Official 2014-15 Club Soccer/Football Discussion Thread

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Italy only really won twice, given that the 1934/38 teams were literally playing for their lives (Mussolini threatened to have them killed if they lost)

(BTW Phil,  don't forget the Euro 2012 final )

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This dickwaving - like all dickwaving - lacks dignity.

[Keystone Phil]

Italy only really won twice, given that the 1934/38 teams were literally playing for their lives (Mussolini threatened to have them killed if they lost)

(BTW Phil,  don't forget the Euro 2012 final )

There we go. It's been awhile since I heard that "They don't count!" jealously.

What does the 2012 Final have to do with anything though? I'm trash talking with Lief, SS. See yourself out of this adult conversation.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Well, legendary to speak about Luis Fernandez would be a bit too much. He's one of the big names of French football in the 1970s-1980s yeah, but it's overall the Platini generation to which he belongs which was kinda 'legendary'.

Well, nowadays he works in media and been overall famous, and well, often mocked, for his kinda 'very spontaneous/very natural' way to speak, which turned him into a kind of national carricature of someone of is always able to say a random idiocy. But I'd say it's overall the view a kind of bobo class would have regarding the random football supporter. The 'idiot' you love to have to reassure yourself.

The fact that he doesn't really care about all of apparently and thus continue to be always so 'spontaneous', doesn't help him, but I think he's kinda a bit aware about all of that, and his spontaneity gives him a job in media too. He commentated wolrd cup for BFMTV, and he's on regular radio show on RMC.

In any case all of this makes that you would look kinda odd if you refer to Luis Fernandez as a legendary for anybody under 40 I'd say.

As for regional clichés movies...

Ach, bloody heck, you too have been touched by that 'Welcome by the Ch'tis' syndrome...

Stars on my team's crest: four (including one within the last decade that I could enjoy)

What a swinddle it's been, as often with Italians...

You should thank us for both having let you this cup, and for all the drama we created in this final (we're often the champions to make drama anyways, in one way or another, in that sense the last cup we did was so boring...seemed all the point was to compete with Disney mascots to create the 'coolest football players', next stage might be to create a boys band, hey the market of 13 years old shouting/crying girls is still to be conquered!).

[Velasco]

'Legendary' can be interpreted in multiple ways I can only tell you about how Fernández was perceived here, from the little that I recall. Basically as a 'very spontaneous/very natural' man with a tendency to say occasionally weird things. I wouldn't say that he was ridiculed, rather he was perceived as a somewhat crazy, eccentric man . People here appreciates having a good laugh and for sure someone made jokes about him; he was good-humoured and didn't care. If I'm not wrong, he didn't enjoy success as coach and had to leave.

As for regional cliches, I'm not really a big fan but they are popular here. Sometimes it's a good thing. For example, there were good humour shows in the ETB (the Basque TV) based on exploiting their own cliches. On the one hand, they worked as a therapy to alleviate tensions, allowing Basques to laugh at themselves. On the other hand, they helped to change certain mental image of Basques outside. It may sound strange, but people in Spain didn't know that people in the Basque Country had sense of humour.

[Keystone Phil]

So Falcao ended up at United as opposed to Real Madrid. The latter was almost a done deal but we know how these things get towards the deadline.

Other highlights: Welbeck to Arsenal and Chicarito to Real Madrid (on loan).

[Bacon King]

This is the third time Falcao has left a club right after he helped it qualify for CL

[Tender Branson]

Sadio Mane, the Senegalese traitor (but excellent player !) who messed up the Red Bull Salzburg team before the deciding Malmö game (which they lost), to Southampton for 12.5 million € ...

http://sport.orf.at/stories/2215122/2215121

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

LVG is pioneering the 0-0-10 formation, it seems. Tactical genius!

[Bacon King]

LVG is pioneering the 0-0-10 formation, it seems. Tactical genius!

hard to pioneer that formation when iirc it was literally in use during the first international match ever like 150 years ago

[Lief 🗽]

In the first international England played a 1-2-7 and Scotland played a 2-2-6. The game ended 0-0.<sup>1

1</sup>Jonathan Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid (2009), pg. 50 (in whatever ebook edition is on my laptop).

[Bacon King]

Ah my bad, thanks for the citation Lief

[bore]

A similar formation the 1-1-17 is in use to this day in the playground variation of football.

[Tender Branson]

The Germany vs. Argentina game starts in ca. 30 minutes.

You can watch it here:

http://en.iphone-tv.eu/stream/de/19

[Gass3268]

The Germany vs. Argentina game starts in ca. 30 minutes.

You can watch it here:

http://en.iphone-tv.eu/stream/de/19

Looks like Argentina thinks this is the big game.

Also, US beat Czech Republic 1-0 in Prague.

[Lief 🗽]

Argentina win the World Cup 3-4 on aggregate.

[Keystone Phil]

Feel free to post international stuff featuring at least one European side in the Euro qualifiers thread, boys, even if they're just Friendly matches.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

'Legendary' can be interpreted in multiple ways I can only tell you about how Fernández was perceived here, from the little that I recall. Basically as a 'very spontaneous/very natural' man with a tendency to say occasionally weird things. I wouldn't say that he was ridiculed, rather he was perceived as a somewhat crazy, eccentric man . People here appreciates having a good laugh and for sure someone made jokes about him; he was good-humoured and didn't care. If I'm not wrong, he didn't enjoy success as coach and had to leave.

As for regional cliches, I'm not really a big fan but they are popular here. Sometimes it's a good thing. For example, there were good humour shows in the ETB (the Basque TV) based on exploiting their own cliches. On the one hand, they worked as a therapy to alleviate tensions, allowing Basques to laugh at themselves. On the other hand, they helped to change certain mental image of Basques outside. It may sound strange, but people in Spain didn't know that people in the Basque Country had sense of humour.

Gosh I was like remembering that he had won the Liga with Bilbao, but I checked it out, no, he 'only' qualified the club to the CL, which isn't that slight either, since you need to be born in Pays Basque (Spanish or French), or Navarre, or to have been in a Basque training center to be part of the team (did it ever win the Liga?).

Oh, and, I wasn't aware Basques had humour either.

About Bilbao and Athletico, well, sorry, I have nothing against Bilbao (I don't know what to think about the origin of their players policy though...), but Athletico would precisely be the Spanish club for which I would have a little something . Its status regarding Real, its history/sociology, and now the fact that one of the less annoying French players, Griezman, plays there now, well, n'en jetez plus!

[Velasco]

Gosh I was like remembering that he had won the Liga with Bilbao, but I checked it out, no, he 'only' qualified the club to the CL, which isn't that slight either, since you need to be born in Pays Basque (Spanish or French), or Navarre, or to have been in a Basque training center to be part of the team (did it ever win the Liga?).

When Fernández was in Bilbao, I was attending primary school or something, but I know well that the glorious Athletic Club won its last championship when it was coached by Javier Clemente -who I think is a rather annoying man-. It was in the 1983-1984 season (thanks, Wikipedia). Athletic Club has won 8 Ligas and 23 Copas across its long history.

The policy of hiring only Basque players - I think having Basque relatives or ancestry is enough- something that people admires in the rest of Spain. It's because it's seen as a romantic gesture. While Real and Barça spend millions hiring players anywhere in the world, Athletic Club relies mostly in players bred in the Lezama training school -and steals players from Real Sociedad or Osasuna-.

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Griezman did great campaigns in Real Sociedad, another Basque club and the main rival of the Bilbao gang. With Atlético I have mixed feelings (I like some things and others annoy me), so I guess I'm more or less neutral.

[Keystone Phil]

So camo away jersey for Napoli this season but we couldn't get off too easy: we now have denim kits.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

This is the first time ever that we've won back-to-back victories away against Real. There's an outside chance that they don't even get third place at this point.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

There's an outside chance that they don't even get third place at this point.

Stop being an idiot.

Wonder what you were saying about Manchester United this time last year.

[Keystone Phil]

There's an outside chance that they don't even get third place at this point.

Stop being an idiot.

Wonder what you were saying about Manchester United this time last year.

That they'd end up around where they ended up. Please don't ever compare David Moyes to Carlo Ancelotti. Just...please.

[Keystone Phil]

Nine goal, 10 vs. 10 thriller in Serie A today. Milan win 5-4.

[Keystone Phil]

CL Group stage starts today.