All Hail Raphinha.

The Blaugrana Faithful are enjoying this great start by their beloved Barça. With a new manager, and a young star blossoming in front of our eyes, hopes were high. Barça’s great start to the season has been a wonderful surprise, but the bigger surprise has to be the player leading the charge when most expected him gone; Raphinha.

Barça fans were enthusiastic about the upcoming 2024-2025 season. Hansi Flick was hired to be the man in charge. Lamine Yamal was coming off winning Euro 2024 with Spain where he was voted Young Player of the Tournament, and Barça signed former youth player Dani Olmo, who shined at Euro 2024. Barça fans were also enthusiastic about the possibility of the signing of another key player from that triumphant Spanish side, Nico Williams at the expense of Raphinha being sold to another club.

Fast forward to today, and all the enthusiasm has been rewarded with Barça being league leaders and doing well in the Champions League. The Nico Williams transfer never went through, but thankfully Raphinha has not made us think of Nico once. So far this season, in just 12 matches in La Liga and Champions League, Raphinha has scored 9 goals and has 6 assists.

Raphinha could have easily sulked and complained about his situation and future at the club. Instead, he has been very professional and it had to be noticed by his teammates when they voted him to be one of the captains of the team. Raphinha has been sensational and will be wearing the captain’s armband in El Clasico at Madrid. If Raphinha continues to shine like this, it won’t be long before we start comparing him with other Brazilian Barça legends such as Romario, Ronaldo, Rivado, Ronaldinho and Neymar.

THE BARÇA TRANSFERS THAT ALMOST HAPPENED - SHEARER & GINOLA

The summer of 1996 brought a new coach to Barcelona that wanted to sign two of the Premier League best players

It’s that time of the year when we are bombarded with gossip that this player or that player is rumored to be pursued by Barça. Summer transfer window gives us, the Blaugrana faithful, something to discuss and ponder as we wait to see what moves our club will do. The number of players rumored to be joining Barça every summer could be enough to field three additional lineups. In the end, only a few of the rumors became reality while most dissipate into the wind. This series though will look back on the possible Barça transfers that almost happened. The second part deals with the near capture of Alan Shearer and David Ginola.

The summer of 1996 was a strange one for Barça and their fans. For the first time in eight years, Johan Cruyff was no longer in charge. His successor was the legendary manager, Sir Bobby Robson, who left Portuguese club Porto to join Barça in July 1996. The era of the “Dream Team” was over and the club was looking into starting a new era.

Upon Robson’s arrival, many players were signed to strengthen the team following two seasons without any silverware. He signed players he was familiar with from his Porto days, Vítor Baia and Fernando Couto. Nonetheless, two players who Robson wanted were plying their craft in the Premier League. Those players were David Ginola and Alan Shearer.

20 years ago, Alan Shearer was the one of the most recognized strikers on the summer market. Most of that interest though was limited to just to England. After shining at Euro 96, there was interest from Manchester United and Newcastle in getting England’s dangerous goal scorer. However, there was also interest from overseas as Robson was interested in signing Shearer. Robson stated that he spoke to Blackburn Rover’s manager, Ray Harford, on three separate occasions about getting Shearer, only to be told each time that Shearer was not for sale. Robson never got to directly talk to Shearer but he was also plotting on convincing the Barça board to sign a 19 year old Brazilian from PSV Eindhoven, Ronaldo. In the end, Shearer ended up going to his boyhood club, Newcastle, while Barça broke the bank to sign Ronaldo.

David Ginola was another player that Robson wanted. Ginola had shined for France and Paris Saint-Germain in the mid 90’s. Rocking the long hair look that would make him a well-known popular shampoo spokesperson, the French winger possessed the right amount of talent and flair to be either loved or hated by fans. La Liga fans were aware of him after shining against Real Madrid in the 1992/1993 UEFA Cup and the 1993/1994 UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup, and also against Barça in the 1994/1995 Champions League when his PSG side eliminated Barça in the quarterfinals. Ginola then made the jump from the French league to the English league when he joined Newcastle in the summer of 1995. With Robson himself a former Geordie, it was no surprise he was aware of Ginola's performance for Newcastle as they finished runner-ups in the Premier League in his first season there.

After Bobby Robson was hired as Barça’s new manager, he personally called Ginola to inform him that he wanted the player to be part of his team. In an interview with Talksport, Ginola said he received a phone call from Bobby Robson expressing his interest in signing him. Ginola then claims that Newcastle were not interested in selling Ginola to Barça or anyone. However, Bobby Robson stated that Newcastle were willing to sell the 29 year old Ginola but the Barça board rejected the idea because Newcastle were asking too much for a player at his age. Ginola probably wished he had been sold since the manager who signed him, Kevin Keegan, quit halfway through his second season with Newcastle, which coincidentally was the same season Alan Shearer joined Newcastle. Ginola ended up leaving Newcastle at the end of that season, his only one with Shearer, and joined Spurs. Meanwhile, Barça moved on from Ginola and decided to bring back Hristo Stoichkov to the club from Parma.

Now, those two near signings were not going to haunt the club. Even though Barça lost out on Shearer and Ginola, Barça still signed other players that summer such as Antonio Pizzi, Giovanni, Luis Enrique, and Ronaldo while bringing back the legendary Stoichkov. Under Robson, Barça would go on to win three titles that season, the Spanish Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Yet, we can only imagine what would have happened if those transfers did take place. It would have been interesting to see Shearer and Ginola don the Blaugrana kit. Barça had signed Gary Lineker in the 80s and we would not see another big name English scorer join the Spanish League until the arrival of Michael Owen in 2005. In the end, many would agree that Barça signed the better player in Ronaldo, but how would have Barça done with Shearer instead? Would he have left the club after one season like Ronaldo did? Better yet, had Barça signed him, would that have meant Rivaldo would not been signed as a deadline day transfer the following season because of Ronaldo’s sale to Inter? As for Ginola, the club already possessed a superb winger in Luis Figo, who would excel under Robson and become one of the best wingers in the world for the next few years until his departure to Real Madrid.

Ultimately, Barça did not regret missing out on those players 20 years ago. The club went on to have three successful seasons under Robson and Louis van Gaal. Nonetheless, one has to wonder what if.

THE BARÇA SIGNINGS THAT ALMOST HAPPENED - MORIENTES AND RONALDO.

The summer of 2002 was an interesting one as Barça targeted a Real Madrid player and the one who would become their next Galáctico signing.

It’s that time of the year when we are bombarded with gossip that this player or that player is rumored to be pursued by Barça. Summer transfer window gives us, the Blaugrana faithful, something to discuss and ponder as we wait to see what moves our club will do. The number of players rumored to be joining Barça every summer could be enough to field three additional lineups. In the end, only a few of the rumors became reality while most dissipate into the wind. This series though will look back on the possible Barça transfers that almost happened. The first part deals with the near capture of Ronaldo and Fernando Morientes.

Believe it or not, Barça were presented with the opportunity to get Ronaldo or Fernando Morientes in August of 2002. At the time, Ronaldo shocked the football world when he demanded that his club, Inter, sell him to Real Madrid shortly after he had helped Brazil win the World Cup. This started a back and forth game between Inter and Real Madrid about how to negotiate this transfer.

Inter, angry with what had transpired, supposedly offered Ronaldo to Barça to play for them for one season on a loan basis. Ronaldo had played for Barça during the 1996-1997 season before being sold to Inter. During that 1996-1997 season, the club won four trophies under the helm of Bobby Robson, with Ronaldo scoring an astonishing 47 goals in 49 games.

Though his goals were memorable, he did not leave a lasting favorable impression with the fans due to his absence from the club to participate at Carnaval during the season, and also for having left the club, down the stretch, in order to join up with Brazil for the 1997 Copa America. Without Ronaldo, Barça lost the league title but managed to defeat Real Bétis to win the Copa del Rey. I am not so sure the Blaugrana faithful were going to be welcoming Ronaldo back with open arms either, especially since he wanted to join Real Madrid.

Nevertheless, on August 26, 2002, Inter reportedly offered “Il Fenomeno” to Barça in a season-long loan, but then manager Luis van Gaal vetoed that deal. Just imagine for a second, Barça could have had a chance to bring back Ronaldo to Barcelona, even if it was just for one season, where he would be reunited with his Seleção teammate Rivaldo. Who knows what entertainment and damage those two could have created on the pitch. I can also imagine how this loan would have not helped matters regarding the finances of the club thanks to its poor financial state at the time. Ultimately, Rivaldo left the club because of van Gaal’s appointment, Ronaldo went to Madrid, and the Dutchman was out of a job before the season was over.

When the Ronaldo loan deal fell through, there was talk that Inter wanted a Real Madrid player, Morientes, to be part of the Ronaldo transfer. Inter though had no intention of keeping Morientes as they had lined up a deal with Barça to sign the player. Supposedly, Barça president, Joan Gaspart was ready to give Inter between €22-24 million for Morientes. However, on the eve of the European summer transfer window, Barça pulled out of that deal. One of the reasons the deal fell through was supposedly the wage demands of Morientes. Others claim that Barça were never interested in signing Morientes, and that their sole intention was to sabotage Ronaldo’s transfer to Madrid deal by pulling out of the Morientes transfer at the last minute. In the end, Morientes remained with Real Madrid for another season and Madrid had to pay more money to Inter in order to get Ronaldo.

However, the Morientes coup would have been something remarkable, especially after the Figo scandal following his transfer from Barça to Madrid just two years prior. Morientes joining Barça, after winning three Champions League titles, with a chip on his shoulder would have been interesting. Morientes even declared that he grew up as a Barça fan. The last player to directly join Barça from Madrid was current manager Luis Enrique. Morientes was being ignored for Ronaldo even though he started in all triumphant Champions League finals for Real Madrid. It would have been interesting to see what he would have done for Barça, especially against his former club. Morientes would haunt Madrid in 2003/2004 Champions League season when he scored against them in the quarterfinals, while playing for Monaco on-loan, thereby knocking them out.

We can only ponder what would have happened if either of those players were part of the club. Could have made an impact on the pitch? Probably. Would it have improved the club’s long term future? Doubtful. With the way Barça was being run back then, it would have been throwing money at a problem that required more than just transfers and on-loan players to resolve. Nonetheless, that was one interesting final month of the summer transfer window back in 2002 where Barça could have obtained one of the world’s greatest scorers.

The Aftermath From El Clásico.

A week has passed since Barça crushed Real Madrid 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabéu. The lasting effect from that outcome has rejuvenated Barça while Madrid are still in a state of unpleasantness.

Barça’s domination of Real Madrid in their own Santiago Bernabéu was one for the ages for Blaugrana fans, and one that will haunt Madrid fans for a long time. El Clásico is usually a hard fought battle between two arch enemies regardless of form and league position in the standings. Yet, Barça’s 0-4 win seemed pedestrian without any bad blood. It was one sided from the opening whistle to the final whistle.

Barça have had a few great victories of such magnitude against Real Madrid in the Bernabéu in the last few decades. There is the 0-5 “Manita” in Cruyff’s first Clásico in the 70’s, perhaps the 2-3 win during the 97-98 season, the Ronaldinho inspired 0-3 performance and the legendary 2-6 win during the 2008-2009 season that felt like a separate trophy in itself during the treble season and now, the 0-4 victory will go down as another successful triumph on enemy ground.

Following that victory, Barça routed Roma 6-1 and Real Sociedad 4-0 in successive matches this week. Confidence is at an all-time high and praise was being bestowed on many of the players, including the magnificent trident of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez. All the players performed well and made their manager, Luis Enrique, very proud. The only sour note was Barça not getting the fifth goal to add another “Manita” to the history pages of this rivalry. Nonetheless, for me, this felt like a “Manita” even though only four goals were scored, the fact that this took place in the Santiago Bernabéu can be considered as the fifth goal.

Meanwhile, this loss just magnified the issues that continue to plague Real Madrid this season. Is this a team built to win or a team built to make money? Does the manager have the final say on who plays or the president? It was surprising to see Casemiro on the bench and not in the starting eleven and the end result was Iniesta running rampant and earning applause from the Madrid fans after he was substituted in the second half. While everyone is praising the harmony between Barça manager and players, the opposite was being discussed about the state of discord facing Real Madrid. Is Ronaldo unhappy and planning on leaving? Is Benzema’s mind distracted because of his involvement of a sex tape blackmail scandal? Do players like Rafa Benítez? Can Ronaldo and Bale co-exist? Is Rafa going to get sacked?

Madrid’s drama increased when their four goal lead against Shakhtar Donetsk was reduced to one as the Ukrainian side scored three unanswered goals to lose 3-4. They also looked sluggish during their 2-0 away win to Eibar. All is not well in Madrid while Barça and their fans are in a state of Euphoria. However, last season showed us that it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Madrid won the first clash last season and were on top of the world before their season burned into the ground with a trophyless season. What’s to say history won’t repeat itself and see Barça finish empty handed down the stretch?

Nevertheless, one feels that Barça can weather the storm if the wheels start coming off based on their style that they have learned over the years coupled with the new tweaks from Luis Enrique. The manager and the players have been on the same page since that infamous Sociedad loss back in January. The same cannot be said about Real Madrid. If the wheels start coming off, expect more drama from the Madrid press and discord between the players, the manager and the club president. There is a great expression we use in the US that applies to Madrid; “Winning is a great deodorant.” A few wins and perhaps everything will be fine in Madrid and this loss will be forgotten. But the attitude right now is that Barça got their mojo and Madrid is in search of an identity before they can get their mojo.

MSN Should Be Ballon d’Or Finalists.

Last season was a fantastic season for Barça and its fans. With the Golden Ball based on performances for 2015, Neymar and Suárez both deserve to be on the podium with Messi for the FIFA Golden Ball.

It’s that time of year again where we start debating who should be crowned the best footballer in the world. After a run of two years where Messi saw Ronaldo win consecutive FIFA Ballon d’Ors, it seems destined that Messi will be winning his fifth Golden Ball. So the debate is not so much who should win it, but rather who should be the three finalists for this award.

There’s no debate who had a better year in football in 2015. Messi lead his team to a treble and guided Argentina to the Copa America final. Even though he has been out with an injury since September, Messi’s 45 total league goals in 2015 was just matched by Ronaldo on Halloween.  One can only imagine what that tally would be if Messi was not injured.

Ronaldo did not win any team titles in 2015 but did win the European Golden Shoe for being the top scorer in a European league. He scored 48 during the 2014-2015 Spanish league season. Yet, he did not have that many big performances in Spain and in Europe in the big games. However, Neymar and Suárez did perform well late last season and now during Messi’s absence.

Neymar scored in every leg of the Champions League from the Quarter-Finals stage to the Final. That’s five consecutive games where he scored in a big game. Suárez scored memorable and big goals that also helped the club capture the treble. Those goals against away to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and the game winner against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in El Clásico from Suárez were key goals for the Blaugrana during their pursuit of the treble.

However, with Messi’s injury, Neymar and Suárez have done a superb job in his absence. Neymar has filled in superbly in Messi’s shoes to guide Barça. Both players have scored 16 goals and provided 5 assists in matches without Messi. Those performances also meant that Neymar was the top scorer in the Spanish League with 11 goals with Suárez occupying 2nd place with 9 goals. Meanwhile, Ronaldo is in 3rd place with 8 and had two recent subpar performances against Paris Saint-Germain and his team is in second place in the standings behind Barça after his club lost to Sevilla 3-2 in a match that he also was a non-factor. Without a doubt, the second half of 2015 belongs to the Brazilian and Uruguayan superstars.

So yes, Messi deserves the Golden Ball this year. To even debate it is futile. However, the debate of whether Neymar and Suárez both deserve to be on the podium with Messi much like Xavi and Iniesta did back in 2010 is merited. MSN had a magnificent 2015 and all three deserve to be the FIFA Ballon d’Or Finalists.

La Liga’s disciplinary committee lacks discipline.

La Liga has found itself in another ridiculous situation when it comes to players’ lack of self-control and the league’s failure to properly discipline them. If the league wants to set an example by punishing players, then they need to wake up and revamp its disciplinary committee. January saw the return of La Liga football after the winter break and we already have seen some players commit terrible acts on the pitch that are worthy of a lengthy ban. Yet, we are left wondering why that is not the case. Ronaldo was given a two match ban after getting sent off against Cordoba last week for losing his mind and kicking and punching Edimar when the score was 1-1.

Many were not surprised that he was not given a lengthy ban. La Liga has always been known to be lax when it comes to disciplining players, especially those from the big clubs. A few days ago, we saw two bizarre incidents in the Copa del Rey clash between Atlético Madrid and Barça. In the second half, Arda Turan lost his cool, after getting fouled by Dani Alves, and proceeded to pick up his boot off the ground and toss it at the linesman. If that was not bizarre enough, what happened next was even more bizarre. The referee gave Arda Turan a yellow card. Perhaps if the boot had struck the linesman, it would have warranted a red.

Don’t be surprised if Arda Turan will not be punished for this outrageous conduct since the referee report will show that the player was booked. The league’s disciplinary committee relies on the referee’s final report which in itself is a problem and not on secondary evidence. During that Cordoba Real Madrid match, Ronaldo had earlier gotten away with punching Cordoba player Jose Angel Crespo. Even though everyone else saw it, the three officials on the pitch did not and he was not punished for it. Better yet, it was not even taken into consideration when the two match ban was handed down by the disciplinary committee. Thus, if the referee did not report it, it did not happen and will not be taken into consideration.

The league’s disciplinary committee needs to adopt the Premier League’s model when it comes to punishing players for aggressive conduct. Former La Liga troublemaker, Diego Costa, was recently given a three match ban for stamping Emre Can, even though the referee did not spot it. The FA’s decision mentioned that “[t]he incident was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.” Another perfect example was when FIFA rightfully banned Luis Suarez for biting Giorgio Chiellini, even though the referee failed to spot the disgusting act, thanks to what they saw on video. If this measure is good enough for FIFA and the Premier League, then it should be good enough for La Liga to adopt. La Liga’s disciplinary committee needs to become strict if it really cares about its young viewers who are watching their games.

Ronaldo has been sent off five times during his time with Real Madrid. Out of those five, four were for aggressive conduct and he got away with just a booking when he and Godin engaged in a quick slug fest during the Spanish Super Cup. Perhaps it’s time the league cracked down on players by increasing the ban on repeat offenders to act as a deterrence or else we will continue to see players get sent off for aggressive conduct; that’s if they do get sent off like what we saw with Arda Turan. Allowing a player to get the same punishment for the same type of aggressive conduct over and over again for losing their cool does not send a proper message to the players and the fans is not acceptable.

In conclusion, La Liga’s disciplinary committee needs to get with the times and rely on video evidence. If the referee failed to punish Turan for what he did, then they need to rectify that problem themselves. Furthermore, the league’s disciplinary committee needs to punish repeat offenders in a stricter manner to deter players from losing their calm. The league needs to be conscious of its image both across the world and domestically or continue to be mocked for lacking the discipline to get things done right.

Will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi?

A week ago, there was panic in Barcelona over the comments made by Messi and his father about his future with Barça. A week later, we are celebrating Messi becoming the all-time goal scorer in Spanish league history and UEFA Champions League history. It has been all smiles for Messi but the question remains; will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi? History has shown that it is likely.

First of all off, congratulations to Messi on breaking two historic scoring records. Messi made his debut ten years ago and it was unfathomable that he would go on to accomplish so many feats with the Blaugrana. Where he ranks amongst the greatest players of all-time is up for debate. What is not debatable is that he is Barça’s greatest player of all time.

Barça have had many great players over the years and the majority share one thing in common; unhappy exits from the club. Throughout the history of the Blaugrana, many big name stars have exited the club for different reasons. It is very rare to see players retire as Barça players. Paulino Alcántara, Rexach, Migueli, Luis Enrique and Puyol are just some that come to mind that did. Some players in their mid-30’s, such as Cesar Rodriguez, left where their services were not needed and the players felt they still had some football left in them . Pep was 30 and wanted to play in other leagues. Kubala, the man the Camp Nou was built for, retired as a Barça player to become a youth manager before becoming the first team manager. However, his Barça coaching career did not last long and he was dismissed. Kubala wanted to still play for Barça but the club was not interested and he became a player manager for Espanyol where he teamed up with Real Madrid legend, Alfredo Di Stefano.

Barça’s first ever Golden Ball winner, Luis Suarez, exited the club because of financial reasons. The club had to cash in on their star player after they fell upon hard financial times. One of Barça’s first superstars, Josep Samitier, starred for Barça between 1919-1932. Unfortunately, he would become the first in a long line of Barça players who clashed with the board and left the club as a result. Samitier and the club had their differences and he left to join Real Madrid.

Maradona and Schuster both clashed with egotistical Barça president Núnez in the 80’s that saw Maradona get sold to Napoli while Schuster followed in Samitier’s path and joined Real Madrid when his contract ended. Others, such as Michael Laudrup and Romario had differences with Barça manager Johan Cruyff. Romario was off loaded after being in Cruyff’s doghouse following the 1994 World Cup success, while Michael Laudrup also joined the ranks of former Barça players to depart the club and join arch rivals Real Madrid. Laudrup was not selected by Cruyff for the 1994 European Cup Final because of the foreign players quotas at the time, so he joined Real Madrid the following season when his contract ended. There is also rumor that another reason why Cruyff dropped him was that Laudrup was fooling around with Cruyff’s daughter. Cruyff also had his problems with Barça president Núnez who ultimately fired the legendary manager.

Brazilians were no exception either after Romario. Brazilian legend Ronaldo also left the club after just one season after contract negotiations for a new contract fell apart and Inter ended up breaking the transfer fee record for him. Rivaldo on the other had problems with both the board and the manager Louis van Gaal and in the end, Rivaldo’s contract was terminated when Louis van Gaal was brought back to manage the club for a second stint. Ronaldinho went from savior to persona non-grata after many, including manager Pep Guardiola, thought he had lost his way and had become a negative influence on Messi. Brazilian born but Portuguese naturalized Deco had a quiet exit and joined Chelsea.

Even during Pep Guardiola’s era, Barça still had messy divorces with star players. This was however because of the manager, and not the board. Pep Guardiola tolerated the likes of Eto’o and Ibrahimovic for one season before ridding them from the club following clash of personalities. Even the return of the so-called prodigal son, Cesc Fábregas, lasted a few season before he was sold to Chelsea. More recently, Victor Valdés’s exit left a bitter taste for many Blaugrana faithful. Valdés never indicated his reason for leaving but there were whispers that he was not fond of the current Barça board, especially after not hiring his choice of goalkeeper coach when the position became available.

In a rarity, Hristo Stoichkhov left the club twice during the 90’s. The first time because of a deteriorating relationship with manager Johan Cruyff, and he was sold to Parma. He returned when Bobby Robson was the manager but his second exit, this time because of another Dutch manager, van Gaal, where the manager’s tactics were criticized by the Bulgarian Golden Ball winner. Hristo would leave the team and play in different countries before concluding his career in the MLS.

So what about Messi? Will he remain a Barça player till the day he retires or will he end up playing elsewhere else? As much as I am a football romantic, I am also a realist. History has shown us that the chances of Messi retiring as a Barça player are slim. Not one Barça Golden Ball winner has ever retired with this club. The comments from Messi and his father served as a warning shot to the board to not mistreat the player. It also enforced the belief that Messi will never leave the club unless the club wanted to sell him first. Hopefully, the next Barça board to take over from this inept board, and soon,  will make sure Messi stays with the club for a long time…….before he leaves Barça near the end of his career to play in Argentina for his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys. At least that way, it will not be a messy divorce.

El Clásico: Evaluation Time for both Barça and Real Madrid.

Following just eight matches, El Clásico rears its heads for both Barça and Madrid. Both clubs have had their tests already but this is their mid-term exam. Have both teams addressed what their teams are lacking or is still there work to do? Come Saturday, we will know if there will be more questions or answers presented to the world.

This Saturday is Lucho’s mid-term exam, or evaluation, as Barça’s manager. Thus far, Barça are currently league leaders, four points ahead of Real Madrid and are in second place in their Champions League group stage. They have yet to concede a goal in league play but have conceded four in Champions League play. Lucho’s first test was during the September stretch where Barça drew with Malaga and lost to PSG. Lucho’s tactics came into question during that time where it was believed his Plan A was inadequate and his Plan B was non-existent. Merely swapping players in similar positions is not a Plan B. However, we are still unsure of his Plan A since he still has not had use of all his players. That will change this Saturday.

Contrary to the insistence of the Madrid press that Luis Suarez cannot play this Saturday, the Uruguayan international is set to make his first competitive debut for Barça in the biggest game possible. Perhaps we will see Lucho’s Plan A after all now that he has Messi, Neymar and Suarez available. I am curious to see what Lucho plans to do with “The South American Connection” on Saturday. Messi and Neymar are in fine form heading into this game so will Lucho start with Suarez and play him for 45-60 minutes or go with Pedro and then bring him on as a second half sub? My big concern is how will he react when he meets the likes of Pepe and not lose his head if confronted. I am also curious to see how Suarez’s inclusion will affect the rest of the team. Will the defense be less shaky now that he’s there and not rely too much on the fullbacks attacking? Even though Barça has yet to concede a goal in league play, they came close to on several occasions. Lucho has to wonder which of his players will center the heart of the defense along with Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. Lucho needs to figure out if Mascherano should start ahead of Busquets who has recovered from a hip injury.

Meanwhile, Madrid have had a “Más o menos“ start to the season. They did win the UEFA Super Cup but lost the Supercopa against Atlético. They also suffered a hiccup of their own when they squandered a two goal lead after allowing Real Sociedad to score four unanswered goals in a 4-2 loss. Real Madrid also didn’t do so well on their first big test when they lost to Atlético in the Santiago Bernabéu back in September. This was the third consecutive time that Ancelotti could not defeat Atlético in league play. He has yet to taste victory against Atlético or Barça in league play and one wonders what pressure he will face if he loses to Barça at home again and Los Blancos find themselves four points behind.

The other issue for Madrid is whether or not they are a better team without Alonso and Di Maria. Alonso gave them the bite they needed in the midfield while Di Maria was sensational and their workhorse down the stretch. Hands down, Di Maria was their best player towards the end of the season. Now, both are gone, along with Diego Lopez, and one has to wonder if this Madrid team has the proper team to face Barça. Are they too finesse or can they, especially Kroos, Rodriguez and Modric, defend and win the ball back without the likes of Alonso present? The fact that some consider Bale’s absence, through injury, a blessing since this means Isco can play, says something. As good as Bale is offensively, he does hurt this team defensively.

Speaking of defense, Madrid have conceded more goals, nine, than all the other top six teams in the league and have allowed far too many scoring chances than they should have. So both Barça and Madrid have their work cut out for them on the defensive side of the pitch. One wonders if this will be a box to box goal fest or will both sides be a bit conservative in their style to protect themselves?

Of course, for many, Saturday means it is Messi vs Ronaldo again. Both are gunning to be the best and to be the best, you have to win. I’ve said all that has to be said about Messi. Words cannot adequately describe what he has accomplished for Barça and Argentina. He has a shot at becoming La Liga’s all-time goal scorer and what better venue to do that then at the Santiago Bernabéu. He surpassed Di Stefano as the all-time top scorer in El Clásico in Madrid last season, so can he also surpass Zarra and become all-time scorer in league history in the same venue this Saturday?

Ronaldo is also one of the most dangerous goal scorers I have ever seen and is lethal when surrounded by the right talent. Now, ever since Ronaldo joined Real Madrid, his team has won only once on home soil in league play. Barça on the other hand have won three times at the Santiago Bernabéu during that same span. I, however think the player that Barça need to watch out for is Benzema. He has scored four goals against the Blaugrana on home soil from open play, while Ronaldo has only two goals, both from the spot. Benzema is a vital player for this team, even if he is not scoring. His presence is a cause of concern for defenders and last season, he could have scored a hat trick and more in the first half alone against Barça. Will Barça be ready to deal with him this time?

As a Barça fan, I am not sure what will happen on Saturday. I recall them losing 4-1 in this stadium the year they won the Champions League title in 2006, and they won at this stadium under Tata Martino last season. I do believe they can win at the Santiago Bernabéu. Last season, Iniesta said, “It’s hard to believe there are Barça fans who don’t believe in us. This team has won the right to the fans’ trust – sure we’ve had off days, but nobody should think Madrid are going to find us an easy prospect”. Well said Iniesta and here’s hoping that there is no off day in Madrid come Saturday.

Fix Camp Nou or Build a new one?

To build or renovate? That is the question that Barça president Sandro Rosell brought up last month in the General Assembly was the suggestion of building a new stadium. This sparked a great debate about what should Barça do regarding their home. Should they renovate the Camp Nou or time to build a new stadium?

Last month, the club presented a proposition to the members about the status of the Camp Nou.  Javier Faus, the vice-president of the Economic and Strategic Area of the Club proposed two options regarding the home of Barça; Renovate the Camp Nou or build a new one. The first option would cost close to 300 million euros, and the second option wouldn’t surpass 600 million euros. He also assured that if a new stadium was built, it would not be built outside of the Barcelona city limits. Ultimately, 89% of the socios approved on having a referendum about this topic.

This topic struck a nerve with many passionate Blaugrana fans. Many, including myself, were not in favor of seeing Barça play at a new stadium, but to stay at the Camp Nou and just go ahead and renovate the stadium where it is needed. Others though believe it’s time for a new stadium.

The argument for the new stadium wasn’t just an argument about a new playing surface but it was also more of a sign that the club needs to step forward and become more modern like other teams. A new stadium would mean more VIP seats – reminds me of the Sky Box seats arguments US franchises used to build new arenas/stadiums – and could also generate more income by selling the naming rights of the stadium.  Bottom line, the new stadium would mean a step in a direction of the club becoming more of a professional organization and not just a club.

However, there are many, including myself, who believe that Barça’s only home should be the Camp Nou.  The Poll on the Miami Penya website saw 5 out of 20 in favor of building a new stadium. Most of the responses I got from fellow fans were that the club should stay in the Camp Nou. Why? The stadium is magical with such a vast history. This is stadium that has seen the likes of Kubala, Luis Suarez, Cruyff, Krankl, Simonsen, Maradona, Lineker, Stoichkhov, Laudrup, Romario, Koeman, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Guardiola, Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and the current crop of amazing talent such as Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi call home. We have also witnessed great games at this pitch with the likes of a few 5-0 wins against Real Madrid, the magical comeback of Barça against Atletico Madrid in 1996-1997 Copa Del Rey encounter, numerous Champions League victories, and many great celebrations.

I think part of the reason why some of the fans said don’t build a new one is because they have yet to experience a match at the magical stadium, including myself.  For those who have been to the Camp Nou on numerous occasions, perhaps the magic aura of the Camp Nou has rubbed off and it is just another stadium to them. So is that selfishness on our part not to have a new stadium built? Probably yes. However, I also have a tough time believing a new stadium is really needed. The current Camp Nou holds 99,000 seats and supposedly the new stadium will have 10,000 additional seats and of course, the ever so important VIP seats. However, the club only averages close to 75,000 fans in attendance so what guarantee is there that the new stadium will have more fans? Will there be more amenities?

If the club is averaging close to 75,000 fans to see one of a kind amazing talent such as Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and company, then I shudder to think what will happen in the new stadium when most of these players will be done with football and working on their golf games or working on their coaching badges.

The Camp Nou is not only the home of the football team, but it also contains the club’s offices, the Botiga – Official Barça shop, and the FC Barcelona Museu, the club’s museum. In the end, money talks, especially under this president who wants to make the club more fiscally responsible. However, I don’t know if spending 600 million euros for a new stadium is the right approach. The New York Yankees decided to leave their own Camp Nou and built a new Yankees stadium and some would say that the move has not been as successful with overpriced seats, empty seats, and a lackluster fan atmosphere that no longer intimidates opposing teams.

In my opinion, you can’t replace a landmark. VIP boxes area a great idea and great source of income but with the current state of the Spanish economy is going, what guarantee is there that those seats will be sold off to corporations since they are the ones who usually buy those types of seats and US teams suffered during the poor economy because companies couldn’t afford those tickets. Also, if the club is not selling out every match now with this great team, then what guarantee that a new stadium with 10,000 additional seats will have a higher attendance? By the time this stadium is built, the great era of this team might be over so fans won’t be paying to watch the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, and perhaps even Messi. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. However, if minor repairs are needed, then renovate.

In the end, the fans will have the final say on what should happen. Part of me wants to have the club remain at the holy grounds of the Camp Nou and part of me thinks that the club should always be proactive and reactive to change such as modern facilities and modern approaches in how a club should be run. So if you’re still waffling on when to go to the Camp Nou, you might want to do it sooner than later because it seems that the Camp Nou days are coming to an end.

 

Hearts of Champions Should Never Be Underestimated.

Well El Clásico came and went and what a roller coaster it was. Barça’s 3-1 victory over their bitter arch rivals was fantastic for us Cules and served a lesson to all those who doubted them. You cannot underestimate the hearts of champions when it comes to this team and Pep.

Without a doubt, this past El Clásico was one for the ages. It had it all. It started off with a bang that sank our hearts just 22 seconds in and ended with all the Blaugrana faithful celebrating yet another impressive victory. Prior to kickoff, many expected Real Madrid to finally get the better of Barça with whispers that the cycle was coming to an end. Real Madrid had a 3 point lead and an extra game in hand so a victory would have meant Real Madrid could have had a 9 point lead before Christmas.

I won’t lie, I was upset when Barça lost away to Getafe but as I stated earlier, the team was down but not out. However, they had to make sure they did not suffer a defeat in the Santiago Bernabéu. Well, they did just that to temporarily go atop of the standings with their memorable 3-1 win. So what did we learn from that victory?

I believe former Houston Rockets coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, said it best after his team repeated as NBA Champions back in the mid 90’s; “Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” There had been some anticipation that Mourinho and Madrid were going to finally exact their revenge on Barça. Thankfully, that never came to fruition and that is because we should know to never underestimate the heart of a champion. Pep and his players have been through a lot over the years and it showed on Saturday that they were not ready to hand over the crown as La Liga’s best.

Pep and the players overcame a nightmarish start to a game when Valdés’s poor pass resulted in a goal just 23 seconds into the game. For some teams, that would have killed their confidence but this team brushed it off, after a shaky 20 minutes, to regroup and get the victory. A lot of that is due to the players not giving up in what they believe. Puyol and Abidal could have opted to avoid Valdes after that gaffe and just keep the ball clear from him and Valdes could have also opted to just not take chances and boot the ball all the way down to Casillas. However, they stuck to their guns and kept playing their game. Guardiola also made the right decisions against the so-called master tactician, Mourinho, and once again got the better of him.

Zonal Marking splendidly showed how Pep got the best of Mourinho in this encounter. Pep got the best of him in the Camp Nou after their historic 5-0 victory by playing Messi as a false 9 and on Saturday, Pep got the best of Mourinho again with his tactics. Busquets dropped back, Puyol covered Alves on the right, and, after struggling in the first half, Cesc figured out what Pep wanted him to do which resulted in him scoring in the second half.

This victory sure seemed easy when the club scored their third goal with plenty of time to spare. They seemed relaxed and composed which begs the question; why can’t they start games like this? If there is one slight imperfection that bothers me about this team, and it is slight, it is the team’s start to some big games. We have seen them twice struggle in the first ten minutes in both Champions League finals against Manchester United and this match on Saturday is no different. This also was the case in the 2006 Champions League final in Paris. Pep is always going to be busy but he really needs to come up with a solution to get his team ready from the opening whistle.

This victory also showed us just how vital Puyol is to the team’s success. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and others get credit for helping this team get the goals but make no mistake about it; Puyol is a big reason why this team is so successful.  As Sid Lowe mentioned in his column today, Puyol has now gone 44 consecutive games unbeaten and it is no coincidence that he was absent in Barça’s past seven defeats. His presence was key back in last season in the Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid. It’s not because of his defending but because of his leadership. After Madrid’s opening goal, Puyol gestured to his fellow teammates to go back to the center of the pitch and get ready for kickoff. He basically told them to get over it and move on. He also kept passing the ball back to Valdes in a show of support that the team believes in him. Puyol is one player that cannot be replaced and one of my favorite memories of the great defender was hi shoving Pique to get him to stop trash talking and get his mind back on the game after Pepe’s sending off in the Champions League last season.

Finally, this victory also proved once again that Messi is the world’s best player. While Messi worked hard for his team to get the victory, Ronaldo was showing his mental weakness with his sad facial expressions and his selfishness to outdo Messi.  The problem is that Messi is not doing this for himself, but for the team. He set up the first goal and worked hard on both sides of the pitch to make his team better. Messi shined while Ronaldo played the defeated role. Ronaldo should have buried his chances and I think had he got in the way of Benzema on that cross that the Portuguese international headed wide. In a stadium where Maradona, Ronaldinho and even Iniesta got applause, Ronaldo got jeered by his own fans.

If anything, the three finalists for the Balon d’Or should be Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, not Ronaldo. Those players rise to the occasion time and time again and all three deserve to be nominated again for their performances. Iniesta was simply amazing and he should be the one standing there on the podium next month with Messi and Xavi for the FIFA Balon d’Or. It could happen again next season where all three might be standing on the podium. Instead, Messi and Xavi will be standing there and whoever wins it, Messi is the favorite, will no doubt thank his fellow teammates. They all know they need and depend on one another for their success. That will be put to the test when they try to capture their second ever FIFA Club World Cup title this week.

After retiring, Ronaldo’s status as a Barça legend is debatable.