FC Barcelona Unforgettable Season

From time to time, I will digress. My other two hobbies are football (soccer) and Ancient Egypt (Kemet.) This past year, for the first time ever, I began following the Barcelona (Barça) Football Club from Spain. I have never enjoyed myself more. Barça is the best football team that I have ever seen in my life. They did not just play soccer they gave seminars on how to play soccer and win, in every game they played. They also won everything or the “Treble:” their league, the Kings Cup, and the European Champions league; I became a follower of the team. I really do not care if they win or lose in the future (obviously it is better if they win,) who can forget this unforgettable season. That is why I have the news gadget to follow the news from Barça and their nemesis, Real Madrid, during the off-season.

Real Madrid is a joke with their newly elected President, Florentino Perez, acting like a third rate Demagogue from a Banana Republic. This is no exaggeration. I watched one of his campaign speeches - typical of a flea-market charlatan. It reminded of a politician promising anything and everything to get elected, including the bridge. What bridge? We have no river! "Do not despair, I'll give you the river, too."

They put teams together like twelve-years-old would: I want Cristiano Ronaldo ($130 million,) I want Kaka ($120 million,) I want Rooney, I want Gerard, I want Messi, I want Aguero, etc. They have more money than brains – they are destroying soccer. To pay $130 mils for Ronaldo is not only insane but also obscene. They just do not develop players, they just buy them. It is like the Yankees times ten.

A few years ago they were in financial crisis with a debt of over $250 millions. How did they resolve it? The city of Madrid bought their facilities for $250 millions and leased them back to the team for 99 years and $1/year. In other words, the city of Madrid is subsidizing the team and that is why they play with monopoly money. The only reason I follow their news is because I want to know what these turkeys are up to. So far they only got Kaka and the rumors are Ronaldo and David Villa.

Barcelona, on the other hand, develops their players: Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique, Bojan, etc. They buy players to complement their core and to be able to compete with the "Galactics" (Real Madrid.)