steviedeluxe

This is a possibility if Catalunya really do head for independence. How would Barca attract top players if their regular opponents were Tarragona, Girona, Lleida??
However I doubt it would end up like that. The major opposition to this scenario would surely come from Real Madrid- they may have just announced record earnings of €514 million last year, but Sr Perez and the others must surely be aware that part of that is the allure in the eternal struggle of the Clasico
http://blogs.elpais.com/trans-iberia...ff-course.html
Instead I see a different scenario. Barcelona (and perhaps Espanyol) are invited back. But instead of La Liga we see an enlarged Iberian league - that brings in the big names of Portugal like Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.

Pocaloca

Barça and RM need each other too much, like an old married couple who argue all the time they would fall apart if they were separated! I'd vote for the Iberian league.

Which reminds me I believe the clásico tomorrow is only on pay TV - damn!

Pit Bull.

The best team ever in my opinion Barcelona will be the best team where ever they play, just my view. Now if they lost Messi, that might change things, if this would happen over time because they couldn't attract top players, then you might be right.

Pocaloca

But Barça don't need to attract top players, they grow their own!

steviedeluxe

But they've bought (or attracted to their training school) so many players over the years. You can't always assume your training school will come up with a good crop. Why else have Barca in recent years spent 100s of millions on players like Ibrahimovic, Villa, Henry, Eto'o, Mascherano, Ronaldinho and the rest? And remember they spend quite a few million on Messi's contract to keep him there.
Don't get fooled by the myth. Barca, like other big clubs, need to attract big name players to stay at the top.

Pit Bull.

They are doing a poor job, they are all small players, what are they feeding them on.

Pocaloca

Small but perfectly formed ...

Anyway, Gerard Piqué is hardly a midget at 6 ft 4!

Pit Bull.

He was at Man U they let him go to Barca because they thought he was just an average player, but he quickly showed he is one of the best defenders in the world, not many players improve and do better once leaving Man U.

steviedeluxe

Cron has! He won a La Liga champions' medal last season
We'll see if he's up to the task tomorrow!

Pocaloca

I think you`ll find he went through the Barcelona cantera (training academy) before going to Man U. Pep Guardiola bought him back when he took over at Barça.

Pit Bull.

I was wondering about that, I couldn't recall where Man U got him from, he is a quality player though.

Dick Dasterdly

Not so sure about that.
Forlan is one example from Man U and I believe there are others.
Liverpool and Arsenal bought some expensive Spanish players in recent years.
A few succeeded but many more flopped yet still turned out to be better players in La Liga than they were previously.
If the Prem does nothing else,at least it toughens them up and makes stonger characters of them than had they stayed in Spain.

Pocaloca

Would you include Cristiano in that category?

Maybe we should send him back to Manchester for some more character-building sessions!

Dick Dasterdly

Ha Ha, There's a question.

He moved to Man U from Portugal not Spain at the tender age of 18 for quite a bit of money. Obviously very talented but a long long way from being the finished product.
At first he was the most self centred selfish player I'd ever seen.
You well could argue he still is, but not to the extent he was back then.

I think it took Fergie at least 2 seasons to convince him that there were 10 other players on the pitch playing for the same team as him.
The rest is history, his football improved vastly under Fergie and possibly even a little more with Jose.
OK he's still a big baby,but maybe not quite such a baby as he was in his early days.
Some say he's the other way inclined and his girl friends are just for show,he definitely appears to be a tad effeminate anyway. Will he ever properly man up,I doubt it very much.

Although he has improved I think that his childish and selfish streak will always be with him both on the pitch and off it,as we saw recently when he didn't win the European footballer of the year award.

Pocaloca

2-2 - fair result I think. Pretty Boy's first goal and Messi's free kick goal were both totally amazing. And good to see hugs at the end instead of a punch-up!