Josep Maria Bartomeu

[Flavia]

I think it was because he farted too much, and made the dressing room smelly

Being serious, this had nothing to do with Lucho. You should ask sabadell and rossich why. Not even Chama knows the reason. And being forced to retire is almost as bad as being fired. This was a low blow, nothing new for this board.

 

[JamDav1982]

I think it was because he farted too much, and made the dressing room smelly

Being serious, this had nothing to do with Lucho. You should ask sabadell and rossich why. Not even Chama knows the reason. And being forced to retire is almost as bad as being fired. This was a low blow, nothing new for this board.

Being given early retirement is nothing like being sacked and it doesnt save the club any money. If anything it is more expensive.

The Lucho reason was the only one reported at the time and it probably makes sense they didnt make this open knowledge if true as hardly a great way for a new manager to build a relatioship with the squad to get rid of a popular member.

Basically none of us know why they did it. Corbella suggests it was his age, press have suggested it was Luchos decision. No one really knows.

 

[Flavia]

Being given early retirement is nothing like being sacked and it doesnt save the club any money. If anything it is more expensive.

The Lucho reason was the only one reported at the time and it probably makes sense they didnt make this open knowledge if true as hardly a great way for a new manager to build a relatioship with the squad to get rid of a popular member.

Basically none of us know why they did it. Corbella suggests it was his age, press have suggested it was Luchos decision. No one really knows.

Chema knows whose decision it was, just doesn't know why. Rossich and Sabadell. Not Lucho.

 

[DonAK]

I don't know about other people, but I certainly wouldn't like to get demoted even if I get the same pay. A lot about self-respect, self-esteem.

 

[Flavia]

Barça's president spoke about Douglas and Vermaelen to beIN Sports

Bartomeu: "Vermaelen is an incredible player"

Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke to beIN sports about Barça's recent signings and Leo Messi future.

Douglas, one for the future
"He wasn't a player to give perfomances this season".

Vermaelen, good choice
"Vermaelen is an outstanding player and will help us a lot in the future"

Zubizarreta, until 2016
"His contract ends in 2016".

Montoya, no news
"We don't know if he will continue yet. He is one of us at the moment"

Neymar's signing
"There was a lot of trouble about his signing. Maybe someone was interested in bringing controversy to this club. Fortunately, with Neymar's football, all that things are now forgotten".

Messi and the Ballon d'Or
"I hope he ends his career at Barça"
"Even if he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or this year, he has been the best of the season and of all the football's history"


What a joker... He's right about Messi, but his statements about douglas and vermaelen...

 

[JamDav1982]

Barça's president spoke about Douglas and Vermaelen to beIN Sports

Bartomeu: "Vermaelen is an incredible player"

Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke to beIN sports about Barça's recent signings and Leo Messi future.

Douglas, one for the future
"He wasn't a player to give perfomances this season".

Vermaelen, good choice
"Vermaelen is an outstanding player and will help us a lot in the future"

Zubizarreta, until 2016
"His contract ends in 2016".

Montoya, no news
"We don't know if he will continue yet. He is one of us at the moment"

Neymar's signing
"There was a lot of trouble about his signing. Maybe someone was interested in bringing controversy to this club. Fortunately, with Neymar's football, all that things are now forgotten".

Messi and the Ballon d'Or
"I hope he ends his career at Barça"
"Even if he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or this year, he has been the best of the season and of all the football's history"


What a joker... He's right about Messi, but his statements about douglas and vermaelen...

Douglas was a bit of a punt. Far worse signings than him have been made and much more money wasted on dodgy deals. There are another two options in Adriano and Bartra if Alves leaves.

Vermaelen could yet be a good signing if fitness issues clear. He brings a lot of the things that miss from defence if Masch is not there.

 

[amircule]

What a clown

 

[Flavia]

Douglas was a bit of a punt. Far worse signings than him have been made and much more money wasted on dodgy deals. There are another two options in Adriano and Bartra if Alves leaves.

Vermaelen could yet be a good signing if fitness issues clear. He brings a lot of the things that miss from defence if Masch is not there.

The problem is not douglas being a dogdy deal. Lucho won't play Bartra as rb, he had to play Pedro yesterday, because he wants an attacking player like alves on that side. We needed a proper replacement. Cuadrado or whoever Lucho wanted. Not douglas. If he was like henrique or keirrison, not much damage would be done. But we have a ban incoming. That also makes the vermaelen deal stupid. He hasn't been fit for years. And, if even with the surgery he doesn recover, we are another cb down until 2016. It's a joke, whatever angle you decide to look at it.

 

[JamDav1982]

The problem is not douglas being a dogdy deal. Lucho won't play Bartra as rb, he had to play Pedro yesterday, because he wants an attacking player like alves on that side. We needed a proper replacement. Cuadrado or whoever Lucho wanted. Not douglas. If he was like henrique or keirrison, not much damage would be done. But we have a ban incoming. That also makes the vermaelen deal stupid. He hasn't been fit for years. And, if even with the surgery he doesn recover, we are another cb down until 2016. It's a joke, whatever angle you decide to look at it.

I wanted Cuadrado at the time but seemed to be in minority. To be fair they were clearly after him and tried long before turning to Douglas. They didnt turn down Cuadrado in favour of Douglas - who Lucho actually got final say on.

The possibilities on the right next season could be Alves, Adriano, Bartra or even Adama. Lets see how it all pans out.

Vermalaen had been available for over 90 games in the past two seasons. Which is more than a lot of the CBs people wanted to see here. How good a signing he is remains to be seen.

Having said all that Bartomeu cant really answer these questions in any other way. Even if he thinks they have fucked up.

 

[instinct]

Having said all that Bartomeu cant really answer these questions in any other way. Even if he thinks they have fucked up.

This.

 

[DonAK]

He's right. Cannot expect him to say that they made a mistake or that Douglas is shit or anything. Maybe he could have replied slightly differentely, but it doesn't really matter anyway, these guys are going down.

 

[instinct]

but it doesn't really matter anyway, these guys are going down.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

 

[DonAK]

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

Don't spoil the mood, Germ.

 

[Flavia]

Having said all that Bartomeu cant really answer these questions in any other way. Even if he thinks they have fucked up.

Of course he can't. They will never acknowledge how much bad decisions they made, how they detsroyed a winning team by failing to get proper replacements for aging players, and the cbs. Or step down, as he should, as he wasn't the one elected president.

Vermaelen is a bad signing. Nothing remains to be seen. He is out until next year. His contract with arsenal would end just then. He would be free, by then. There's no positives from that. If he ever plays for Barça, as I won't be surprised if he never does.

And I doubt Lucho had the final word on douglas as you like to assume, as he probably didn't see more than a video of him. He had to take the gamble, and trust zubinepto. Something that, by now, Lucho knows to have been a terrible mistake.

 

[JamDav1982]

Of course he can't. They will never acknowledge how much bad decisions they made, how they detsroyed a winning team by failing to get proper replacements for aging players, and the cbs. Or step down, as he should, as he wasn't the one elected president.

Vermaelen is a bad signing. Nothing remains to be seen. He is out until next year. His contract with arsenal would end just then. He would be free, by then. There's no positives from that. If he ever plays for Barça, as I won't be surprised if he never does.

And I doubt Lucho had the final word on douglas as you like to assume, as he probably didn't see more than a video of him. He had to take the gamble, and trust zubinepto. Something that, by now, Lucho knows to have been a terrible mistake.

It does remain to be seen how good a siging Vermaelen is. He would never have been allowed to leave Arsenal for free anyway so that was not going to be an option.

I am not assuming Lucho had the final say on the Douglas transfer. It was said at the time.

Far worse deals were done and more money lost than Douglas or Vermaelen.