Poor Villa!

by Pablo López
for Marca



When an employee thinks that his time at a firm has ended, that he has higher objectives and that he cannot fulfil them in his current environment, when he loses his trust in his bosses, when, in short, he's not comfortable at his working place, the firm needs to make it possible for him to leave.

I'm referring, my friends, to David Villa and Valencia, but this reasoning could be used for every football player when some conditions are met:

a) that he has given his best for the team, that he has been an irreproachable professional,
b) that he will leave a considerable amount of money in the coffers of his clubs,
c) that, in effect, it's a valued player and that there are big offers for him,
d) and that, like I said, he wants to take on a new professional challenge.

It's obvious that David Villa meets all of them. But there's even more. If we put ourselves in his place, we would end up having the irrefutable feeling that, while being one of the best strikers in the world whom almost every club would want to have in their team, he could again spend one more season at a team that doesn't seem to have a clear course.

This will hurt the valencianistas but their team is adrift. And I'm not only talking about the giant debts but also about the strong feeling of improvisation, lack of leadership, deceit, lies, of "no problem, we'll solve that tomorrow". Honestly, it's no surprise that David Villa is like crazy about wanting to leave.

It's true that he signed last year a contract renewal including the corresponding economic upgrade, but that doesn't mean a lot when you're on the brink of ruin. It doesn't matter if he goes to Madrid or Barça or Milan or United, but Spain's number 7 will do the impossible to go to another place.

Taking into account that he has said several times that he doesn't want to leave Spain and that Madrid has already signed Benzema instead of him, the only real option that Villa has on the table is Barça. By god, I hope it's a tempting one.

Villa cannot offer more to Valencia. He has already given them prestige and goals. Now it's the club's turn to give him the opportuity to leave. 40 millions is a reasonable price for someone who wants to leave. Valencia has the chance to show they're a gentlemen's club. Villa deserves it...

Begiristain acts like Ferguson

by Joan Vehils
for Sport



The two best teams in Europe have chosen for a similar transfer policy this summer. Despite the exits of Ronaldo and Tévez, the almighty Manchester United of the admired Ferguson has already closed the chapter of incoming transfers for next season after signing only three new people. Not even the 94 millions obtained for the Portuguese have lead Sir Alex to go mad and buy in a compulsive way.

It’s obvious that only the results will prove him right or wrong but once again, the manager-coach of United has been consistent with his ideas and way of acting. Here in Barcelona, it’s different. Here, despite having won the Champions league, it seems we are obliged to sign at least Ribéry. Maybe we should take note and worry less about our opponents and highlight more what we already have.

In this time of global crisis, European football cannot go the Florentino way and pull out the checkbook unscrupulously. The Ferguson way, that we have admired so many times, should once again be an example for us. It’s true that the fact that the eternal rival doesn’t stop signing players provokes a healthy envy, but let’s not forget that we still have the best players.

The difference

by Santi Nolla
for El Mundo Deportivo



Barça is having difficulties to sign players this summer, but the really difficult thing is to sell. Until today, FC Barcelona nor Real Madrid has been able to transfer players they don't really count on for next season. Madrid has sold Saviola to Benfica for 5 million euros in a rather curious operation, given the fact that the Argentinian was once the most expensive transfer in the history of Barcelona (around 35 million euros).

The big clubs are buyers, not sellers. It's difficult to sell, especially because of the high wages of the players of both clubs. The deal between the clubs is the easiest part, what scares off most of the buying clubs is the salary they will have to pay the player. Buying the Florentino way, on the other hand, is a piece of cake. There's no negotiation needed. The money asked is put down on the table, the star is given a solid wage package and that's it. The market has suffered from these excesses.

It's not only a matter of money. It's also about the way of operating. Florentino is the one who signs players, he makes a group of media star players, he hands a squad to the coach and the latter just has to pick eleven players, knowing nonetheless that he cannot endanger the assets of the club, as he surely has been told. At Barça, the coach is more the centre of everything. He makes his transfer wish list and depending on the market, the transfers are agreed upon by the club and the coach.

To make ourselves more clear: Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo are offered to Pellegrini, while Guardiola asks for Ribéry and Villa. Florentino only knows one model, that might work, like it did for a while during his first period as Madrid president, although you always have to take into account the strength of the opponent. Back then, Barcelona had to overcome an election process during which Figo left and there was the transfer of Overmars for a record fee. Nowadays, Barça has a treble in their showcase and an established team on the pitch. Every model can work but the necessities of the two teams are different now. That's the real difference.

Madrid has signed Cristiano and Barça goes, among others, after Cesc. The Catalan player would strengthen the model of a club that believes in the youth academy as the main weapon of the future. It's true he was at the club before. Piqué was too. There are players who have to leave to be able to grow. And there are others you need to sell to be able to invest. It's time to buy, and to sell.

What to do to stay

by Xavier Muñoz
for El Mundo Deportivo



The day is coming nearer that someone leaves Barça and explains for once and for all what the hell this player has done for the club wanting to get rid of him each summer despite having scored a bunch of goals.

Until that happens, you have to imagine this player walking around in the Camp Nou with a flame thrower or something like that, because if it's just about being weird, being jealous, being selfish, being a prima donna, being a troublemaker, half of the star players of the top clubs would be jobless.

Seen from the outside, it's far more remarkable that other players can stay in the squad year after year while their only known achievement is to be so discrete that most of the time you don't notice them, even when they're out on the pitch.