The Official 15/16 UEFA Champion's League and International Club News Thread

[GirlySports]

Zidane has always played with an edge. He was given 14 red cards in his career.
As comparison, Patrick Vierra only had 9.

[devo22]

Very honest words from Guardiola in a press conference today. My translation:

"The reason (for not staying) is simple: I want to manage in the Premier League. If I were as old as my predecessor (Heynckes) or my successor (Ancelotti), I'd stay here until Rummenigge and Sammer say: 'go home!'"

Also claims he hasn't signed a contract with anybody else. Maybe that's just me, but that part sounds less honest ... we all know what's going to happen :/

[Addick]

Originally Posted by devo22

Also claims he hasn't signed a contract with anybody else. Maybe that's just me, but that part sounds less honest ... we all know what's going to happen :/

Apparently he's very intelligent and isn't going to eliminate any opportunity. That includes playing the giants of the EPL against each other for his benefit.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Both Madrid clubs handed transfer bans for the June 2016/January 2017 windows.

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have each been handed a one-year transfer ban by Fifa for breaching regulations over the transfer of players under the age of 18, with the ruling similar to the one imposed on La Liga champions Barcelona in 2014, throwing Real’s transfer interest in David De Gea and Eden Hazard into serious doubt.

News emerged in December that Fifa had been investigating both Madrid clubs over youth transfers, and it was expected that disciplinary action would be taken against them, with confirmation coming today from the governing body over the sanctions.

Fifa informed both Real and Atletico of their decision, with a two transfer window ban imposed on them that will prevent the clubs from registering any new signings made during that period.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...-a6811951.html

[Locke]

What is with the Spanish clubs inability to keep their hands off the kids?

[nik-]

But how will we bring in more attacking midfielders now?!

We need all the attacking midfielders!

[cam_wmh]

Ya know, if DDG is gonna be sold this summer, sell him to Barcelona along with Ter Stegen in return.

#### those terroristas

[nik-]

ugh ... again with the terroristas

It's not as clever as you seem to think it is, it's probably time to retire it.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Ya know, if DDG is gonna be sold this summer, sell him to Barcelona along with Ter Stegen in return.

#### those terroristas

That would be a good trade. DDG for Ter Stegen? Whoever ends up with Ter Stegen is the winner of that.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Ya know, if DDG is gonna be sold this summer, sell him to Barcelona along with Ter Stegen in return.

Uh, no thanks. Ter Stegen isn't even the best goalie at Barcelona.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by nik-

ugh ... again with the terroristas

It's not as clever as you seem to think it is, it's probably time to retire it.

Originally Posted by Locke

That would be a good trade. DDG for Ter Stegen? Whoever ends up with Ter Stegen is the winner of that.

De Gea is definitely better, which is why I'd think $20m coming back would be best.

Originally Posted by devo22

Uh, no thanks. Ter Stegen isn't even the best goalie at Barcelona.

The kid has been committed since he arrived and for unreasonable justification Enrique pushes him to the bench, too often. Bravo is a very good keeper so being second him isn't a poor review. MTS, also brings excellent distribution that's comparable to DDG.

He the best keeper that is in an unsettled scenario, and I rate him better than
Cilassen. Of the others that have been rumoured, Woodward doesn't inspire me to poach a keeper in an ideal scenario for them, despite all the riches (thanks addick )

Reasonable chance United isn't in CL next season, doesn't help Woodward either.

[devo22]

Honestly, I think ter Stegen isn't even one of the best 3 German keepers behind Neuer. Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp are clearly ahead of him and IMO Timo Horn is/will be as well. Jan Oblak, Jack Butland and Yann Sommer are other goalies that I'd want ahead of ter Stegen as well.

IIRC Leno has a fairly cheap buyout clause. He'd be the obvious target - young and talented, but already established and reliable.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by nik-

But how will we bring in more attacking midfielders now?!

We need all the attacking midfielders!

Just like Barca, Real will file an appeal and stock the shelves this summer.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by devo22

Honestly, I think ter Stegen isn't even one of the best 3 German keepers behind Neuer. Bernd Leno and Kevin Trapp are clearly ahead of him and IMO Timo Horn is/will be as well. Jan Oblak, Jack Butland and Yann Sommer are other goalies that I'd want ahead of ter Stegen as well.

IIRC Leno has a fairly cheap buyout clause. He'd be the obvious target - young and talented, but already established and reliable.

I'm with you on wanting Leno, i do think MTS is 2nd bench of Germans. That said, I know Leno just re-signed a long term deal, but a cheap buyout is news to me. He too is who I'd prefer.

Any idea what that buy-out is? ~$20m?

[The Big Chill]

I read Horn's buyout is around 6 mil Euros, too. He seems at least on par with Ter Stegen at this point, and may be even better. For the quoted prices, Ter Stegen doesn't seem like the smartest buy at this point.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I'm with you on wanting Leno, i do think MTS is 2nd bench of Germans. That said, I know Leno just re-signed a long term deal, but a cheap buyout is news to me. He too is who I'd prefer.

Any idea what that buy-out is? ~$20m?

I just checked, Leno hasn't renewed his contract since 2013. His buy-out clause is €18m (~ $20m), according to Bild.

Timo Horns buy-out clause is €9m, also according to Bild.

[nik-]

BeInsportsconnect is ####ing garbage. If you're ever thinking about subbing, just don't.

That is all.

[devo22]

Four of the five most expensive January transfers were made by Chinese clubs.

€42m - Jackson Martinez to Guangzhou Evergrande
€28m - Ramires to JS Suning
€24m - Gianelli Imbula to Stoke City
€18m - Elkeson to Shanghai SIPG
€18m - Gervinho to Hebei China Fortune

crazy stuff. They apparently pay HUGE wages to lure players.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by nik-

BeInsportsconnect is ####ing garbage. If you're ever thinking about subbing, just don't.

That is all.

I got a free trial and I don't think that I watched a single thing there.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Slava

I got a free trial and I don't think that I watched a single thing there.

I would love to watch Real Madrid games. There's no watching games on demand later. They use Silverlight so there's no using chrome, and the mobile app doesn't support chromecast so I can't even watch it on my TV. Half the time (and for the last three games completely) the stream just cuts out with errors.

It's ####ing garbage. Just an embarassment of a streaming product in 2016.

Also, Shaw doesn't carry BeIn and I don't really want to switch everything over to Telus.