell Elías for €8,8m to Benfica.

Last from La Liga: Weiss had a medical at Espanyol Víctor Ruíz from Napoli to Valencia, done (that means no bid for Coloccini, to whom they were also linked) Lass has rejected another bid from Spurs Atlético "very close" to seal the purchase of Diego from Wolfsburg Hleb linked as Diego's replacement (YES MAKE IT HAPPEN) Madrid and Getafe making a last attempt to convince Pedro León to make the switch Gago "very close" to move to Roma on loan, according to his agent

Well that was quite -tastic. Cesc and Messi look like they never stopped playing together.

Slightly nonsensical starting XI from Pep: Valdés; Keita, Mascherano, Busquets, Abidal; Thiago, Iniesta, Cesc; Alexis, Pedro y Messi. 3-4-3 maybe? 4-4-2 with Keita CB and no DM?

Sometimes it just feels like Wenger is trolling the Arsenal fans.

Atlético are hugely in debt and it is well known, they have way more debt relative to turnover than Barça or RM.

Atlético owed Forlán €5m wages, so it makes sense they were forced to transfer him on disadvantageous terms. The problem is spending €40m on Falcao and owing money to your players, of course, but that's another story.