The Spellchecked Midweek Ramble
A cheeky update - More blogging this weekend,(man `flu, this week), but you can catch yet more ramblings on the Extra Time show this weekend, starting at 10.05 UK time Friday, on the Real Madrid channel - free to air Sky tv. Or you watch the England game which is probably better.
A Tour of Spain. Without the Drugs
After weeks of biro chewing, bickering and bocadillos, the Professional Spanish Football League - “they may be a league but they’re certainly not professional’, muttered AS - have come to decision. Provisionally. The decision is when to hold the penultimate round of matches of the Primera.
Due to the races at the top and bottom of the table being exciting in the same way as a Grand Prix isn’t, it has been decided that almost all the matches will kick off at the same time to avoid yet more endless conspiracy theories being circulated. Good for the clubs, but lousy for the tv companies and fans.
The date chosen is Saturday 9th June at 21.00. The final round will be held on the following Sunday, but with no word on the time yet. More discussions and a UN ombudsman will be needed to fix that particular issue.
Meanwhile, the Primera entering its final death throws is the cue for hate-filled implosion from clubs not doing so well - and even from those who have been quite good. And we are talking about Valencia, of course. The east coasters are in the annual process of merrily airing their dirty laundry - having soiled it in the street for all to see, beforehand. Last week, Quique Sánchez Flores made the school boy error of assuming that, as manager of the club, he may have a say in transfer targets.
Las week, Quique straight batted a question from a hack about speculation over Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder moving to Mestalla, by admitting that player would not fit the team’s profile. Bad mistake. Days later he was forced to humbly retract his comment and apologise to the watching world - “the president is the one who decides these things. I apologise for my error”, he grovelled, as he desperately tugged his forelock.
Speculation has increased that Quique is on his way out over the summer - especially after Valencia’s defeat to Villarreal- despite him boasting that, “I spoke to the President for twenty minutes after the game and everything is ok”. Through utter boredom, as opposed to hard facts, Marca has predicted that he will be packing his eyeliner and scarves and heading to the Calderón over the summer in what would be very much a frying pan / fire scenario.
Meanwhile over in Atletico’s three ring circus, reports came out that while Atletico were waiting their for their plane out of Tarragona, after the plucky 2-0 win over ‘Nastic, the players were accosted by a plane losd of stag weekenders returning to Ireland.
Despite a waving Leo Franco pointing out that he played in the World Cup for about ten minutes, Fernando Torres was the only player recognised by the drunken Dubliners who crowded around him for his autograph. “You’re that overrated striker eejet for Atletico aincha!”, one gentleman declared in La Liga Loca’s imagination.
But this high point for the highlighted one had to come with a downside of course. And this happened on Tuesday, when Sergio Ramos slammed into the forward during a Spain training session, possibly putting Torres out for the rest of the season.
Real Betis are still very unhappy bunnies. And with some justification. Not only have the side been on the wrong end of some very iffy penalty decisions, it seems that the Spanish federation do indeed have it in for them. And it serves them right. “A gentleman from the FEF called de Lopera to tell him that a man in the Federation didn’t like us. It was a direct warning that they’re going for us”, bleated puppet presi, Pepé León, shortly before he was squashed by the biggest disrepute charge in the world.
“It’s clear that strange things are happening, it’s as if someone wants us to go down”, said the soon to be departing manager, Luis Fernández. He’s right. Just about everyone in Spain does want them to go down, just to be spared from the ordeal of watching them for a year.
The never ending squabbles between the Barcelona and Madrid press are rumbling along, as usual. “The refs vote for white!” screamed Sport on Monday, in arguing that Ruud Van Nistelrooy should have had a yellow for his hand ball for Real’s first goal - a castigation which would have lead to a suspension.
However, the paper still found room amongst the outrage, to complain about the Ronaldinho sending off - a one match man - and the muscular treatment handed out to Messi. And it appears that Frank Rijkaard’s men can expect more of the same from beloved local rivals, Espanyol next week.
“I’m Espanyol”, boasted Luis Garcia, peering at his badge to double check, “to win in the Camp Nou is the biggest thing for any ‘perico’, I haven’t forgotten how they sung ‘going down, going down’ to us last year”, warned the striker.
Osasuna are still earning the plaudits for not caving in against Real Sociedad. Something that Valencia’s, David Albeda was convinced was going to happen over the weekend, “we all know what the Basque teams are like”, whispered the midfielder, immediately inviting a horse’s head being planted in his bed. “You have Levante against Valencia, nest week, to show us how professional you are”, snorted Osasuna coach, Ziganda, in reply.
**********
All blog content copyright of La Liga Loca, 2007
A Tour of Spain. Without the Drugs
After weeks of biro chewing, bickering and bocadillos, the Professional Spanish Football League - “they may be a league but they’re certainly not professional’, muttered AS - have come to decision. Provisionally. The decision is when to hold the penultimate round of matches of the Primera.
Due to the races at the top and bottom of the table being exciting in the same way as a Grand Prix isn’t, it has been decided that almost all the matches will kick off at the same time to avoid yet more endless conspiracy theories being circulated. Good for the clubs, but lousy for the tv companies and fans.
The date chosen is Saturday 9th June at 21.00. The final round will be held on the following Sunday, but with no word on the time yet. More discussions and a UN ombudsman will be needed to fix that particular issue.
Meanwhile, the Primera entering its final death throws is the cue for hate-filled implosion from clubs not doing so well - and even from those who have been quite good. And we are talking about Valencia, of course. The east coasters are in the annual process of merrily airing their dirty laundry - having soiled it in the street for all to see, beforehand. Last week, Quique Sánchez Flores made the school boy error of assuming that, as manager of the club, he may have a say in transfer targets.
Las week, Quique straight batted a question from a hack about speculation over Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder moving to Mestalla, by admitting that player would not fit the team’s profile. Bad mistake. Days later he was forced to humbly retract his comment and apologise to the watching world - “the president is the one who decides these things. I apologise for my error”, he grovelled, as he desperately tugged his forelock.
Speculation has increased that Quique is on his way out over the summer - especially after Valencia’s defeat to Villarreal- despite him boasting that, “I spoke to the President for twenty minutes after the game and everything is ok”. Through utter boredom, as opposed to hard facts, Marca has predicted that he will be packing his eyeliner and scarves and heading to the Calderón over the summer in what would be very much a frying pan / fire scenario.
Meanwhile over in Atletico’s three ring circus, reports came out that while Atletico were waiting their for their plane out of Tarragona, after the plucky 2-0 win over ‘Nastic, the players were accosted by a plane losd of stag weekenders returning to Ireland.
Despite a waving Leo Franco pointing out that he played in the World Cup for about ten minutes, Fernando Torres was the only player recognised by the drunken Dubliners who crowded around him for his autograph. “You’re that overrated striker eejet for Atletico aincha!”, one gentleman declared in La Liga Loca’s imagination.
But this high point for the highlighted one had to come with a downside of course. And this happened on Tuesday, when Sergio Ramos slammed into the forward during a Spain training session, possibly putting Torres out for the rest of the season.
Real Betis are still very unhappy bunnies. And with some justification. Not only have the side been on the wrong end of some very iffy penalty decisions, it seems that the Spanish federation do indeed have it in for them. And it serves them right. “A gentleman from the FEF called de Lopera to tell him that a man in the Federation didn’t like us. It was a direct warning that they’re going for us”, bleated puppet presi, Pepé León, shortly before he was squashed by the biggest disrepute charge in the world.
“It’s clear that strange things are happening, it’s as if someone wants us to go down”, said the soon to be departing manager, Luis Fernández. He’s right. Just about everyone in Spain does want them to go down, just to be spared from the ordeal of watching them for a year.
The never ending squabbles between the Barcelona and Madrid press are rumbling along, as usual. “The refs vote for white!” screamed Sport on Monday, in arguing that Ruud Van Nistelrooy should have had a yellow for his hand ball for Real’s first goal - a castigation which would have lead to a suspension.
However, the paper still found room amongst the outrage, to complain about the Ronaldinho sending off - a one match man - and the muscular treatment handed out to Messi. And it appears that Frank Rijkaard’s men can expect more of the same from beloved local rivals, Espanyol next week.
“I’m Espanyol”, boasted Luis Garcia, peering at his badge to double check, “to win in the Camp Nou is the biggest thing for any ‘perico’, I haven’t forgotten how they sung ‘going down, going down’ to us last year”, warned the striker.
Osasuna are still earning the plaudits for not caving in against Real Sociedad. Something that Valencia’s, David Albeda was convinced was going to happen over the weekend, “we all know what the Basque teams are like”, whispered the midfielder, immediately inviting a horse’s head being planted in his bed. “You have Levante against Valencia, nest week, to show us how professional you are”, snorted Osasuna coach, Ziganda, in reply.
**********
All blog content copyright of La Liga Loca, 2007
posted by Tim Stannard at 12:28 pm
0 comments
