MCFC-alan88
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They did it with Fabregas for years, I hate the way they do business. A bunch of slimy bastards.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ar...ing-bunch-faced-chisellers-Martin-Samuel.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ar...ing-bunch-faced-chisellers-Martin-Samuel.html
.Barcelona are a conniving bunch of two-faced chisellers (and Bale's in their sights!)
By MARTIN SAMUEL
Last updated at 12:14 AM on 21st November 2011
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Barcelona are not interested in Gareth Bale. Yet, suddenly, Bale is interested in Barcelona. See what they did there? It was the old switcheroo.
Like all shameless hustlers, they’re brilliant at it. Sandro Rosell, the Barcelona president, pompously announced his club would never pay €40million for Bale. Yet this means they would pay something. So Bale was asked if he fancied Barcelona; and who wouldn’t? Yes, he said. And now the game is on.
If Tottenham Hotspur confront Rosell, however, he will play the wide-eyed innocent and claim he only said Barcelona wouldn’t buy Bale, not that they would. Clever, isn’t it? Barcelona boast of being more than a club and this is true. They’re also a conniving bunch of two-faced chisellers wrapped in a cloak of sanctimonious drivel.
‘While I am president, Barcelona will never, ever be for sale,’ said Rosell, a man whose team are now sponsored by the Qatar Foundation, so are effectively promoting a bent World Cup. ‘We are not owned by anybody, we are an association, we do not have clients. I will never put on a game at noon for a Chinese audience. Barcelona is not a business; it is a feeling.’
So what was Barcelona feeling by the time Rosell hit a conference in Doha last week? It was feeling that unless UEFA bowed to a demand to increase the endless rounds of European fixtures between the established elite, at the expense of domestic competitions and the international calendar, Barcelona might just try to spearhead a breakaway of the biggest and richest clubs.
So not a business, then. Not the usual greedy, grasping, selfish, bullying band of charlatan brothers who would sell their grandmother at the first sniff of a few quid more; although there is one hell of a family resemblance.
Rosell’s plans include the reduction of major leagues from 20 clubs to 16 — fine when you have the domestic television deal tied up as tightly in your favour as Barcelona do — and a massive reduction in the space for international matches.
Ambitious plans: Sandro Rosell (left) has his eyes on the reform of European football
‘The freed dates are not for the federations,’ Rosell added, ‘but for the clubs to organise friendly games or to increase European competitions.’
So Rosell would never kick off at noon for China; but he would sell wonderful, historic tournaments like the World Cup, European Championship and Africa Cup of Nations down the river, so that Barcelona could pop over to Asia to play the local also-rans, or participate in a meaningless friendly game against Manchester United in Shanghai for the dough.
‘If we did not have to fight against competition which has capital, I would never sell anything on the shirt,’ Rosell bleated. Yet if Manchester City could take one third of the total television revenue in England — as Barcelona do in Spain — they probably would not have needed oil money to compete. It is all relative. Barcelona already have every advantage of the well-padded elite club, and will only be made stronger by Michael Platini’s financial fair play rules, but still they want more.
‘We would like to increase the Champions League,’ Rosell added, ‘and if not then the European Club Association are entitled to organise their own champions’ competition.’
No they’re not.
All competitions must be sanctioned by the domestic associations, through UEFA and ultimately FIFA. Yet Rosell is so full of entitlement he talks as if this is an irrelevance; much like the four clubs that would be cut loose once Barcelona have redesigned the Premier League for us; much like the figure Tottenham can legitimately ask for their best player.
It is all to be brushed aside for the greater glory of Barcelona. Nice football, shame about the club