⚽ Sportsbet.io ⚽ Spanish La Liga ⚽ Football Pool Discussion Thread 2025/2026

[Trofo]

Olmo left a big mark at Dinamo so our local media is writing about that every day. Seems like Barca managed to find the way and will register him until the end of contract. Don't even read the articles, just the headlines but I can't imagine how serious club can buy a player without being certain they can register him to play for them.

Yeah, whole this situation looks ridiculous. But that happens when club still have big goals, despite debts and they need players like Olmo to achieve, you can't live with academy players only. But way how they are solving these issues doesn't looks good for club future. Like previously they sold big part of future income from TV rights, now they're going to sell rights to VIP seating at Camp Nou for upcoming 20 years. That's desperate moves without looking in future.
And at the same time they're making stadium reconstruction for 1.6 billion...

All they are doing is taking a quick fix and shifting the problems to the future.

Barcelona is one of the giants, and it generates a lot of money. I really can't understand how they are not able to better handle this financial crisis.  They are spending 2/3 of what Real spends on wages and just a bit more than Atletico. That should be manageable by a club of Barcelona standards.

You will never guess who is the 4th club in that order. I know I was surprised.
Atletico Bilbao

[slaman29]

Yeah, reading about all the Barca financial issues are a big headache and sadness for us for years. Selling our souls for 20 seasons, all our deals are taking money from the future and spending it now. I just prefer to break down now, and get sustainable. They are acting like teenager kids out of school getting 10 credit cards to wear the latest Nike.

Its so scary to see what happens in 5 or even 10 years.

[buwaytress]

Well, if only all games are like this when you are in a dry patch eh? Valencia outplaying Real. Then super Bellingham misses a penalty (leave Mbappe on PKs, please). Then Mbappe offside goal chalked off. Then Vini sent off (super soft drama from Stole for me but ref didn't have a choice. Might actually help them to solve their Mbappe problem to be honest). Modric starts the clutch "save the day" mode. 9 minutes injury time, and that's all they needed. After such a great game, Valencia gave it away against ten men. And it all started with such a friendly atmosphere Valencia thanking their visitors for the flood assistance.

Don't you love football?

[jeremypwr]

Congrats to Hhampuz for winning the Round 18 Yellow Cap

[Saint-loup]

Well, if only all games are like this when you are in a dry patch eh? Valencia outplaying Real. Then super Bellingham misses a penalty (leave Mbappe on PKs, please). Then Mbappe offside goal chalked off. Then Vini sent off (super soft drama from Stole for me but ref didn't have a choice. Might actually help them to solve their Mbappe problem to be honest). Modric starts the clutch "save the day" mode. 9 minutes injury time, and that's all they needed. After such a great game, Valencia gave it away against ten men. And it all started with such a friendly atmosphere Valencia thanking their visitors for the flood assistance.

Don't you love football?

I was hoping to start the year with a good prediction for the contest after a quite long break but when I saw that Valencia had opened the scoring at the first half and that Real Madrid wasn't able to equalize even with a penalty, I really thought they were going to lose after Vinicius was sent off TBH. Modric saved the day as you say but he has been assisted by Bellingham for his goal and it's also him(Bellingham) who scored the final goal during the injury time, so even if he missed his penalty, Real could thank him too IMO. Anyway finally even if it wasn't a exact one, I manage to not start the year with a losing prediction.
Congrats to Hhampuz by the way.

[slaman29]

Congrats Hhampuz for difficult week and coming out on top. We had some Cup Games so Barca won big but it was all expected, what was unexpected was Sevilla was shown the exit so quickly, and Athletic Bilbao had to survive penalty scare to pass through. And now we see Real Valladolid also saying goodbye.

I'm begining to accept we have to like like without Dani and Pau now. Sucks for us big time but teaches us a lesson also. Its gonna be a long long season in La Liga for Barca.

[buwaytress]

^ Yeah. Get used to it. I think it's frankly ridiculous just how much energy is spent doing all that financial juggling, only to play with your youngsters and grind them to the bone. Get over it. Play within your means. Trust in La Masia.

When your books are nursed back to health. OK, then you compete in the markets again. At this rate, you won't even be able to attract talent who'll wonder if they can actually play or not.

[slaman29]

^ Yeah. Get used to it. I think it's frankly ridiculous just how much energy is spent doing all that financial juggling, only to play with your youngsters and grind them to the bone. Get over it. Play within your means. Trust in La Masia.

When your books are nursed back to health. OK, then you compete in the markets again. At this rate, you won't even be able to attract talent who'll wonder if they can actually play or not.

I totally don't mind getting used to it. Actually this season I was already telling my friends I'm ready to see us drop out of CL spots if things go very badly but somehow my club found a way to dig even deeper.

And now we have temporary registrations for Olmo, I'm like wtf man.

I think now we really need some big change in leadership. Some former players to come back and switch everything back to what it used to be. Then again after what we did to Xavi I dunno

[LTU_btc]

^ Yeah. Get used to it. I think it's frankly ridiculous just how much energy is spent doing all that financial juggling, only to play with your youngsters and grind them to the bone. Get over it. Play within your means. Trust in La Masia.

When your books are nursed back to health. OK, then you compete in the markets again. At this rate, you won't even be able to attract talent who'll wonder if they can actually play or not.

I partially agree, but you can't just on La Masia if you want achieve result and win trophies. Barca can't be club which don't fight for trophies. It's not about mentality of club, it's more about income given by good results. Few years back when Barca was eliminated after CL group stage, it was huge hit for their budget. But whole this situation with Olmo is beyond ridiculous.
BTW, I read that Barca isselling Messi wardrobe from Camp No for $350k. Such things should be in club museum, but if it will help a bit, it's understandable move.

[buwaytress]

Hot damn, there's another edition of Clasico tonight and I only find out looking at livescores (what?). Still can't wrap my head around the fact this is played in the desert thousands of miles away from Spain...

I totally don't mind getting used to it. Actually this season I was already telling my friends I'm ready to see us drop out of CL spots if things go very badly but somehow my club found a way to dig even deeper.

Yeah, it all really began with Coutinho's exorbitant price tag. We benefitted the most, incredibly, still enjoying the fruits of that sale...

I partially agree, but you can't just on La Masia if you want achieve result and win trophies. Barca can't be club which don't fight for trophies. It's not about mentality of club, it's more about income given by good results. Few years back when Barca was eliminated after CL group stage, it was huge hit for their budget. But whole this situation with Olmo is beyond ridiculous.
BTW, I read that Barca isselling Messi wardrobe from Camp No for $350k. Such things should be in club museum, but if it will help a bit, it's understandable move.

I would have agreed this is a club that must fight for trophies every season. However, if the financial problem is chronic (which it is at Barca) and endemic (which it is at Barca), then the leadership must steer the ship right first.  Play within your means, because we've all seen too many times what overstretching means for a club in the long run. Get your books back in black, and then dream again.

Easy for us to say of course, I just can't see a way out. I mean, selling memorabilia? The family jewels, for today. Selling tomorrow, for today.

[LTU_btc]

Even if Supercopa isn't most important trophy, such win against Real is so sweet. Scoring 5 goals against Real, what can be better. And even red card of Szczęsny didn't ruined the game as Real didn't managed to create much after it.
It seems that this season Real is better opponent than these littlevteams with parked bus like Leganes or Las Palmas. How much we are struggling against them.

Hot damn, there's another edition of Clasico tonight and I only find out looking at livescores (what?). Still can't wrap my head around the fact this is played in the desert thousands of miles away from Spain...

And when you see half empty stands in semifinals or Copa Italia, it's difficult to get excited about such commercial tournaments.

[slaman29]

Dang, it really is our time to rule in El Clasico!

Honestly, I don't mind that they're playing the tournament not in Spain altho I agree it doesn't make sense and I feel like in the long term football needs to be protected for the local fans who built the club.

But they moved it there, and still played at a time that I can't watch lol.

Why not move it to middle of the timezones and play earlier, then Asians, Europeans, all can watch and give them more viewers, right?

[jeremypwr]

Congrats to BitcoinGirl.Club for winning the Round 19 Yellow Cap

[BitcoinGirl.Club]

Congrats to BitcoinGirl.Club for winning the Round 19 Yellow Cap

All I expect to do better in EPL but with EPL I am shit but in LaLiga it seems I still have chance to get something. I can not believe I won the round prize. When will I see it in my account?

[slaman29]

@BitcoinGirl.Club Prizes always come in on Monday, so it doesn't matter when you won it, expect it the following Monday!

I saw that Real won big to progress in Copa del Rey, but man, Celta Vigo almost made them pay. I'm still happy they were forced to play extra 30 minutes. Every bit of tiredness helps us in the La Liga race. Also now Vinicius is back again so I hope they get all their old confusion in the left side back again

[darxiaomi]

What a joke it was the yesterday game between Real Madrid and Celta de Vigo for Copa del Rey, the clear penalty dont given to Celta is a scandalous one. For worst that play ended up in the 1-0 for Real Madrid.

What a crazy ammounts of helps Real Madrid receives from referees. Lets see in this round what happen here in LALIGA.

[Trofo]

What a crazy ammounts of helps Real Madrid receives from referees. Lets see in this round what happen here in LALIGA.

Their supporters don't see it that way. I have a guy at work who is convinced Vinicius is fouled every time guy takes a dive. He firmly believes videos get AI edited by Barca supporters 

[buwaytress]

Atletico, never mind their amazing run, this was Leganes! And then Barca, wow. Real have gifts aplenty. Time for Las Palmas to step up, eh?

Their supporters don't see it that way. I have a guy at work who is convinced Vinicius is fouled every time guy takes a dive. He firmly believes videos get AI edited by Barca supporters 

When I was much younger, yeah, I remember fans of every club convinced they're victims. Sort of still see it in my son, haha. I'm older now so I know when Liverpool get bad calls in their favour (the linesman in our game today was a bit trigger happy, there was once Brentford seemed at worst toe-to-toe but it was uncharacteristically flagged, surprised me).

Especially if you're a big team, some things go your way more than for other teams... and I have a feeling La Liga is more beholden to the big boys.

[LTU_btc]

Back to league action from cups and same shit again. It seems that Barca struggle more against teams that parks a bus, rather than these who play actual football. And Getafe is one of teams thatdon't play football. IMO, it's ugliest team in whole Europe. And Bekhoucha - what a clown he is https://x.com/SouhailPackm/status/1880751019896045884
If Real will win tomorrow, our situation is getting complicated.

Their supporters don't see it that way. I have a guy at work who is convinced Vinicius is fouled every time guy takes a dive. He firmly believes videos get AI edited by Barca supporters 

Vinicius is such talented player, but I hate how he behaves and always puts himself into victim's position. No matter how good he is, but I wouldn't want to have such player in my supported team.

[buwaytress]

And Getafe is one of teams thatdon't play football. IMO, it's ugliest team in whole Europe. And Bekhoucha - what a clown he is

Bet you thought L Palmas was going to do you a favour eh? You're already in trouble with Atletico, now you've to look at both mirrors and ahead of you. Good luck... always enjoy Barca and just prefer them to Real in general, and that's not even bringing player personalities into play heh.

Didn't expect Valencia to come away with any points, too. And my poor Celta picks are denied once again. Sob.