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.

It's too little for Pellegrini

by Alfredo Relaño
for As



Florentino has already spend 211 millions on transfers, among which those of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, but Pellegrini has come out asking for more. He returns from a one-month holiday, a month during which the club has closed those transfer deals, has started a fight with Valencia for Villa, already ended, and with Bayern for Ribéry, on its peak. All this to strenghten a team that has won two of the last three leagues and finished second in the third one. But Pellegrini has arrived, he has pulled a face and at his first press conference he has asked for more. Publicly, so there wouldn't be any doubts.

He also asks that Sneijder would stay, while he's one of the few players Madrid could get a profitable fee for to compensate all the spending a little, and this shows some lack of co-ordination within the technical team of the club, that had made clear that the Dutchmen were destined to leave "to cash up". We should thank Pellefrini for his honesty, but we could also ask what he is going to add. And also ask him to think a little more about the club and not to throw around more requests, that raise the prices and complicate the negotiations on possible candidates for those spots.

He also said, and he's right there, that all the outgoing transfers should be dealt with before 27 July. It's not good that a team starts to work with too many players. The large and well-paid technical department is progressing slowly in this aspect. Of course it's not easy. Madrid always buys expensive and sells cheap. But when they sign executives and pay them those salaries, it's because they think that they can do things that aren't within the reach of the majority of the human beings. It's not enough to only applaud every time that Florentino closes one of his his big deals with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká or Benzema.

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.

Laporta is right

by Fernando Carreño
for Marca



It has become common to say that the transfers of Real Madrid/Florentino Pérez have overshadowed the treble of Barcelona. Some even say that nobody is talking about the treble anymore and I, as usual, don't agree.

It's we, the press, those who live from what is happening today, that have put aside the treble because there's other news now and the treble is already part of history. But although it's not explicitly mentioned, people are still talking about the treble.

Because Barça's treble, my friends, is today the reference for everything. When Florentino Pérez returns to the presidency, he finds himself in a situation in which Barcelona has won everything, including the clasicos.

That's why Real Madrid has been forced to do everything they've done so far: opening new credit lines so they could invest, signing Cristiano, signing Kaká, signing Benzema, trying to sign Villa. In the background of all these events, there's the treble. It's not mentioned, but it's there.

As Léon Gambetta told the French after having lost Alsace-Lorraine during the Franco-Prussian War: "Don't talk about it ever again, but always keep it in mind." Or like when Laporta said that "the reference of the whole of Madrid is Barcelona." I think that he's not wrong, but let's hope this time it won't lead to another world war.