Neymar, Lukaku…yes you have talent, but please make way as both of you are really not good enough to make this team. I’m sure all of you are surprised to see that headline, but it’s true…they didn’t make the team. To be honest with you, with the money they are making at their new clubs this season, Neymar and Lukaku could probably buy their own teams.
It’s incredible how much money was spent on players during the summer transfer window. How are clubs going to sustain these kinds of hundred million dollar transfers? How do the smaller clubs with limited budgets compete with these top clubs?
On the positive side, it’s great for the players. Milk it for what it’s worth players; make as much money as you can. When I played, we got paid measly amounts of money while the owners drove around in luxury cars, had big-ass homes, and were basically stealing the money away from us. The owners got away with this because we weren’t allowed a players union…we had no rights. Some players got injured and were left to fend for themselves and had to do the rehab at their own cost. Some players didn’t even have enough money to buy a home or car…they lived day to day.
It’s ridiculous what these owners did to us. Now granted this was in South Africa where in Africa anything goes and still does to this day. But what would life be without a little bullshit on a daily basis?
Anyway, I will continue my “Antonio” rant regarding the above in a later newsletter. If you want to see “The most expensive XI possible in world football” click the link.
When high profile players are injured, do they still get paid? If I get kicked by a damn-out-of-shape goon with the IQ of a baked potato in my weekend-beer-league football game and cannot make it to work the following day due to injury, will I still get paid?
In my case, I get paid 14-days sick leave and then I better hope I have great extended health coverage to pay for all the rehab I’m going to need.
This is why I don’t really enjoy playing weekend-beer-league football, as there is always that guy who thinks this is his World Cup, is overweight, a real lunatic who never really played competitive football in his life; who hockey-checks me into the stands and then runs around high-fiving and taking selfies of his accomplishment. The ref,who is as blind as a bat on the other side of the field, misses the play and a WWE player brawl erupts. Welcome to weekend-beer-league football…what a gem!
On the professional side of things, players still do get paid. How much and for how long? Read the article it’s gold. LOL!
These are the coolest dugouts I’ve ever seen.
It took 4-weeks to build, two tons of metal, and 300 square-metres of aluminium.
This is THE man cave of all man caves. All that is missing is the giant-screen TV…and maybe a mini-bar and a poker table. Check out this cold one and enjoy!
I have been lucky enough to see many-a-goal in my time as a player (embarrassed to say a few were scored against me, for fucks sakes) and as a coach.
Picture this…40-yards out and he pings it. What a terrific finish!! Unfortunately, at the wrong end. Yes, an own goal. Aaaah shit!
While the incident will be replayed on the blooper reels for many years to come, social media was unsurprisingly awash with sharp responses to the Inter man’s misfortune.
32,000 fans laughed and I’m sure you will too. I sure said “WTF” was that?? Wow…solid goal!
In a huge upset, PSG comfortably wins 4-0 in their last-16, 1st-leg Champions League game vs Barcelona. I have to add a WOW as nobody…and I mean nobody in the world expected that to happen.
After this game, football pundits all over the world and me gave Barcelona zero chance of them winning the 2nd leg by enough a margin for them to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Well in one of the best games I have seen in a long time, Barcelona shocked the footballing world and won the game 6-1 to go through with an aggregate score of 6-5. Unreal performance for the 2nd half of the game. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and destroying my vocal chords screaming at the TV…LOL! This is what football makes one do.
How PSG Manager Unai Emery kept his job after this defeat is astonishing. But then again, it is Barcelona and the amazing Messi-led team is incredible at home.
There were tons of bets placed on this game favoring PSG of course. Unfortunately, this guy lost and payback is a bitch. Sure glad I am not him. Got to give him credit…he kept his word. Bon apetite!
The Soweto Derby has been considered one of the most hostile derbies in the world. It rates in the top-10 and I am pleased to say that over the years, I have witnessed a few.
The stadium is always packed; usually past capacity as crowd-control in Africa is non-existent. 87,000 overzealous vuvuzela-piping supporters…the noise is incredible. It’s one of those games where you have to be there to understand the magnitude of the occasion.
I have seen seat throwing, seats burning, pitch invasion, players attacked, fans killed, and per friends of mine who have played and coached in it, they are scared as hell to be on the pitch; but at the same time, excited to compete. In sport, this is what we as players live for.
Unfortunately, with games like these, there are always deaths. In the latest derby, two people were crushed and 17-injured in Africa’s biggest stadium. This is always sad to see. May you rest in peace. My condolences to your families.
South African Football Association, do something about this! It happens time-and-time again and it needs to stop. Instead of sitting on your asses in your fancy suits doing nothing, fix it so there are no more deaths. Please!!
I found this info to further back my above statements where infamous tragic incidents are the norm in Africa. How many people need to die before changes to stadiums and policing are made?
This is a great story!! Last November, Brazilian team Chapecoense were involved in a tragic plane crash where 71 people died (19 of them were players) while on their way to the Copa Sudamericana final.
Miraculously, this player survived and here is his cool story of his return to play a friendly game against the one and only Barcelona. Incredible how he survived!!
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