The European Competitions Thread

[Pizy 18,903]

I hope Conte can make our squad of divas and slouches have this sort of ferocity and will to win at all costs that Liverpool's average ones have. A load of fighting spirit and excellent coaching can raise the level of decent players to great heights.

We've seen it this season with both Spurs and now Liverpool. Pochettino and Klopp have 2-3 good players in their teams and the rest are average, but they're fantastic managers who lift everyone. Imagine what you'd have if you combine a top manager with top talent who is willing to fight like hell.

We have much better players than either of those two sides. Hopefully Conte brings them around.

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

what Klopp is other than Mourinho is a pally character. He does not need to command full obedience and loyalty from his players for his authority to stand. Klopp is like the players big brother or best mate so he won't fall out with them as quickly and unreparable. Once Mourinho has lost a few players he loses the squad and consequently his job. Klopp does not have this demand of being perfect so he also doesn't need to find a culprit to blame when things go wrong. He can work on a solution together with the players. Mou's approach works brilliantly with mature, devoted characters (Zanetti, Lampard, Drogba, Lucio etc), who accept his authority and intromit but Klopp's is superior when dealing with youthfully exuberant sides, who still have to learn how to deal with their failures and amibitons. Consequently, klopps luck ran out as soon as the Dortmund and Mainz sides had matured. 

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

I'm still sitting on my couch wondering wtf just happened.... 

 

[Pizy 18,903]

2 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

what Klopp is other than Mourinho is a pally character. He does not need to command full obedience and loyalty from his players for his authority to stand. Klopp is like the players big brother or best mate so he won't fall out with them as quickly and unreparable. Once Mourinho has lost a few players he loses the squad and consequently his job. Klopp does not have this demand of being perfect so he also doesn't need to find a culprit to blame when things go wrong. He can work on a solution together with the players. Mou's approach works brilliantly with mature, devoted characters (Zanetti, Lampard, Drogba, Lucio etc), who accept his authority and intromit but Klopp's is superior when dealing with youthfully exuberant sides, who still have to learn how to deal with their failures and amibitons. Consequently, klopps luck ran out as soon as the Dortmund and Mainz sides had matured. 

This is spot on. Mou is cold when it comes to players. He has his favorites that he'll never throw under the bus or freeze out like Didier, Lamps, Cech, but he's ruthless with most players if they "wrong" him on the pitch. Klopp seems to genuinely love his players and care for them whereas José treats them like assets or tools.

[Last Sicarius 610]

4 minutes ago, Blue-in-me-Veins said:

I'm still sitting on my couch wondering wtf just happened.... 

 

I just think what was worst: our lost vs 10-man PSG or today Borussia throw.

[Pizy 18,903]

6 minutes ago, Blue-in-me-Veins said:

I'm still sitting on my couch wondering wtf just happened.... 

 

Is that Firmino singing in your avatar? 

[11Drogba 2,000]

3 minutes ago, Pizy said:

This is spot on. Mou is cold when it comes to players. He has his favorites that he'll never throw under the bus or freeze out like Didier, Lamps, Cech, but he's ruthless with most players if they "wrong" him on the pitch. Klopp seems to genuinely love his players and care for them whereas José treats them like assets or tools.

Great analysis as always. I am wondering what you think about Conte compared to these two?

[Pizy 18,903]

1 minute ago, 11Drogba said:

Great analysis as always. I am wondering what you think about Conte compared to these two?

Unfortunately I can't compare them as I didn't watch Juventus regularly. Judging by what his former superstar players like Pirlo and Buffon have said about him we may have the perfect man to bring us forward. 

All comes down to how much the board and owner back him in the market.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

Just now, Pizy said:

Is that Firmino singing in your avatar? 

I can't do it anymore, i've just been masquerading as a Chelsea supporter the entire time! Off to the Klop! 

 

Lmao, Nah, it's just the GOAT Stromae 

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Shame we just seem to give up from the start or act like it! They'll probably go onto win it but they deserve it really.expect them to do well league wise next year..yay..

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

You guys not only that have pushed that panic button, but you fucking crushed it   I feel that you're overreacting big time. Ok, Dortmund is a great team, but Bundesliga is as tactically clueless as EPL. Dortmund threw that lead away because they can't defend for shit, they are not made to defend. They looked like a deer caught in headlights as soon as Liverpool moved their lines 20 meters further up the pitch. They were a trainwreck defensively, absolute garbage, and by garbage I mean Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers type of garbage. 

Sevilla and Villarreal are awaiting in the semis and that's the end for Liverpool. Spanish teams are tactically astute and Liverpool will be in all kinds of problems when meeting organised defences and teams with an actual game plan. 

[cosmicway 1,333]

Those Germans are goons.
I placed a small bet on the scousers, it was dead and forgotten and I went out to buy fags.
Then all of a sudden 3-3.
I put more money on them -at 4.30 now- but for the last 10 minutes they were not attacking.
Thankfully they did in the end.

 

[Fernando 6,585]

27 minutes ago, petre.ispirescu said:

You guys not only that have pushed that panic button, but you fucking crushed it   I feel that you're overreacting big time. Ok, Dortmund is a great team, but Bundesliga is as tactically clueless as EPL. Dortmund threw that lead away because they can't defend for shit, they are not made to defend. They looked like a deer caught in headlights as soon as Liverpool moved their lines 20 meters further up the pitch. They were a trainwreck defensively, absolute garbage, and by garbage I mean Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers type of garbage. 

Sevilla and Villarreal are awaiting in the semis and that's the end for Liverpool. Spanish teams are tactically astute and Liverpool will be in all kinds of problems when meeting organised defences and teams with an actual game plan. 

I want to see Liverpool vs Sevilla. 

That would be a great match up. 

Sevilla is still the title holder.... 

[The Chels 2,502]

If the Spanish teams avoid each other in the semi-finals of the CL/EL, I predict an all Spanish final in both.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

14 minutes ago, Fernando said:

I want to see Liverpool vs Sevilla. 

That would be a great match up. 

Sevilla is still the title holder.... 

Villarreal would be a tough draw, too. That defence is impenetrable at times, they're a bit like Atletico. And that dude Bailly is a rock at the back. 

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

Great comeback by Pool.

Also, the usual suspects still moaning about Mourinho  When in fact last season we won a league title and a league cup all down to him and his "boring, clueless, all defence" tactics.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

32 minutes ago, petre.ispirescu said:

Villarreal would be a tough draw, too. That defence is impenetrable at times, they're a bit like Atletico. And that dude Bailly is a rock at the back. 

And Bakambu in attack!

[Pizy 18,903]

1 hour ago, petre.ispirescu said:

You guys not only that have pushed that panic button, but you fucking crushed it   I feel that you're overreacting big time. Ok, Dortmund is a great team, but Bundesliga is as tactically clueless as EPL. Dortmund threw that lead away because they can't defend for shit, they are not made to defend. They looked like a deer caught in headlights as soon as Liverpool moved their lines 20 meters further up the pitch. They were a trainwreck defensively, absolute garbage, and by garbage I mean Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers type of garbage. 

Sevilla and Villarreal are awaiting in the semis and that's the end for Liverpool. Spanish teams are tactically astute and Liverpool will be in all kinds of problems when meeting organised defences and teams with an actual game plan. 

I kind of disagree here. I think Liverpool have a fantastic chance of winning the thing. True, they're terrible defensively, but so is every other side in Europe. This being their best chance of silverware in a while and with their hopes of top 4 gone they'll be gunning for this like mad knowing that it's a way into the CL now.

 

[LDN Blue 7,903]

You guys ever seen this interview with Barcelona VP Javier Faus? Quite interesting..

Quote

 

Mr. Faus, how would you describe the financial situation of your club?

Much more stable than in 2010, when my colleagues and I joined to the board. Compared to then, we have doubled the EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) – now it is 130 million euros. At the same time, we invest and build from debt.

Liabilities of EUR 280 million are still very high …

Yes, but we started five years ago with a debt of 431 million euros. Today we stand at 280 million. And only about 100 million of that is bank debt.

Bayern are debt-free, and they have more than 400 million euros of equity. Are you jealous of the Munich?

No, because we are a marvel in the world of football.

We are the best in the world, and we are an independent club. We have no multinational corporations in the background like Bayern Munich. We have no Sheikh, we have no billionaire or a private equity firm. We have only ourselves, our fans and the value of our brand.

I do not want to be like Bayern controlled by four companies. That would mean for us that our supplier Nike and shirt sponsor Qatar Airways would control us – I do not want that. We are very proud that with us the fans have control.

But in purely financial terms, Bavaria must be an example for you…

If you look at the net profit – we are better than Bayern in recent years. We are also worth more in brand value according to Forbes magazine. We are ahead of Bayern. So: Bavaria is not an example for us.

The dividends for the previous year were still mainly from the sale of their players Thiago Alcântara, the way to Bayern, and Cesc Fabregas together.

You’re right. The sales of Fabregas and Thiago make alone from 25 of the 41 million euro profit. That’s a big challenge for us.

But that’s your strategy: sell good players to win to pocket?

No, absolutely not. Transfers are never connected to the financial strategy.

As Luis Enrique began this year as a coach, he was asked by Fàbregas, if he can go – and not the other way around. It was the same with Alexis Sánchez. He wanted new challenges, he wanted more money. By selling to Arsenal we are making profit again, but not as high as last year.

All this also shows how the salaries of the players and the transfer fees continue to rise.

Can you, because with the salaries of clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea, and even the money from Qatar and Russia, ever keep up?

It’s very hard. This is the great challenge we have to face in the future. We are part of the Fifa Financial fair play. We welcome and support this initiative, that you can only spend what you make. [But] there are some clubs that somehow circumnavigate the regulations.

Five years ago, Barcelona paid the highest salaries according to Forbes…

Today, we no longer able do that. Chelsea and PSG pay better.

You have to understand: players always compare their net salary. What we pay them here in Spain has the highest tax burdens in Europe. The rate is 56 per cent income tax in Barcelona, in Madrid he is 52 percent.

A player always compares himself to the Premier League or the Bundesliga on a net basis. This has driven our costs extremely high. We have to increase our salaries greatly to still be competitive. So yes, we lose players just for the money.

How difficult it is to keep players like Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi in the long term?

It is challenging, but we will keep them.

We have to adapt to the new market circumstances at the Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. We can not just stand by. The players have a very short career and it is their right to get what the other clubs could pay them. We can not say: Stay here, for half the salary.

Last year there was a conflict between you and Messi. He had signed a contract until 2018, but shortly afterwards he wanted an increase in salary. First you said no. Messi then explained that you have no idea of football…

He is totally right (laughs). This issue is now completely solved with him and his father, the chapter is closed. He got a new contract, which is useful for both of us.

We now have more of a partnership. We help him to increase his brand value and he helps us to continue to enhance the Barca brand. That was a big change in the contract.

When will you finally be debt free?

We have promised the fans that we will only to start the renovation of the stadium, which will cost 600 million euros, if we push the debt below 200 million euros.

Without the stadium renovation, we would be debt free in four years. But we will incorporate the renovation.

The club will incur new debt in 2018 to 2020 when we build the stadium. By 2025, the debt should then be eliminated completely, this is our ten-year business plan.

 

Original (German)

Translation

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

7 hours ago, Pizy said:

I kind of disagree here. I think Liverpool have a fantastic chance of winning the thing. True, they're terrible defensively, but so is every other side in Europe. This being their best chance of silverware in a while and with their hopes of top 4 gone they'll be gunning for this like mad knowing that it's a way into the CL now.

 

Yes, Liverpool have a big chance now, just like all the other three teams left in the competition. But bare in mind that it is Sevilla's only hope to Champions League football next season, too. Also Villarreal have that 4th spot pretty much secured, but they will try to win Europa League to skip Champions League qualifiers where they will probably not be amongst the seeded teams.

Do not underestimate the Spanish teams just because of Liverpool's desire and hunger for CL football. Unlike others, La Liga teams rate this competition very high. That defensive fiasco you saw last night from Dortmund, it won't happen again. Especially if Liverpool get Villarreal next.