Village Idiot

Yes, so it doesn't clash with the Catalan election on Sunday.

The usual suspects for Spain. Boring. Would have had Thiago or Dani Parejo.

Hey I just deleted it This debate just makes me think of that movie every time it comes up. And, I'm a Catalan. We were actually barred from going to the Americas (they were exclusive to Castilla). Still, the Spanish Black Legend is grossly exaggerated, but I really don't want to go there in an English forum.

Mou was sent off in the Real Madrid cup game for allegedly telling the ref to "go to shit" (Spanish equivalent to "go to hell"). Fun.

they broke or something? Yes, they actually are. Second or third highest debt in the league IIRC (higher than ours). Makes sense they would like to cash in now that Diego is 31 and still a marquee name... but Real Madrid? The board that sanctioned this move would be sleeping with the fishes of the Manzanares the morning after.

Except that the equivalent of Hibs happens to be the champion of the EL.

Marca reporting Atlético have offered Forlán to Real Madrid for €18m

This will prompt a January move to Spain out of fear of facing him again.

It's great to have found to lone person in the world that's more tune-deaf than me, Thanks Robbie Savage

Good to see Pedro scoring again, has had a bit of an indifferent start to the season, compared to his goalscoring strength last season.

We lack a bit the directness that Eto'o and Henry (when on form) had. The mix of slick passing and potent runs was just mouth-watering. That's why I want us to sign somebody like Bale (not necessarily him).

He's actually been playing quite well, but his finishing has been subpar.

Yes, of course. It's on the contract they sign. But a lot of times, particularly young players, they don't have enough leverage.

Get in. Good luck in the second half.

Yes. The clause is supposed to be "reasonable" according to the law, and even though it's not defined what "reasonable" is, some players have successfully challenged and succeeded in reducing the amounts. Proportionality with the salary is usually the criteria most followed by courts (remember this is supposed to be a penalty paid by the player from their own pocket). There hasn't been any high-profile case yet, but there are quite a few cases of youth players that had small salaries but huge release clauses that have seen them reduced. Cronaldo's clause is some 70 times the amount of his yearly salary. That just wouldn't fly in a court if he chose to go down that path.

Due to our labour laws, a player would be free to walk out of a contract at any given time. The "release fees" are actually penalties that the player agrees to pay if he does so.

€250m indeed. Cronaldo is something ridiculous like €1000m (would probably get thrown out by court if push came to shove)

They always do. Atlético hasn't won a league game against Real Madrid since 1999 IIRC. Massive derby bottlers.

Good appointment for them like, they got a bit of cash behind them haven't they? Yes, not massive amounts. They have an Arab owner now who wants to invest, although sensibly.

http://www.gifsoup.com/view/14342/tiger-woods-fist-pump-o.gif Hole in one.

Sad, but at least he'll be able to keep working in the game.

Yanks don't have balanced schedules in their sports, so they don't place the same value on them as we do. The playoffs make it that the fairness of regular season placings isn't that important.

Well, I for one I expected a more traumatic selling process, and possibly a less reliable owner (this guy has run a successful sports franchise already). I understand what you mean, but Henry didn't really meddle in the Sox business, he just hired people that shared his views and let them run the place, and he hired them from within the sport. He's always struck me as a sensible person. I'm not saying that you're going up again, you've lost a lot of ground these last few years, but your situation board-wise is a marked improvement imho.

Some pretty mental valuations in this thread. Cole for 8m? Puyol for 10?