Barcelona come to Staffordshire!

[FolkyVale]

They're using the pitches at St George's for a few days at the end of the month.

Wonder if they'll be open training sessions?

BBC Website

[FolkyVale]

...and a quick scan through Twitter confirms that all training sessions are behind closed doors.

BOO-HISS!!

[boltonsno1]

...and a quick scan through Twitter confirms that all training sessions are behind closed doors.

BOO-HISS!!

 

Of course they're behind closed doors. One of the most dislikeable clubs in football.

[arthurdog]

Of course they're behind closed doors. One of the most dislikeable clubs in football.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled....Etc,. You only ever get to read about 25% of the stuff they get up to. I never understand why proper fans like them. People deride Man Utd,Chelsea amongst others and Barça are 10 times worse.

Also in my capacity as Espanyol season ticket holder I really don't like them

[Little_Al]

There seems to be a lot of prejudice against Barcelona flying around. I admit I like them because of the way they play football as shown on tv and not for any other reason. Of course they do have the man who is probably the world's best footballer - not big and not bigheaded either - but very effective. They have every right to hold their training sessions behind closed doors, but I would hope that selected English coaches would be invited to observe.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

I like Barca and I don't mind admitting it. They're a huge club, yes, but one with a decidedly local feel. Go to a match there and you'll see that. They won the European Cup with a lot of local players in the side, it's just they're rich enough to be able to hang on to them. As a season ticket holder there you're a club member and you get to vote on who's club president, not many clubs can say that. As Little Al says they also play very attractive football, which helps. I always think of Barcelona as the mega club most regular football supporters would like their club to be.

 

PS - I don't have anything against Espanyol :D

[boltonsno1]

I like Barca and I don't mind admitting it. They're a huge club, yes, but one with a decidedly local feel. Go to a match there and you'll see that. They won the European Cup with a lot of local players in the side, it's just they're rich enough to be able to hang on to them. As a season ticket holder there you're a club member and you get to vote on who's club president, not many clubs can say that. As Little Al says they also play very attractive football, which helps. I always think of Barcelona as the mega club most regular football supporters would like their club to be.

 

PS - I don't have anything against Espanyol :D

 

They are massively in debt though. It's just UEFA haven't got the balls to throw the book at them in the same way they have done Man City and PSG.

 

And of course, there was that FIFA transfer ban. That just vanished. Only Barca, and possibly Real could make a ban just vanish like that. Dodgy signing of Neymar, Messi not paying his taxes. Christ, if all that was done by Man Utd we'd be clamouring for them to be shut down.

[FolkyVale]

This is all well and good but the bottom line is that they're a club full of international stars and dishing out a few hundred tickets to schools throughout the county wouldn't do any harm, would it?

[For Us All]

Of course they're behind closed doors. One of the most dislikeable clubs in football.

 

It won't help when they sign Suarez then?

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Of course they're behind closed doors. One of the most dislikeable clubs in football.

 

Won't stop Warren nipping over and pulling his pudding behind a fence somewhere!

 

Only joking Wazza ;)

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

It won't help when they sign Suarez then?

 

Who knows they may be scouting British talent, Gary Roberts, Ranger, Joey Barton?

[arthurdog]

I like Barca and I don't mind admitting it. They're a huge club, yes, but one with a decidedly local feel. Go to a match there and you'll see that. They won the European Cup with a lot of local players in the side, it's just they're rich enough to be able to hang on to them. As a season ticket holder there you're a club member and you get to vote on who's club president, not many clubs can say that. As Little Al says they also play very attractive football, which helps. I always think of Barcelona as the mega club most regular football supporters would like their club to be.

 

PS - I don't have anything against Espanyol :D

A few points. Not having a go just giving the inside scoop.

This supporters get to vote thing. Bayern,Dortmund and a thousand more. It's nothing special. At Espanyol it's shareholders who choose the president.

A club with a local feel,sorry just not true. Locals are priced out these days. It's Chinese and Japanese they want in the stadium not locals,tourists spend more money.This is a club who waive the Catalan flag when it suits them and treat the Catalan federation as a nuisance. (My lawyer is the honorary president). They've become the most corporate club in Spain. They have an official cheese for gawdsake (Babybel).

For a local feel try Athletic Bilbao or Betis.

[arthurdog]

This is all well and good but the bottom line is that they're a club full of international stars and dishing out a few hundred tickets to schools throughout the county wouldn't do any harm, would it?

 

Funnily enough my lawyer distributes free tickets for schoolkids and junior teams for the Catalan federation of junior football. The pro clubs give the federation season tickets to give to deserving junior clubs and school teams.

Espanyol give 30 and Barça 4 (used to be 8) Barça's can't be used for Real Madrid or Champions League.