#sergio and marcelo would never have just stood there

[justisco]

the first line of this has made me scream

#but he’s not wrong #we’re not asking you to solve racism #just back up your team mate #don’t just stand there #(benzema toni luka fede) #sergio and marcelo would never have just stood there

[liverpool-enjoyer]

submitted by sane max @calm-smol

Title: The favorite

Summary: Players can't get pizza because Mourinho said no, so the Real Madrid players send it the newest addition to the team.

Words: Idk

Is this good: Absolutely not

Will it be posted on my ao3: Nah

--------- enjoy -----------

"I just want to get pizza" Marcelo whined, flopping down onto Sergio’s bed, "Why is Mourinho killing us??"

Cristiano just shook his head, not paying attention to his friend's whining. He just scrolled through his phone. He was never much of a fan of greasy food and believed that it shouldn't go in your body, so he refused to even acknowledge that his friends wanted pizza.

Even though the hotel's restaurant is full of fantastic and delicious meals.

"Honestly, I could go for it too" Sergio shrugged, "We deserve it. I mean, after all this and that, and everything else, I think we do"

Pepe shrugged "Tell that to Mourinho, Sese. There's no way he'd allow it. He wants us to be like Cris and just eat pure food made in holy water."

Cris whipped his head up, sending a glare to Pepe who couldn't help but laugh at the look on his friend's face "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, don't be so serious." "Don't insult my diet then" Cris just replied, shrugging..

"But if you guys want pizza then why not just ask Mourinho?" Cris wondered, looking back to his phone and yet again looking uninterested.

"We tried!" Marcelo told his Portuguese friend "But he said no! Said it's bad for us and we shouldn't eat it before a match- Even though it's tomorrow at 6! I mean it's not like we'll eat pizza for every meal ever from now on- It's just one pizza, two slices, that's it" he sighed "Why is that so hard to understand. I just wish he’d listen to US for once..”

The four people in the room became quiet, just staring at the ground or at the ceiling, like Marcelo was, or their phone, like Cristiano was..

Then Sergio spoke up, lips slightly pouted as he thought about the idea going through his head “Well.. maybe we can’t make him listen to us” he turned his gaze to Marcelo, who looked back at him without sitting up or moving from his position on the bed, “But SOMEONE can..”

Marcelo blinked..

“What do you mean by that? He literally won’t listen to any of us”

“No, not any of us” Sergio smirked, suddenly getting a mischievous look in his eyes “But maybe he’ll listen to a certain.. new signing? A Croatian he desperately wanted to bring to Real and spent blood, sweat and tears to get him here?”

“You mean Luka?” Marcelo raised an eyebrow, “Why would Mourinho listen to him?”

Sergio blinked, frowning “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Of course he’ll listen- He desperately wanted to sign him and has been treating him GREAT the two months he’s already here” the Spaniard explained, “I mean he stopped training all together yesterday because Luka had to stop and tie his shoelaces. Then spent 5 minutes explaining something to him.”

“Sese DOES have a point” Pepe had to agree with his friend. “And in all honesty I think he's right. It's probably the only way to get a pizza."

"And what if it doesn't work?" Marcelo had to ask. And Sergio shrugged "We fail we fail, what can you do. I think we should still try."

....

Pepe sighed "Let's do it, what's the worst thing that can happen?"

Sergio sprang up out of his seat, standing up and raising his hand up in a fist "Let's do this then!"

Cris blinked.. "How are you captain?"

"Fuck you-"

----

Luka woke up to a knock on his door. He yawned, slowly sitting up. He hated moving away from the warm and comfortable covers of his bed, but the sudden and loud noise left him with no choice. A quick glance to the phone showed him it was around 2 pm, not too long after he told Mourinho he'd be taking a nap.

Luka had absolutely no clue why he was being woken up and even thought about ignoring it and just going back to bed. But that proves to je out of the option when more knocking came up.

He sighed and slowly stood up, swinging his legs over the bed before placing them onto the floor. He stood up and walked over, fully expecting just one person, maybe Mourinho, maybe someone from the staff or maybe even someone from his team but..

He definitely didn't expect to find Mourinho at his door with Sergio Ramos and Marcelo right behind him...

What the actual fu-

"Hello, Luka, I hope we didn't interrupt you" Mourinho spoke, "Sergio and Marcelo here came to me telling me you needed something. Is that true?"

Luka raise an eyebrow.. Had he been doing something in his sleep? That's new. Though one look at Marcelo and Sergio told him enough.

Those two were smiling nervously at him.

They wanted him to say yes.

Sigh..

Luka looked back to Mourinho and nodded his head "Mhm, yes"

And Sergio and Marcelo looked at Mourinho, staring like the man was going to scream his head off at Luka, like he was going to explode at the Croat.

It's like they were fully expecting that. But.. Mourinho remained normal, stoic as ever, just like he always was with Luka.

The Croat remembered something about Mourinho acting differently around him? But he never believed that story at all.

"What is it?" The coach wondered, "Are you uncomfortable? Did something happen?"

And Luka yet again glanced at them, at Sergio and Marcelo, for some sort of clue. And he was met with Sergio pointing a finger to his lips and Marcelo rubbing his stomach.. ight

Luka cleared his throat "I'm.. hungry"

"Well you can go downstairs to the kitchen. Do you need help speaking Spanish to them? They understand English."

Sergio and Marcelo shook their heads at Luka.

"No" Luka answered, "Um.. I don't want anything from the kitchen."

Mourinho hummed "Alright.." and Luka, for a moment, thought he was pushing it but Mourinho continued "And what did you want?"

And that's when Sergio and Marcelo paused, wide eyed.. Because the two had no idea how to gesture that one. So Luka was left to his own devices.. "Oh uh.." he blinked, running his palm over his forearm, "I was.. hoping to order something?"

Sergio and Marcelo seemed to sigh in relief behind him, though without audio-

Luka was right.

Mourinho nodded his head "Of course. What?"

"Um.." Luka gulped, "Well... Pizza?"

Mourinho paused.. "Pizza? Did Sergio and Marcelo put you up to this?"

Oh thank God he was right.

Luka's eyes widened "What? No, no, of course not, sir. I didn't even know they liked pizza."

What a big fat lie..

Mourinho hummed, looking over the Croat with suspicious eyes but in the end just sighed and nodded his head "You can. But don't make a habit out of it, you know you need to stay fit." "Yes" Luka agreed, "I know. This is the last time."

"Good" Mourinho hummed, "You can order it"

Sergio and Marcelo were doing a celebratory dance behind Mourinho. But then the coach added "And you better come to show me it. Because I will not let these two, who don't think I can see them, eat it."

.... Welp

At least it kind of worked. Luka couldn't help but laugh at the shocked looks on Sergio and Marcelo.

Fin

#submission #ABABHAHAHA TY SM MAX #MWAH MWAH 😘 #KEEPING ME ENTERTAINED DURING THIS ROAD TRIP #THIS WAS SO FUNNY #me? reading madrid fanfic outta my own free will? its more likely than you think #sergio ramos #luka modric #jose mourinho #theres a lotta ppl in this n the road is too bumpy for me to tag em all

[footballffbarbiex]

The “I’ve Missed You” kiss.

Words: 576 Player: Marco Asensio. 

____________________

Marco doesn’t cope well when she’s not there.  He tries, he really does, to keep things as normal and remain upbeat, to eat normally and just go about his life like usual. It’s not that he’s whipped as the team joke, he just functions better with her around.  He’s better when she’s around. 

Marco didn’t think it was possible to find someone who made his life better simply by being in it but she did. He’d laugh at his friends who were marrying the loves of their lives when they’d say “when it happens to you, you’ll be floored.”  He wanted love, dreamt of it and was patient enough but he didn’t think it would happen to him. Not really. Not like this at least. 

He’d known in the first month of being with her that something was different. They clicked in every way possible and he was quickly falling. “Poor little Marco,” Sergio had laughed, wrapping an arm around the younger player’s neck as he pretended to reel in a fish. “She’s got you like this. Admit it, it feels good right?” “Yeah, yeah.” He’d tried to slip from under Sergio’s arm but he’d tightened it, holding him almost in a headlock.  “Take it from me,” he’d begun. “In other words, don’t do it,” Marcelo shouted, earning him cheers from the guys and a middle finger from the captain.  “No listen, if you feel like this, don’t let her go just because your pride is in the way and you think it’s too soon. That’s what will ruin you. Go with it.”

And so Marco had run with it. Embraced it completely and he saw a difference. There was no game playing with the two of them, they knew where they stood, and he woke up every morning falling for her more and more.  She’d been gone for two days and he’s tried to give her space, tried to let her do her own thing but it’s killed him. The honeymoon period has never left him and he still feels the butterflies when he sees her.

At the sound of her car pulling up on the driveway, he’s out of the chair as fast as he can, tripping over Rome in the process.  “I’m so sorry.” he doubles back, crouching down and making a fuss over the pup who has no idea what’s happened and thinks his owner is playing with him. “but your mom is back and well, I’ve missed her little guy.” He jogs to the door in time to open it as her hand reaches forward.  “He-” she doesn’t have time to finish her greeting when he pulls her forward and kisses her. His kisses are short, urgent and playful. She giggles against his lips, his arms are around her waist as lifts her up to stop her from moving away from him.  She drops the bag she’s holding and wraps her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She kisses him back, forcing him to kiss her slower and deeper as her tongue mixes with his. Her fingers trace through his hair as she nibbles on his lip.  “You’ve shaved.” She mutters against him, her thumb stroking over his jaw, touching the barely day old stubble there.  “You could say I had a slight breakdown,” he confesses. “I left for two days baby.” she giggles.  “Exactly. And look what happened.” He grins at her. “I really did miss you.” “I missed you too.”

______________________

Forever tag list:  @starkrogerspls, @neymarlionelmessi7, @elle-aaron, @rafinhasmarco, @djikhead, @kxndrixx, @pasate-la-acuarela, @imakemyselfcringe, @leduqdefoot , @fangirlinsince1998 , @fcbarcafics , @paul--pogba​, @msgem , @grizifc , @xxsophie-raabxx , @degea-drama-llama, @stxnesy @kiki0kitty0queen​

#marco asensio one shot #marco asensio imagine #marco asensio blurb #marco asensio drabble #football imagine #football one shot #football blurb #football drabble #soccer one shot #soccer imagine #soccer drabble #soccer blurb

[ohneweiterebedeutung]

[Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with 11Freunde. This is my translation of Max Dinkelaker’s interview, which can be read here.]

Club player Enrico Valentini about his love for 1. FC Nürnberg

„I’ll shout some abuse right back“

Enrico Valentini joined 1. FC Nürnberg when he was only five years old. Since then he’s not just been a Club player, but a passionate Clubfan as well. Here he talks about car processions through the city, the commitment of the ultras and a bus ride for all eternity.

Enrico Valentini, you don’t just play for Nürnberg professionally, you were born in the city and have been a Clubfan since childhood. Do you listen to the fans’ songs and chants during a game? Of course, sometimes I sing along myself. When we walk out onto the pitch for example. Or when they sing „Die Legende lebt“.

Did you ever get any funny looks from opposing players for that? No, I don’t sing out loud, just to myself. Sometimes only in my head. It’s just that I do know the songs, I’ve stood there in the block myself often enough. And some songs, you’re just simply defenseless against them.

You lived so close to the stadium as a child, you should know the songs by heart. I do. On Saturdays we could follow the games merely by the noise. I just crossed the street, climbed through a hole in the fence and there I was on one of the training grounds.

The house you grew up in was also your parents’ restaurant. Did you have to help out there a lot as a child? Much less so than my older siblings, compared to them I was lazy and ducked out a lot. I was the youngest, the little prince. But the restaurant still had a big influence on my childhood. We ate at completely different times than other families, dinner was never before 9 pm. My father once told me that when I was a baby he often got me out of bed at 1 am when he returned from work. He laid me down on his chest, just to have some time with me at all.

When did your parents move from Italy to Germany? In 1980. My father started off „classically“ as a waiter in a trattoria and in 1989, when I was born, he opened his first own restaurant. These days he owns a vinotheque (?).

Was it your father, as well, that got you into football? Yes. He was and still is a fanatic Juve fan and, ever since moving here, a Clubberer as well. He introduced me to many club legends: Dieter Eckstein, Sergio Zarate, Alain Sutter, Stefan Reuter, Samy Sané. Even though some of them played before I was born, he showed me videos of them. Samy Sané for example, he was quicker than the ball. He was quicker even than his son Leroy Sané is today. Unbelievable.

Do you have an all-time-favourite Nürnberg player? Out of those I’ve watched myself in the stadium it’s Jacek Krzynowek. His left hammer was amazing. What a great guy. Also I was lucky enough as a youth player to sometimes get to train with the first team. It was the time of Hans Meyer. So there I was on the pitch next to Zvjezdan Misimovic, an awesome number 10. Because he wasn’t very fast he solved everything with his great technique. He played to his strenghts perfectly. No frills, no tricks, always straightforward.

So as a teenager did you freeze in awe of such gifted footballers like Misimovic? In the beginning yes, completely. I was a bit intimidated. Up until then I’d always mercilessly put all the professional players up on pedestals. Most of all Alessandro Del Piero. To me he seemed beyond reach. Not even human, an alien. And it was similar with the big names in Nürnberg. But then suddenly I sat next to them and I realised: They’re just normal people.

Why were you so fascinated by Del Piero? His style of play, he was unique. He entered the box from the left side and then fired the ball into the top right-hand corner. In Italy they call it „Tiro all Del Piero“. In A-Jugend [aged 19 and under] I had a phase where I scored exclusively like that. When Del Piero scored against Germany in the world cup semifinal in 2006 I was so happy for him! As if he was a family member. I’m getting goose bumps just talking about it.

You were so happy, even though he inflicted a really painful defeat upon the German team? Don’t get me wrong: I’m extremely grateful to Germany for everything I get to experience. But I feel Italian. I still have lots of family there, I try to go there at least once a year. I only started speaking German in kindergarten.

About the same time, in 1994, as a five-year-old you joined the Club and up until 2010 went through all of its youth teams. Was there one coach with a special influence on your career? Every coach was important at his time. Concerning my personality I benefitted from René Müller the most, who trained me in the amateur team. He taught me a lot especially concerning life after football.

Like what? Broadening my horizon. We talked about faith, about the importance of money, the importance of football. He helped me understand that my personal happiness doesn’t depend on my career alone. Before that, it was like this - if I played well I was happy. If I played badly I was unhappy. It wasn’t healthy.

As a youth player were you automatically a Nürnberg fan right from the beginning? Yes. I always completely identified with the club and, consequently, suffered along with the players even as a child.

When did you suffer the most? The worst was the final home game in the 1999 season. I was there as a ballboy. Frank Baumann stood there, completely free in front of Richard Golz and had the biggest chance, he just had to dip it in from two meters away. But he missed. And almost at the same time Åge Fjörtoft scored in Frankfurt - and we got relegated. I’ll never forget the reactions then. The noise in the stadium, the shock of the masses after Baumann’s miss, it’s burned into my memory. It’s lucky I was so young. You get over such things more quickly. I probably went and played football.

[Bundesliga Schlusskonferenz 1999. (A nightmare).]

Do you remember your first stadium visit? Yes. Must have been the season when we played in Regionalliga Süd, so in 1994. The team played in front of kind of a bleak backdrop. Well, it was great by Regionalliga standards, just not by Club standards. Unfortunately I don’t remember the opponent, I do remember it was a second team. So all in all rather dismal. And yet I was there all the time after that in the following years. As a ballboy, as a mascot, with my friends, with my family, in the stands. I was there for pretty much everything.

Your greatest experience as a fan? The Pokal win of course. Jan Kristiansen into the top corner from 30 meters, in extra time, an incredible evening. I was there in our pub, banging on the table from sheer joy. I went completely berserk. Afterwards my cousin and I joined the car procession, with him sounding the horn, me at the window. Then on to the Plärrer (big square in Nuremberg, editor’s note). A perfect highlight of a night.

These days, as a professional player with the know-how that comes with that, standing in the stadium you probably assess many situations very differently than us would-be-experts. Does that cause problems? Does it ever! When people around me start hurling abuse in the direction of the pitch, I shout abuse right back at them. It’s always the worst on the grandstand, because the expectations are the highest there. I’ve gotten into fights with people many times there.

For example? Once, I was playing for Aalen at the time and was on a visit to Nürnberg, Marcos Antonio made several mistakes in a game against Stuttgart and in the course of that was at fault for [FCN] conceding a goal. Except for the ultras the entire stadium was booing him. At some point it got just cruel. I got a really tight feeling in my chest. I thought about going home, it really hurt. Then I got into a fight with an elderly gentleman. I don’t remember everything that was said, apart from the last bit.

Which was? I told him he’d lost his marbles.

Does that inhibit you, as a player, knowing exactly which kinds of reactions a mistake can cause in the crowd? No, it actually rather spurs me on. Because I know how superficial these reactions can be. And I’ve long gotten past carrying my mistakes with me for weeks. It’s not like I’m killing anybody. A mistake is still just a mistake in a football match.

In 2010 you left the Club because you didn’t see any perspective for yourself in the first team. Was it liberating for you playing in Aalen for a club that you weren’t as personally connected with? On the one hand, yes. On the other hand I didn’t take long to identify with the club and the town. People like to smile down on clubs like Aalen, Sandhausen or Heidenheim. So that made it extra nice to play away and win. You always knew: after a home defeat against Aalen, the opponent’s coach would be called into question. I think during my time at Aalen alone we fired three opponents’ coaches. Just because they lost to us at home.

At Aalen you managed to establish yourself as a professional under Ralph Hasenhüttl. You went on to KSC, where in 2015 under coach Markus Kauczinski you almost made the leap into Bundesliga. In the second leg of the relegation play-off against HSV you were only a few seconds away from promotion… When Marcelo Diaz took that free-kick I was standing in the wall.

HSV had only this one last shot to escape relegation. Did you catch any of what was being said between Diaz and Rafael van der Vaart? Allegedly they discussed which of them would take the shot. Yes, they were talking and both standing close to the ball. I was completely convinced that van der Vaart would shoot. I told the other guys in the wall „100% van der Vaart, 100% van der Vaart.“ I kept repeating that. It was completely clear to me that in this moment their greatest player would take the ball. I didn’t expect Diaz at all. We had analysed their scorers before the game, in the entire season Diaz hadn’t taken a single free-kick.

[KSC-HSV]

But Diaz did in that moment - and put the ball into the top corner. How did you feel in the hours after missing promotion? Immediately after the final whistle I was very emotional and cried. Then we were standing in front of the fans and they sang „Ein Kompliment“ by Sportfreunde Stiller: (singing) „Ich wollte dir - nur mal eben sagen - dass du das - Größte für mich bist!“ [„I just wanted to tell you that to me you are the greatest“ (…)] One of the nicest moments of my career. After that we finished our round and I saw my family in the stands, 20, 25 Valentinis. They were all crying. Everybody. My father, my mother, my wife, even my best friend. It felt like they were sadder than I was. Somehow that made me happy. It’s weird to explain, but experiences like that hurt less when they’re shared. Having people with you that feel you so much, that’s great consolation.

How long did you take to get over this shock? It only really hit me square in the face a few days later when I was already on holiday. I realised then what had actually happened. I was 26 years old, these two games had been my chance to play in the Bundesliga. Maybe - very probably - the only chance. And there were players like Dominic Peitz, Daniel Gordon and Dirk Orlishausen. Men over 30 for which it had definitely been the last chance. After this realisation it really, really hurt.

But then, three years later, you personally got there after all, you made it to the Bundesliga. And on top of that with your club, 1. FC Nürnberg, to which you had returned in 2017. What pictures are there in your head when you think back to last May? We beat Sandhausen and we were through. Already on the way back to Nürnberg we partied like crazy. At some point we ran out of beer, the bus had to stop so we could get some more. At the service station we met fans, so we stayed and celebrated with them for a bit. When we drove on at every bridge [across the Autobahn] there were people celebrating, and Club banners. When we finally arrived back in the city we didn’t immediately go out to the fans. We went into the changing room through the back door, the fans had no idea when we’d come back. And this knowledge, shortly we’ll run out and start [-], the anticipation, that we’d go out and they’d see us and light their bengal flares, the excitement, it was overwhelming.

There was a video going viral on the internet that showed the entire team loudly bawling a Juve song in nearly accentless Italian. You must be a good teacher! No, no, I don’t deserve any credit for that! The thing with „Storia di un grande amore“, that was the idea of our captain Hanno Behrens and Tim Leibold.

You’ll have to explain. On the second or third day of the season I was in the showers after training. Suddenly I heard the song come over the speakers in the changing room. I ran there, still naked, to see who was responsible. Hanno and Tim were waiting for me. I was all „Whut?!“ and Hanno replied „This song is wicked!“ After that the song accompanied the team through the entire season.

In which you missed only one game - but of all games, it had to be the derby against Fürth at home. Where did you watch it? I was standing in the block [Nordkurve, among the ultras]. Though I couldn’t really join in the chants, because I was too focused on the game. But it was very interesting to me, seeing just how much work the ultras invest into the atmosphere. I hadn’t really realised before, because I'd been standing too far up, but against Fürth I stood down at the bottom, close to the Vorsänger [what’s the proper term? The people with the megaphones, that lead the chants?]. I became really aware of just how exhausting it is for them. They practically work as hard as we do on the pitch. The prodding when it’s not loud enough - there are some real fights there.

Things happen fast in football. Half a year after the huge euphoria you find yourselves in last place of the Bundesliga table with Nürnberg. Is a 0-7 defeat at Dortmund especially excruciating to you, because you have so many private connections to the club? All the people in my environment, practically without exception, are either fans or at the very least big Club-sympathisers. Immediately there’s the question „What happened?!“ And I don’t have any other answer besides „Well what do you think happened? We got beaten up 0-7.“ It can be quite gruelling. On the other hand my phone explodes especially after victories. I get many more reactions then.

What gives you hope that it’s yet possible that you won’t get relegated? The team. We still have a great team spirit. And also there’s much quality in our squad. As a team we have what it takes to get through this.

#Enrico Valentini #1. FC Nürnberg #11Freunde #VfR Aalen #KSC #my translation #(please tell me about mistakes etc. etc.) #I can NOT tell you how much I love him #LOOOVE!!! #♥︎♥︎♥︎ #EVERYTHING about him!!! #I'm of a similar age (clears throat (slightlyolder)) and I remember EVERYTHING he's talking about here! #1999 #Frank Baumann and Günter Koch #Hallo hier ist Nürnberg - wir melden uns vom Abgrund #Eckstein Zarate Sutter (who went to Bayern:() Reuter♥︎ Sané♥︎ #(actually ♥︎ to all of them) #Marcos Antonio against Stuttgart #That was his Bundesliga debut and he got subbed off after 15 minutes #(by then-FCN coach Dieter Hecking btw) #and just like Valle if FELT HORRIBLE for him! What a nightmare #KRISTIANSEN!!! #my Danish love #2007 everything about that day!! #Marek coming back from the hospital on crutches in time for the ceremony #my little brother and sister were there at Plärrer accidently mixed up in the team (my brother had them all sign his shirt) #WHAT A DAY WHAT A NIGHT #the Sandhausen game #the celebrations #I wasn't in Sandhausen but I was in Nürnberg that night

[biofunmy]

How Barcelona made a right old mess of sacking Ernesto Valverde | Sid Lowe | Football

Barcelona’s ex-manager took training on Monday morning, if only because he wasn’t the ex-manager just yet. Besides, someone somewhere had to act with a little dignity. And what if it didn’t happen? He certainly wasn’t about to make the decision for them, so Ernesto Valverde drove into San Joan Despí not long after 8am. At 11, he was out on the training pitch as normal, players gathered in a circle around him, which was one way to say: “goodbye … probably.” By the time he drove out again, he knew, it was likely to be for the last time. But not because they had actually told him.

On Thursday night, Valverde’s team had collapsed again. While they played better than they had so far this season, he got booed every time he appeared on the big screen. 2-1 up with nine minutes remaining against Atlético Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, Barcelona lost 3-2: echoes of Rome and Anfield, that recurring nightmare. Three times was too many. Two already had been, but to almost everyone’s surprise, the club didn’t act in the summer, instead keeping their coach. They did act now, just not particularly well. “A bit ugly,” was Andrés Iniesta’s verdict; “unpleasant,” he called it.

Valverde has a contract until the end of the season with an option for another year that no one anticipated activating. Barcelona are top of the league, where they finished the last two seasons, but as Pep Guardiola put it: “It’s a special place where winning the league is not enough.” And here’s the truth, which may feel odd outside Spain but feels entirely logical inside it: no one was suggesting he should continue beyond this season. Regardless of who they blamed, most thought he should not have got to this season: Anfield was The End. Yet, having survived until now, supported by his players and useful for his president, logic said he would get to that point.

He still could, perhaps – and, yes, at this point, these pages are waiting too. But how, after this pantomime played out in public? An operetta, El Mundo called it.

Saudi Arabia had stung. It prompted an urge to do something, anything, and to be seen to do it, not to wait any longer. July was a long way away and this hurt now. There was regret, too, that they hadn’t acted sooner. The timing limited their room for manoeuvre, but at least there were 10 days until their next game. What happened next was open, broadcast: Barcelona’s CEO, Óscar Grau, and sporting director, Eric Abidal, met Xavi Hernández in Qatar. They were in a hurry and needed a response soon. To his surprise, they offered him the job they know he wants in the future with immediate effect; to their surprise, he said no.

Aligned with Víctor Font who will stand in presidential elections in two years, Xavi does not entirely trust these directors. The timing wasn’t right, he felt. Ronald Koeman, whose position has always been to make himself available after the Euros, an appointment considered a fait accompli, felt the same way when they went back to him with a new chronology. And so, on it went. Still, no one had said anything to Valverde, but he had read all about it.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scores their first goal in the Super Cup in Jeddah. Photograph: Sergio Pérez/Reuters

Things could never be the same again, even if they did try to turn back, carry on regardless, pretend nothing had happened, use the old trick of blaming it on the press. This couldn’t be normalised now, however much Valverde was out there carrying on like normal; however much that character has been central to his success at Barcelona – if it can be called that. And, for all the complaints and the criticism, it can.

The summer he arrived, Neymar left, the succession plan in pieces. “For the first time in nine years, I feel inferior to Madrid,” Gerard Piqué admitted. The best players were getting older and that team had gone, even if some of its members remained, diminished in some cases. Some were indulged from above, although Valverde too stood accused of the same: dressing room support is a virtue easily turned into a vice. For all that, Barcelona won two league titles, miles ahead. They forfeited an historic invincible season because a friendly, imposed by the board, took precedence over their penultimate game.

But if he was perfect in a crisis, creation was something else, especially when his authority and room for manoeuvre was reduced; there were things that he could change and things he could not and did not. At a club occupied by identity but seemingly without the conviction to impose it from above, with that famous “entourage”, results are not enough. Not when you have Messi, whose final years can sometimes feel wasted. Expectation was perhaps exaggerated but excellence eluded them. The results they really wanted were not enough either. And Rome and Liverpool happened. Now this did. It was absurd that defeat on Thursday should start this but once it had, it was not easy to stop.

As Valverde took training on Monday, so the candidates circled, some seemingly thrown into the air at random. You name them, someone else had named them. This ran and ran, information and rumour intertwined. Some of it sounded absurd, but then … no Xavi, no Koeman, so on to Massimiliano Allegri, Roberto Martínez, and Quique Setién. Gabriel Milito, Thierry Henry, and Marcelo Gallardo. Mauricio Pochettino, who had said he would sooner work on a farm than manage Barcelona. Francisco Javier García Pimineta, the B team manager. For now, at least. And then, well, we’ll see.

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Josep Maria Bartomeu’s car arrived. Valverde’s agent arrived. After training, president and coach – still – met. There was no news, not immediately. Maybe Bartomeu had expected Valverde to resign. Hurt, humiliated, exposed, he would act. On a point of principle, he would walk, tell them where to go. Maybe that’s what Bartomeu hoped; it would have made it easier. But he didn’t. Valverde remained Valverde. A board meeting followed and the cars were followed too, endless photos of men at the wheel and a lingering feeling that no one was. At three o’clock the meeting began, but with no announcement over when it would end, when any of it would.

It was mid-afternoon on Monday, Barcelona’s ex-manager was still their manager and everybody was waiting for the final line of chronicle of a death foretold.

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The 5 different ways Real Madrid showed support to their Colombian before he left and the one time they did it when he left.

AKA   ALLY NEEDS TO EXPRESS HOW SAD SHE IS WITH LITTLE DRABBLES ABOUT JAMES AND SOME OF THE RM TEAM

1-Marcelo

Marcelo was the first person that James told he was thinking about moving, even though, reporters had been talking about James transferring since the rumours began, all the way in December, but James hadn't said anything, not At first, James hadn't been too sure about moving, more anxious about leaving Madrid and leaving his friends. But the less time he played, the more he began thinking about leaving. The older male only found out because he found James crying in the showers, over an hour and half after most of the team had left. The captain and vice captain had to stay behind to talk to Zidane, meaning they had missed the celebrations. Sergio stayed behind even longer, having to go other something with their manager.

At that point, James hadn't decided where he was going, he didn't have any offers yet either, but Zidane had pretty much told him that he wasn't staying and he would be sold. It was only at the end of June where the younger male actually confirmed where he was going, they'd put the offer in and given the Colombian a few weeks to officially talk about his contract. As soon as he got out of the meeting, he rang Marcelo (who had been back in Madrid for a few days) and begged the older male to come to house.

Marcelo was never able to say no to his little brother and he was able to tell his younger brother needed him more than ever before, jumped in his car and drove straight there, he jumped out of his car, kicking his door shoot with one foot and locking it with the button in his hand, before rushing to the door and unlocking it with the spare key that James had given them the year before. As soon as the door was unlocked, his best friend threw himself at his with tears streaming down his face.

Marcelo instantly wrapped his arms around the younger male, letting his bury his head in his shoulder, Marcelo moved back slightly, shutting the door with a tap of his foot, before moving the two of them to the settee, where the younger boy continued to sob,  Marcelo continued to rob the Colombian's back, shushing him slightly as he rocked him slightly, trying to get him to calm down.

It took a while, but, eventually James began to calm down, his sobs quietening down into little hiccups. Marcelo pressed his lips to his younger brothers hairline, keeping his lips there until he could breathe properly. He quickly moved the younger player so that he could go get him a drink of water from the kitchen. Making sure the younger male took slow steady sips, he ran a hand through his hair.

“Where?” He questioned softly, tilting his head. James looked at the older male before sighing. “Bayern” James said softly. “Mister rang me this afternoon, directly. I  couldn't say no. It's a loan deal for two years with the option to buy after that.” Marcelo nodded slightly, his eyes filling up slightly. “I'm going to miss you, hermanito."

2-Cristiano

Cristiano adored James. Anyone who even knew them knew this, Cristiano had treated James as his younger brother from the day that the younger male arrived at Real Madrid. Cristiano was the second person who was told about the younger male was transferring. Cristiano found out around March time that James was indeed looking to leave that summer, he'd gone over to celebrate them winning against Eibar and found the younger male slaving over a bunch of offers and different clubs which were apparently enquiring about him, the night ended with them both promising to keep in contact wherever the younger goes, after a lot of tears and hugs.

James rang Cristiano a little over three hours after Marcelo left, the Portuguese had finished in the confederation cup the night before, sadly when they lost on penalties. James bit his lip as the skype began to connect, after a minute or so, the call finally connected and the older males face popped up on the screen. Cristiano's face was tired but a smile lit up his face when he realised it had finished connecting.

James tried to repeat the smile back but it faded just as quickly as it arrived. Cristiano frowned slightly, his smile slipping as he realised something was wrong. "Oh, Hammy." The older male sighed, knowing automatically what was wrong. He could read James better than he could read the back of the hand sometimes.

A brief moment of silence overlapped the two of them, with James just looking the computer as Cristiano took in the state of the younger male, his eyes were still red and partially bloodshot and he just looked exhausted. "When do you leave?" He asked softly. James looked up again and smiled weakly. "They want me to sign before Real leave for America so around the 11th July."

Cristiano sighed softly, making sure to blink to remove the tears which had begun gathering in his eyes. "I'll make sure to come back in time, okay? I'll come help you pack and make sure you get to the airport safely." James smiled stronger than before, before yawning. "Go to sleep, Hammy. I love you." Cristiano whispered, to which the younger male repeated.

3-Alvaro, Marco, Isco and Karim

The four of them found out all together. All four of them had been wondering for weeks whether or not the Colombian was moving or not, but then Alvaro got mixed up in his own transfer drama and they just never got around to asking the twenty five year old. Once word spread round the others that James was back in Madrid, the four of them decided to visit their favourite Colombian, bringing bear and takeaway along with them. (It was slightly of their diets but oh well, it wasn't even pre-season yet.)

Karim was the one driving, taking advantage of being the oldest of the four, with Alvaro in the front, Isco and Marco in the back. They quickly pulled up at James's house, piling the boxes out as Karim locked the car after them. Marco did his job as the youngest and knocked on James's door, it took a few minutes for the Colombian to answer the door and when he did he looked flustered.

"Hammy!" Isco cried wrapping his arms around the taller male, who sunk into the embrace of his teammate. James pulled out of the hug slightly, checking that nobody was watching them, before pulling them inside of his living room. His living room was a state, there was clothes everywhere and boxes off to the side.

The four of them looked around as their Colombian began moving stuff off the settee's so they could sit down. Once they were sat down, Alvaro broke the elephant in the room. "It's true then? You're really leaving?" He questioned. James nodded softly. "I'm being sent on loan for two years, to Bayern." He whispered.

Isco stood up and began pacing, "I don't understand? Why Bayern? Why not stay here? With us? Or do we not matter anymore?" The twenty five year old began the quick fire of questions.

"Isco stop!" The youngest of the five cried slightly, standing up ready to move the third oldest if necessary, with Alvaro standing up hesitatingly too. Karim remained sat down, knowing the Colombian male would be able to handle it by himself.

James stood up, grabbing onto the younger males arms. "Carlo wants me, but Perez doesn't want to sell me. I want to stay here, trust me, I'd do anything to stay here but Zidane doesn't want me here. You guys mean more to me then anyone else besides Salo and Dani. You're my family, my brothers."

Tears began parading down James's cheeks as he spoke, as they began falling down the other four faces. Isco pulled the older male into a hug, as the other three members of their team piled in as well, each of them crying softly. They were a family and their family was being split up, bit by bit.

4-Sergio (and Iker)

Sergio was one of the first people that James met when he joined Real Madrid Iker and Sergio had to come congratulate the young Colombian for joining them and introduce them to the rest of the team, which meant that Sergio was one of the hardest to tell, he was having to tell his captain, his leader that he was leaving. Luckily, Sergio was back in Madrid, meaning it was only a car drive away. James knocked on the older males door, not noticing that their was another car in the driveway.

James lurched backwards slightly when he realised that it wasn't actually Sergio who opened the door, rather, it was Iker. "Hi Jamesito!" His ex captain greeted cheerfully, opening the door slightly so the younger male could come in and sit down. "I forgot you we're coming down to visit." James laughed softly, the laughter not fully reaching his eyes.

Iker narrowed his eyes slightly, gripping hold of the younger male's elbow and pulling him into a hug. "I know you're here to tell us, well Sergio, that you're leaving Hammy." Even nowadays, after he'd left the club, Iker was still as observant as usual, the exact opposite to Sergio, which made them the perfect couple.

James giggled sadly. "You know how clueless Sergio is sometimes." Iker continued. "It's going to be okay, James. I promise you." He whispered releasing him so he could sit down. "Do you want a drink or something?" Iker asked. "He's going to be a little while, you know how long he likes to take in the shower." Iker laughed softly, rolling his eyes at the daftness of his boyfriend. "Just water please, Capi." It was easy to go back into the old nicknames for his captain.

Half an hour later, Sergio was sat in front of James, dressed and smelling of strong body wash. "What do you need to tell us, James?" He asked softly. James quickly looked to Iker, who nodded reassuringly. "I'm being sent on loan, Sergio." He broke the news suddenly.

Sergio smiled sadly, his smile not reaching his eyes properly. "I was honestly expecting this, with all the rumours and just keeping you on the bench. I'm happy for you, kid. If you're happy, I'm happy." It's times like this when the captain really showed why he was Real Madrid's captain and had been vice captain before that.

"I'm going to miss you, don't get me wrong. We all will, but we want you, yes, you, we want you happy, James." Sergio continued. He was cut off by James wrapping his arms around him, which made the captain and ex captain smile fondly. "I love you, guys." The Colombian whispered reaching across to hug Iker at the same time.

"We love you too, kid."

5-Toni

James lied when he said that Sergio and Iker were the hardest to say goodbye to. In fact, it was Toni who was the hardest to say goodbye to. They'd  joined together after the world cup and then, they'd spent all that time since together. Trying to say goodbye was virtually impossible.

Every time that James tried to say goodbye, he either broke down in tears before he sent the text or he deleted the message and averted the conversation. James knew that eventually, he would have to say goodbye, before the news dropped to the press that he was going on loan.

James finally decided to do it, a week before it was going to announced, he'd barely got much of his stuff packed, meaning telling him at his house was virtually impossible, meaning he would have to go round to the German's house instead. It was Toni's turn to have Leon and after three years, he knew the routine for Leon like the back of his hand.

He wisely chose a time where Leon would more than likely be down to take his nap, meaning he could speak to one of his best friends without being interrupted. James found himself stood outside of Toni's house, with his first raised up to knock on the door, when it opened anyway, startling the Colombian male.

"Oh, Hi." The German player said, sounding rather confused at why the other male was there. "I need to tell you something." The Colombian blurted out, the panic starting to bubble away at his chest.

"James, are you okay?" The older male questioned, resting his hand on the younger male's forehead. James quickly batted his hand away, pushing the other man, back in through his door, not caring if anyone was able to see them. Toni's eyebrows raised in confusion as he looked at the younger.

"I'm transferring and it's been driving me insane because I've been trying to tell you for over a week now and every time I've gone to tell you, I've been going insane and freaking out and I feel like it's only fair that I tell you myself instead of letting you find out through the news and I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand." The Colombian male rambled on, running his hands through his hair as his breathe started to become more panicky.

Toni grabbed hold of the younger males hands, pulling them to his chest instead. "It's okay, I promise you it's okay, I'm not mad, I promise you. You're going to shine whether you go, now i need you to calm down for me and just breathe, Hammy. In and out, copy me." The German breathed in and out slowly and the younger males breathing slowly went back to normal, collapsing back into Toni's chest.

"Promise you're not mad?" He questioned weakly. Toni chuckled softly. "I'm not mad, it's for the best, Jamesito. We all love you and want the best for you."

1-Everyone.

"Guys we're going to be late, hurry up!" Iker shouted, making everyone stop what they were doing and start rushing to where the tv was set up. He was still on leave from Porto, meaning he got to spend more time with his ex teammates.

"Shouldn't it be kids at the front?" Marco questioned, plonking himself down, watching the TV carefully. Iker pinched his nose slightly, feeling his headache start to grow once again. "Younger ones at the front, older ones at the back, there's plenty of room, now get it sorted!"

Marco, Mateo, Mariano, Rubén, Raphaël, Álvaro, Dani, Casemiro, Isco and Danilo all sat on the floor, with Lucas, Nacho, Toni, Gareth, Karim, Marcelo, Fabio, Keylor, Kiko, Sergio, Luka, Cristiano and Pepe all sat around in chairs and settee's, not to mention Iker, who was sat in his own chair keeping an eye on his boys. "Iker, it's starting, turn it up!" Isco begged, turning the puppy eyes on him until he did as he was asked. Iker quickly turned up the volume and looked towards the TV. "Where is he?" Someone, probably Keylor mumbled, it wasn't until the camera moved that they was finally able to see him.

It was weird seeing James in a different colour but as soon as the camera stayed on him, the room broke out in smiles and cheers. "Go, Hammy!" Dani shouted. They'd all still got a few days until their games started but their little Colombian's fixtures started today and who were they kidding if they said they weren't going to watch it. "He looks so happy." Iker heard Cris whisper to Pepe who was smiling fondly at the screen. "He is happy." He whispered back. It wasn't until the 34th minute when their blood really started pumping with excitement. Bayern had won a free kick, which James was getting ready to take, instantly, the team began leaning forward, watching carefully as their (ex) teammate took the free kick. He kicked it just right and skimmed the goalkeeper. The room exploded.

"That's our boy!" Álvaro, Marco and Isco began cheering. Celebrating slightly.

"Our Colombian!" Gareth joined in, prompting Sergio, Karim and Pepe to join in. Cristiano sat their with a smile on his face, fondly watching his little brother celebrate with his new team, jumping into Carlo's arms, which raised a few laughs from his old team. Toni, watched the screen softly, before looking around at the other members of his team, fondly smiling at them. James may not be a Real Madrid player but he would always be part of their family, just like Iker and those who left before that.

He was their hermano, para siempre. He was their brother, forever.  

Meanwhile, Iker smiled softly, watching the chaos happen as they began celebrating, camera in his hand, recording it. Real Madrid was a family, a crazy, huge family which was all over the world and these are the memories that will last a life time.

#Real Madrid #Ally did something lmao #james Rodriguez #oneshot #idk #marcelo #cristiano ronaldo #alvaro morata #marco asensio #isco alarcon #Karim Benzema #Toni Kroos #Iker Casillas #Sergio Ramos #Gareth Bale #Pepe #I'm off to sleep now lmao

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Courtois ships FIVE first-half goals against Atletico after declaring himself undisputed No 1

Real mess: Thibaut Courtois sends FIVE first half goals against Atletico after declaring itself Madrid & # 39; s undisputed No. 1 … and there are problems on the other hand because a toothless attack gives Zinedine Zidane headaches again

Thibaut Courtois had a night to forget at the MetLife Stadium on Friday

He had himself Real Madrid & # 39; s undisputed No. 1 explained before the kickoff

However, the Belgian awarded five goals in the first half and was removed

Lack of firepower on the other side goes also not good for Zinedine Zidane

By Pete Jenson for MailOnline

Published: 13: 34 BST, July 27, 2019 | Updated: 13:44 BST, July 27, 2019

Real Madrid Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is mocked for explaining himself the number one of the club and then five first half goals against city rivals ship Atletico . And the former Chelsea Keeper's problems are only a small part of what turns into a disastrous North American tour.

Madrid & # 39; s pre-season was in pieces after a cheating in New Jersey owned by Atletico Madrid by Diego Simeone

& Courtois shot himself in the foot just before the match & # 39 ;, said Diario AS. & # 39; In a conversation with the media from his own country, he said: "It is clear that I am now number one in goal".

Thibaut Courtois had to forget a night among the sticks in the Metlife Stadium Arena

The Belgian was left behind for the ball no less than five times to get out of his own net

Well, the number one let in five against Atletico. You've never heard Iker Casillas or Keylor Navas with anything like that. And they have six European Cups between them. It is not strange that Courtois heard some whistles in the first half [directed at him]. & # 39;

Zidane said last season that there would be absolutely no uncertainty about who Real Madrid's first choice was this campaign, but that's not how it goes so far. Navas was an improvement in the second half of Courtois and most fans want the Costa Rican to start in goal with Courtois playing either cup games or being sold.

Zidane also prefers Navas, but had admitted to the club over Courtois in the hope that your other requirements would be met. So far, no request has been made for his request for Paul Pogba to be signed.

The only plus for him of this humiliation before the season is that there may now be even more urgency to bring in the midfielder from Manchester United.

The club must definitely do something to turn what & # 39; Zidane & # 39; s no revolution & # 39; is called this summer.

Zinedine Zidane, who was not stuck by him at the insistence of club board

At the start of the game, the French coach chose a side that was remarkably similar to the highlights he selected in the last third of last season. There were only two new faces in the form of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic and without a change in staff it was no big surprise to downcast fans that there was no change in performance.

Madrid was sloppy at the back, completely lacking in midfield intensity, and – with Gareth Bale on the bench until the 62 minutes – completely toothless in attack.

The game was much farther than Real Madrid by the time the Welshman entered the fight, but that had stopped him laughing and making jokes on the substitutes' bench.

Full-backs Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola stood on the pitch for Madrid's worst performance last season under Zidane – in particular their first ever defeat at home in the league to Girona that were eventually banned. Last night they were unable to stop an impressive Athletic Madrid that had made Diego Costa seem mean and teased Sergio Ramos just as he had done in the European Super Cup 12 months ago

That Super Cup Wins for Atletico in Estonia ruined the start of the Real Madrid season and accelerated the firing of Julen Lopetegui. This time the damage was done earlier and there may be time to fix things, but the club will have to move quickly.

There are no plans to replace Bale as his move to Jiangsu Suning continues with all efforts to concentrate on bringing in Pogba, but the 7- On the other hand, President Florentino Perez has wondered whether Bale is practically given to the Chinese is the right thing to do in the circumstances.

Midfield is certainly where Zidane believes that Madrid needs a revolution. They were run over by the cheerful Saul and the sensational Joao Felix. This result can also affect Atletico's chances of signing James Rodriguez of Real Madrid – it was bad enough that Atletico won with four former Real Madrid players on the field without giving them Rodriguez.

There is time to turn things around but there are major concerns. & # 39; We treated it as a friendly; they didn't, & Ramos said after the game. On Real Madrid supporters, increasingly disillusioned by the captain both on and off the field, it was not lost that both teams will start the new season at the same time.

They must be at the same level – but they are not on proof of last night. Atletico Madrid is flying; Real Madrid is a mess.

Sergio Ramos (center) was bullied by his Spanish counterpart on a night to forget for Real

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#Courtois ships FIVE first-half goals against Atletico after declaring himself undisputed No 1"

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La Liga 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Real Madrid vs Girona

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La Liga 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Real Madrid vs Girona

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Real Madrid thought everything was going so swimmingly, having overcome three major obstacles in a week with a tough run of fixtures. Then they fell at the final hurdle in a defeat at home to relegation battlers Girona in La Liga.

Casemiro opened the scoring in the first half with a well-executed header, but Sergio Ramos would concede a second-half penalty for a blatant handball, allowing Cristhian Stuani to equalise. Portu then added the winner later in the second half with a diving header, whilst Ramos would see a second yellow in the final stages to rub salt into the wounds of a 1-2 defeat.

Our tactical analysis will use statistics to identify what key points Real Madrid’s Santiago Solari can take from the game.

Real Madrid are worse off with Marcelo in the team

Another opportunity for Real Madrid’s Brazilian full-back, another game where Marcelo ends the day as the villain. The defender was recalled as Sergio Reguilon was rested given the demanding schedule, but Marcelo yet again failed to take his chance. The first half was an improvement, getting forward threateningly without being compromised at the back, but Girona’s tactical switch at half-time, allowing him more freedom down the left, saw Portu slip in behind to exploit his lack of discipline time and time again.

The clearest example was in the winning goal, where Marcelo arrived late to the backline having ventured upfield and then stood still. He was caught out as Portu pulled off his man and ran in behind at full pelt. It left Marcelo looking foolish again, as did winning only one duel in the full 90 minutes. As his poor form continues, it begins to look like less of a blip and more of a long-term decline for one of the staples of Real Madrid’s recent success.

Portu got in behind Marcelo, who was oblivious.

It was enough to get the goalscoring touch.

With a goal conceded every 49.6 minutes that Marcelo has been on the field, more than twice as frequently when compared to the same rate for Reguilon, it is a concern. The full-back continues to make the same basic mistakes of being caught way out of position and too high up the field. Against Barcelona, it was not a game-changer. This time out though, questions could justifiably be asked as to whether Girona could have turned the game around had it been the more disciplined Reguilon on the left of defence.

A worrying change at the break

Real Madrid looked to be cruising as they arrived at half-time, helped by Casemiro’s header. Solari’s team were dominant on the ball, with as high as 71% possession. After the break, that all changed. In part that was down to the way that Real Madrid inexplicably took their foot off the gas. After a tough run of fixtures against Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Ajax, the hosts seemed to be running out of gas and decided to hold back and ease off to save their depleting energy reserves.

However, doing so had a huge impact on their play. Not only was it a significant fall in possession, down to 48% immediately after the break (a 23% shift), but Real Madrid also made 111 fewer passes in the second half compared to the first. Their play became disjointed and disorganised as basic errors were made. The defence often reverted to lazy long balls rather than looking to continue the fine build-up play which had got the game under control in the first period.

Real Madrid switched off after half-time.

A worthy mention must also go to Eusebio, Girona’s coach, for his double substitution at half-time. It was a brave move for an away team without a win in 13 and only 1-0 down at the Bernabeu, with Aleix Garcia and Choco Lozano replacing Pedro Porro and Pere Pons. That move allowed Girona to consolidate in midfield and offered more pace down the flanks. The change also worked well as a trap. With Porro no longer pinning back Marcelo, the Brazilian was allowed to get forward – an error which Portu gleefully exploited with more freedom to roam.

Two talents under-performing

When Real Madrid were looking to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, the two main names to be discussed were Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio. On Saturday, both played major roles, with Asensio given his first start of the year and Bale introduced as a substitute to turn the game around. Between them, they went on to have 0.96 xG with four clear cut chances, yet none of them were converted.

For the Spaniard, there were glimpses of his quality. He showed bursts of pace, including two progressive runs, dropped the shoulder and set up his teammates, but his decision making let him down. One chance on 20 minutes showed it more clearly than any other.

Breaking on the counter down the wing, he looked to drift inside on the ball and was given options: take on his man, cross the ball to Karim Benzema, play the ball inside to Dani Ceballos or cut inside himself. He took up the latter and instantly found himself in a dead end, surrounded by seven defenders before firing a tame shot straight at goalkeeper Bono.

Asensio was faced with three options: cross, pass or dribble.

He chose to dribble into a dead end and fire off a weak shot straight at Bono.

Bale’s contribution was even less. With a golden one-on-one opportunity as the ball fell to him centrally 12 yards out, he hesitated in his run as Bono rushed out and could only flick the ball up into his hands. It was his only touch in the box and he completed just six passes in 30 minutes, looking an isolated figure. It’s clear time is running out for the Welshman in the Spanish capital, but there are no signs he is close to turning things around.

Goals from all over

If there was a positive to take from Real Madrid’s latest outing it came from set pieces, where Los Blancos were clinical. From all eight of their corners, a shot was taken and one of them even led to the goal from Casemiro, his third in five La Liga games. He showed real instinct to find his way between two Girona defenders on the edge of the box as he anticipated Toni Kroos’ cross, then got onto the end of the delivery with a composed header beyond Bono.

With the front line not firing on all cylinders, and even more concerningly as Karim Benzema’s fine form fades, it is vital that Solari finds way to get goals from other parts of the team. Casemiro has never been so prolific and there are goals coming from elsewhere too with Luka Modric having scored important goals, such as against Sevilla. Finding these alternate sources is essential to making up for the absence of Ronaldo and the lack of a consistently prolific goalscorer.

Casemiro found space between two Girona defenders in the most dangerous area.

Casemiro’s recent run of goals puts him fourth in Real Madrid’s top goalscorers list. While it may be a concern that three of the club’s five top goalscorers include a holding midfielder, a central defender (Sergio Ramos) and a left-back (Marcelo), it does show how the goals are being shared around. More will be expected of the likes of Vinicius and Mariano, who have just five goals between them in all competitions, but this distribution of goals provides an insurance policy.

Conclusion

Real Madrid were brought back down to earth with a bump. Solari was out-engineered by Eusebio’s smart half-time change, but it is hard to imagine that the switch alone would have been enough to have turned the tie on its head. A tired Real Madrid side, even with so many changes, couldn’t keep up the pace and allowed Girona back into the game. Now nine points off leaders Barcelona, any hopes of a La Liga title race revival now lie purely upon victory in March’s Clasico.

If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Buy your copy of the February issue for just ₤4.99 here, or even better sign up for a ₤50 annual membership (12 monthly issues plus the annual review) right here.

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Brazil Weighs Management Overhaul at Vale After Mine Disaster; Death Toll Rises

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Brazil’s government weighed pushing for a management overhaul at iron ore miner Vale SA on Monday as grief over the hundreds feared killed by a dam burst turned into anger, with prosecutors, politicians and victims’ families calling for punishment.

By Monday night, firefighters in the state of Minas Gerais had confirmed that 65 people were killed by Friday’s disaster, when a burst tailings dam sent a torrent of sludge into the miner’s offices and the town of Brumadinho.

There were still 279 people unaccounted for, and officials said it was unlikely that any would be found alive.

Brazil’s acting president, Hamilton Mourao, told reporters a government task force on the disaster response is looking at whether it could or should change Vale’s top management.

Public-sector pension funds hold several seats on the board of the mining company, and the government holds a “golden share” giving it power over strategic decisions.

“The question of Vale’s management is being studied by the crisis group,” said Mourao, who is serving as acting president for some 48 hours while President Jair Bolsonaro recovers from surgery. “I’m not sure if the group could make that recommendation.”

Shares of Vale, the world’s largest iron ore and nickel producer, plummeted 24.5 percent on Monday in Sao Paulo, erasing nearly $19 billion in market capitalization. A U.S. law firm filed a shareholder class action lawsuit against the company in New York, seeking to recover investment losses.

Igor Lima, a fund manager at Galt Capital in Rio, said the severe threats from the government and prosecutors drove the shares even lower than many analysts had estimated.

“This reaction has brought quite a lot of uncertainty about the size of the financial punishment Vale will have to handle,” he said.

Senator Renan Calheiros, who is in the thick of a Senate leadership race, on Twitter called for Vale’s top management to be removed urgently “out of respect for the victims … and to avoid any destruction of evidence.”

One of Vale’s lawyers, Sergio Bermudes, told newspaper Folha de S. Paulo that management should not leave the company and said that Calheiros was trying to profit politically from the tragedy.

Vale’s senior executives have apologized for the disaster but have not accepted responsibility, saying the installations met the highest industry standards.

Brazil’s top prosecutor, Raquel Dodge, said the company should be held strongly responsible and criminally prosecuted. Executives could also be personally held responsible, she said.

Repeated Failures

The disaster at the Corrego do Feijao mine occurred less than four years after a dam collapsed at a nearby mine run by Samarco Mineracao SA, a joint venture by Vale and BHP Billiton , killing 19 and dumping toxic sludge in a major river.

While the 2015 Samarco disaster unleashed about five times more mining waste, Friday’s dam break was far deadlier as the wall of mud hit Vale’s local offices, including a crowded cafeteria, and tore through a populated area downhill.

“The cafeteria was in a risky area,” Renato Simao de Oliveiras, 32, said while searching for his twin brother, a Vale employee, at an emergency response station. “Just to save money, even if it meant losing the little guy. … These businessmen, they only think about themselves.”

As search efforts continued on Monday, firefighters laid down wood planks to cross a sea of sludge that is hundreds of meters wide in places, to reach a bus in search of bodies inside. Villagers discovered the bus as they tried to rescue a nearby cow stuck in the mud.

Longtime resident Ademir Rogerio cried as he surveyed the mud where Vale’s facilities once stood on the edge of town.

“The world is over for us,” he said. “Vale is the top mining company in the world. If this could happen here, imagine what would happen if it were a smaller miner.”

Nestor José de Mury said he lost his nephew and coworkers in the mud. “I’ve never seen anything like it, it killed everyone,” he said.

Vale Chief Financial Officer Luciano Siani told journalists on Monday evening that, despite interrupting operations in Brumadinho, the company would continue royalty payments to the municipality. He said Vale royalties made up about 60 percent of the town’s 140 million reais in revenue last year.

Siani said a donation of 100,000 reais will be made to each family that lost a relative in the disaster and said Vale would step up investments in dam safety.

Safety Debate

The board of Vale, which has raised its dividends over the last year, suspended all shareholder payouts and executive bonuses late on Sunday, as the disaster put its corporate strategy under scrutiny.

Since the disaster, courts have order a freeze on 11.8 billion reais of Vale’s assets to cover damages. State and federal authorities have slapped it with 349 million reais of administrative fines.

German insurer Allianz SE may have to cover some of the costs of the dam collapse, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

“I’m not a mining technician. I followed the technicians’ advice and you see what happened. It didn’t work,” Vale CEO Fabio Schvartsman said in a TV interview. “We are 100 percent within all the standards, and that didn’t do it.”

Many wondered if the state of Minas Gerais, named for the mining industry that has shaped its landscape for centuries, should have higher standards.

“There are safe ways of mining,” said Joao Vitor Xavier, head of the mining and energy commission in the state assembly. “It’s just that it diminishes profit margins, so they prefer to do things the cheaper way – and put lives at risk.”

Reaction to the disaster could threaten the plans of Brazil’s newly inaugurated president to relax restrictions on the mining industry, including proposals to open up indigenous reservations and large swaths of the Amazon jungle for mining.

Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said in a TV interview on Monday that Brazil should create new regulation for mining dams, replacing wet tailings dams with dry mining methods.

Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque proposed in a Sunday newspaper interview that the law be changed to assign responsibility in cases such as Brumadinho to the people responsible for certifying the safety of mining dams.

“Current law does not prevent disasters like the one we saw on Brumadinho,” he said. “The model for verifying the state of mining dams will have to be reconsidered. The model isn’t good.”

($1 = 3.7559 reais)

(Additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer, Maria Carolina Marcello, Ricardo Brito and Marcelo Teixeira; editing by Marguerita Choy and Leslie Adler)

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[19spains]

The faces of Spanish football: A sorcerer, a van Gaal reject and two slayed Goliaths - the amazing story of Diego Cascón

The rugged pitch of the Estadio Santo Domingo was greeted by the applause and cheers of 3,000 spectators. The stadium was half-empty, but for the amateur club, it was a dream to be a part of the match. This match.

This match, they were playing Real Madrid.

Read the Madrid lineup - Dudek; Arbeloa, Albiol, Metzelder, Drenthe; Mahamadou Diarra, Guti, Van der Vaart; Granero; Raúl and Benzema - and you would have goosebumps as a first division side, forget an amateur third division side with an average annual salary of €36,000. Oh, and Gago, Marcelo and Van Nistelrooy also played in that match.

It was AD Alcorcón vs Real Madrid, and it was spectacular. It was spectacular because it was Alcorcón’s first match against top-flight opposition - and what better way to have a match like that than against nine international players in the starting eleven. It was spectacular because no one had known about this small club or that it was based in Madrid itself. It was spectacular because of the financial gap between the two teams. The wage bill of Alcorcón’s matchday squad was one million euros, exactly 110 times less than that of Real Madrid.

It was also spectacular for another reason. Real Madrid were destroyed.

Alcorcón’s midfield, who nobody knew about, suddenly looked better than internationally capped players. Ernesto Gómez and Fernando Béjar, the interiors, ran like dogs, chasing the ball and hassling the opposition at every opportunity. Rubén Sanz, on the tip of the midfield diamond, was neat and tidy in possession, keeping the play ticking and the ball flowing in the final third. And donning the number 10 shirt, Sergio Mora, sitting in the base of midfield in a regista role, became central to every play.

The passing, pressing and possession was excellent. Real Madrid’s midfield looked liked the ones in the third division. They were being outplayed in every department. The desire to win was evident. Shot after shot, world-class pass after world-class pass, recovery after recovery, Alcorcón had the game in their hands.

The first goal was precisely that - a beautiful pass from Sergio Mora found Real reject and striker Borja Pérez, who dribbled past two Real Madrid defenders and scored past a third. The second came from Mora again - released by Béjar, he passed to Borja in the box for a certain goal. It was a goal, just that Arbeloa had got there first.

Real were shocked. And it was disappointing that they had only two shots to show as a recovery, which former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Juanma easily parried away.

Alcorcón were still dangerous, still playing extremely well. A deadly cross from right-back Nagore found the post, the goal-line but not the goal. A deadly counter from Alcorcón saw second striker Diego Cascón play the ball into the box again. This time, Ernesto made a perfectly timed run to slot past Dudek.

By half-time, Alcorcón were ahead by three goals. By the hour mark, they would make it four, as a poorly cleared set piece found Borja, who coolly finished home. Real Madrid tried. But as hard as they tried something always came in the way - Juanma was spectacular but so was the team. Whenever a Real Madrid player got the ball there was an Alcorcón player in his face. Whenever there was an Alcorcón player on the ball there were four more ahead of him to pass the ball too. With passing that exquisite and moves that intricate, all that was left was to walk the ball into the net.

AD Alcorcón 4-0 Real Madrid. On 27th October, 2009, the damage was done. Real Madrid went trophyless that season; the psychological damage had been too much.

By contrast, Alcorcón were promoted that very season, and for the first time were playing in the professional leagues in 2010-11.

"In the first forty-five minutes there was hardly a difference between a first division team, Villarreal, and one of the Segunda B, Polideportivo Ejido. It was the "inferior" team that was clearly dominating."

-Marca

There was no way through.

Villarreal tried and tried. They tried through balls and long balls. They tried ground passes and crosses. They tried pressing higher up the pitch and they tried pressing in their own half.

Nothing was working.

It wasn't that Poli Ejido were defending deep - it was that you could see their desire on the pitch more. They cared more. There were always two men on the Villarreal player who had the ball. They dribbled past an unsupported Villarreal defense with ease.

Villarreal never even stood a chance.

Jorge Molina got a hat-trick. Gregory got two more towards the end. Juli ran the show with exquisite dribbling. Mikel Rico ran and ran until he could run no more. 

Poli Ejido won 5-0 against a team that couldn't even challenge its goalkeeper Razak Brimah, a 21-year-old who had only played two cup games in Spain before that game.

Diego Cascón began in the world of football in Loyola (the school team where he studied in his hometown, León: los Jesuitas), up to the "freshmen" cadetes. While in the alevín team, Barcelona took interest in him.

But there were problems with him and another guy from Salamanca. Barcelona ended up sacking Serra Ferrer and hiring Van Gaal, who ruled out all signings that Serra Ferrer had proposed for the youth teams.

Subsequently, in the second year cadetes he played for Cultural. At the club, he ascended to the juvenils and then to the first team which was playing in the Segunda B in 2003. He stayed at the club till 2007, scoring 12 goals in his last season at Cultural.

He would go on to play at Badalona, Poli Ejido, Alcorcón, and Eibar for a season each. It was at these clubs that he gained the reputation of being an effective super sub - someone who could make an impact in the last minutes of the game. In fact, he scored five goals in 29 appearances at Ejido, despite playing just 714 minutes!

In 2011, he joined Jaén in 2011 - also in the Segunda B - where he played for three seasons and captained the team in the last two.

It was here where he showed that when managers really put their confidence in him and gave him regular minutes, he did make an impact. He scored 12 in his first season at Jaén.

But his poor stamina, combined with his incredible speed and strength, meant that teams would use him to make sure opposition defenses didn't push too high towards the end of a game.

In his second season, he would lead Jaén to the Segunda, and even scored eight goals. But those goals came in the first half of the season. In April 2013, Cascón solicited the services of a sorcerer in April 2013 in an attempt to end a negative scoring drought, feeling he was a victim of the evil eye.

He never scored for Jaén again.

Even though he made his professional debut at last at the age of 29, after making just 11 substitute appearances, in January 2014 he was told by Jaén he was no longer needed. He waived the compensation due on his contract, rolled back tears at his farewell press conference, and moved to Kitchee in Hong Kong. After winning the Hong Kong first division and finishing as runner-up in the FA Cup, in July 2014 he received an offer from Cartagena.

Instead, he moved to Columbia, signing for "Red Devils" América Cali, where he played 14 games and scored zero goals.

He is now back in Spain. In 2015, he signed for Melilla, where he scored 9 goals in his first season, but just 285 minutes in his second season prompted him to move this January to Mérida.

At the age of 32, his chance to play professional football again is all but over.

The sad reality is that Diego Cascón's story is only reported, however meagerly, because he started, and finished, that fateful game against Real Madrid, and replaced hat-trick hero Jorge Molina for fourteen minutes in the 5-0 demolition of Villarreal.

The sad reality is that stories similar to his will not matter.

Because they will never be heard.

#19 Spains #The faces of Spanish Football #Diego Cascón #van gaal #real madrid #villarreal #poli ejido #alcorcón #atlético madrid

[discoveringmylegend]

After being unable to go back to sleep on this early Sunday morning, I started to peruse through the internet and eventually ended up at The Players Tribune. After reading about The Miami Baseball Brotherhood, I continued to scroll down and curiosity grabbed me as to what careers may be offered at the editorial. As I went through the available openings and requirements, one hit me in particular for interns: What is the most incredible sports moment you've ever personally witnessed?

Now, I watch and follow a plethora of sports, and have traveled far and wide to watch teams that are not even my favorite. I am not quite the Marlins guy that sits courtside and behind home plate at the largest sporting events (or anywhere close to that for that matter), but I am definitely fortunate to witness some pretty great moments. Although I do not remember every detail of each event, here are the moments that will forever live with me.

My first and final time at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA (2013)

Being a 49ers fan all my life, this was my first time watching them in person. After securing my first professional job, I was looking forward to making use of my new fortunes and doing my first football game right by tailgating. After years of suffering, the promise lands looked to be on the horizon with Harbaugh at the helm. Before they tore down Candlestick, I wanted my first game to be in the stadium that witnessed all the other past glory that made history within this venue. The Niners were hosting the Texans on Sunday Night, the stage was set. As a niners fan, the result did not disappoint as the tone for the game was set with a 49ers pick-six and Frank and Vernon would both eventually score to seal a 34-3 victory and I got to see my man Patrick Willis and the rest of the defense round up the Texans. One thing I never knew until I was there in person was that fans would cheer "a'oo a'oo a'oo" like in the movie 300 after each first down, which was pretty interesting.

Wrigley Field (2015)

What better rivalry than the Cardinals and Cubs in Wrigley. This was my first sporting event outside of California. After walking through the turnstyles, I started getting chills (and not from the Chicago winds either) in disbelief that I was in the exact stadium where many other fans walked through for the past 100 years. Sitting in the second tier of the grandstands behind home plate of Wrigley, we had a magnificent view of everything in front of us. This was unlike watching sports in California - people were living and dying with every pitch, the entire crowd stood and cheered when the rallying cry came. In California, baseball is a past time for some, but in Wrigley, baseball is a religion for all.

Fenway Park (2016)

When I was younger, the Red Sox were my American League team. I still remember watching them win the World Series to break the curse, the heart break that was the year before, the other World Series that followed after, and through all of it there was Big Papi. When better to attend Fenway than the final season for David Ortiz. The Royals were in town, David Price was on the mound against Danny Duffy, it looked like we were going to have a pitching duel. As we would find out on this mild late Summer night, we were instead going to have ourselves a slugfest. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Ortiz  go yard (on the plane ride back, they were showing Red Sox-Royals on Sunday night baseball and just so happens I tuned in when Ortiz goes yard and a lady few rows back cheers "Go Papi!" - New England women are die hard like that), Mooky, Xander, Hanley, and Salvy (2) all went yard that night, and I got to see a number of guys I respected who play the game.

Messi score his 500th career goal as Barcelona loss 2-1 to Valencia (2016).

Being a Real Madrid fan, it is a little awkward to say that my first European soccer fixture would be watching Barcelona at Camp Nou. As a soccer fan and visiting Barcelona for the time, there was no chance I was going to pass the opportunity to watch Iniesta, Suarez, Neymar, and Messi. Barcelona had just recently been eliminated by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and going through a bit of a rough patch. They got caught on the counter attack numerous times, going two goals down and the trouble looked to persist. A part of me was pleased, but at the same time I felt for the Barcelona supporters. After giving up each goal, the supporters tried to rally their team. Messi would eventually pull one back, and Pique had a glorious chance towards the waning seconds. Even though he missed, the crowd applauded the effort and stood behind their team like a parent behind their child through thick and thin. That night, I understood what it meant to be Catalan.

Hala Madrid (2016)

When European club soccer was not widely known yet in the States, I began to jump on the Real Madrid bandwagon when the likes of Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Raul, and Ronaldo were the stars of the initial Galaticos era in the Spanish capital and playing FIFA was becoming popular. More than 10 years in the making, I finally had my chance to watch the likes of Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Benzema, and Cristiano in the second era of the Galaticos. To go from watching on screen to being there in person at the Santiago Bernabeu leaves you speechless at the magnitude of the stage that these guys play in on weekly basis. Here they were going up against Villareal, a team I've watched Real Madrid play many times. Lucas Vasquez would play a beautiful 1-2 to start off the scoring, and they were off. It is a moment I never wanted to end, but I will never forget the brightly lit field, and the chants and drums coming from the south end of the stadium.

Atletico Madrid vs Malaga (2016)

As amazing as it was to see both Barcelona and Real Madrid, I have to say there is a soft spot for Atletico. As reflected in their coach, Diego Simeone, and their supporters, the have a very blue collar attitude and work ethic about them. Though being the smallest of the three Spanish stadiums on this voyage, it was also the loudest - this was an open stadium too as compared to the other two that are enclosed with an open top. This would be the game Diego Simeone gets sent off for rolling a ball onto the pitch (from my viewpoint at the time from the far side of the stadium it looked he did, but apparently he may have directed the ball boy to do so) during a counter attack by Malaga. The Atletico supporters would curse between each drag of the cigarette throughout the closely fought match. I got to see Diego Godin, Griezmann, and of course, El Nino - Fernando Torres - the kid who grew up going to games with his grandfather was now back with his childhood club after his spell in England.

After a moments thought, this was the first and foremost my greatest moment (to date) - Game 5 of the NLCS between the Cardinals and Giants (2014).

Up to this point I have been to a number of Giants game but never a playoff game, not even in their previous playoff runs. Looking at the schedule against the mighty Cardinals, game 5 looked like my best bet to witness a series clincher and to my luck, it was. With an $85 standing room only ticket, I left work early for San Francisco and was also my first time attending a sporting event by myself. Sports are one of my greatest passions, and once I made up mind to be at this game, there was no stopping me. At first I started out on top of the arcade, but after not being able to see a couple of the plays that went towards the gap in right center, I eventually found my way next to the concessions mid-game looking down third base line, and man, did it provide the perfect viewpoint for what was to come. Being injured for much of the playoffs, Michael Morse was called on to pinch hit late in the game. The Giants were down a run and if anyone was going to tie it up with a homerun, he was the guy. Low and behold, the stars were aligned. After the ball left the bat, I ducked down to track the ball as it disappeared from view because of the club level above, praying that the ball was deep enough and stayed fair, the ball would travel over the fence and squeezed within the foul pole in the left field corner and the crowd erupted. Wow. This felt storybook. Next inning, the Giants got a couple runners on base and Ishikawa steps into the box. After hearing the ball leave the bat, I knew he would hit it deep enough to score the run, but he went one better and drove it into the seats for a walk off homerun.  The guy who got resigned mid season to a minor league deal and makes it on the playoff roster hits game winning homerun to win the pennant. It could not have happened to a better guy.

So, what else is on the list? As a Lakers fan, I have not been to Staples, and as some of you know, I was hoping to see Kobe in his final season, but fate would not permit it. As an Arsenal fan, I would love to see Wenger and Ozil, but with the current season, the futures of both look to be hazy. English football in general is definitely on the list. The Allianz would also be great to see Bayern Munich. We'll see what else is in store, there will be more games to come.

On a side note, there is also now an Instagram account that hopefully will be updated more frequently than this blog (or hopefully both will get updated altogether). Check it out @discoveringmylegend