European Football Thread

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

To be used for discussing European transfers and matches from Anywhere but the PL

La Liga
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
Seria A etc

The Bundesliga & Ligue 1 start today with Big Spenders PSG in Action as are German Champions Bayern Munich

[Duty281]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3182436/Wolfsburg-1-1-Bayern-Munich-5-4-pens-Nicklas-Bendtner-scores-89th-minute-equaliser-winning-penalty-Arjen-Robben-s-opener-Supercup-final.html

May we all hail the Lord. May we recognise His supremacy and appreciate our place in His universe. #kumbayamyLord

[Dolphin Ziggler]

We've sent out the youth team with Kevin Nolan. Looks like we've given up on Europe, and reports suggest Bilic thinks it a nuisance. Real shame.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Young team loses 2-1 and we're out. Think the club should be ashamed with their lack of effort.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Can't say I'd be best pleased if I was a Hammers fan

Final year at the ground, thought a European run would've been nice for the fans

[Guest]

I'd understand if it was Liverpool, who without the distraction of Europe, could feasibly make the top 4. WHU, with or without European competition, won't make the top 4, so it's pretty mind boggling to just throw this opportunity away. Even Koeman was bemused by WHU's approach.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Owners showing their ambitions. Stay in the league over everything else. Won't get quality signings now, except Song who is injured till September at least, probably get 14th now. I'm livid.

[Jermaine2015]

FC Bayern kicked off their DFB Pokal campaign with a 3-1 win over fifth division side FC Nöttingen. After the disappointing loss in the DFL Supercup(to Vfl Wolfsburg) a convincing result was needed today.

Arturo Vidal scored his first goal for FC Bayern. Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski completed the scoring.

[Fernando]

Athletic Bilbao 4-0 Barcelona after 65 mins in the super cup 1st leg

[Guest]

They won the Super Cup last week, not surprised he dropped half the first team, in what is the Spanish Community Shield. Funny thing is though, you wouldn't be surprised to see Barcelona two or three up inside 30 mins of the second leg at home, so still not over the tie. Great goal by San Jose though, from near the half way line.

[Jermaine2015]

FC Bayern continued their unbeaten start to the season with a straightforward 3-0 over SV Darmstadt 98. Darmstadt returned to Bundesliga for the first time in 33 years but where outclassed by the reigning champions. Arturo Vidal and loanee Kingsley Coman bagged rheir first league goals and Sebastian Rode also found the back of the net.

FC Bayern are 5 from 5, but Dortmund can return to the summit tomorrow if they beat Leverkusen.

[Jermaine2015]

Robert Lewandowski climbed off the bench as a half time substitute against VfL Wolfsburg and helped overturn a 1-0 deficit by hammering 5 goals in 9 minutes. Lewa bagged the fastest hat trick in Bundesliga hat trick. Fastest player to bag 5 goals in a Bundesliga match and the only subtitute to ever score 5 times in one match.

[Guest]

Dante was involved in the Brazil 1-7 Germany WC game & now this

Sadio Mane hat-trick (2 minutes 56 seconds) > Robert Lewandowski hat-trick (3 minutes 22 seconds)

[Crimey]

5 goals in 9 minutes is definitely better than Mane's hat-trick though, it's practically unbelievable. It's like Wolfsburg were being controlled by a FIFA player who just gave up.

[kingraf]

My tea wasn't even done and Lewa had a hat trick!

[Lowlandbrit]

Guess Neymar really is the new Messi; he's had his assets frozen under accusations of tax evasion.

[Jermaine2015]

Turned out to be another good weekend for FC Bayern. A straightforward 3-0 away victory at Mainz 05 on Saturday afternoon. Robert Lewandowski continued his good form by bagging another couple, in the process becoming the fastest foreign player to 100 Bundesliga goals(100 goals in 168 games). FC Bayern remain 100% in the league.

BVB Dortmund suffered their second straight draw(2-2) on Sunday after conceding an injury time equalizer against Darmstadt 98. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made history by becoming the first player to score in the first 7 matches of the season.

Next Sunday it will be FC Bayern vs BVB Dortmund, after their two straight draws BVB have slipped 4 points behind. Anything but a victory will damage their title hopes.

[kingraf]

Lewandowski has gone full scorched earth here. Bayern are swatting away a very good Dortmund side. Insanity

[Jermaine2015]

Incredible performance by FC Bayern simply destroyed a very good BVB Dortmund aside at the Allianz today.

Thomas Müller and Robert Lewandowski where on the rampage again today. Mario Götze also bagged a goal to rub more salt into BVB's wounds.

Only real positive for BVB was Aubameyang kept up his goal scoring streak. BVB defence was terrible at times.

But Douglas was fantastic. Incredible to think we still have Robben, Ribery, Benatia and Badstuber injured.

[Fernando]

Atleti 0-1 Real - Benzema.

Keylor saves pen from Griezmann

[Guest]

Just an update on Top Scorers across Europe (Golden Shoe)

Robert Lewandowski - 12
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 10
Thomas Muller - 8
Luuk De Jong - 7 (Couldn't hit a barn door at St. James')
Jamie Vardy - 7
Sergio Aguero - 6
Edinson Cavani - 6
Hatem Ben Arfa - 6 (More interested in tricks, than goals at St. James')
Citadin Eder - 6
Gonzalo Higuain - 5
Karim Benzema - 5
Cristiano Ronaldo - 5
Riyad Mahrez - 5

[nadeem2099]

That list looks much nicer without a certain Argentine midget in it.

[Jermaine2015]

That list looks much nicer without a certain Argentine midget in it.

Shame for you deluded Real Madrid fans that ladyboy Cristiano Ronaldo isn't fit to lace Messi's boots

[nadeem2099]

Somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed

[Guest]

Update on the Golden Shoe race

Alex Teixeira - 19
Robert Lewandowski - 14
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 14
Jamie Vardy - 12
Neymar - 11
Thomas Muller - 11
Luuk De Jong - 10
Dirk Kuyt - 10
Luis Suarez - 9
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 9
Gonzalo Higuain - 9
Citadin Eder - 9
Cristiano Ronaldo - 8
Odion Ighalo - 7
Romelu Lukaku - 7
Lionel Messi - 3

[Guest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUO71CppDZw - he's still got it has old xabi

[Guest]

Update on the Golden Shoe race

Alex Teixeira - 22
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 18
Gonzalo Higuain - 16
Robert Lewandowski - 15
Jamie Vardy - 15
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 15
Neymar - 14
Luuk De Jong - 14
Thomas Muller - 14
Romelu Lukaku - 13
Luis Suarez - 13
Riyad Mahrez - 13
Dirk Kuyt - 13
Odion Oghalo - 12
Imanol Agirretxe - 12
Cristiano Ronaldo - 12
Javier Hernandez - 11
Karim Benzema - 11
Michy Batshuayi - 11
Sebastian Haller - 11 (for Olly)
Edinson Cavani - 10
Lionel Messi - 5

[Fernando]

Reports in Spain suggest Rafa has been sacked.

[Guest]

UEFA Team of the year

Manuel Neuer

David Alaba
Dani Alves
Gerard Pique
Sergio Ramos

Paul Pogba
Andres Iniesta
James Rodriguez

Lionel Messi
Neymar
Cristiano Ronaldo

[Crimey]

It was voted for by fans remember. It's basically who has a good rating on FIFA.

[Guest]

Lionel Messi wins the Ballon D'or

[Fernando]

I wish someone would tell Fifa it's not a team award

[GSC]

They gave it to the worlds best player, I dont see the issue.

[Fernando]

If you compare Ronaldo to Messi last year it's Ronaldo > Messi.

It's suppose to be a single person award it's not Barca vs Real.

[Guest]

Messi ruined everyone in the champions league & his performance vs Bayern at the Camp Nou was out of this world. His solo goal in the Copa Del Rey final was astonishing too. Ronaldo scored plenty of goals, but these awards are about moments & about making the difference in semi finals & finals, which catch the eye, along with helping your club win trophies, something Ronaldo failed at. Solo performances directly effect team results, so it's difficult not to use the Barca vs Real comparison. No complaints about the winner.

[Jermaine2015]

Ronaldo isn't, and never has been, in Messi's class. Messi deservedly reclaimed his title as the best in the world. In the coming years the award will be contested between Messi and Neymar.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Neymar being up for the award was the bigger joke Nando.

[Fernando]

Neymar being up for the award was the bigger joke Nando.

Should go read the Fifa Pro XI that'll give you a chuckle.

[nadeem2099]

If you compare Ronaldo to Messi last year it's Ronaldo > Messi.

It's suppose to be a single person award it's not Barca vs Real.

Nando knows Corrupt fifa strikes again!

[Fernando]

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned Spanish clubs Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

The two clubs were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of minor players as well as other relevant provisions with regard to the registration and participation of certain players in competitions.

Both clubs are to serve a transfer ban that prevents them from registering any players at national and international level for the next two complete and consecutive registration periods for breaching articles 5, 9, 19 and 19bis as well as annexes 2 and 3 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (the “Regulations”). The transfer ban, which does not affect the current registration period at all, given that it opened before the decisions were notified, applies to each club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s, futsal and beach soccer teams – and does not prevent the release of players.

Additionally, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid have been fined CHF 900,000 and CHF 360,000 respectively, while both clubs have been issued with a reprimand and given 90 days in which to regularise the situation of all minor players concerned.

The decisions, which were notified to the parties concerned today, were made based on the specific elements of each case. They follow investigations initially conducted by FIFA Transfer Matching System GmbH (FIFA TMS) and subsequently by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee as part of disciplinary proceedings. The investigations concerned minor players who were involved and participated in competitions with the clubs over various periods between 2007 and 2014 (Atlético de Madrid) and between 2005 and 2014 (Real Madrid).

FIFA works hard to protect the rights of players under the age of 18 – whether male or female, amateur or professional. This is done through the enforcement of regulations prohibiting the international transfer of minors, or the first registration of minors in a country other than their own, except in specific circumstances (cf. art. 19 of the Regulations) that must be approved by the sub-committee appointed by the Players’ Status Committee. As such, the provisions relating to the protection of minors need to be strictly applied. This has been confirmed on various occasions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Opening up the door to exceptions beyond those carefully drafted and included in the Regulations would unavoidably lead to cases of circumvention of the rationale for these provisions.
The web-based Transfer Matching System provides a crucial platform to monitor the international transfer market, to ensure compliance with the rules, and to promote transparency and best practice.

[Hero]

Well bang goes anyone raiding Atletico for players for the next year.

[Crimey]

Also makes Ronaldo leaving a lot less likely. I imagine we'll see Real follow a similar route to Barca and appealing, using the summer window to make a lot of big signings.

[Guest]

The latest update on the very popular 'Golden Shoe' race

Gonzalo Higuain - 24
Jonas Gonçalves Oliveira - 23
Alex Teixeira - 22 (Sold to China)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 21
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 20
Luis Suarez - 20
Karim Benzema - 19
Cristiano Ronaldo - 19
Robert Lewandowski - 19
Jamie Vardy - 18
Romelu Lukaku - 16
Neymar - 16
Harry Kane - 15
Sergio Aguero - 14
Thomas Muller - 14
Odion Ighalo - 14
Riyad Mahrez - 14
Javier Hernandez - 13
Paulo Dybala - 13
Carlos Bacca - 12
Michy Batshuayi - 12
Edinson Cavani - 11

[Guest]

An update on everyone's favourite, the race for the 'Golden Shoe' 2015/2016

Luis Suarez - 34
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 32
Cristiano Ronaldo - 31
Gonzalo Higuain - 30
Jonas - 30
Robert Lewandowski - 27
Vincent Janssen - 25
Lionel Messi - 25
Harry Kane - 24
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 23
Sergio Aguero - 23
Neymar - 23
Karim Benzema - 23
Luuk De Jong - 23
Jamie Vardy - 22
Antoine Griezmann - 20
Thomas Muller - 19
Romelu Lukaku - 18
Gareth Bale - 18
Hatem Ben Arfa - 17  
Alexandre Lacazette - 17
Javier Hernandez - 16
Edinson Cavani - 15

[Jermaine2015]

Looks like Mats Hummels is closing in on a return to FC Bayern, with Mario Gotze likely to go the other way.

[Jermaine2015]

FC Bayern secure a historic 4th consecutive Bundesliga title...feels a little underwhelming TBH...

[Guest]

Final standings on this years 'Golden Shoe' award

Luis Suarez - 40
Gonzalo Higuain - 36
Cristiano Ronaldo - 35
Jonas - 31
Robert Lewandowski - 30
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 28
Islam Slimani - 27
Lionel Messi - 26
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 25
Harry Kane - 25

[Hero]

Ibra actually got 38 goals rather than 28. He still though came 6th behind 4 players who'd scored less than him!

[Hero]

Vincent Janssen also got 27 league goals (21 of which were this calendar year!!) but also is placed lower than those that got 25 etc due to the coefficient multipliers.

[Jermaine2015]

So Pep signed off with his second domestic double after FC Bayern beat BVB Dortmund 4-3 on penalty kicks at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. It was a somewhat drub finale, but we won so happy days.

BVB runners up for the third straight season.

[Guest]

Everyone's favourite is back, the race for the golden shoe. Last year's winner was Luis Suarez, with 40 goals

Update on the main contenders:

Edinson Cavani - 9

Edin Dzeko - 8
Anthony Modeste - 8

Diego Costa - 7
Lionel Messi - 7
Luis Suarez - 7
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7
Alexandre Lacazette - 7
André Silva - 7
Nicolai Jørgensen - 7

Romelu Lukaku - 6
Gonzalo Higuain - 6
Antoine Griezmann - 6
Carlos Bacca - 6
Mauro Icardi - 6
Davy Klaassen - 6
Vedad Ibisevic - 6

Sergio Aguero - 5
Robert Lewandowski - 5
Javier Hernandez - 5
Theo Walcott - 5
Neymar - 4
Alexis Sanchez - 4
James Milner - 4

Gareth Bale - 3

Cristiano Ronaldo - 2    (I even heard he tried to appeal offside for Morata's goal at the weekend, just because he wanted to score the winner instead )

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