Game 39 threat comes to Spain

[Sam]

Now we'll find out whether the players will go through with that threatened strike, then, I suppose.

[Jah Womble]

Well, they've gone and done it - Girona will 'host' Barcelona in Miami in January. 1500 fans will be given free flights and accommodation and other season ticket holders will be refunded the price of that ticket. Girona reportedly being paid €4m for agreeing to it.

So - I'm assuming that this is the fixture that 'would' have been played at the Montilivi? (Therefore, not actually 'Game 39' - the existence of which would obviously add an extra advantage [or disadvantage] to either side over the other eighteen teams that aren't having money thrown at them to honour this nonsense.)

[ad hoc]

Sid Lowe is reporting that they've also been told that the whole thing has to be as Spanish as possible - national anthem played, flags handed out to everyone and no symbols visible of Catalunya. Never mind the players, are the clubs going to agree to this?

[Ray de Galles]

So - I'm assuming that this is the fixture that 'would' have been played at the Montilivi? (Therefore, not actually 'Game 39' - the existence of which would obviously add an extra advantage [or disadvantage] to either side over the other eighteen teams that aren't having money thrown at them to honour this nonsense.)

Yeah, we covered earlier in the thread that this is not actually a “Game 39”.

[ad hoc]

It must be Girona's biggest home match of the season too. What an utter farce

[EIM]

Typical OTF luddites. The future is here. Like the Jetsons we'll all be getting space cars to Miami to watch Girona soon. And you "traditional" football fans will be left behind in the crumbling ruins of Brexit watching AFC Bovril v Sheffield Nothingness while I'm banging models on a yacht with T-Pain and Flo Rida, and champagne, and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and that ginger div from CSI who puts his sunglasses on when the music goes WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW.

[Satchmo Distel]

I have no desire to go see it but it would be easy for me to do so - only 90 miles from my house. Ironically La Liga is not part of my cable package.

I think the next step will be Champions League games in the US but bribing a minnow to accept a home leg on neutral soil will be harder because they'd be risking future revenue in the competition.

Choosing Barcelona is an incendiary move for the reasons stated above.

[Jah Womble]

Yeah, we covered earlier in the thread that this is not actually a “Game 39”.

I figured you probably had. For whatever reason, I've only just got here.

Typical OTF luddites. The future is here. Like the Jetsons we'll all be getting space cars to Miami to watch Girona soon. And you "traditional" football fans will be left behind in the crumbling ruins of Brexit watching AFC Bovril v Sheffield Nothingness while I'm banging models on a yacht with T-Pain and Flo Rida, and champagne, and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and that ginger div from CSI who puts his sunglasses on when the music goes WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW.

Not so much a 'luddite' here, as one who likes there to be a semblance of reason for doing such things.

Unless they're genuinely innovative, like. There's nothing progressive in this.

Edit: Not sure I'd want to risk being a part of Flo Rida's food-chain, either.

[Satchmo Distel]

I thought the post was realistic until the part where EIM got laid.

[EIM]

Let's keep this friendly.

[Diable Rouge]

Sid Lowe is reporting that they've also been told that the whole thing has to be as Spanish as possible - national anthem played, flags handed out to everyone and no symbols visible of Catalunya. Never mind the players, are the clubs going to agree to this?

Of course Girona is Puigdemont's hometown.

[Jah Womble]

Let's keep this friendly.

I trust that that isn't your opening gambit in the bedroom.

[EIM]

The bedroom? How 1950s of you!

[tracteurgarcon]

Girona will not only be not playing this at home but, I'm guessing, most of the Miami crowd will be supporting Barcelona, so, in effect, Girona will be the away side.

[ursus arctos]

Sid Lowe has an interview with the current head of the Spanish FA in Grauniad that makes it very clear that the Federation is anything but on board with this.

La Liga's "90 percent certain" estimate looks to me to be highly aspirational, and they seem to be completely clueless as to the fact that serious FCB supporters in the US tend to be much more supportive of Catalan autonomy than their counterparts at the Camp Nou.

[Jah Womble]

The bedroom? How 1950s of you!

It was a euphemistic bedroom.

In which one might find a surrealistic pillow.

[ursus arctos]

Javier Tebas (president of La Liga) now wants to bring an Ecuadorean first division match to Spain

[Diable Rouge]

Are we seeing a long overdue Athletic revival? Deservedly lead Real 1-0 at the break, and tyro Unai Simon looks a readymade replacement for Kepa.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Is this the spanish league thread?

if so, here's luis suarez speaking about a narrow win at real sociedad.

“I think you have to see a game like this to see how tough La Liga is,” said Suarez. “Last year we also came from behind to win here and eight or nine years ago we wouldn’t win any games here. It’s a huge win for our confidence.”

He is correct. 8 or 9 years ago they completely failed to win any games at the anoeta in the league, back in Barcelona's doldrum days of 2008-9 and 2009-10. then again Sociedad were in the second tier at the time,

[ursus arctos]

And Luisito was at Ajax

It appears that we do not have a "proper" La Liga thread for this season.

[ursus arctos]

Might as well have this be it, then.

Valverde starts without both Messi and Busquets and Barcelona can only salvage a late draw at home to Athletic Club.

That's seven points in La Liga dropped in seven days.

Messi came on after an hour and caused carnage (creating the winner, hitting the posts, setting up excellent chances that were spurned), but Athletic did save themselves a goal by employing a new tactic against free kicks, leaving a defender inside the small box who was able to head Messi's shot off the line with the keeper well beaten.

[ursus arctos]

For the second time this week, Madrid cannot capitalise on Barca's misstep, only being able to get a goalless draw at home to Atleti.

[Sporting]

And yet Barcelona are still (joint) leaders. Also, if Huesca win tomorrow, they will be only 7 points off the top of the table.

[ursus arctos]

Not only were Real Madrid held scoreless for the fourth straight match, but Alaves conjured an injury time winner at the Bernabeu.

[Satchmo Distel]

Does this show the importance of Zidane or of Ronaldo prior to this season?