The Ultimate Soccer Thread 2012-2013 Vol. 3 Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga etc

CoupeIt88 said:
I wanted Bayern to win, they deserved it last year and this year. But after that Mario Gotze transfer information leaked out a day before the game last week. That was just too shady.

Hope BVB take it, hope it's a good final. Seriously tho, Bayerns back line are filled with machines. Looks like it's impossible to score against them.
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Bayern didn't informed the press.It was one of Goetzes' teammates.
 
Lewandowskis contract expires 2014.Now is the last chance to get a transfer fee.

Hummels contract expires in 2015.I doubt he will leave this year.

Gündogans contract expires 2017.I don't see him leaving Dortmund this or next year.
 
Miserable elimination for Barca, but the club will be back stronger next year. A league title will be one helluva consolation prize.

CoupeIt88 said:
Jose has never had full power , no manager ever does at Real Madrid, it's Real Madrid. Those presidents and board of directors walk on roses everywhere they go. :lol

He deserves criticism for last week's performance, but he said he made sure Real CB's studied Lewandowski thru and thru, Pepe just did a horrible job of marking him. They got out played, at some point I don't know how you blame Jose from the score going 1-1 to 4-1 in 13 mins. That's on the players man.

Yea Real has one of the most expensive squads in the world (mostly due to Ronaldo and Kaka costing them like 180 million dollars in 2009) but they've never been as good on paper or on the pitch as they should have been. It's been that way for the past 10 years. That's Real's problem, it's the Real culture. (Spend, Spend, Spend - Names, Names, Names). That's never been Mourinho's personality, thats never been his approach to football. Mourinho and Real are as different of personality's as you can get.

Ancelotti's going to come to Real for what? To be sacked within the first couple years? That's what Real is going to do. Might as well hire Zidane, at least he's still young.
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I said he had unprecedented power, not full power. Ferguson aside, no manager deserves full control - that isn't the best form of infrastructure for a football club. There should always be checks on power. Even Fergie doesn't just get to spend whatever he wants.

Studying a center forward doesn't make your centerback pairing any more familiar with each other. That was his mistake. And yes, they did get outplayed, which can be attributed to poor tactics and approach, because it certainly wasn't because of talent. I'm judging him on the entire CL, not a 13 minute stretch. And on basis of play in that match, that scoreline was well earned - regardless of how it came to be.

You say spending isn't Mou's personality, yet every league title he has won has come with the highest spending side in it's respective league, so evidence to the contrary. I'm not questioning his ambition or his accomplishments, but he deserves criticism.

Ancelotti is an incredible tournament manager, which is why he'll be at or near the top of their list. If not for the greatest comeback of all time, he'd have a shared record three CL winner's medals.


DLo13 said:
So while we're thinking about it...what top-class CBs are out there that Barca could realistically buy? There's a lack of quality at the position right now. And it ain't like Barca could buy a Silva or Nastacic off PSG/Man City. They gonna buy some DMs and try to turn them in to CBs? (Leave David Luiz alone...)
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It'll depend on availability, but among others, Hummels, Inigo Martinez, Agger, Marquinhos, Luiz, Silva, etc. will all be looked into. Hummels would succeed anywhere, but I'd prefer someone left footed and with a bit more pace.

Jada2001Retro said:
Barcelona will not sign him, he'd be a fool to leave for Barcelona.
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Yeah, he'd be a real fool to join one of the biggest clubs in the world, compete for trophies every year, get a raise, and live in one of the world's greatest cities. LOL.
 
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abovelegit1 said:
Miserable elimination for Barca, but the club will be back stronger next year. A league title will be one helluva consolation prize.


Ancelotti is an incredible tournament manager, which is why he'll be at or near the top of their list. If not for the greatest comeback of all time, he'd have a shared record three CL winner's medals.
It'll depend on availability, but among others, Hummels, Inigo Martinez, Agger, Marquinhos, Luiz, Silva, etc. will all be looked into. Hummels would succeed anywhere, but I'd prefer someone left footed and with a bit more pace.
Yeah, he'd be a real fool to join one of the biggest clubs in the world, compete for trophies every year, get a raise, and live in one of the world's greatest cities. LOL.
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Not as long as Bayern is around. A powerhouse like that is hard to dethrone. 3 years in a row at CL finals, cmon now. and they just got Gotze and the rumor that lewa might go there as well? It's not even fair. German soccer> To put it into perspective, german players are relatively young and highly skilled, something barca is lacking seriously lacking at the back.

So he can be benched like all the other talent they have warming up the seats? A player like him probably won't suffer the same fate, however, they need more than just hummels. They need to reform their team where it's an actual team, not a one man team. Messi has been carrying the team on his back the last few games, what does that say about Barca?
 
People still can't understand that Dortmund's players are so great because the team makes them better, and not the other way around. Look at Sahin in Real Madrid/Liverpool and Kagawa in United. They were beastin for Dortmund and were at best "meh" for their new clubs. Lewandowski wouldn't be as great as some of you think at a big Premier League club.
 
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MikeTysontheKiller said:
Not as long as Bayern is around. A powerhouse like that is hard to dethrone. 3 years in a row at CL finals, cmon now. and they just got Gotze and the rumor that lewa might go there as well? It's not even fair. German soccer> To put it into perspective, german players are relatively young and highly skilled, something barca is lacking seriously lacking at the back.

So he can be benched like all the other talent they have warming up the seats? A player like him probably won't suffer the same fate, however, they need more than just hummels. They need to reform their team where it's an actual team, not a one man team. Messi has been carrying the team on his back the last few games, what does that say about Barca?
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Well they haven't taken the throne yet, so let's not rush to crown them. These same Bayern players have been choking in club and international tournaments for years now so I wouldn't be surprised if BvB pulls it off despite Bayern's superior quality and form.

Regardless If they do win it and consolidate their place as top dogs, Barca will be a contender next season, and will almost certainly be far stronger (and healthier) than they were in this semifinal. That said, I do agree with the sentiment that Bayern will likely be the team to beat in the coming years. Who knows how good they'll be with Pep and Gotze likely playing as his false 9.

Management is looking for a starting centre-half, not a squad player. The side will be improved over the summer. A few players will be signed, and a few players will depart. And the next academy players in line will be promoted to the first team.
 
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Seriously if Dortmund wins the CL i think opinions will change. Right now everyone is super high on Bayern (for good reason). But if they lose the CL final people are going to be saying they are giant choke artists.

I think they win this year (i'm rooting for BVB) but im not ready to write off Barca and crown Bayern the next dynasty.
 
New post from ESPN FC...

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/onthemove/id/5771?cc=5901


May 02 @ 12:20AM EDT
Bayern to Rob United of Lewandowski
Posted by ESPN Staff

Manchester United's summer plans of luring Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski to Old Trafford are under threat from the German club's domestic rivals - Bayern Munich.

According to the Sun, Lewandowski wants to join the Bavarian giants who in recent weeks, not only became Bundesliga champions at Dortmund#s expense, but also acquired one of their prized assets, Mario Gotze.

And that could spell big trouble for United, who have made no secret of their admiration for the £25 million-rated Poland international.

Meanwhile, United's Premier League rivals, Chelsea, are facing a transfer battle of their own - hoping to secure the services of Jose Mourinho before he can be swayed by big-spending Paris Saint-Germain.

Real Madrid manager Mourinho's proposed move back to the Blues has been one of the ongoing rumours of the year, but the Times is reporting PSG are ready to trump their English rivals for their ideal replacement to current boss Carlo Ancelotti.

But if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is feeling the pressure, he certainly isn't showing any signs of crumbling under it.

According to the Telegraph, Mourinho's agents have lowered their demands in recent days as Mourinho, and not Chelsea, try to get the deal signed, sealed and delivered.

Rumour has it that the Portuguese coach was demanding a £12 million-a-year salary, a get-out clause in his contract and total control of transfer dealings, but was forced to backtrack as the Russian owner flat out refused all three demands.

Seen the new advertising for Liverpool's 2013-14 jersey? Well, the Daily Mail is suggesting the marketing campaign is the best indicator yet that Luis Suarez will be at Anfield next season.

The ad features Suarez, captain Steven Gerrard and Pepe Reina modelling the new home kit, with many fans believing Suarez's inclusion means rumours of his exit are finally debunked.

Aston Villa have issued a 'hands off' warning to other clubs circling young forward Christian Benteke, with the Sun reporting Villa are ready to ignore offers in the vicinity of £30 million for the Belgium international.

Villa manager Paul Lambert has created a promising, young side and believes losing the 22-year-old Benteke would undermine his plans.

However, Lambert's fears may never be realised with the Mirror suggesting Villa are ready to tie Benteke and fellow forward Andreas Wiemann to long-term deals.

And finally, soon-to-be Premier League contenders, Cardiff City, are eyeing Stoke's Kenwyne Jones as their first bit of business in the big time.

According to the Mirror, the Championship winners believe Jones would be the perfect player to lead their frontline heading into one of the biggest seasons for the club.
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Not sure how Barcelona come back "stronger and better" next year.

Xavi and Iniesta a year older and they rely on Messi way to much. Maybe it's time to Cesc to finally start, he's been groomed to take Xavi's spot for a while and he should.

They can sign CB's but they still have no size up front. When they had Ibra they got rid of him in one year (Never understood why). He would have been perfect for this type of Bayern matchup.

Health has nothing to do with Barca losing 7-0. Messi not being "100%" has nothing to do Bayern winning 4-0 last week and not letting Barcelona attempt a single shot.

Bayern is just that good and Barcelona is not a good matchup. Thats how football is, match ups. An English team would have had a better shot against Bayern.
 
PSV - FC Groningen. Van Bommel's contract expires after this year and he is thinking about quitting football. The PSV fans show their support and through the whole game they sang. But after he got substituted the whole stadium stood up and massively sang for Van Bommel. For almost 20 minutes the singing went on, and the emotion on Van Bommel's face is great.
 
I'm not the biggest fan of the Bleacher Report (especially their slide show presentation of their articles), but I do like their footy columnist Xoel Cardenas (for obvious reasons). Here is his take on Hummels to Barca (spoiler mode below). I wasn't aware of any Vincent Kompany to Barca rumours :x :D.

Hummels has even said a couple of weeks ago Barca is one of the few teams he'd consider transferring to. His quote is mentioned in the article & also can be read in the Sky Sports post in the link below.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...sing-arguments-for-barca-to-sign-mats-hummels

http://www1.skysports.com/football/...s-Barcelona-he-would-welcome-move-to-Nou-Camp



Making the Closing Arguments for Barca to Sign Mats Hummels
BY XOEL CARDENAS (FEATURED COLUMNIST) ON MAY 2, 2013

After FC Barcelona were embarrassed and eliminated by FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, el blaugrana will look to reload—not rebuild—for the 2013-14 season.

The first and most important step in reloading will be to bring in a solid centre-back to solidify the Barcelona back line, which has been the weakness of this team for years now.

In my first article on Bleacher Report back in October of 2011, I talked about how Barça needed to improve on defense. The lack of depth in defense worried me, and I felt that Sandro Rosell needed to address this issue in the summer of 2011. But coming off a UEFA Champions League title at Wembley Stadium that year, perhaps Sandro felt the team was good enough to win without adding a defender.

Here's a few things that I said in my first article back in October 2011:

“Culés need to stop dreaming about lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in May (although it does run through my mind at times) and consider what will ruin those thoughts of glory—Barca's defense is weak and will be their downfall.

“I don’t understand why people think that Barça doesn’t need to worry about those four (or three nowadays) defenders in the back.

“If we learned anything from the 2009-10 Champions League run, we learned Barcelona can struggle once in a hole score-wise.

“While the additions of Cesc Fàbregas and Alexis Sánchez have been great, the fact that Pep Guardiola and Sandro Rosell did not sign a top defender this offseason is worrisome.

“Barcelona needs to invest in a true defender. No more Maxwells or Adrianos. No more midfielder/defenders.

“As a Culé and as one of those people who dreams of seeing Puyol or Xavi hoist that CL trophy, I like to think Barcelona will not buy into the smokescreen their great midfield creates and strengthen their back four.

“Some may think this is being dramatic but it's only a matter of time when the defense will no longer bend but break. Stop thinking about now and think about the future. Wins may be happening now, but the future is not bright for the defense.”

Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so!

After you finish reading this article, please click on the link here and read that article from October 2011. Take a look at the comments and read how people ripped me and my article. I wonder what those people that said “Poor article”, “Overdramatic” and “Is this serious?” are thinking right now.

I got ripped in my first article talking about the defense—even by the former main Barcelona columnist on B/R. Whatever happened to that guy?

Oh yeah, I ended up taking over his spot!

There’s a reason why I’m The Voice of FC Barcelona.

Back to Barça.

For almost two years, I have been mentioning the name of a young German defender named Mats Hummels to be purchased. Mats' name was first brought to my attention when I read a blog that stated Hummels is a rising star in the Bundesliga. After watching a few Borussia Dortmund games on TV, I noticed this kid was in fact the real deal.

Over the past year and a half, I have mentioned Hummels in several articles. In fact, if you go to the Mats Hummels page on Bleacher Report, you will see five articles of mine on the main page.

Call me obsessed, but I just have had faith in him for a while now. I do believe he is part of the solution to make this FC Barcelona team greater than it's ever been.

Euro 2012 only further proved Mats is a top-level defender. He dominated in games against Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands. His height, instinct and ball control were too much for opponents.

Albeit Mats had a few injuries this Bundesliga season and BVB were not able to three-peat as German champions, but Hummels had a solid 2012-13 Bundesliga season. And Hummels' UEFA Champions League run has been terrific.

In the first leg of BVB's semifinal matchup against Real Madrid, Hummels made an error on defense, which lead to Madrid's lone goal of the game. After the play occurred, many fans and even so-called "football experts" were ripping Hummels. I even saw tweets that said his mistake was the reason Mats is not a top-25 defender in Europe.

What a joke!

One mistake doesn't throw away a player's skills or accomplishments. Mats made a mistake, and it could have been a costly one. But let's not act like he is no good because of it. These mistakes happen.

And you call yourselves football experts? Please.

Hummels shut up those same critics and showed all of us why he is one of the best centre-backs in the world in the second leg of the Champions League semis against Real Madrid. Mats kept Gonzalo Higuain's runs in check, he headed out any cross into the box as well as Madrid corner kicks, he came up and headed out long passes by Madrid's midfielders and defenders and he stepped up to stop runs by the Madrid forwards.

A stellar performance by Hummels which earned him Man Of The Match honors.

After the BVB/Madrid game, my first thought was A.) Why can't FC Barcelona have a defense like that?, and B.) Sandro Rosell must do everything in his power to bring Mats Hummels to Catalunya.

After watching the Barça/Bayern game on Wednesday, it reiterated everything I thought about about after the BVB game.

Hummels would help Barcelona defend set pieces, as well as corner kicks—two big areas of weakness in the Barça defense. At 6'4", Hummels and his long legs are able to slow down speedy forwards like Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also solid at clearing crosses that come into the box. And as we saw against Bayern Munich—in particular, the Gerard Pique own goal and the Thomas Müller goal—FC Barcelona are not the best at clearing crosses and can use more height in the back line.

While there are other options for a new centre-back, in my opinion, I don't think any of them are as solid as Hummels. Thiago Silva is an amazing CB, but he is a few years older (28) than Hummels (24), and Paris Saint-Germain will be very hesitant to sell a player they paid AC Milan so much for just a year ago.

Vincent Kompany is another name linked to a Barça move, and is probably the best alternative for Sandro Rosell if he is not able to acquire Hummels' services. I'm certain Manchester City will ask for a few Masia products in return—perhaps even young CB Marc Bartra or Marc Muniesa as part of the deal. For me, I'd sell Muniesa in part of a Kompany deal, but Bartra is off limits.

Finally, AS Roma's Marquinhos is a name that has come up. I haven't seen too much of this kid play, but after everything I've seen and read, the Brazilian has all the traits to become a future superstar defender. But I don't know what to feel about acquiring a 18-year-old and placing him on the Barça defense, asking him to essentially be the heir to Carles Puyol's CB throne. Plus, the kid is still very inexperienced, having never appeared in European competition or even the Brazilian national team's first squad.

For me, I see Mats Hummels as the best option for Sandro Rosell to purchase for this Barcelona team. He has the big-game experience and his defensive style of play fits well at Barça. As an added bonus, Mats has shown that he can play well against Real Madrid.

It is estimated that Hummels would cost Rosell €25-30 million. The Barcelona budget would allow a purchase of Hummels.

A few weeks ago, Mats told Sport Bild (via Sky Sports) that he would listen to an offer from Barcelona:

My father and I have turned down about 99.9 per cent of all the clubs in the world when they come to us. But Barcelona are one out of the two or three clubs that could make me consider a possible transfer. I would see whether it makes sense or not to leave.

With Borussia Dortmund losing Mario Gotze to Bayern this summer and Robert Lewandoski potentially leaving as well, it will make more sense for Mats to leave Dortmund this summer. The team will not be as competitve as they were in 2012-13.

In an interview with a German TV show (via ESPNFC), Sandro Rosell hinted at a Mats Hummels purchase. “There is a German player who I like a lot, but I cannot say his name,” he said. “If, in the end, we go for him, that would drive up the price.”

There is no doubt Rosell was hinting at Hummels.

My hope is that if Mats Hummels is signed, his work ethic and play can rub off on Gerard Pique and make him a better CB as well. Gerard's game has slipped this season. Pique's own goal against Bayern in the second leg of the Champions League semis was the icing on the cake for a very down year for Shakira's baby daddy.

As far as Marc Bartra is concerned, I like the kid, and I'm glad he has gotten plenty of playing time with all the injuries to the back line. That being said, I feel the kid is not ready to be a full-time starter for Barcelona. He's made a few mistakes in CL games, he needs to gain more muscle and he needs to mature football-wise just a bit more.

One last thing: I have not forgotten about Carles Puyol. He will be back next season, and he's still el capita. But we all know Carles is past his prime. He still has strength, but age has taken his speed and his endurance.Carles is no longer a full-time starter.

FC Barcelona needs to finally address the defense with the signing of a true centre-back. While there are good options out there, in my opinion, there is no better option than signing Mats Hummels.

He's proven himself in the Bundesliga, with the German national team and with Borussia Dortmund. And in this season, Hummels has shown all of us that he could be the centre-back FC Barcelona desperately needs.

FC Barcelona's summer will be a busy one.

Neymar to Barça is essentially a certainty.

But the summer transfer window must start with addressing the Barça defense.

And Mats Hummels is the best option for FC Barcelona.

Vamos![/quote]
 
Post about Pep & Bayern...

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...potentially-trecherous-road-at-bayern-munich/



Pep Guardiola facing a potentially trecherous road at Bayern Munich
Mike Prindiville May 2, 2013, 11:32 AM EDT

When Pep Guardiola takes over Bayern Munich this summer, he’ll be inheriting a Ferrari of a football squad. And while managing what is arguably the world’s best team is an honor that most managers can only dream of, the road ahead will be anything but easy for the Spaniard.

One of the biggest issues Guardiola will confront is what to do about Bayern’s style of play. Naturally, most would reply: Nothing. After all, the idea of tinkering with a squad that is but two matches away from a fantastic treble seems audacious.

While possessing the talent capable of playing in a number of styles, Bayern typically favor a possession-based approach that infuses a high intensity press in both defense and counter-attacks. Their full-backs stay true to their primary job of defending yet love to burst forward into the attack. The midfield is highly skilled yet ensures the back four is supported with cover before pressing forward and creatively interweaving themselves into attack. It’s a conservative yet brave style that emphasizes awareness while allowing players to express themselves.

Although it’s hardly a new style for the Bavarian giant (it has carried them to the Champions League semi-finals in three of the past four years), it is only now being recognized as the most dominant style in Europe. For the previous five years (or arguably more), the stylistic gold standard was the one that Guardiola brought to prominence at Barcelona, the famed tiki-taka.

In tiki-taka, possession is everything. It is death by a thousand cuts, a game requiring triangles inside of triangles and pass completion rates of over 90 per cent. When performed correctly, it is breathtaking and virtually unstoppable. But is Guardiola so attached to this style that he’s willing to undue Bayern’s current method of football?

Judging the Spaniards character, most likely no. At least not right away. To come into his new club and risk the wrath of the owners, players and fans by introducing a different style – and one that was born in bred in Spain – would reek of arrogance. But over time it shouldn’t come as a surprise if a more calculating approach is infused into Munich’s play.

A second issue Guardiola faces at Bayern concerns personnel decisions. Will Pep seek to rebuild the squad that already sits upon football’s Iron Throne?

As of now that answer seems to be yes. Last week Guardiola made what was effectively his first major signing when Bayern activated the €37m release clause of Borussia Dortmund playmaker Mario Gotze. The coup represented the second-highest transfer fee in Bundesliga history and earned Munich an attacking midfielder who is one of the most gifted players of his generation. Some even claim Gotze represents Guardiola’s new Lionel Messi, more fodder for the argument that Guardiola could be set to install a system that replicates tiki-taka.

One player who appears set to move on is Arjen Robben, who Guardiola has reportedly made available for transfer this summer. It’s believed that Pep has not been impressed by the winger’s one dimensional attacking play, where he starts on the right before cutting in and shooting with his left. In fairness, ridding Bayern of Robben seems like an obvious decision as doing so removes a potentially cancerous ego from the dressing room.

But will others follow?

Rumors of Bayern’s desire to bring a striker into the fold are rampant – with Luis Suarez and Radamel Falcao being the most widely mentioned – and it is believed that Mario Gomez may be the fall-guy. After a fantastic 2011-12 Bundesliga season saw him haul 26 goals in 33 matches, this season has seen the German behemoth score only 10 times after falling behind Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic (15 goals, 22 league appearances) in the pecking order.

What other signings might Guardiola make? It wouldn’t be a shock if he discarded Daniel van Buyten or Holger Badstuber to bring in a new center-back to provide competition to Dante and Jerome Boateng. With a reported war chest of £240m at his disposal, anything is possible.

But despite the envious position he is poised to assume, the decisions won’t come easy for Pep as he looks to navigate the potentially treacherous new roads at Bayern Munich.
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Decisions won't be easy for Pep? :lol

Man, put me in that position. The first thing I would say is "Hello fellow players, I have no idea why I'm here but you've just became the best German football team of all time, just keep on doing what you do. Thanks"
 
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Finally watched the second leg of Real vs. Dortmund..

Like I said before..

Ozil doesn't deserve to wear the number 10 for Real 
sick.gif


Mourinho deserves most of the blame for this though.
 
Man, I wonder...The way Bayern attack is, why even change it? IMO its the best flat out all around attack In years when you look at the numbers. I wonder if Pep gets off to a slow start next season or a early CL exit how fans would react
 
The Hard Tackle is a site I'm reading more & more. Below is one of the best posts (in spoiler mode)I've read explaining finances in the futbol world. It's a long article, but a great read. The actual post via the link has some great graphics accompanying the read.


Barcelona Financial Myth Debunked – Champions League Top 4 Finances

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2013/barcelona-financial-myth-debunked-champions-league-top-4-finances/



Barcelona Financial Myth Debunked – Champions League Top 4 Finances
By Adi-Oula Sebastian on April 30, 2013

The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious and most spectacular competition in club football. It’s also the most lucrative tournament. Just qualifying for the group phase guarantees the participating clubs an eight figure windfall. Most of Europe’s elite clubs include the qualification for the knockout rounds of the competition in their annual budget projections for the next season. Thus, missing out on Champions League football just once can have an immense impact on any club’s transfer strategy.

However, regularly qualifying for the Champions League doesn’t necessarily translate into an advantage in the transfer market, or the pitch. If the size of the bank account would set the parameters for success, then Manchester City would’ve conquered Europe by now and dominate the continent in years to come. Yet for the second consecutive year the vast fortunes of Sheik Mansour could not prevent Manchester City’s premature exit from the Champions League.

Granted, money is a big factor in laying the foundation for a successful team, but it’s not the sole component in building a winning side. After all, having more money in the bank isn’t a guarantee to find more value in the market.

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger used to be one of the best, perhaps the best, buyer/seller in football. For years he raided the continent for the best (and equally as cheap) talent, only to sell them at a massive profit. In 1997 he bought 17 year old Nicolas Anelka from French side Paris Saint-Germain for a meager €760,000, and sold the youngster to Real Madrid for €35 million just two years later. More recently Wenger green-lit the transfer of Robin Van Persie to league rivals Manchester United for €30,7 million, after acquiring the Dutchman for €4,5 million in 2004.

In his heyday the Arsenal gaffer was the closest thing to Billy Beane, the MLB manager who is one of the pioneers of sabermetrics. Nonetheless, the ‘Moneyball’ approach isn’t really applicable in football. While Baseball is more or less static, the game of football is much more nuanced. Unlike Baseball where the formation and indeed player positions are fixed, a football formation is shaped by its tactics. For example, a 4-3-3 formation can be either a defensive system with 2 holding midfielders, or an attacking set-up with two creative players in the middle.

However, some of this year’s Champions League semi-finalists respective transfer strategies mimic the approach of some of Major League Baseball’s richest (New York Yankees) and financially more restricted clubs (Oakland Athletics), to varying degrees of success.

The final four in the Champions League semi-finals are Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who rank first, second, fourth and eleventh in the Deloitte Football Money League. The annually published report offers information about the respective revenue/turnover of Europe’s most valuable football teams. Hence it’s not surprising to see the trio of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich among the Champions League semi-finalists. It is, however, a little unexpected to read Borussia Dortmund’s name in the midst of Europe’s four best teams of the 2012-13 campaign.

Furthermore, the Dortmund outfit is on the brink of eliminating Real Madrid, who accumulate more than double the revenues (€512,6 million) of their Champions League opponents (€189, million). Even more amazing is the fact that Borussia Dortmund has beaten the mega-rich Madrid side 4-1.
It’s David vs. Goliath indeed.

The other semi-final is more in line with what the casual football consumer can expect from the Champions League semi-finals. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich (€368,4 million, Deloitte rank no. 4) versus FC Barcelona (€483 million, Deloitte rank no.2). Though Barcelona’ revenue still dwarf Bayern’s, Die Roten ruthlessly destroyed their Catalan counterparts 4-0. Nonetheless, it must be noted the disparity between Europe’s five richest clubs isn’t as huge as, say, it is between Madrid and Dortmund. It’s essentially one big spender versus bigger one.

From the 2008-09 season through the 2012-13 campaign these four clubs have spent a combined €1,16 billion gross on new recruits. Real Madrid account for the lion share with €515,6 million (44%), FC Barcelona place 2nd with €374,5 million (32%), Bayern Munich rank 3rd with €205,8 million (18%), while Borussia Dortmund spent the least amount of the quartet with €68,95 million (6%) for a distant 4th place.

A large chunk of Los Blancos’ heavy spending was offset by transfer revenues of €199,8 million, accounting for a still respectable coverage ratio of 39%. It’s slightly off of FC Barcelona’s coverage ratio of 45%, the Catalan giants spent €374,5 million and generated €168,8 million in transfers, but still miles ahead of Bayern Munich’s underwhelming 23%. Although the Bavarians’ coverage ratio is less favorable in comparison to their Spanish rivals, one also has to consider that the German club has significantly spent less than either (€205,8 million).

But none of the aforementioned clubs can match or even rival Borussia Dortmund’s near perfect coverage ratio of 97%, nor the relatively low amount of money die Schwarzgelben invested over the last 5 years to build a legitimate Champions League contender. The €69 million Dortmund spent on new recruits in the last half a decade would amount to just a little under €14 million per annum.

However, while Dortmund has the best coverage ratio out of all Champions League semi-finalists the Bundesliga side also boasts the biggest player fluctuation. During Jürgen Klopp’s reign no less than 29 players were signed by the Champions League hopefuls, and 31 sold, equating to a negative 7% in the player retention category. Their Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich have the best figure in that regard (33%), ahead of the Spanish duo of Madrid (27%), and Barcelona (21%).

Normally such an abnormally high personnel turnover would indicate instability. It isn’t necessarily the ideal environment to nurture a cohesive unit, much less a domestic Champion, let alone a Champions League contender. But Borussia Dortmund have defied conventional logic and won two successive Bundesliga titles (2010-11; 2011-12), ahead of Bayern Munich who were crowned champions just once during the last 5 years (2009-10; the current campaign excluded).

While credit must go to Borussia Dortmund’s excellent scouting department, it is manager Jürgen Klopp who should receive the biggest plaudits. Not many tacticians could oversee the influx of so many players without losing sight of the short-, mid- and long-term goals of the club. The German manager delivered two Bundesliga titles and has spent a net €1,9 million in 5 years on new recruits, amounting to a little over €65,000 per player.
In comparison, FC Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova spent €33 million in 2012-13 on 2 signings (Alex Song €19 million, and Jordi Alba €14 million), averaging €16,3 million per player.

The title of biggest spender both, gross and net, is belonging to Real Madrid though. The Spanish capital outfit has spent a gross €515,6 million, which after deducting €199,8 million in transfer revenue still amounts to a massive €315,8 million net outlay for new signings. To put a little perspective on Real Madrid’s lavish spending – it’s more than 50% higher than Bayern Munich’s gross expenditure during the same time frame.

While Los Blancos outspent the German outfit in the transfer market, the Bavarians outperformed them on the pitch, reaching finals twice (2010, 2012), with final number three (2013) a surety after the destruction of Barcelona. Real Madrid on the other hand have yet to reach a Champions League final after their last triumph in the 2001-02 campaign. The chances of progress are remote but not improbable, after being on the receiving end of a 4-1 thrashing courtesy of Borussia Dortmund.
From a strictly sporting point of view there’s nothing to justify Real Madrid’s gargantuan investment in their football team. While the Madrid based outfit has outspent their fellow semi-finalists, they have only 1 La Liga title to their name. For instance, Barcelona have won 4 (provided nothing freaky happens between now and the end of the campaign), whereas Bayern and Dortmund have won 2 each.

The argument of progress in the Champions League also holds no water in light of their gigantic outlay. Three successive Champions League semi-finals is not a bad record by any stretch of the imagination per se. But Barcelona have won the competition twice (2009, 2011), while Bayern Munich booked a final appearance twice (2010, 2012). The combined net spending of Barcelona and Bayern at €363,2 million just represents a 15% increase on Los Blancos net outlay of €315,8 million.

Though one might be inclined to label Real Madrid a money-wasting institution it’s not that simple. Madrid’s expenditures are highly inflated thanks to two signings, Cristiano Ronaldo, €94 million, and Kaka, €68,5 million (a staggering €162,5 million).
But then again, Real Madrid would’ve probably not qualified for the Champions League semi-finals, nor won the 2011-12 La Liga title without Cristiano Ronaldo. For all intents and purposes, if the expenditure of Kaka (€68,5 million) is taken out of the equation, Los Blancos would find themselves just 20% (€247,3 million) ahead of Barcelona (€205,7 million) in terms of net spending.

The Barcelona Myth
Barcelona’s transfer policy is confusing to say the least. Whereas Real Madrid adhere to a strategy that is designed to buy the most promising internationals in their early 20’s, preferably from the traditional football superpowers (Argentina, Brazil, France, and Germany), the Blaugrana seem to lack one. There appears to be no clear vision in regards to the long-term development of its first team.

Real Madrid spend big, but in recent years Los Merengues have put the emphasis on players, who not only have world-class potential (Mesut Özil, Angel Di Maria, Karim Benzema), but also resell value. Barcelona on the other hand also spend big, but they usually acquire players who have little resell value, if any at all due to their advanced age.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic serves as the prime example for the Blaugrana’s wastefulness in the transfer market. Signed in the same 2009 summer transfer window as Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, the Blaugrana paid €69,5 million for his services. But unlike Ronaldo, then 24 years old, the Swede was already 27, turning 28 in October of that year. Ronaldo signed a 6 year contract, effectively tying him to the Madrid outfit just past his 30th birthday. Ibrahimovic was given a 5 year contract, making him a free agent at the age of 32.

Considering that most clubs either sell or renew existing contracts 2 years prior to their expiration, Ronaldo would be 28 and Ibrahimovic 30 by the time the duo entered the final 24 months of their original agreements. The Portuguese international just turned 28 in February, and arguably still commands the €94 million transfer fee Real Madrid paid for him in 2009, whereas Zlatan Ibrahimovic was first loaned out in 2010, and then sold for €24 million (a little over a third of Barcelona’s outlay) to AC Milan in the following season.

Another example for Barcelona’s almost notorious habit of overpaying is David Villa. By no means a bad player – far from it- he was 28 when the Blaugrana paid €40 million for his services. This summer transfer window is the last opportunity for Barcelona to generate revenues from his sale. At 31 years, he’s not likely to fetch anywhere close to half his original price-tag. Barcelona would be lucky to receive north of €12 million.

The table below further illustrates how Barcelona is incapable of identifying the right forwards to add to their ranks. It’s particularly disturbing since the club already has a definitive playing philosophy in place, meaning it should be easier to isolate a specific type of player.

Big spending Real Madrid have probably assembled the best forward line money can buy. They certainly spent the most of any Champions League semi-finalist; over the last 5 years the Merengues have invested €204 million to strengthen their attack. Los Blancos forwards have accumulated 608 games (rank no. 2), 331 goals (rank no.1) and 177 assists (rank no.1) in between them, justifying Madrid’s enormous financial commitment.

At the other end of the spectrum Borussia Dortmund spent the least amount of money on attackers (€40,8 million). Nonetheless, it’s Barcelona’s forwards that hold the distinction for offering the least return on investment. The Blaugrana rank second in expenditures for forwards (€113,5 million), yet they rank firmly at the bottom in every metric that offers information about the productivity (games, goals, assists).

Barcelona’s outlay has produced 90 goals and 52 assists in 240 games. Borussia Dortmund, who spent a little over a third of Barcelona’s amount on forwards boast more than twice as many games (623, rank no.1), goals (196, rank no.3) and assists (107, rank no.2).

Yet it is Bayern Munich who have found the right balance between expenditure and quality. Since 2008 die Roten have bought forwards worth €81,6 million, double the amount of Borussia Dortmund, but almost a third less than the Blaugrana paid for theirs. Still, Bayern Munich’s forwards are more productive than the attackers of both teams (243 goals, rank no.2; 105 assists, rank no.2), while playing less games (473, rank no.3).

The average cost for a Bayern Munich forward amounts to €11,7 million per player, and scores around 0,51 goals per game. Establishing them no. 2 in that category, behind Real Madrid (€34 million; 0,54 goals per game), ahead of FC Barcelona (€22,7 million; 0,38 goals per game) and Borussia Dortmund (€4,5 million; 0,31 goals per game).

Not matter how one slices it; Barcelona’s return on investment is abysmal. The Blaugrana paid almost twice as much as the Bayern outfit, yet they rank last overall in any of the three categories games, goals, assists (240 games, 90 goals and 52 assists).

If Barcelona have played with the very same system (or variations of it) for almost a decade, how come other clubs, with their ever changing managers, thus ideas and formations, produce the better statistics?

It goes some way to dispel the notion that not every player is suitable for Barcelona’s football philosophy. The Blaugrana constantly buy the wrong players, at a premium.

Bayern Munich have laid the blueprint for a successful transfer policy; buy the best and proven talent in the domestic league, and add what is not available from abroad.

The Catalan outfit didn’t even try to acquire the likes of Juan Mata and Sergio Agüero. Instead they were allowed to leave Spain and sign for Premier League sides. In their place Barcelona bought either players who weren’t proven in La Liga (Alexis Sanchez), or had no resell value (David Villa). Mata and Agüero were 22 and 23 respectively when they swapped La Liga for the English Premier League.

Mata in particular is an interesting case. Not only is he already familiar with the majority of Barcelona players, due to the Spanish national team, he also had a release clause worth €20 – 24 million prior to joining Chelsea. The same goes for Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi’s Argentina teammate, who had a €45 million buyout clause written into his contract.

The two players were proven La Liga performers, already acquainted with key players at Barcelona, and most importantly, resalable assets.
Barcelona spent a combined €66 million plus add-ons, on David Villa and Alexis Sanchez. According to the respected Transfermarkt website the pair is now valued a combined €43 million (Sanchez/€25 million; Villa/€18 million).

In stark contrast Juan Mata’s current market evaluation stands at €42 million, while Sergio Agüero is valued at €45 million.
Chelsea and Manchester City just spent marginally more on the pairing (€71,7 million) than Barcelona did on Villa and Sanchez.

Unfortunately that’s not where Barcelona’s irrationality ends.

It’s obvious that FC Barcelona have a rather weak central defense. But instead of fixing this problematic area with the simple acquisition of a proper centre-back, it only served as a stimulus to conduct strange experiments involving defensive midfielders.

The last (natural) centre-back to sign for FC Barcelona was Dmytro Chygrynskiy. One of the most notorious (and expensive) flops in Blaugrana history. At Pep Guardiola’s behest Barcelona spent €25 million on a cup-tied player. Not only that, the big Ukrainian centre-back only lasted one season before being sold back to his original club at a €10 million loss.

While Barcelona have all but stopped the active recruitment of centre-backs in recent history, they actually paid more for (ultimately) failed reinforcements at central-defense than Bayern, Dortmund and Madrid combined (€93,5 million to €72 million).

Strangely enough, the cheapest of Barcelona’s centre-back acquisitions, Gerard Pique at €5 million, also holds the distinction of being the only starter. To further highlight Barcelona’s ineptitude at scouting and signing, Henrique has never played a single game for Barcelona and Martin Caceres also only lasted one campaign in Catalunya.

According to recent media reports the Blaugrana are in the market for a natural centre-back. Apparently Tito Vilanova’s €19 million 2-in-1 solution, Alex Song, didn’t quite work out as intended, as evidenced by his almost exclusive appearances in meaningless ties. Among the names touted in the press are Brazilian international Thiago Silva and German international Mats Hummels.

Judging by Barcelona’s troubled and misguided transfer policy, it wouldn’t come as surprise if the Blaugrana did indeed swoop for the Brazilians signature. Silva, 28, fits the Barcelona criteria. A superstar, likely to be very expensive (Paris Saint-Germain just signed him in 2012 for €42 million), with no resell value.

Conversely, Mats Hummels, 24, who’d likely command a €30 – 35 million transfer fee, is probably the better option, but suffers from a lower profile in and around Barcelona. The German is a rarity among centre-backs, tall, comfortable on the ball, and an excellent passer. But the Catalan giants rather irrational transfer policy of prioritizing vanity signings (Neymar?) ahead of urgent acquisitions will probably leave the coffers empty. A world-class centre-back costs huge money, money the club doesn’t have thanks to unnecessary signings like Alex Song when better options were available at the time.

Logic doesn’t seem apply to the majority of Barcelona’s dealings in the transfer market. Last summer Barcelona could’ve triggered the option to buy back Alberto Botia, a proven La Liga centre-back, a La Masia graduate at that. At €5 million Botia would’ve only cost a fraction of Song’s €19 million transfer fee.
It wasn’t meant to be.

The continuous success Barcelona still enjoy in La Liga and the Champions League, despite an abysmal transfer policy – that has only produced 2 undisputed starters in the last 5 years (Dani Alves and Jordi Alba) – hardens the suspicion that the Blaugrana have a team of such quality anybody could manage it.

For example, Tito Vilanova’s record against Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid is underwhelming to say the least (1W-2D-3L). His record against quality European teams is equally appalling. Under his management Barcelona lost to Bayern Munich, Celtic and drew both quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain. The Bayern Munich tie in particular serves as a highlight of sorts. It took Tito Vilanova 82 minutes, 4 goals courtesy of a rampaging Bayern side to make his first (and only) substitution – David Villa for Pedro.

To put things into perspective, Barcelona just made one attempt on Manuel Neuer’s goal during the whole game.

Conversely, Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund defeated Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid twice and drew once, to an aggregate score of 7-2. Furthermore, Klopp’s Dortmund is still undefeated in the ongoing Champions League campaign, with a realistic chance at winning the tournament. More importantly, Klopp built this Dortmund side on a shoestring budget.

While most fans base their arguments on sentiment rather than facts, it’s hard to make a case for Tito Vilanova when the evidence is not supporting it.
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