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The Spanish Football Thread

Bale is playing with a lot more freedom now Ronnie is gone.

And Modric is no longer starting post-ZZ. Seems that 4-2-3-1 is the new guy's preference with Casemiro and Kroos in CM. Wonder whether LM will look for a move in Jan if that continues...
 
Wait until the next football deal when Discovery, Facebook, Amazon get involved it's crazy

Yep and a pain in the arse, was so much easier with just sky, then catching up with match of the day and the football league straight afterwards, now it is all over the place.

I think it is why champs league viewing figures have gone down, same with Europa, when it was on channel 5 i knew plenty of fans of clubs who were not in it that would watch now they dont and dont follow European football because of it.

Cant wait till I can just watch all our games live online, wont stop me from getting up to my 10 games a season as long as my health allows me. Then a show somewhere where you can just watch a round up of all football around Europe. Used to be nice watching football on the telly every night of the week, now it is getting to difficult.
 
I so preferred it when it was all in one place, easier and I am thinking cheaper as well.

Having all the PL games on one channel was a breach of competition law apparently, so now there's two monopolies. BT and Sky are not competing when they aren't showing the same games. The competition happens when they bid for the rights. The whole thing is just ridiculous. How is this in any way better for the consumer? I'd like to get a new car, but I have to go to a second store to get the rear tires and the front left door because otherwise the first place would have a monopoly. :rolleyes:
 
Wait until the next football deal when Discovery, Facebook, Amazon get involved it's crazy

Its crazy, but its also unsustainable. Unless someone like Amazon, who can afford to do so, decide to show football as a loss-making business, there's only so many 'channels' that the market can sustain. The fixed overheads (production costs, equipment, studios etc) are too high for all the sports rights to be spread too thinly....too many companies increases the aggregate overheads for the industry, and very few consumers are going to pay to subscribe to multiple channels such that those costs get covered. And thats even before you get on to the quality of the production etc.

I've previously subscribed to Sky and BT but am not going to shell out for Eleven Sports just to watch La Liga and a few peripheral things. Even if the cost isn't high, its simply a pain and you have to draw a line somewhere. I'm sure my wife would prefer it if I didnt watch La Liga games in the background on a weekend evening as well! (will watch Bundesliga instead...)
 
Ronaldo: Former Brazil striker buys controlling stake in Real Valladolid

Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo has become the majority shareholder of Real Valladolid, after purchasing a 51% controlling stake in the Spanish club.

The 42-year-old played for Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona in an 18-year playing career.

Valladolid are 16th in La Liga and yet to win a game this season.

"The arrival of Ronaldo puts Real Valladolid on the map and will allow the club to take a leap in quality," said president Carlos Suarez.

Ronaldo scored 62 times for Brazil, including both goals when they beat Germany in the 2002 World Cup final.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, he said: "I have gone through many stages in my training in football to prepare. Football is a passion.

"This new management will be defined by four words: competitiveness, transparency, revolution and social."

Ronaldo won two La Liga titles with Real Madrid and the Uefa Cup with Inter. He was part of the Brazil squad who won the 1994 World Cup - although he did not play - and helped them reach the 1998 final.

He picked up the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world in 1997 and 2002.

Last month, he was admitted to hospital in Ibiza with pneumonia.
 
Euro Leagues Podcast: Why Ronaldo's takeover at Real Valladolid could prove a masterstroke

"He doesn't want to just throw money at it," said Guillem Balague of Brazilian great Ronaldo's takeover at Real Valladolid. "He's not a rich daddy that way."

The World Cup winner, three times voted Fifa's World Player of the Year, took a major step into club ownership by buying a 51% stake in La Liga minnows Valladolid for 30m euros (£27m) on 3 September.

On the surface, it might seem an odd move - his new club have just been promoted to La Liga, have little money and are widely expected to struggle to stay up.

Yet according to Spanish football expert Balague and his colleagues on BBC Radio 5 live's Euro Leagues Podcast, the move might just prove a masterstroke.


Why Real Valladolid?

Ronaldo had a good working knowledge of Real Valladolid before buying his majority stake - as he co-owns a wine business with Jose Moro, who was the club's vice-president until June.

Balague said: "The reason Ronaldo's done it at Valladolid is that he knows the area. He feels there is a lot of potential at this club. It's one of the historical clubs of La Liga. In the all-time table of La Liga, they are 13th."

But history, potential and the advantages of local knowledge are not the only reasons for wanting to buy the club, according to Balague - who believes that taking charge will help Ronaldo with his long-term ambition to be the head of Brazilian football.

"He says he's not going away on holiday, having bought the club," Balague said. "He wants to be involved hands-on.

"He wants to be the president of the Brazil federation, so it will be a good experience for him to do what he's doing at Valladolid."

Has Ronaldo got the right business sense?

The Brazil great was renowned for his skill on the pitch, but has also enjoyed off-field success, having invested in a sports marketing company as well as co-owning the wine business with Moro.

According to Euro Leagues Podcast presenter Mina Rzouki, Ronaldo's great strength lies not in business acumen, but in getting the right people around him.

She said: "He's done very well to say that he will keep the president in place, that he will just watch what's happening and slowly try to improve the club in the best way that he can.

"Obviously, the club's debt will go, or has already gone, and he will work slowly with the people who are advising him to try to make the most of it.

"He's aware of his limitations, and aware that he needs to delegate. I think that's what makes him a smart man."

What are the financial benefits?

The purchase of a majority stake in Real Valladolid is well-timed, given La Liga is on an aggressive marketing drive to increase its earning potential, according to BBC European football expert Steve Crossman.

La Liga has signed a contract to play one game per season in the USA for the next 15 years, and Ronaldo's presence at Valladolid now makes them a very attractive prospect, Crossman argues.

"I actually think, as a decision, it's a no-brainer," he said. "It's certainly a good time to be in charge of a Spanish club, because the money from TV rights is only going to go in one direction.

"On top of that, you've got the new North American link-up. If you're Valladolid, that is a massive money-spinner for you. The opportunity to grow the club is huge now.

"If you're in North America, Valladolid are now towards the top of the list of the clubs you'd want because of Ronaldo's involvement."

So will Valladolid now become big-hitters?

According to Balague, Valladolid are operating with La Liga's smallest budget this season.

Their squad is short on international household names, and the club are expected to spend heavily in January now that Ronaldo has control.

However, Balague argues that the former Brazil striker will not chuck money at the club - and that in any case, the players already there will want to prove they are worth a chance under the new regime.

Balague said: "Some of the players were actually saying: 'You've forgotten about us. We think you should all give us a little bit of love, because we are going to be the ones that are going to try to keep Valladolid up.'

"Now that Ronaldo is in, everybody expects more money coming in for signings in January, but remember, he's a businessman. He's here to make sure that the team improves and he's talking about that, but organically."



Im genuinely interested as to how this all works out.
 
The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) has confirmed its formal opposition to LaLiga's plan to play Girona's home game against Barcelona in Miami.

Both clubs have agreed to the proposal, which comes as part of a deal with Relevant, the company behind pre-season tournament the International Champions Cup.

LaLiga matches will be played in the United States across a 15-year period under the terms of the agreement, with Girona-Barcelona slated for January 2019.

But players have signalled their opposition to the scheme, while Real Madrid president Florentino Perez indicated Los Blancos would refuse to take part in a match outside of Spain.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has asked for more documentation from LaLiga over the proposal, but the league's president Javier Tebas still believes the match will take place in Miami.

The AFE previously threatened strike action over the Relevant deal and on Monday the organisation confirmed it will not give the green light to the Miami plan.

A statement read: "The AFE want to express the following after receiving a more detailed report on the game between Girona and Barcelona which LaLiga hopes to move to the United States in 2019:

"1. We have informed LaLiga that said report does not specify the specific and necessary objective elements to be able to determine that the provisions of Articles 8, 9 and 37 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement will not be violated.

"2. The AFE reminds [LaLiga] that for the time being, there are no mandatory authorisations that allow for the game to be played in the United States.

"3. For that reason, considering the lack of information mentioned, the AFE has transmitted to LaLiga its lack of support for that decision."

AFE additionally confirmed the body will not consider changes to its agreement with LaLiga until 2020.

RFEF leader Luis Rubiales opposes the Relevant deal, describing as an "invasion" of the United States, but Tebas has cited the precedent of this season's Supercopa de Espana between Barca and Sevilla being played in Morocco.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/afe-rejects-miami-plan-girona-barca
 
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