More Sevilla snatching for Barcelona?
Tuesday 19 August 2008 12:00
La Liga Loca smelt something in the air this morning. At first it thought it might be the whiff of wee coming from the local plaza, which also doubles as a toilet for Sangria-soaked winos.
But it seems that the blog can sniff a transfer scoop floating in the breeze.
Barcelona look as if they will be continuing their super-summer-squad-building-strategy which consists of promoting youngsters like Pedro from their youth system. And nicking Sevilla's best players.
Having poached Dani Alves and Seydou Keita - making José Maria del Nido considerably richer in the process - the paper talk this week is of Pep Guardiola ram-raiding the Sánchez Pizjuán and bringing Diego Capel to Catalunya.
Capel: Barca's latest catch from Sevilla?
Marca write that the club is considering dipping behind the back of the sofa once again to activate the player's 16 million euro signing clause and squeeze him into the left wing spot that David Silva should have been occupying, according to Sport's José Luis Carazo.
"It seems like a big mistake not to have signed this star," grumbles the paper's columnist, who feels that the club should have used the money splurged on Alexander Hleb to grab Silva from Valencia's debt-ridden clutches.
Capel himself seems up for a change of scene and claims that "it's an honour that Barcelona are interested in me" - but more importantly, interested in upping his current 300,000 euro a year salary, a figure La Liga Loca wouldn't even put its slippers on for.
Villarreal has responded to La Liga Loca’s taunts from Monday that they are the dullest club in Spain. Oh yes.
Their website currently leads with the thrilling story that the club’s car parking facilities at El Madrigal will be used exclusively for season ticket holders.
But even more stunning is that the local swimming pool will be named after Yurema Requena, the first local sports person to ever take part in the Olympics - and, being Spanish, someone who is unlikely to have actually won anything.
To be fair to the plucky Submarine-themed battlers, new signing Joseba Llorente did become dangerously controversial on Monday when looking back at the red card fest against Sevilla on Friday night.
“Villarreal never have any trouble with other teams,” boasted the former Valladolid man on his new tedious team-mates. But Sevilla have problems with half the sides in the league and it must be for something.”
Llorente: Helping Villarreal climb a few places in controversy table
As predicted, a big old scrap is brewing between Bernd Schuster and Ramón Calderón over the purchase of another striker.
On Sunday the Real Madrid president claimed that there would be no new faces over the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, Schuster does not hold much water with this approach and told Pedja Mijatovic before the game that more effort was needed to bring in a forward.
At least, that’s what Marca claim the Real Madrid manager said in another one of their completely made up quotes stories which seem to be in fashion with the paper this summer.
Both AS and Marca have cunningly overlooked the fact that Raul has been playing like a donkey over pre-season, with the former suggesting that it is Ruud who has something to prove over the new campaign.
“The Dutchman wants to dispel all the doubts over his performances at Madrid,” writes the paper on a player who must be thoroughly ashamed of his 41 goals in 61 league appearances.
Ruud prays for a better goals-to-games ratio
Tomás Roncero appears to have banged his head or be on some new kind of medication but he seems to be making some semblance of sense in his column on Tuesday.
The Madridista is training his sights on Robinho, a player who is well and truly off his Christmas card list. “I don’t remember a great performance from him in the Camp Nou, Calderón or in the Allianz Arena,” rants Roncero. “Robinho! Sort yourself out and go get yourself the biggest salary,” is the AS man’s advice.
Atlético Madrid’s friendly against Sporting on Monday night was suitably chaotic. Holding a 3-1 lead with 11 minutes to go, the rojiblancos decided to let their opponents back into the game by letting in two late goals. The appearance of Pablo in the back four suggests the root cause for this calamitous late spell. There will be more fun and frolics against Deportivo on Tuesday.
And it’s back-slapping time to end today’s edition with a well done to Olympic broadcasters TVE and their evening highlights show where the results are given before the races are shown and where the channel interviewed local fans reactions to the withdrawal of, hurdling idol, Liu Xiang but without translating them.
“Interesting stuff there,” said the presenter who must understand more of the local lingo than La Liga Loca.
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About Tim Stannard and Simon Talbot
When he isn't fighting the evil forces of flamenco or attracting libel actions for La Liga Loca,
Tim Stannard is building his media empire in Madrid. As well as contributing to Football365 and doing odd jobs elsewhere, Tim also works in the glamorous world of television as a producer, script writer, news editor, coffee boy and stand-in fluffer.
Simon Talbot? Well, he's a man of mystery.