Més que un club: The Legend of FC Barcelona

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MadRo

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It's worth reminding yourself that for every Frank Lampard there is an Owen Hargreaves, for every Vincent Kompany there is a Ledley King; and that for every Lionel Messi, there is a Víctor Vázquez Solsona. Vázquez currently plays for Club Brugge in Belgium after being one of Barcelona's hottest youth prospects as he played alongside Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas in the youth teams. Playing as an attacker he scored goals for fun with Messi but unfortunately injuries cut short his career with Barcelona. After Pep Guadiola left the club in (2011) the 25 year old received a surprising phone call from Sandro Rosell, the Barca president.
Being offered 25,000 pounds a week on a two year deal seemed intriguing but when Vázquez was told he was getting the manager's job he dropped the ice cream he was holding to run to the airport and return to Catalonia. This is a Football Manager 2012 adventure as Vázquez seeks to win the trophies he wanted to win all that time ago, albeit in a different capacity...
[h=1][/h]
 
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step (chinese proverb)

The first day back in Barcelona wasn't quite as boring as Vázquez had expected. The day began with a board meeting, when Rosell outlined the expectations that the board had for that season: a £35 million budget and yet another league win was the minimum expectation for the strict president but within the hour he had rejected requests from Vázquez to look for more merchandise opportunities abroad and an expansion to the Camp Nou.
After that had finished Vázquez was taken by a club car to the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gampe for his first meeting with the team as manager. He was guided across the training pitches to the first team area where Tito Vilanova and the team were awaiting him. All of the gathered applauded the manager's arrival and it took several minutes for the clapping to subside. The first to stop, Vázquez noticed, was Xavi Hernandez...
 
Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets (Napoleon Bonaparte)

The press had been as shocked as the rest of the football world when Víctor Vázquez was appointed as FC Barcelona manager. Candidates for the role had been furiously debated with people such as Luis Enrique, Michael Laudrup, Ronald Koeman, Guus Hiddink and Xavi Hernandez being tipped to take the hot seat so when a twenty five year old reserve team reject was placed in front of them wearing an azure Barca training top they were startled. Questions were fired to Víctor Vázquez from all directions and the young man did his best to answer them all honestly. He said that he planned to continue Guadiola's work, that he felt the defense could do with improving and that he was delighted with this brand new opportunity. All that was left to do before departing back to the training ground was leave a message for the press office to tell them that he wanted to open a vacancy for a first team coach at his Barcelona, the new Barcelona...
 
TEAM- Together Everyone Achives More (Anomynous)
View attachment 269573


"Barcelona could win the league with 9 players!" Tito Vilanova assured his new boss over a steaming coffee. Vilanova had just shown Víctor Vázquez his file that detailed the reports of all of the Barcelona players. The day Vázquez had arrived, Barcelona had the following:
Goalkeepers: V. Valdes, J.Pinto, R.Mino
Defenders: G.Pique, C.Puyol, M.Bartra, E.Abidal, A.Fontas, M.Montoya, C.Planas, D.Alves, Adriano
Midfielders: J.Mascherano, S.Busquets, S.Keita, Xavi, A.Iniesta, C.Fabregas, I.Afellay, Pedro, A.Sanchez , L.Messi
Strikers: D.Villa, Kerrison, Rodri

Looking at this list Vázquez quickly realised that his new team had a fantastic first XI, probably the best, but that behind that the standard dropped dramatically. Taking a marker pen, Vázquez proceeded to tell his assistant which of these players he was looking to sell, which to loan out or send to Barca B or to keep. After a few minutes a new list had been drawn up:

To Sell: Fontas, Keita, Mino, Pinto (with replacement)
To Loan: Bartra (with replacement), Planas, Kerrison, Rodri
To Keep: Everyone Else!

'Do you want to start offering out the players?' Vilanova asked. Vázquez nodded...
 
It's a dream to continue with this team and this club. I am really happy. Now It's time to share it with my family. I never thought about leaving. I've always wanted to be here (Thiago Alcantara)

Promoting Thiago Alcantara was a simple decision for Víctor Vázquez, only 20, the talented central midfielder had long been moved between FC Barcalona and Barca B but now was the time for him to be called permamently into the first team and away from his brother Rafinha, who also played in La Liga Adelante, whatever happens, Vázquez thought, it wouldn't do harm for a youngster to be training daily with Xavi and Iniesta...
 
When Cruyff and I arrived to take over at Barca, we decided to install the football which inspired us. The football of Rinus Michels. Make no mistake - it cost us to achive (Charly Rexach)

View attachment 269578

Vázquez knew from the start that he was going to use the similar style of play Guadiola, Cruyff et al had used before him. His team would attack with a high fluidity, with the short tika taka passes. The full backs would support and attack down the flanks while the powerhouse of Iniesta, Busquets and Xavi would play the balls to a complete striker, a left winger and Messi playing as an inside forward on the right. Vázquez would be hoping to see this used well during the pre season, when Barca would play the two Manchester clubs in England, PSG in Paris, Athletico Madrid in 9 days at the Camp Nou as well as playing a couple of other minor teams. On the transfer front, no offers had been tabled for any players yet but Vázquez knew that a couple of clubs, especially Arsenal, were looking to buy the Malian...
 
In order to win, you must expect to win (Richard Bach)

View attachment 269590

'Not too bad!' Tito Vilanova smiled at Víctor Vázquez as the referee blew his whistle to end the game, an easy 3-0 win for the seniors. Over the previous day much had happened, as Vázquez had dismissed several members of staff and had began to replace them. The entire Physiotherapist department was overhauled, as was the goalkeeping coaches and the fitness coaches as Vázquez signed up more talented replacements. Pep Guadiola had quickly returned to management as he replaced the recently retired Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd. In transfer news: Seydou Keita was in discussions with Arsenal and PSG over a £5.25 million move, Ruben Mino was in Italy talking to Udinese over a 475k transfer and Andreu Fontas had been given a choice to go on loan to either Malaga or Sporting, both of whom were looking to sign the CB in the future.

Vázquez meanwhile was scouting young german goalkeepers Ron-Robert Zieler and Marc-Andre ter Stegen and had already tabled a £10m + Marc Bartra offer, the summer was young, but it was already so busy...
 
It’s disappointing to be dropped from any team – even my mates’ fantasy league team (Robert Green)

View attachment 269612
'Say hello to Marc-Andre ter Stegen' Víctor Vázquez said to his team as the young german 'keeper shook all of his new teammates by the hand. Considering Gladbach had originally wanted £25 million, to get ter Stegan, one of the world's brightest young goalkeepers, for £16 million could be considered a coup! The 19 year old comes in as Ruben Mino leaves for Udinese and Andreu Fontas joins Malaga on loan for the season so buisness is in, as is a new crop of coaches, for the new Barcelona... View attachment 269623
 
The first thing that strikes a visitor to Paris is a taxi (Fred A. Allen)

It's been a week since Marc-Andre ter Stegen signed and it's been a busy time of transfers, Barcelona had signed 3 more players and played 2 matches against experienced opposition. First thing was the departure of Keita to PSG which had long been expected due to the extremely talented Barcelona midfield. Then Barca played out a frustrating 0-0 draw with Athletico Madrid, however, three new talented players could make all the difference!

View attachment 269690 Curtis Good is a young and sturdy Australian defender who joins for a modest 800k. To start with he's going into the under 19's to allow him to build.

View attachment 269691 Aly Cissokho has been signed as a replacement for aging left back Eric Abidal, still only 23 he has an exciting future, purchased from Olympique Lyonnais for £10.25million.

View attachment 269693 Purchased on a free transfer, Drogba will rotate with David Villa and Kerrison up front. I'm now targeting a centre back to help the injured Puyol and Pique.

View attachment 269695
A good result away from home against a promising French team! The future is bright....

 
It is better to receive than to do injury (Marcus Tilius Cicero)

He's wrong!
View attachment 269709
With Drogba out for most of the first half of the season, I'll have to look to bring in another striker on a short-term deal. The target is Shola Ameobi!

Though the deals aren't done or dusted yet, I'm set to sign Belgian defender Jan Vertonghan for £8 million to help the defense and Brazilian right back Wallace for 750k (the transfer won't go through until next summer)

View attachment 269710
 
It is better to receive than to do injury (Marcus Tilius Cicero)

He's wrong!
View attachment 269709
With Drogba out for most of the first half of the season, I'll have to look to bring in another striker on a short-term deal. The target is Shola Ameobi!

Though the deals aren't done or dusted yet, I'm set to sign Belgian defender Jan Vertonghan for £8 million to help the defense and Brazilian right back Wallace for 750k (the transfer won't go through until next summer)

View attachment 269710
Please feel free to comment on this story, hope you all enjoy it!
 
In every phenomenon the beginning remains always the most notable moment (Thomas Carlyle)

Pre-season is now over!
View attachment 269716

Perhaps not as promising as I'd hoped but it's only the first month, I have a week left before the Cup finals against Real Madrid and my first clash with 'The Only One' Vertonghan has signed but hasn't played yet as we played underwhelming teams in Manchester but destroyed Gladbach's reserve side and a 2nd tier Argentine team!
 
Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine? (Zinedine Zidane)

I think Madrid are cheating...
View attachment 269730

First bad news is that Andres Iniesta, the World Cup winner, is out with Food Poisoning (?), second, Fabregas has only just returned from injury so he's on the bench. This means that Thiago gets a starting spot earlier than anyone had expected.

View attachment 269731
At half time we're doing well, Pedro's excellent cross midway through the half allowed Lionel Messi to score an easy tap in. midway through the second half, however, and it all begins to go wrong...
A two-footed tackle from behind on Benzema earns Thiago a red card and two week's wages fined, with him dismissed, I make a risky decision and replace David Villa with Fabregas, playing as a 4-1-2-2 with no one up front. It nearly paid off.
I was mistaken for thinking we had won when Cristiano Ronaldo was replaced with Higuain on the 70th minute, but a moment later he equalized with a bullet header which looked slightly offside on the replays. But still, a 1-1 draw in Madrid must make us favorites for the return leg...
 
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