Fair point. I'd laugh so much if that happened.

Is Montoya going to be Barca's first choice rb next season?

Is Alves going?

I thought he was. I have read a few times he's going to PSG, just assumed it was true. Either way he's been dreadful last 2 seasons now.

I heard that PSG were going for Abate?

Oh really? I read they're after Debuchy a few times also.

Yeah I thought Alves was going to PSG.

Didn't Villa hit 20 or more about 8 or 9 seasons running? And he's also won silverware with every team he's played for since he left Sporting.

Ayoze's been Tenerife's star player this season Andy, but I heard on a local footy show here only a few days ago that he's gone off the boil a bit in recent weeks. Haven't seen much of him myself tbh.

comment by itsonlyagame - red cards are unfair (U6426)
posted 11 hours, 45 minutes ago
Wumpy, the reason I referred to Atletico as the A and Madrid as the B team is that during the Civil War, the Spanish Air Force created a team called Aviacion Nacional. It was founded in Salamanca and then shifted to Zaragoza following the advance of the Fascist troops.

After the war they established themselves in Madrid, and then merged with what was left of Atletico Madrid, forming a side called Atletico Aviacion.

Although Aviacion boasted the best players at the time, they'd never played in the league before, so wouldn't have been able to go straight into the top flight. Atletico shouldn't have either, as they'd been relegated the last season before the Civil War -in fact, up to that point they had never even won a single domestic league or cup title -, but for the first post-war season they were eventually awarded the place of Real Oviedo, who were unable to put a team back together in time for the start of the competition.

Atletico Aviacion went on to win the first two Liga titles under Franco. In 1947 they broke their Air Force ties and became Atletico Madrid. Up to that point, they were the last team in Primera that still made the Fascist salute when lining up before their games.

Atletico went on to win La Liga again in 1950 and 51. It wasn't until 1954 that Madrid won their first Liga title of the Franco era, although they had won the Spanish cup twice, in 1946 & 47.

Up until that first Liga title for Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and Sevilla had all been more successful than R. Madrid.
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Really interesting stuff there! It's amazing how much Spanish football history and rivalry is linked with the civil war. Is there a book on all this?

I think Sid Lowe has a book on it: Fear and Loathing in La Liga, but not sure how far it goes back?

It just had to be Sid Lowe didn't it? That guy is pretty awesome. Thanks Henrik. I'll check it out.

sid speaks v good spanish usually...

however, i did hear him on radio marca madrid a while back getting into a heated debate about something or another, and i have to say, as the debate got more intense and as he started to lose his composure his spanish fell to bits !

i dont mind sid ..he's a good writer

a bit middle class though imo... i notice he does that middle class anglo thing of supporting a little unfashionable club ( oviedo in his case) ...therefore making his football supporting more "authentic"

The football hipster eh?

sid's got a PhD you know

guess what his thesis was about..


"Catholicism, War and the Foundation of Francoism: The Juventud de Accion Popular in Spain, 1932-1937”




I think sid takes this spanish thing his got, a little too far at times

"Catholicism, War and the Foundation of Francoism: The Juventud de Accion Popular in Spain, 1932-1937”

that sid lad has his head in books a bit too much i think

needs to get out more

that sid lad has his head in books a bit too much i think
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"I don't need no book learning" - Jose "pekster" Robles

Sid Lowe invented the wall pass.

I'm a true Depor man

punky i'd give sid a pasting in a general knowledge quiz trust me lad

kentlin is a thoroughbred depor fan

don't know why middle class people think they can like football. Go do middle class things ffs. Bloody middle class.