I hope he doesn't. The problem with European football is that the big teams take many of the top players and that weakens the overall competitiveness.
Real is another evil empire like MU, Bayern, Barcelona, AC Milan etc.
It would be interesting to see Bale and Ronaldo together, but I still don't want it to happen.
Europe -
I concur. Some semblance of parity is essential otherwise things become way too predictable. Who wants to see the same couple of clubs win everything in sight over and over and over again? Well, apart from the fans of the said clubs, that is. I certainly don't...
Along with the mass influx of Negroes and other scum, the factor which eventually dimmed my interest in football from the second half of the 1990s was the continued and ever-increasing dominance of a few big clubs. Let's use England as an example...
In the decade just passed (2000-2009), a mere three clubs won the championship (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea). Not much parity and competition there, eh?
In comparison, back in the 1950s, 6 clubs won the championship (Portsmouth, Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal, Wolves, Chelsea). The 1960s - coincidentally, the decade in which England won their only World Cup - were even better, for a whopping 8 different clubs won the title (Burnley, Spurs, Ipswich, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Leeds). I would love to have witnessed those seasons, in which the competition was far more balanced, for 8 different clubs also finished in the runners up position (Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley, Spurs, Manchester United, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool).
The 1980s were dominated by Liverpool, who won six titles and were runners up on three occasions. But five other clubs besides Liverpool finished second during the decade (Manchester United, Ipswich, Watford, Southampton, Everton). The 2000s saw a similar six-championship domination by Manchester United. This time, however, only three other clubs besides Manchester United finished as runners up (Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea).
Following its takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group (owned by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan) Manchester City has "emerged" as a nouveau riche "big club", spending obscene amounts of money in a vulgar drive for silverware. This scenario provides the blueprint for "modern" English (and, increasingly, wider European) football - the sole challenge to the established mega-clubs coming from clubs purchased by "Oriental potentates" with bottomless pockets who view spending hundreds upon hundreds of millions of pounds on a squad as an amusing hobby.
I'm expecting the Chinese to eventually get in on the act, with a state-owned company purchasing an English club. As they play in red, Liverpool would be a likely candidate...
Scotland's Old Firm epitomises the poisonous two-team hegemony which makes for an anticlimactic fan experience season after season. Forget the fact that Rangers finally went bust last year and were consequently relegated to the Third Division - they'll be back in the top flight in no time (2016 to be precise...). Meanwhile, Celtic are currently 19 points clear and on course to win their 44th Scottish Championship (yawn...).
Here's a bit of trivia for You: Celtic and Rangers have won every championship since 1986, which totals an unbroken run of 27 years. This equals their longest continuous sequence of titles from 1905 to 1931, which colloquially established them as the "Old Firm". Celtic's inevitable win this season shall extend that run to a record-breaking 28 years...
I'm fortunate enough to remember the final non-Old Firm champions. Dundee United and Aberdeen won for three successive seasons between 1983 and 1985. This led to fans and commentators dubbing them the "New Firm" - which sounds rather laughable today, doesn't it? I often wonder if I'll see another champion from outside the Old Firm in my lifetime...
The first half of the 1980s was also an exciting era in Spanish football, for the all-Basque clubs Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao won two championships each in the four seasons between 1981 and 1984. In case anyone is thinking that I have erred in labelling Real Sociedad an all-Basque club, keep in mind that they only signed their first non-Basque player - John Aldridge - in 1989.
Of the 28 seasons since 1984, Real Madrid and Barcelona have won a combined 24 championships, the last winner from outside the "big two" being Valencia back in 2004. Just for a "change", Barcelona presently hold a twelve point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid, with Real Madrid a further four points back. Now, what's the bet that Barcelona and Real Madrid shall finish as the top two
yet again? The word "monotonous" springs to mind...
Believe it or not, I'd like to see Gareth Bale stay at Spurs. As much as I despise the club, I'd prefer Tottenham to hold on to him and endeavour to build a quality (White, or as White as possible) team capable of truly challenging for the title rather than flogging him off to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Manchester United. But that's the point at which the bane of modern football shall predictably step in - namely, money...
Anyway, here's the breakdown from last weekend's solitary Premier League match, played on Sunday, February 17:
Liverpool 5 Swansea City 0
LIVERPOOL:
Started: 7 Whites (3 Englishmen), 3 blacks, 1 mestizo
Finished: 9 Whites (4 Englishmen), 2 blacks
SWANSEA:
Started: 4 Whites (2 Englishmen, 1 Welshman), 6 blacks, 1 Israeli
Finished: 4 Whites (2 Englishmen, 1 Welshman), 7 blacks