I have mixed feelings about the departure of Giovani dos Santos, as I think he had the talent to become a very good player for the club. I do not think he is the next Ronaldinho, but he is nonetheless a very talented youngster with a great deal of promise. On the other hand, there is no question that his need for attention and limelight was a distraction to the club. He may be a gifted player, but nobody is bigger than the club.
In the end, I am happy that he has left "through the front door", as they say, and I prefer to remember him for his knack for scoring ridiculously skilled goals than for any difficulties he may have caused. Some of my favorite performances by Gio can be seen by following the links below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVjdyxycGAQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJEQREsBcJ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRD57Gg_IPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcfKegsBihk&feature=related
Friday, June 6, 2008
Did Gio Go for Too Little?
FC Barcelona confirmed the sale of starlet Giovani dos Santos to Tottenham Hotspur earlier today for an initial fee of 6 million euros. Depending on the player's appearance for the London club, the transfer fee could increase by as much as 5 million euros. Dos Santos's new contract with Tottenham is for five years.
The official press release on the club website also states that "FC Barcelona also maintain 20% of the financial rights to any possible transfer of the player during his first two years of contract and 10% on any transfer from his new club, Tottenham Hotspur FC." The wording of the statement is unclear, but one would assume that the club meant to say that FCB would receive 20% of any transfer fee if Gio is sold within the next 2 years, and 10% of any fee if he is sold in the last 3 years of his contract.
Even though this news is still hot off the press, there has already been a strong reaction to the deal in the footballing blogosphere. Opinions on whether letting go of dos Santos was a wise decision by Barca appear evenly divided, with some fans happy to see the club rid themselves of a perceived mercenary and prima donna in the making, and other fans cursing the club hierarchy's stupidity while lamenting the loss of a singular talent.
There is good reason for this divide in sentiment. On the one hand, dos Santos has for a long time been regarded as one of the brightest prospects in world football, having won the silver ball at the 2005 Fifa U-17 World Championship and the bronze ball at the 2007 U-20 World Championship. He has been referred to as the "new Ronaldinho" on several occasions in the press and has impressed footballing luminaries like Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry with his skill. Just 19 years of age, the soccer world is dos Santos's oyster, as his admirers will point out.
But for all of his promise, dos Santos's brief career has been marred by small controversies that have damaged his reputation and have irked the Barca hierarchy, including a resistance to going on loan, persistent requests for a mega-contract, and an unhappiness at being forced to play behind some of the greatest talents in the world. Dos Santos's detractors point out that his insistence on securing a big pay day without first having to raise his game and prove himself are exactly what Barcelona do not need, particularly after a disastrous season during which egos and a lack of commitment were thought to have torpedoed the team's hopes of silverware.
Yet, however fans may feel about seeing dos Santos move across the Channel, they almost universally cry foul at the "bargain" price of 6 million euros that Tottenham initially paid to secure his services. I admit that I am a bit surprised at how low the bid was, but I can't agree with the popular opinion that it wasn't a fair price for Gio.
The purchase and sale of the contractual rights to football players is governed by the laws of supply and demand, just like any market. European economies may be suffering at the moment, but the fortunes of football clubs has been little affected by macroeconomic events. There is still plenty of cash to spend on big money transfers by the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea, club rumored to have been interested in dos Santos in the past. When negotiations got serious between Tottenham and Barcelona, however, rival bids failed to appear from other interested parties. And without price competition, Gio was allowed to leave for the price he did.
Many fans may blame Barca's management for lacking business sense and for giving away the ranch, but I think this anger is misplaced. Fans seem to forget that Barcelona had very little negotiating room with Gio, as his contract was up next summer. If Barca had played hardball, interested clubs may have been content to pull back their offers and wait to pick dos Santos up on a Bosman in one year's time. If anyone is to blame for the low price, it is Gio, whose recalcitrance and focus on fame and fortune caused other clubs to think twice about bidding. At first glance, 6 million euros may not seem like much, but in the grand scheme of things, it's a lot better than nothing.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Beckham, Ronaldinho, and Messi Top Soccer Rich List
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated released its 2008 International 20 list, which ranks non-American athletes according to total earnings. Both on- and off-the-field income are taken into account during the ranking process. Not surprisingly, footballers were well represented in the rankings.
Topping this year's list is David Beckham, who earned a whopping $48.2 million during last year's MLS season. Ronaldinho and Messi were the next two highest-earning footballers, raking in $37.5 million and $35.8 million, respectively. The Barcelona stars placed 3rd and 4th overall on the list, having been out-earned handily by Finnish auto-racer Kimi Raikkonen ($46.0 million). Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, a newcomer to this list, also managed crack the top 10 by placing 9th with $30.3 million.
Other footballers on the list include Thierry Henry (12th), John Terry (14th), Michael Ballack (15th), Ronaldo (16th), and reigning FIFA World Player of the Year and Balon d'Or winner Kaka (19th).
Some interesting observations:
1. Despite Real Madrid's undisputable financial firepower, no Madrid players are on the list. Bernd Schuster's ability to lead team to the league title this past year is all the more impressive for this fact.
2. Although there are 9 footballers on the list, only four clubs are represented, which highlights the wealth disparity that exists between the biggest clubs and "all the rest." The gap between earnings of players in the U.K. or Spain and players in Italy is also notable.
3. Earnings have generally increased over the past few years. Part of this is explained by the fact that earnings are calculated in dollars, which has depreciated sharply against the euro and pound sterling over the past few years. I'm not sure what currency Beckham is paid in, but I'm confident the other footballers are all paid in euros or pounds.
4. While none of the footballers is at risk of going hungry on their salaries, their paydays pale in comparison with the top earning American athletes. In typical fashion, Tiger Woods ran away with the top U.S. spot by taking in nearly $128 million in salary, winnings, and endorsements.
For complete international and U.S. rankings, see the following web pages:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2008/index.20.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2008/index.html
Topping this year's list is David Beckham, who earned a whopping $48.2 million during last year's MLS season. Ronaldinho and Messi were the next two highest-earning footballers, raking in $37.5 million and $35.8 million, respectively. The Barcelona stars placed 3rd and 4th overall on the list, having been out-earned handily by Finnish auto-racer Kimi Raikkonen ($46.0 million). Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, a newcomer to this list, also managed crack the top 10 by placing 9th with $30.3 million.
Other footballers on the list include Thierry Henry (12th), John Terry (14th), Michael Ballack (15th), Ronaldo (16th), and reigning FIFA World Player of the Year and Balon d'Or winner Kaka (19th).
Some interesting observations:
1. Despite Real Madrid's undisputable financial firepower, no Madrid players are on the list. Bernd Schuster's ability to lead team to the league title this past year is all the more impressive for this fact.
2. Although there are 9 footballers on the list, only four clubs are represented, which highlights the wealth disparity that exists between the biggest clubs and "all the rest." The gap between earnings of players in the U.K. or Spain and players in Italy is also notable.
3. Earnings have generally increased over the past few years. Part of this is explained by the fact that earnings are calculated in dollars, which has depreciated sharply against the euro and pound sterling over the past few years. I'm not sure what currency Beckham is paid in, but I'm confident the other footballers are all paid in euros or pounds.
4. While none of the footballers is at risk of going hungry on their salaries, their paydays pale in comparison with the top earning American athletes. In typical fashion, Tiger Woods ran away with the top U.S. spot by taking in nearly $128 million in salary, winnings, and endorsements.
For complete international and U.S. rankings, see the following web pages:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2008/index.20.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2008/index.html
The Future Is Bright
Much has happened since my last post with transfer speculation beginning its annual crescendo into summertime and Barca making its first three signings of the offseason. The club's management has pinpointed defense, mentality, and desire as weak spots in the team, and Barca's first signing of the summer should help strengthen the team in these areas. Seydou Keita was signed by the club on May 26th for 14 million euros and brings strength and tenacity to a midfield greatly in need of these attributes. Last year, Keita featured in 31 Liga games for FC Sevilla and had 4 goals and 3 assits. Previously in his career, Keita had played for Olympique Marseille, FC Lorient, and RC Lens in the French League 1.
It could be nothing more than coincidence, but my guess is that FCB's Keita is named after the Malian photographer Seydou Keita, who was known for his skill in photographic portraiture (see http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/arts/22rips.html).
Keita will bring a new dimension of toughness to our midfield that will help us against more physical teams. I am glad that he has joined the club, but I am even more excited by the team's other two acquisitions. On May 27th, Gerard Pique rejoined Barca from Manchester United for a fee of 5 million euros, and the club has just confirmed the signing of Martin Caceres from Villareal for a fee of 16.5 million euros. Both are central defenders, both are 21, and both are thought to have enough potential to become stars in the future.
Despite occasionally lacking bite in attack the past couple of years, the team's greatest weakness has undoubtedly been the defense. Two seasons ago, Barca gifted the league title to Madrid through all-too-frequent lapses in concentration during the final minutes of games. And last season, after performing well for the first half of the season, gaping holes in the back line appeared after winter break. This turn of events was all the more disappointing since Barca's transfer decisions last summer were made specifically to buttress the defense. Milito is an above average defender, but he is not the rock that Puyol is. And Abidal has been by and large a disappointment, having been beaten badly in a number of games and showing a lack of creativity and crossing technique. He may be a good player, but he is not suited for Barca's attacking game.
Given that the defensive problems of two years ago were not fixed this past season, and with Thuram leaving, Zambrotta sold to Milan, and Olegeur still on the books (how is this possible?), Barca were in as much need of defensive reinforcements as they were last summer. Pique and Caceres fit the bill.
Born in Barcelona, Pique had difficulty breaking through to the first team at Man Utd, but earned enough confidence from Alex Ferguson to play in 5 league games and 3 Champions League games. Impressively, he has 2 Champions League goals to his name from last season. He measures 1.91m and weights 76.8kg and will bring much needed height and strength to the back line.
Martin Caceres is not be a physical specimen like Pique, but he is just as promising. Caceres is 1.78m tall and weighs 75kg. His lack of height may be of some concern as is his penchant for acquiring yellow cards (10 last season), but that did not prevent Caceres from being named to UEFA's first eleven of new Liga stars this year. Caceres formerly played for Recreativo Huelva and is the 14th Uruguayan to wear the Barca colors.
While the obvious talent of these two players is exciting, I am even more encouraged by their relative youth. Puyol has a couple years at the highest level left in him, but he's getting up there in years (he turned 30 this past April). Milito is a good player, but he has not demonstrated himself to be world class. And of course, Olegeur is a clown. By purchasing two relatively young defenders with tremendous potential, if everything works out and Pique and Caceres continuing to progress, they could inherit starting roles and secure the Barcelona back line for years to come. The future is bright indeed.
It could be nothing more than coincidence, but my guess is that FCB's Keita is named after the Malian photographer Seydou Keita, who was known for his skill in photographic portraiture (see http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/arts/22rips.html).
Keita will bring a new dimension of toughness to our midfield that will help us against more physical teams. I am glad that he has joined the club, but I am even more excited by the team's other two acquisitions. On May 27th, Gerard Pique rejoined Barca from Manchester United for a fee of 5 million euros, and the club has just confirmed the signing of Martin Caceres from Villareal for a fee of 16.5 million euros. Both are central defenders, both are 21, and both are thought to have enough potential to become stars in the future.
Despite occasionally lacking bite in attack the past couple of years, the team's greatest weakness has undoubtedly been the defense. Two seasons ago, Barca gifted the league title to Madrid through all-too-frequent lapses in concentration during the final minutes of games. And last season, after performing well for the first half of the season, gaping holes in the back line appeared after winter break. This turn of events was all the more disappointing since Barca's transfer decisions last summer were made specifically to buttress the defense. Milito is an above average defender, but he is not the rock that Puyol is. And Abidal has been by and large a disappointment, having been beaten badly in a number of games and showing a lack of creativity and crossing technique. He may be a good player, but he is not suited for Barca's attacking game.
Given that the defensive problems of two years ago were not fixed this past season, and with Thuram leaving, Zambrotta sold to Milan, and Olegeur still on the books (how is this possible?), Barca were in as much need of defensive reinforcements as they were last summer. Pique and Caceres fit the bill.
Born in Barcelona, Pique had difficulty breaking through to the first team at Man Utd, but earned enough confidence from Alex Ferguson to play in 5 league games and 3 Champions League games. Impressively, he has 2 Champions League goals to his name from last season. He measures 1.91m and weights 76.8kg and will bring much needed height and strength to the back line.
Martin Caceres is not be a physical specimen like Pique, but he is just as promising. Caceres is 1.78m tall and weighs 75kg. His lack of height may be of some concern as is his penchant for acquiring yellow cards (10 last season), but that did not prevent Caceres from being named to UEFA's first eleven of new Liga stars this year. Caceres formerly played for Recreativo Huelva and is the 14th Uruguayan to wear the Barca colors.
While the obvious talent of these two players is exciting, I am even more encouraged by their relative youth. Puyol has a couple years at the highest level left in him, but he's getting up there in years (he turned 30 this past April). Milito is a good player, but he has not demonstrated himself to be world class. And of course, Olegeur is a clown. By purchasing two relatively young defenders with tremendous potential, if everything works out and Pique and Caceres continuing to progress, they could inherit starting roles and secure the Barcelona back line for years to come. The future is bright indeed.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Disclaimer
So this is the reincarnation of a previous blog I created in summer 2007 to chronicle the fortunes of FC Barcelona, the greatest football club in the world. I had high hopes and ambitions for the previous blog, but due to demands on my time and sloth--mainly sloth--the previous blog had a grand total of three posts by yours truly. I'm starting a new one now in part because I simply love the club so much and think that having an FCB blog is a fun hobby. However, I've become increasingly engaged in following and discussing football online, and I'd like to contribute whatever limited insights I may have on current footballing events to the online football community.
I won't be so rash as to claim that this blog will be a source of up-to-the-minute news with the latest scores and the latest transfer news. It won't. Much of what I write will be opinion pieces, but I certainly anticipate improving upon my previous blogging track record and will try to comment as regularly as possible. As an American news and information junkie, I also hope to bring a unique perspective and spin to news involving the club.
Comments and criticisms are very welcome. I hope you enjoy!
I won't be so rash as to claim that this blog will be a source of up-to-the-minute news with the latest scores and the latest transfer news. It won't. Much of what I write will be opinion pieces, but I certainly anticipate improving upon my previous blogging track record and will try to comment as regularly as possible. As an American news and information junkie, I also hope to bring a unique perspective and spin to news involving the club.
Comments and criticisms are very welcome. I hope you enjoy!
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