The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

Can someone explain or have any knowledge of "signing players before they're 18" rule that Barca has been punished with.

I thought it was legal and allowed to sign players under 18? Am I reading this wrong? Didn't they sign Messi when he was like 13.

Whats the concrete definition of the rule break?

I know psk posted the rules already, but I'll add my .02 anyways.

Barca "finds" way around it. With Messi, they employed the father, family moved to Barcelona because of his "new job".

Don't know if you are into HS sports here in the US. The rules are a lot like HS athletics. At least here in LA anyways. Football and basketball powerhouses always remain strong for one reason, they recruit. Rulebook states that recruiting is prohibited and not allowed. UNLESS, they attend the HS for scholastic reasons. No HS star transfers schools for those reasons, :rollin

The HS that Carmelo Anthony attended is NOTORIOUS for this.

Dorsey HS here in LA (went to school there too lol) is famous for doing this too but in Football
 
Scumbag Barça lol.

Arsene Wenger needs to shut up tho, I swear no one complains and moans more than this dude and he is always getting attention for it.

I swear the way he's in the news or the way people quote his "gospel", you'd assume he'd have some silverware within, I don't know - maybe the past 9 years. I can't stand this dude. Arsenal need a change (that's a diff topic for a diff day tho).
 
I know psk posted the rules already, but I'll add my .02 anyways.

Barca "finds" way around it. With Messi, they employed the father, family moved to Barcelona because of his "new job".

Don't know if you are into HS sports here in the US. The rules are a lot like HS athletics. At least here in LA anyways. Football and basketball powerhouses always remain strong for one reason, they recruit. Rulebook states that recruiting is prohibited and not allowed. UNLESS, they attend the HS for scholastic reasons. No HS star transfers schools for those reasons, :rollin

The HS that Carmelo Anthony attended is NOTORIOUS for this.

Dorsey HS here in LA (went to school there too lol) is famous for doing this too but in Football

I believe these updated rules surrounding U18 international transfers have only been in place since ~2009/2010. IIRC, Messi was given a trial at the club before he joined the academy and his father was given a job with the scouts, so had the rules been in place back then the whole thing may have been 'illegal' as well. But yeah, as it stands now it is similar to powerhouse HS teams. I attended DeMatha in Maryland for my sixth form, and they would shamelessly skirt the rules too.



There's little doubt Barça violated the rules regarding U18 players. Just another reason this board needs to be kicked out. At this point, the club has to hope for an appeals court to rule in equity citing the the fact that the club is not violating the spirit of the law- which is to prevent children from being taken advantage of. Either that, or seek a postponement on the transfer embargo. Hopefully, the Ter Stegen deal goes through anyway as it was mostly completed beforehand.

I don't disagree with the rules, but the application is really poor. One would hope that these rules would be applied across the board, but they aren't, and Barça are being made an example of from maybe the most corrupt sporting organization in the world. The rules exist to prevent child trafficking, but they're punishing a club for giving kids an incredible opportunity, while looking the other way as Qatar builds a national team for 2022 with African kids from around the continent, and young migrant workers die by the thousands. It's disgusting.
 
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Shawn Kuykendall was a local guy (DelMarVa) who played for a powerhouse youth program in NoVA called the Braddock Road Warhawks which also produced Clarence Goodson & Abe Thompson.

Kuykendall went on to play at American U & then got drafted by DC United but didn't play much & then was traded to the NY Red Bulls. He shredded up his knee & ended up getting into youth coaching locally.

Last spring, he started experiencing health problems & was later diagnosed with a rare form of terminal cancer. He passed away this past March. I became aware of his story watching local MLS coverage of DC United. The Washington Post also did a great feature on him via the link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/sports/wp/2013/11/22/i-need-god-more-than-ever/

Anyway, Jose somehow saw the story & sent the letter below. Very touching & class move.

View media item 898644
 
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Talk about hypocrisy. I admire the guy for many reasons, but he wants to talk about flaunting the rules when he spends his weekends tapping up 15 year olds? LOL. Word to Fran Merida.

The problem is that AW has a press conference and then a writer asks a question and instead of dodging it or just not really saying anything he actually gives his opinion on the matter and then writers can write story saying Wenger "Blasts" Barcelona when he was actually giving an opinion on the matter like anyone else. He doesn't go a seek out to talk about this or anything else he is accused of moaning about. Dude is just opinionated and won't dodge questions. 9 times out 10 this happens and people like Coupe get all bent out of shape and start talking about trophies :lol
 
Out here we got a school called Salpointe Catholic High School that has no shame in recruiting players from all over town and giving them "scholarships" to play for them. I played against them in HS (football) dudes were damn near twice our size :lol
 
So Real Madrid's Vice President Pedro Lopez Jimenez is a senior member of FIFA's Players’ Status Committee... :{
 
Ronaldo is out for tomorrows game? Also Di Maria

Thats troubling and worrisome for Real Madrid, I think the game at Sociadad is more important than Dortmund on Tuesday. It's a must win tomorrow, the Basques play tough.

Bale and Benz need to step it up, Isco I'm sure will play the full 90. WOuld have been a perfect game for Jese.
 
Ancelotti says he wants to rest Ronnie. He's staying in Madrid. Isco will be starting.
Apparently Jese's knee had a complication and he flew back to Germany.
 
Let's see if I can wake up in 3.5 hours to atleast watch the first half of the Man U game...
 
I don't think he made much contact, but no idea what Fonte was doing there.
 
Awkward landing. Hope that isn't as bad as it seems it could be... :\
 
Lindegaard; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Evra; Young, Mata, Fletcher, Fellaini, Kagawa; Chicharito

De Gea, Büttner, Vidic, Cleverley, Januzaj, Nani, Wilson

Interesting.  I wonder who get's the #10?

Rooney out with a foot injury... in doubt against Bayern?
 
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Mata has to play 10 but I can see them interchanging Kagawa looked better and more comfortable of the two when they play on the wings.
 
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