European Football Thread

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

To be used for discussing European transfers and matches from Anywhere but the PL

La Liga
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
Seria A etc

The Bundesliga & Ligue 1 start today with Big Spenders PSG in Action as are German Champions Bayern Munich

[Guest]

Just 13 goals conceded all season for Bayern, says everything

[Gerry SA]

Just 13 goals conceded all season for Bayern, says everything

More incredible with all the defensive injuries they've suffered this season

[Guest]

Not incredble, it just emphasises John's point, that the Bundesliga is just woefully poor, that Bayern can have thos issues & still only concede 13 goals, in a league they just attack without caution.

[Gerry SA]

Jurgen Klopp will get the fairytale ending after Dortmund beat Bayern in the German Cup semi final at the Allianz. The match ended 1-1 after extra time. Lewandowski scored for Bayern in the first half and Auybamayang levelled up 15 minutes from the end of normal time.

Dortmund won 2-0 on penalties after Lahm, Alonso, Gotze and Neuer all missed. Gundogan and Kehl scored(Hummels also missed).

No treble for Bayern, but light at the end of the tunnel for Dortmund after a tough season.

[Guest]

Oh dear Pep, if you don't win the champions league, you've had a shocker. Pleased for Klopp, still tough to beat Wolfsburg in final.

Neuer taking pens that early, talk about ego & overconfidence, glad Bayern blew it.

[Gerry SA]

Oh dear Pep, if you don't win the champions league, you've had a shocker. Pleased for Klopp, still tough to beat Wolfsburg in final.

Neuer taking pens that early, talk about ego & overconfidence, glad Bayern blew it.

Neuer took a PK as Lewandowski had suffered a suspected concussion after Dortmund's keeper smashed him in the head going for the ball. And Robben came off literally 20 minutes after he came on.

[Guest]

Does appear to be going pear shaped for Bayern, with Robben out for the season, I don't see them winning the champions league, he makes them really tick & is a massive loss.

[monty junior]

Yea plus Thiago had already been taken off so there weren't many other penalty takers available. Pleased BVB won but the ref was absolutely awful, the goalkeepers late hit on Lewandowski was bordering on assault never mind a red card and a penalty!

[monty junior]

I think Wolfsburg will win the cup, they deserve some silverware for this season and i don't think Dortmund will get so lucky again. Watching them makes me think the times right of Klopp to go, they just don't have the same electric exciting play as previous seasons and without Reus are a bit workmanlike.

[Gerry SA]

Robert Lewandowski has suffered a broken upper jaw and a broken nose. He may well miss the rest of the season.

[Guest]

Looks like Pogba has opened talks with PSG to join this summer, apparently wages of £130k post tax are being offered. Disappointed if he chose to go to Ligue 1, but with those wages & in the season before the Euro's, I can see why.

Could spark Cavani to Juve & Cabaye back to the PL.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I cannot see that going uncontested.

[Jermaine2015]

Very disappointing defeat yesterday to Borussia Dortmund. We should've been 4-5 zero up but where very wasteful. Throw in a couple of nailed on PKs which the referee didn't give...

Anyway if was't meant to be and congratulations to Jurgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund. It's fitting that Klopp should get the opportunity to sign off with a trophy, as he lead to FC Bayern having to up their levels after Borussia won consecutive titles.

It seems increasingly unlikely that FC Bayern will win the Champions League, as mentioned above Robert Lewandowski is badly injured. And Arjen Robben is now also out for the season with his reoccurring calf injury.

Pep Guardiola might just leave as the end of the season...and be replaced by Jurgen Klopp

[monty junior]

Jermaine i thought Klopp joining Bayern was pure speculation. Is there actually some truth in it? Don't know if he'd be a great match tbh! 

On Pogba i hope he doesn't move, need as many world class players spread round as many leagues as possible, tbh it's sad that a team like Juve would lose players to the likes of PSG and Man City but that's what oil money does.

[James_182]

Really hope Pogba does not leave Juve either, but if they use the money from his sale to get both Cavani from PSG and Dybala from Palermo, they will be stronger overall for it.

[monty junior]

Cavani isn't that young anymore and they have Morata and Tevez (who will stay until next 2016 before going back to Boca) . Plus Llorente somewhere in there too, Dybala is not ready for Juve, too wasteful in front of goal. They need someone with an xfactor and Pogba gives them it, he's still on a big wage so he should stay put. If Bale goes for 90 odd and Luiz for 50 Pogba who is better than both put together should be at least somewhere around 70. 58 which is banded about is a stupid price to sell at.

[Guest]

£58m stupid? Thought Juve were in financial trouble, wouldn't scoff at that price. Anyway, what's Pogba done in general footballing terms, other than win the Serie A? Don't get me wrong, boy is a talent, it's more potential, than anything at the minute. Bale has two PFA player of the year awards in a much tougher league, scored in two massive cup finals for Real, so to say Pogba is twice the player of Bale is going massively overboard.

[monty junior]

No they are in a pretty solid financial state now they have regular CL football again, their own stadium and better work in the transfer market. He was young player of the tournament at the world cup, captained France to the U20 world cup two years ago where he was player of the tournament. It's a shame he won't be able to play in the CL semi's as this would be his real coming out on the highest stage of club football but he's just turned 22 in a position you usually peak at in your late 20s. Yea fair enough it is a bit ott, i think Bale is a great player but Pogba the way he is going will be better, he just has everything speed, strength, technical ability, athletisism not to mention a brilliant long range shot. Also it's not a "much tougher league", Serie A has been better in Europe points wise for the last two seasons and this year significantly so. The Epl is floundering just now. It's one thing to be the undisputed best player at Spurs at a similar age and quite another being the same at a champion club like Juventus.

[James_182]

The above is a great post

Juve do not have no need to sell whatsoever, and are in the position with the squad and resources they have available to them, to buy one big player now every summer to bolster the team and tweak slightly where needed.

Still want them to sign Dybala though, as it would be a shame to see him leave Italy.

Imagine they signed him and and retained Pogba?! Those two with Alvaro Morata could be their attacking line for the next decade!

[Hammersmith harrier]

Juventus aren't in a position to keep the big guns at bay, if they come calling they will sell and it's the same for almost every team although I don't think he's worth anywhere near £58mil as of yet.

I don't tend to find much relevance in youth team performances, I remember once upon a time Royston Drente being a highly sought after talented player but look at him now. As a physical player Pogba will excel at that level and the premier league is still a significantly stronger league. The strength of the premier league is a contributing factor in the weaker displays in Europe, the Europa league gets factored into this argument and it isn't overstating it to say the English don't care about it. Aside from Juventus I wouldn't expect any of the other Italian sides to match up to the Premier leagues top 6.

[Guest]

Depay should of won best young player at the WC, Messi won best player because of the sponsors Adidas, so don't read much into those awards.

Pogba is good, just think people are fast tracking ahead, he hasn't proven anything in Europa as of yet, to be commanding fees of £60m+. You go on about him being the undisputed best player at Juve, that does a massive disservice to Pirlo (current Serie a player of the year), Vidal & the impressive Tevez, who is favourite to win the player of the year this year, for this 20 goals that have fired Juve to the title. Being undisputed best player is Ronaldo @ Madrid, Pogba does not hold that status at Juve.

Agree, he's a good player at 22, just not the world class player some already believe he is, when in reality he's achieved little on the major european stage.

[Jermaine2015]

Jermaine i thought Klopp joining Bayern was pure speculation. Is there actually some truth in it? Don't know if he'd be a great match tbh! 

TBH at first I thought, like many other Bavarians, thought it was just another ploy to further antagonize Borussia Dortmund. But when 'Der Kaiser' Franz Beckenbauer openly suggests it could happen one day, then it's not as unlikely.

IMO Jurgen Klopp would be a great fit, he's more in the mould of Jupp Heynckes, a very strong German philosophy of management. Throw in that the signing of Jurgen Klopp would reunite him with Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski. And even lead to the potential signing of Marco Reus.

I'd say it's 30/70 as to not happening though.

[monty junior]

Depay should of won best young player at the WC, Messi won best player because of the sponsors Adidas, so don't read much into those awards.

Pogba is good, just think people are fast tracking ahead, he hasn't proven anything in Europa as of yet, to be commanding fees of £60m+. You go on about him being the undisputed best player at Juve, that does a massive disservice to Pirlo (current Serie a player of the year), Vidal & the impressive Tevez, who is favourite to win the player of the year this year, for this 20 goals that have fired Juve to the title. Being undisputed best player is Ronaldo @ Madrid, Pogba does not hold that status at Juve.

Agree, he's a good player at 22, just not the world class player some already believe he is, when in reality he's achieved little on the major european stage.

That's your opinion, i saw little of Depay to suggest he was young player of the tournament. Most of the Dutch good work was through Robben with the odd Sneijder screamer even Daley Blind was a more noted player for the Dutch i hardly remember MD doing anything. Having said that the world cup is hazy now as it was a while ago  

Yes absolutely ,I mean potential is a huge part of investing in any young player, expecting him to take the next step at his next club. That's a chunk of his fee like it was with Bale, Pastore, Hazard etc..! He's not just a good player, a good player is someone like Pelle or Alderweireld. Pogba is an exceptional player, when i watch him there's no doubt he'll be world class and really but for a bit more consistency already is. Even the Juve fans themselves regard his as there best player, with Tevez somewhere close agreed. Pirlo is ageing and frankly they were playing better without him when Pogba and Marchisio were controlling the midfield as with Pirlo they become too one dimensional and everything comes through him at too slow a pace. At least in Europe.

[Hero]

Depay should of won best young player at the WC, Messi won best player because of the sponsors Adidas, so don't read much into those awards.

Pogba is good, just think people are fast tracking ahead, he hasn't proven anything in Europa as of yet, to be commanding fees of £60m+. You go on about him being the undisputed best player at Juve, that does a massive disservice to Pirlo (current Serie a player of the year), Vidal & the impressive Tevez, who is favourite to win the player of the year this year, for this 20 goals that have fired Juve to the title. Being undisputed best player is Ronaldo @ Madrid, Pogba does not hold that status at Juve.

Agree, he's a good player at 22, just not the world class player some already believe he is, when in reality he's achieved little on the major european stage.

Vidal's been a shadow of himself this season.

[monty junior]

Yup the best Juve midfielder beside Pogba this season's been Marchisio!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Marchisio is a class act, almost overlooked cos of the illustrious two.

I thought Depay was a bit meh at the world cup.

[Guest]

Depay was mainly a substitute during the World Cup, although he scored two good goals & generally made Holland better when coming on, as his pace worked with LVG's counter attacking style. Pogba was decent, nothing spectacular. Depay is being linked for around £25m this summer, so Pogba being valued at £60m + is rather over-inflated imo.

Can see Pogba going to PSG ahead of the Euro's, he will be the marketing dream for the year building up to the tournament & he will be rewarded financially. Couple of years in the pony Ligue 1, then by 24/25, he should be reaching his peak & starting to consider moves to major sides in Spain or England.

[Ent]

Didnt think pogba had that great a World Cup, surprised to hear he won an award.

His main contribution was to avoid an obvious red card for booting palacios in the opening game.

[Jermaine2015]

FC Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer has branded Mario Gotze child, and suggested the young German needs to mature quickly. This stems from the photo after the defeat to FC Barcelona where Gotze was pictured laughing and joking with Ter Stegen - whilst the rest of the team seemed to the verge of tears. Senior management where rumoured to be raging from Gotze's attitude.

There are rumours that Gotze could be offloaded back to Borussia Dortmund on loan.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

People in football are so easily offended

[Jermaine2015]

People in football are so easily offended

When 'Der Kaiser' speaks the whole off Germany listens my friend.

Anyway Guardiola pushed for the signing of Gotze, yet for all of 40m Euros, he doesn't even start in the absence Robben and Ribery. Clearly suggesting something isn't right.

What I'd do if Marco Reus joined FC Bayern...

[FootballLight]

Putting this out there. Bayern are losing at home to my favourite Bundesliga team, Augsburg. 0-1. eina did get sent off after 13 minutes, but still, come on Augsburg.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Real are in massive trouble here. 2-0 at home to Valencia. Ronaldo's had a penalty saved. Terrible preparation for Juve as well.

[Jermaine2015]

FC Bayern, for the second straight season, after winning the Bundesliga have lost all form.

Today's defeat made it 4 straight defeats since winning the league.

It's not good enough!

On a side note, Borussia Dortmund have stated Mario Gotze will not be offered the chance to return.

[kingraf]

Wonder how Pep rebuilds next season. Such an old team, and while Bayern don't have the signing restrictions Basque clubs put up for themselves, there is an accent on honing and signing German talent. Javi Martinez is back, and he's a class defending midfielder. They will probably desperately want the third amigo, Reus, as a apprentice to Ribery.

[Hammersmith harrier]

It will be a quick short term fix either way, which is why I don't rate either Pep or Mourinho as managers, when you know a manager is leaving at the end of the season it becomes quite predictable.

[Jermaine2015]

I've seen reports that are linking FC Bayern with a move with Raheem Sterling. This would be a poor signing for FC Bayern. We need a winger as Franck Ribery will likely move on this summer. But surely the first choice target should be the brilliant Julian Draxler. We also have the unloved Mario Gotze. And I'd prefer a German to replace Ribery.

[Guest]

Di Matteo quits Schalke

[nadeem2099]

I've seen reports that are linking FC Bayern with a move with Raheem Sterling. This would be a poor signing for FC Bayern. We need a winger as Franck Ribery will likely move on this summer. But surely the first choice target should be the brilliant Julian Draxler. We also have the unloved Mario Gotze. And I'd prefer a German to replace Ribery.

They'll probably go after Sidney Sam. He's free to talk to other clubs as Schalke are supposedly keen to get rid of him.

[Jermaine2015]

VlF Wolfsburg beat BVB Dortmund 3-1 in Berlin to win the DFB-Pokal.

Aubameyang put BVB ahead, but goals from Gustavo, de Bruyne and Dost ruined Jurgen Klopp's last match.

[GSC]

Dont care about best ever as I haven't watched everyone, but Messi is the best I've seen play by a wide margin

[Holymiky]

Dont care about best ever as I haven't watched everyone, but Messi is the best I've seen play by a wide margin

I do care about the best ever but i can't judge really as i haven't watched everyone like you and I agree about Messi.

[Jermaine2015]

Lionel Messi has no equal. Simply the best.

[Jermaine2015]

PSG completed their domestic treble with a 1-0 win over Auxerre in Coupe de France final. Edinson Cavani bagged the only goal.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

This Napoli-Lazio game is brilliant drama. Lazio are currently third with this 2-2 draw, but they were 2-0 up at half time, Napoli got one back, Lazio went down to 10 men, 2-2, Napoli had a player sent off then got a penalty which Higuain skied over the bar.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Lazio have just gone ahead again. Like Dolph said, this has been an absolute cracker. Big implications for Napoli, as some of their big stars (Higuain), may want to look elsewhere in order to play in the Champions League.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Its been all Napoli but Lazio catch them on the break. A desperate Napoli tackle pokes it through to Onazi and he slides it away beautifully.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Its also been reported that Napoli want Unai Emery and he would be drawn by Champions League football.

[GSC]

I'm this is reassuring Real fans

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Klose, 4-2 Lazio

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