Madrid derby, Spurs vs Burnley match pictures under the cut
What's the catch? It's that Qatar trip again for Bayern
This is the fifth year in a row that Bayern have spent their winter break in Qatar, and every time they travel, the club falls over itself in a bid to tell the world just how wonderful the Gulf state really is. This time, it was Matthias Sammer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who led the line: "the conditions in Doha are simply fantastic", they both crowed.
The question is to be answered with another. How can people like Rummenigge, who have spoken out to some degree against a World Cup in Qatar in 2022, defend Bayern's endorsement of the country when they are fully aware of the human rights issues for which it is perpetually attacked? Then, there is Pep Guardiola.
Dapper, reserved, charming Pep Guardiola. Football's answer to Obama. That same Pep Guardiola has retained the links to Qatar which he established while playing there at the end of his career. Those links led him to be an ambassador for the country's World Cup bid, and allegedly played a huge role in Barcelona's controversial and tragic decision to finally put commercial sponsorship on their shirts a few years ago.
It was Guardiola who cast the crucial vote at Bayern on whether to go to Qatar again this winter. His opinion was never in doubt. The friction between Guardiola's public image and the millions of pounds he has earned from his Qatar links is for many increasingly difficult to overlook. In an interview with Die Zeitlast year, Bayern fan and German philosopher Wolfram Eilenberger referred to the Catalan as an "ethical bottler", and called him "morally unbelievable".
For Eilenberger, Guardiola is betraying his intelligence by wilfully ignoring the issues around the Gulf state. To truly damn Guardiola's morality would require more knowledge of the exact contracts he has with the Emirate. But many fans of both Bayern and Guardiola would at least welcome a more open, discursive approach to the topic of Qatar.
Guardiola's main defence is that he "is not informed enough". It is, in Eilenberger's words, "a laughable excuse". Equally irritating is the fact that Guardiola has complained before about his team having to embark on tours of the USA or China for marketing reasons. And yet the trips to Qatar are hardly different. I didn't know that Guardiola was the one who pushed Barcelona to take on the Qatari sponsorship? TIL
Chatter from the sidelines
- Qatar stars vs Bayern Munich for real though? Qatar's team play in Qatar?
- Arjen Robben flips at Mario Gotze as Bayern Munich ignore political pressures to go on money-spinning trip to Qatar Yeah, this is a lot of Bayern Munich news. Um... sorry?
- Rafael Varane is not interested in Bayern Munich wants to see where Real Madrid takes him
- Pep Guardiola isn't going back to Barcelona he's at Bayern Munich who love him and want him. He'll stay there, thanks
- Pep Guardiola proves he is the coolest manager once again as Bayern play football tennis in training read more
- Liverpool transfer news and rumours: Alex Song wanted by Brendan Rodgers as Reds join West Ham in battle For real though
- Liverpool transfer update! Signing PSG star would be a gamble, claims Vickery
I agree. He doesn't score much, and his antics are a bit unsettling. Kinda hot though - 'Squad help already making me feel home' Lazar Markovic may only have been a Liverpool player for six months, but the Serbian winger is already feeling more than comfortable on Merseyside.
- Is Daley Blind Premier League's nicest star? Manchester United player personally replies to fan letters ORLY? Let me write a letter
- Wilfried Bony deal makes Manchester City GOAL KINGS with four of the top five Premier League goalscorers from 2014
more - La Liga: Minnows Eibar high-flying amongst giants of Spanish football I know the people mock them as a hipster team (and you thought Atletico Madrid was one) but kidding aside Eibar is doing the business. Never mind the fact that if they stay in La Liga for two seasons, they have to expand their stadium!
- Cristiano Ronaldo Slams Atletico Madrid Style, Admits Fitness Limitationsboy, bye!
- Xherdan Shaqiri confirms he was unhappy at Bayern Munich The 23-year old stated that he'd fallen out of Pep Guardiola's first-team plans following the ex-Barcelona manager's arrival to the Allianz Arena in 2013.
- Messi votes for Guardiola... and Mourinho Messi be trolling
- Wenger doesn't believe in the Balon d'Or you and me boo, you and me
- Toronto FC sign U.S. international Jozy Altidore Sunderland getting Altidore for Dafoe? That doesn't sound right
- Tottenham have 'three great strikers' - there was no need to re-sign Jermain Defoe, says Mauricio Pochettino Pochettino is building a young, academy team. He's good
- Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho questions Manchester City's compliance with Financial Fair Play after £28m Wilfried Bony deal Who knows when it comes to Manchester City nowadays
- Jose Mourinho to contest FA charge over 'campaign' comments Mourinho talking sh*t? Must be a day that ends with a y
- Liverpool to take every precaution to ensure Daniel Sturridge doesn't suffer injury setback OMG studge
Social Media
Fabregas is having another sprog
Pellegrini, Man City's gaffer is the manager of the month
Silva celebrated his birthday last week
Pictures
Man, when I saw Ronaldo walking around with that Balon d'Or last night - watching the match from my phone- I was like, I hope you lose
Normally I'm neutral on Real Madrid, but I met a Madridista last night, OMG. This was my face. Marcelo's face was me last night- oh, I am getting ahead of myself. Let's do this properly, shall we?
Ronaldo won an award which is well.. good for him, I guess? Grandpere and I have the same feelings towards it
I didn't see this during the match last night. But to be fair, my internet was shaky, so I was following it via reddit but - HAVE YOU SEEN THIS IDOLATRY?
I can't even begin to delve into my bitchery about this, that's how gobsmacked I am at this banner. Real Madrid and Ronaldo campaigned hard and stunted even harder. Suppose Neuer had won? What would they have done with that banner? Made it into a sail?
So, Torres scored a brace. As I live and breathe I was jumping around last night. At dinner. With people watching when the news came over the phone
Did it juuuust like that
I was happy for him. First touch in under 2 minutes at the Bernabeau? Goddamn3
Happy for Simeone too in that Torres repaid his confidence. NGL, Torres didn't have much touches of the ball from what I gathered, but he was doing the work. Tussling, hustling, bustling- all sorts of industry
The living, breathing definition of a work ethic, Snr Torres was
Greizmann and himself make a good team. So Simeone now has another option.
The choice, once derided- especially since gossip has it that Simeone promised Atletico Madrid another year of his services if they got Torres in the mix- now looks inspired. Although a summer does not a swallow make. But Torres seems happier than he's been in a while and I forgot that he had some sort of pace
Even Chelsea fans I knew were like, "Huh, good on him!"
This picture says it all, tbh
NGL, Diego Simeone was robbed re: the Balon d'Or. Unlike say the German coach and the Real Madrid coach who have big war chests, and superstar players in their roster, Simeone's lot is modest
But that doesn't stop Simeone from making nothing into whole cloth. Yes, his football is South American (in that dirty Uruguayan and Argentine style), but his team are great to watch
Anyway, I heard that Madrid had about 76% of possession and yet...
Work!
Ramos to be fair, wasn't short of work ethic either. SMH at Atletico not marking him for his first header though
Scored a goal for Real Madrid. I might side eye Ramos something fierce, but he is a beast on the field
I was talking to someone in Spanish last night and he brought up the subject of Gareth Bale. I was like.... "But why?"
He didn't like how Bale played last night. I told him that as long as he wasn't back in my league, I didn't care! :D
I like this photo of Ramos, don't ask me why, I can't tell you
Prancing like a pony. Ramos is someone who looks better in his football kit than out of it.
Real Madrid's haul
Real Madrid players posing with the trophies that they won. I don't know what they won them for, and I'm too lazy to check, because as much as I enjoyed listening/watching the gifs of that match, it's not really the match I want to talk about. That is not why I'm here
For the Sernando shippers ( I ship Torres and... someone else that I'm deeply, terribly ashamed to confess. They are both in La Liga and on the same team *jp stuffs food into her mouth so that she won't say anymore*) a gif
One more gif because I talk too much, obviously
Sergio be like... another yellow
Let us talk about that Tottenham Spurs vs Burnley in the FA cup match. The Southampton vs Ipswich match was rubbish and devoid of quality - but they showed that match instead. ¬_¬
Bobby Soldado missed a sitter! Five yards away! When I heard that on the radio I was like, "BOBBEH, NOOOOOO!!!!"
Pochettino is me and I am him and we are one. Soldado was bought for £26 million (a record for Spurs) because he was a goal scoring beast in Spain. His time in England... has not gone so well. Four goals in eighteen months, I want to say?
That was a match for the ages though. Spurs went two down in the first fifteen minutes, then evened out at half time and came back roaring to a 4-2 at the end of the match
Soldado didn't get any goals, but he did a couple of sweet assists. I do like him. I just wish that he... scored?
So does he! To be fair, Soldado works hard, seems to be a good team player, and leaves it on the field.
Lloris was out for a rest, Vorm stood in for goal keeping duties.
Kaboul, Spurs captain - allegedly on his way out of the club. Had an argument with a teammate on the pitch ¬_¬. Nice
Jan Vergonten. I like him. Good lad.
I know that I bang on about Burnley, but I really, really, really admire them. Their most expensive player is a snip for £5 million
Stambouli doing the work
Spurs came from behind!
Chiriches (left) gestures to the White Hart Lane crowd after netting his second goal for Tottenham since joining in 2013
Videos of Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Click to viewOP: Thanks for reading. As usual any image breaks, misinformation, etc. Leave comment, and it will be amended in due course. It's good to be back! Here's hoping my internet holds!