Futbol Espanol 2008-09

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

OK, well perhaps as the only OTF Sevilla fan (?) I was talking to myself *smiley thing*

The most interesting news story today in Marca is that Athletic Bilbao are going to have a sponsor's name on their shirt for the first time. Next thing you know they'll be buying Spaniards ...

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

On paper Sevilla do look good, I do agree with you that Manolo Jimenez still needs to prove himself as a coach but overall they have a nice looking squad. Losing Dani Alves will be a blow, you don't expect Konko to do what he did, but if he can adequately fill the position then Sevilla will still have a good attack down the right hand side with Navas also there. I'm hoping Navas will soon conquer his anxiety and can become a national team candidate.

Poulsen's loss is another blow and Sevilla are in negotiations with Racing to sign Aldo Duscher to replace him. Romaric should be a pretty good replacement for Keita so overall Sevilla look pretty good. If Kanoute and Luis Fabiano stay healthy they could be tough to beat.

So Athletic Bilbao are joining the 21st Century and getting a shirt sponsor? You can't really blame them for finally buckling under, they can always use the extra cash. Of course the sponsor is a Basque oil refining company!

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Sevilla do indeed look quite good on paper, but unfortunately, clubs do not play on paper, and it is really the lack of Javi - esque leadership on the field, coupled with Manolo Jimenez on the bench, that worries me. Unless there's a big-name signing soon, someone's gonna hafta step up to the plate and take the team by the scruff of the neck as a captain and leader ... Could make all the difference between UEFA Cup/Champions League push, and a tilt at La Liga ...

As it happens, I once almost literally ran into Javi Navarro on the streets of Seville on my way to a class. He's really not a big chap, actually, but built like the veritable brick outhouse, and you wouldn't wanna get into a ruck with him ...

[pawlu]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

It seems that Atletico Bilbao have finally agreed to have their shirts sponsored. Are there any more clubs who refuse to have sponsors out of principle? And is having someone's corporate name on your shirt such a big deal?

[Gerontophile]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Lodz, PM for you. (in a minute)

[Gerontophile]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

dalliance wrote:

Am I the only one who Alexandr Hleb leaves a little cold ?

Nah, his wife wasnt too pleased when he fucked off with the duvet.

(Fortunately not here all week)

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Response for gero

[Gerontophile]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Got that, thanks Lodz. Will wait a month or whatever, and speak more about it then. Cheers.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Fútbol en el Camino de Santiago (camino francés)

Finally I am going to have crack at the Camino de Santiago, leaving St Jean Pied de Port late August, hoping to arrive in Santiago at the start of October. Should have done it years ago as it's pretty busy by all accounts, oh well. Naturally I am hoping to catch a few games on my travels. Expect to see Osasuna - Villarreal on the first day of the season and maybe Depor - Numancia after I finish. Anyone been to either Riazor or el Sadar? Don't expect much difficulty in getting a ticket but would like to be in or at least adjacent to the Indar Gorri/Riazor Blues ends. In between Pamplona and Galicia, who knows? I will probably have enough on my plate with blisters, dodgy food, ascetic loons etc. The route passes through Logroño, Burgos, León and Ponferrada. Logroñés (2b) are Valencia's freundshaft (?) team but unlikely to face us in the near future (cue jibes about VCF). I remember their last visit to Mestalla, a busload of amiable drunks handing out bottles of Rioja outside the ground. Burgos (3a) might go bust v soon. Both of these teams were in the first division when I first came to Spain.

Chaos in the Valencia boardroom, can't be arsed outlining all the shenanigans but I'm sure it's not over yet.

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

That sounds ace, Senyor (the walk, not the VCF shenanigans). Ursus minor and I are planning to do it sometime when he is old enough and I am not too old (which I hope proves to be a larger window of time than it sometimes feels).

I think that Vonderman has been to the Riazor.

And its Freundschaft with a "c", just in case you run into some Germans.

I'm pretty sure that Leon were in the Primera when I first visited Spain. In any event, they were big enough for me to be able to get an enamel badge of theirs without any difficulty.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Are you sure? 1954/55 was Cultural Leonesa's one and only year in Primera (just checked it out). They seem to have a healthy rivalry with Ponferradina who are from the western part of Leon province - "el Bierzo" =- which is apparently quite a distinct entity, look forward to checking this out and asking awkward questions.

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Might there have been another team from Leon?

That said, it was 25 years ago, and they could well have been in the Segunda (or even lower, I guess).

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Just been watching the first half of Sevilla-Milan in the Russian Railways Cup, and the rojiblancos are dominating proceedings, without creating too many goalscoring opportunities (0-0 at HT). Jesus Navas perhaps the most active so far.

By the way, how should one pronounce 'Romaric'? The 'La2' commentator has gone for 'Ro - MA - rich' so far, as if he was from Croatia instead of Cote d'Ivoire. Perhaps 'RO - ma - rik' ? 'Ro - MA - reek' ?? 'Ro - meh - REEK' ??

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Well, Sevilla win 1-0 thanks to Gattuso's header into his own net ... And it appears that Maresca is to be the one to pick up the 'galones' of the team and drive everyone forward in the absence of Javi N ....

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

I always thought Maresca was a pretty good player but since being Sevilla's hero in the UEFA Cup tirumph, he hasn't seen regular playing time. With Keita and Poulsen leaving he may now get that. Hmm, I'm not sure how to pronounce Romaric's name either but like Lodz, I'd guess it wouldn't be the Croatian way! With my limited knowledge of French I'd guess "RO-mar-ik."

Across town at Betis it looks like Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, the guy so arrogant he renamed the club's stadium after himself, is selling his majority stake in the club to some unknown business consortium. Ruiz de Lopera will still retain a seat on the board and somehow I imagine this Machiavellian character will still be the power behind the throne there.

Getafe are quietly going about making astute signings, Ecuador's Joffre Guerron (the revelation of this year's Copa Libertadores), Turkey's Ibrahim Kas, Germany's Eugen Polanski plus Spanish players Roberto Soldado, Esteban Granero and Adrian Gonzalez (the last 3 all from Real Madrid's cantera!). Adrian Gonzalez is the son of Michel Gonzalez, the ex Real Madrid star. I'm feeling old now as I used to play in youth leagues against Michel!

My only concern about Getafe this coming season is their new coach Victor Munoz. A tough, combative midfielder in his playing days but a coach with an average at best record.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

The signing I'm looking forward to seeing in La Liga is Jozy 'Dumbledore' Altidore at Villarreal. Are we to expect great things from him, or will it be a season of acclimatisation?

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

In between Pamplona and Galicia, who knows?

Do me a favour, SP! There can only be one choice. Seriously, if you are anywhere near Oviedo, let me know and while I won't offer to rub basalm into your feet, I will be happy to show you around.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

No offence meant! I wrote "who knows?" as in "I've no idea which games I will be able to get to given my Camino obligations" and anyway Oviedo isn't on my route (Camino Francés, though it is on the Camino del Norte I believe).

I spent a couple of hours in Oviedo in 2005 as a getaway from a holiday in the Picos but as it was July there were no games on, though I did ask in the tourist office if the old Tartiere was still standing and worth checking out but the bloke put me off the idea. Oviedo seemed nice but not a whole lot going on either, it was midday midweek in fairness.

[rick derris]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

off to see espanyol tomorrow at old trafford

where can i find the likely team?

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Here's the 20 guys making the trip, I bet you'll see most of them:

Javi Ruiz, Cristian Álvarez, Chica, Beranger, Lacruz, Jarque, Torrejón, Moisés, Sielva, De la Peña, Román Martínez, Àngel, Julián, Rufete, Valdo, Riera, Luis García, Jonathan Soriano, Tamudo i Callejón,

[rick derris]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

cheers UA. looks like the opening bat, unlike last summer

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Indeed, they are really taking it seriously. The official site is publishing three articles a day about the "historic" visit, but unfortunately isn't translating any of them.

[Incandenza]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Lodzubelieveit wrote:

The signing I'm looking forward to seeing in La Liga is Jozy 'Dumbledore' Altidore at Villarreal. Are we to expect great things from him, or will it be a season of acclimatisation?

As an American hoping for a good striker for the future, I hope he does great things, but I've heard a lot of things cooling expectations, even a few rumors that he might be loaned out. But I think it would be great to see a (somewhat) all-American strikeforce for one of the top teams in La Liga: Altidore & Rossi.

[jamzinho]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

According to Football in Spain: a statistical record, Cultural Leonesa are the only modern Leon team to have played in the Primera Liga, and that was, as suggested in 1955-56. They finished 15th out of 16 teams and were relegated with only 14 points.

They appeared in the Segunda division on a few occasions but were relegated quite soon after.

Burgos CF as they are currently know have spent 9 seasons in the Primera Liga. From 1971-72 through to 1972-73, they spent two seasins, finishing 15th out of 18, and were relegated after finishing 18th out of 18.

They were back again from 1976-80 after winning the Segunda, finished 14th, 12th, 13th, and were relegated after a 17th place finish.

They reappeared in the Primera in 1990 as Real Burgos CF, finishing 11th, 9th, and in 1992-93, 20th. After relegation, they dropped straight through the Segunda division. In 1994 they reformed at Burgos CF.

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

rick derris wrote:

off to see espanyol tomorrow at old trafford

where can i find the likely team?

On the pitch, probably.