Barca chase Ballack - Bayern chase Deco

[Sammer]

http://www.kicker.de/content/news/artik ... uppe=10264

The article is from the german soccer mag "kicker" (most of the time very reliable).

Here are some snippets:

"The Vice President of Barca has now officially made contact with Ballacks representative Dr. Becker"

"Barca´s sporting director, Txiki Beguiristain, confirms: "We are highly intersted in this transfer - Ballack is a very strong and intelligent player that would fit our style of play well".

"Ballacks market value is estimated around 15-20 million Euros at the moment. This would ad some cash to the Bayern pockets in order to realize the transfers of Deco (FC Porto) and Frings (Dortmund) and Lucio (Leverkusen)".

Sounds like a good deal for both sides....

 

[lewdikris]

Sounds about right. Jeez, Barca are building quite a team aren't they?

 

[Soler]

Mourinho's off to Chelsea - just how much of this Porto team will be stripped to the core?

 

[Sammer]

Sounds about right. Jeez, Barca are building quite a team aren't they?

Yes, and actually I am happy that it´s Barca. I have always liked the club and it´s good to see another force challenging the Galacticos (which they are no more).

 

[AFCG7]

How about Ballack + Vieira at Arsenal ?

 

[A.Hussain]

dat would be killa! 8)

 

[GoonerGurjit]

If Deco goes anywhere, won't it be Chelsea?

 

[Pepe LeFrits]

Ballack & Barca have agreed a deal.

 

[GlasgowGooner]

Ballack seems to be hitting form at the right time, he scored 4 for Germany tonight.

 

[Sammer]

He is an awesome, versatile player, but he has to have a background that supports him.

At Bayern he constantly got in the line of fire with Beckenbauer and Rumenigge and he really is fed up with all the critique there. He knows it´s better for him to leave.

I can see him being successful anywhere, but not at Bayern.

 

[KingReyes]

He is an awesome, versatile player, but he has to have a background that supports him.

At Bayern he constantly got in the line of fire with Beckenbauer and Rumenigge and he really is fed up with all the critique there. He knows it´s better for him to leave.

I can see him being successful anywhere, but not at Bayern.

Did that mainly have to do with him playing for Germany? Or were there other reasons?

 

[Sammer]

Well the Bayern big shots (Beckernbauer & Co.) still believe in that lame philosophy that you have to have one leader on the pitch and they picked Ballack to be the one.

Successful modern football is all about about the team, not the individual (see: Porto) and Ballack does not feel comfortable to take that old-fashioned "leader" role.

This has even been critizesed by the french players in the Bayern squad - like Sagnol and Lizarazu - who have expressed on numerous occasions that there is too much focus on individual players rather than the team functioning as a unit at Bayern.

Naturally, Beckenbauer & Co. tend to put a lot of blame after losses on Ballack. They play mind games by using the tabloids to support their messages.

So for him, it´s better to just get out.

 

[KingReyes]

From what your saying the team spirit at Bayern is absolutely ****e!! Looks like its the main reason for them not doing well this season.

 

[Sammer]

That´s the main point, since they have quite a good team on paper.

In the past, most players loved to play for the club, since they used to treat their players really well in every respect, but Ballack, Sagnol and Lizarazu desperately wanting to leave says it all.

 

[lewdikris]

Team spirit at Bayern has historically been a problem - the more so after the general level of quality in the Bundesliga went down in the 80s and 90s. 'Hollywood FC' are simply too big a fish in their pond and can pick and choose any player they like in Germany for fees that are well below the European average - they're signing Lucio for 7 million, when he would have cost anyone else at least 15! It leads to egotism - and Beckenbauer and Rumennigge, genuinely great players, sure don't help the situation....

 

[Sammer]

Exactly. They are contributing to destroy the quality of german football by creating a league (Bundesliga), that has almost no connections to whats going on in the top european leagues.

This reflects on the national team, which is in a sorry state. In terms of Die Bundesliga it means, that mediocre players can live an easy and well-paid life in the Bundesliga, and that the few good german players are very likely to end up at Bayern.

I have the slight hope that Felix Magath coming to Bayern will have some positive impact, since he has the exact opposite philosophy - he is a very international orientated coach with, although very analytic, but really keen on building a team that plays good football (he has been an excellent, technical versatile player himself).

But Ballack should get the hell out of there....especially if he has the chance of playing at Barca.

 

[thegame24]

Who would you guys rather have for Arsenal?

Ballack or Deco?

 

[Arjan]

But does Magath get a chance at changing things Bayern? He has to put up with Beckenbauer, Rummenige and Hoeness. And they rule not only Bayern, but also the Bundesliga.

And I always thought that Ballack was a player bought purely to "please" Beckenbauer.

 

[SuperBob]

Ballack would suit our style more. Where would Deco play?

 

[AFCG7]

Ballack definitely..he offers more defensively as well.. i wonder why Wenger hasnt been linked with him yet..we've been linked with everyone else!