But meanwhile, to keep us otherwise occupied the Spanish football league has lodged a formal challenge to the notion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to November-December.
Now the Spanish league is interesting. When the Barcelona child trafficking issue blew up last year if was the Royal Spanish Football Federation (the RFEF, the equivalent of the FA in England) that was found guilty of colluding with Barcelona over the exploitation issue. The Spanish league were not implicated in any way.
Fifa also took the RFEF to court and fined them for their part in the affair.
RFEF then tried a new approach by attempting to block the move towards slightly more equitable distributions of money from broadcasters in Spain. They even supported the calling of a strike – which the constitutional court then ruled was illegal.
So the Spanish League has been the good guys in the mess that is football in Spain, and it is interesting to see that it is they who have gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) appealing the Fifa decision to hold a tourney in the European winter.
Their argument is that it would force their league to shut down for eight weeks at a prime time of year and would cost clubs in Spain €65m. The LFP president, Javier Tebas, says the challenge at CAS is “in defence of the interests of the clubs that are contributing to the international teams”.
Haven’t you read that the whole Vidal-story was a fiction?
I suddenly realised yesterday morning, while reading Sir Hardley’s latest bulletin, why it is that I have started trawling every available “Transfer News” site, where normally I avoid them like the plague. It is because I am feeling utterly deprived of real news about Arsenal. Even the official Arsenal website is changing far slower than normal.
Ironically, I am experiencing this withdrawal more than ever before; and I think it’s because we closed out the season in such an exciting fashion. I just didn’t want it to end.
So while I don’t believe a word of the speculation, I find myself reading it just the same!
The fact is, I don’t think I actually want anyone new at the Arsenal. Cech will probably add value, with his experience and command of a penalty area – but what will his arrival do for Ospina, PIG, and above all Martinez, who I think could be a diamond?
The best bit of news so far in this pre-transfer window period, is the announcement that Jackson Martinez is going to Spain. Thank goodness. He’s the sort of signing that Spurs and Liverpool make a speciality of acquiring (I read that the entire Bale transfer squad are up for sale!).
Now we’re being threatened with Arturo Vidal. A fine player, no doubt. Good for Alexis to have as a mate in London, maybe. But just when Arsene Wenger has built a beautifully balanced and exciting midfield, what message would Vidal’s arrival send? Whither Ramsay, Ox, Cazorla, Wilshire? What of the development of Zelalem, Bielik, Crowley, et al.?
No, Arsene, leave well alone – unless you can get Zlatan…
Now, he might be interesting…?
Arsenal have just announced the signing of Cech on arsenal.com
Welcome Petr!
Welcome cech
Wonder what will be the keepers arrangement
Welcome Cech!!
And somehow I hope we can manage to keep the 3 of them…now that would be a challenge!! Is it probable people??
Three of them? Surely you mean 4? I believe you forgot Martinez, who is old enough he is no longer in the youth system I believe.
I think Arsene Wenger has set himself a difficult task. 🙂
I didn’t believe we were for him , but since the deal is done , dusted, and on Arsenal.com , welcome Petr.
Oh dear we’ve signed Cech!!!….
Now that hez signed for us, I hope to see him lose that cap of his. Get out of the mental block. Come on.
Welcome to Arsenap Petr Cech! Going to miss Ospina though!
meant to say Arsenal!
Not sure how we can keep Ospina, Szczesny, Martinez and Cech.
Ideal situation would be to see Martinez go out on loan. But I can’t see Ospina or Szczesny being happy at playing 2nd or 3rd fiddle. And Cech would have stayed at Chel$ea if he had any intention of warming benches for a living.
Perhaps Szczesny will be sent out on loan?
As a senior citizen was driving down the highway, his car phone rang.
Answering, he heard his wife’s voice urgently warning him, ” Nicky , I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on M25. Please be careful!”
“Hell,” said Nicky , “It’s not just one car. It’s hundreds of them!”
I think Ospina will be the one to leave, Szcz and Martinez are both ‘home grown’ and Matt Macey is in his last year as an U21 player. One of these players will go out on loan, Szcz I’m sure will stay. Whichever of Martinez or Macey stays will be our third choice keeper.. No way we can keep all five of them with enough game time.
@Gord
June 29, 2015 at 4:10 pm
I certainly hadn’t forgotten about Martinez…but all the talk has been about us letting Oooooospina go…hence my question; so then why not keep all 4???
@Brickfields G,
On the passing out parade of my Regiment in 1943, I was told that at one stage, my Mother who was watching, was heard to say “Look at that, my Nicky’s the only one in step”. 😉
Thanks to Andrew for bringing the total up to 5. If we keep this up, we could field a team consisting solely of goalkeepers. I wonder if that would be the same kind of unruly mob that a Mugo Pine is? 🙂
A couple of so years ago, we used to get news about other teams related to Arsenal. One team in the USA and another in Thailand I believe. Whatever became of them? If one of them was playing a high enough level of football, a loan to one of those teams might be interesting.
With the banking system closing up in Greece, is that going to influence the market for goalkeepers?
—
Welcome to Arsenal, Petr Cech.
—
Reminder, Chile plays its next Copa America in less than 12 hours.
Chile versus Peru
Our Gunner still in play, is from Tocopilla, of the province of Antofagasta of Chile. On the coast, but nominally the heart of the Atacama Desert. Would you just know there has to be something going on between Peru and Chile? I introduce you to the War of the Pacific (early 1880s), or The Ten Cent War (a 10 centavo tax started this thing).
Peru and Bolivia had a secret agreement, and it was Bolivia’s tax that started things off. At that time, the province Alexis calls home, was part of Bolivia, and gave Bolivia access to the ocean. Chile won the war, and took this territory of Bolivia’s as its own. Chile also took territory from Peru, to the north of Antofagasta (biggest town is Arica?).
There are apparently still border disputes going on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Pacific
Sir Hadley, Why is Vidal crying?
Chile versus Peru
Surprise, surprise, Alexis Sanchez is starting again. The BBC is reporting scalpers getting 2200 pounds for a ticket. That wonderful Ferrari driver also started for Chile.
Really, if Wenger was to pick him up, they might need to put in an autobody repair shop at London Colney. Either that, or a scrap yard? 🙂
No score yet.
Chile versus Peru
First yellow goes to a player who is fouling our Gunner. 5 minutes later, this same Peru player picks up what appears to be a straight red. Peru to play shorthanded for 70 (or more) minutes.
Go Chile!
Chile versus Peru
I call it an assist to Chile. Shot by our Gunner deflects, Vargas puts away the pieces. 1-0 to Chile at 42 minutes.
Go Chile!
Chile versus Peru
Half time.
Oops: I call it an assist to Alexis, not Chile.
What is it about English muppets? If someone does something illegal, but causes no harm, and it is called (as it should be), they all bitch about it?
No, that tackle did not break the cervical vertebrae of the opposing player. Why call a foul against me? It doesn’t matter how high my foot was, I was going for the ball. Besides, I touched the ball first.
I see the RCMP (Canada’s police) do it, they will announce programs where they are looking for specific infractions. I’ve been looking for this in (youth/amateur) football for a long time. Every referee is told at the moment of assignment, that they are to have zero tolerance to “XYZ”. And for a given gameday. not all referees get the same zero tolerance instructions. And over the course of a season, teams and referees should see about the same zero tolerance count. And among the calls, is zero tolerance for everything. This gives accessors good material, did the referee call everything they were supposed to? What did they catch or miss among what’s left? For games where the referee is expected to call everything, have two assistants present who are (much) higher ranked referees.
I suspect in England, no game of calling everything would ever get to 90 minutes. One (or both) sides would be reduced beyond the minimum allowed to play. Based entirely on how stupid the muppets talk during games. I am not saying Canada would be any better.
Go Chile!
Chile versus Peru
Peru equalize through an own goal at 60 minutes.
Go Chile!
Chile versus Peru
Peru equalize through an own goal at 60 minutes. Chile go ahead through Vargas at 64 minutes. Apparently, Sanchez wasn’t involved.
The game ends Chile 2 – 1 Peru.
Our Gunner is off to the final. And you thought this was a summer vacation.
Joel Campbell
I can imagine that Joel Campbell is very happy, that his last loan was to Spain, and not to Greece. Widespread investigations into game fixing in Greece, and the economy is going down the toilet. It may be that Greece has no leagues next season.
And there could be a lot of players from Greece up for sale, for cheap this transfer season.