Liverpool to set up Almeria link

[Maldini]

Good idea I reckon.

 

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/16376...meria_link.aspx

 

Liverpool to set up Almeria link Author: Nigel Brown

Posted on: 18 March 2009 - 8:57 PM

Category: Football

Comments: 1 Go...

 

Liverpool are poised to announce a new partnership with Spanish club Almeria. The agreement, which will see the Reds have first option on Almeria's brightest stars, is expected to be confirmed by the end of the week.

 

Almeria chairman Alfonso Garcia has been on Merseyside to discuss the new venture, while manager Hugo Sanchez has been locked in talks with Reds boss Rafa Benitez and Liverpool chief scout Eduardo Marcia.

 

The deal will also see several Liverpool youngsters loaned out to Almeria, who currently sit 13th in La Liga.

[carrafan]

Lovely. Someone like El Zhar might end up there on loan next season and the idea of having first dibs on the likes of Negredo and Pablo Piatti is a fantastic idea.

Edited March 19, 2009 by carrafan

[Maldini]

Yeah, it allows us to sign young players from outside the EU and park them there for 3 years until they become Spanish citizens. Loads of benefits to this. I wouldn't be surprised to see a load of players go there this summer. Even if they're not good enough for the first team they'l play more games with their reserves than they will with ours.

[carrafan]

  Maldini said:

Yeah, it allows us to sign young players from outside the EU and park them there for 3 years until they become Spanish citizens.

 

I considered this when making my post but i just dont see that happening. The Spanish league, if i am right have a non EU cap on a squad and except for the most high profile signing from South America, i dont see us using Almeria like a Belgian club.

 

 

 

 

Anyone find it interesting that this link was made known when Rafa signed a new deal with us. So it had to be sorted out earlier which basically means that Rafa intended to stay all the time even when he was rejecting one contract offer and another.

[cymrococh]

Is that the Hugo Sanchez?

[Maldini]

  carrafan said:

I considered this when making my post but i just dont see that happening. The Spanish league, if i am right have a non EU cap on a squad and except for the most high profile signing from South America, i dont see us using Almeria like a Belgian club.

 

 

 

 

Anyone find it interesting that this link was made known when Rafa signed a new deal with us. So it had to be sorted out earlier which basically means that Rafa intended to stay all the time even when he was rejecting one contract offer and another.

 

I reckon we can sign better non-EU prospects than Almeria though, they'd probably be happy to have many of em.

 

In relation to the contract Rafa never really rejected contracts they were just negotiations. I wouldn't be surprised if this Almeria thing is a part of a larger overhaul of our reserve/youth setup this summer.

 

 

  Paul Caruso said:

Is that the Hugo Sanchez?

 

Yeah *backflips*

[Nebraska Red]

  Paul Caruso said:

Is that the Hugo Sanchez?

 

 

yep, bit of a drop after "managing" Mexico.

 

glad to say that losing to the USA did nothing for Sanchez's job prospects as manager of Mexico.

 

the guy was a legend south of the border, but was not cut out to be manager of a national team.

[Wilbur]

Is this a likely destination for someone like Leto?

[Crazy Horse]

  Nebraska Red said:

the guy was a legend south of the border

 

Prison slang?

[charlie clown]

  Maldini said:

Yeah, it allows us to sign young players from outside the EU and park them there for 3 years until they become Spanish citizens. Loads of benefits to this. I wouldn't be surprised to see a load of players go there this summer. Even if they're not good enough for the first team they'l play more games with their reserves than they will with ours.

 

and more importantly at a higher and more competitive level. Don't the Spanish reserves teams actually play in lower divisions of the real Spanish league rather than being in some twilight zone of has-beens, rehabilitating crocks and not quite good enough for the first team wannabees like it is in England? Or have I dreamt that up from somewhere?

[Kahnee]

  Paul Caruso said:

Is that the Hugo Sanchez?

 

Next manager of Liverpool...

 

  Wilbur said:

Is this a likely destination for someone like Leto?

 

No, he'll have his EU passport at the end of next season

 

  charlie clown said:

and more importantly at a higher and more competitive level. Don't the Spanish reserves teams actually play in lower divisions of the real Spanish league rather than being in some twilight zone of has-beens, rehabilitating crocks and not quite good enough for the first team wannabees like it is in England? Or have I dreamt that up from somewhere?

 

Yes, they do - it's something Rafa has called for over here.

[Sion]

Jay Spearing tearing up la liga next season!

[Keita]

Do they have any good defensive midfielders?

[Maldini]

  charlie clown said:

and more importantly at a higher and more competitive level. Don't the Spanish reserves teams actually play in lower divisions of the real Spanish league rather than being in some twilight zone of has-beens, rehabilitating crocks and not quite good enough for the first team wannabees like it is in England? Or have I dreamt that up from somewhere?

 

Yeah, although Almeria's reserves play in the equivalent of the old Unibond league. Still more competitive than the reserve league though.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I read the title thread as an 'Almunia' link ......... god bless my dyslexia

[Molby]

  charlie clown said:

and more importantly at a higher and more competitive level. Don't the Spanish reserves teams actually play in lower divisions of the real Spanish league rather than being in some twilight zone of has-beens, rehabilitating crocks and not quite good enough for the first team wannabees like it is in England? Or have I dreamt that up from somewhere?

 

 

it's true of Castilla, RM's reserve team

[Chili Palmer]

  Maldini said:

Yeah, although Almeria's reserves play in the equivalent of the old Unibond league. Still more competitive than the reserve league though.

 

 

They're changing that from next year I think, they think that the system we use of reserve leagues is the better one.

[Maldini]

  Chili Palmer said:

They're changing that from next year I think, they think that the system we use of reserve leagues is the better one.

 

Seriously? Bizarre, what are they doing with it?

[cymrococh]

  Wilbur said:

Is this a likely destination for someone like Leto?

My main problem with Carragher's book is him including Leto in his list of rubbish foreigners that are stopping our all-conquering local lads from getting a game.

 

Say what you like about players who have left the club, but Leto is still a colleague.

[MFletcher]

Carra's book didn't really do him any favours. 'An honest account' isn't sufficient excuse for parts like you've mentioned.

[Maldini]

Leto's actually a decent player as well.

[MFletcher]

  Maldini said:

Leto's actually a decent player as well.

 

I agree.

[cymrococh]

  Maldini said:

Leto's actually a decent player as well.

exactly.

 

I would have fined Carra for that.

 

"feels he has been treated unfairly"

Edited March 20, 2009 by Paul Caruso

[Chili Palmer]

  Maldini said:

Seriously? Bizarre, what are they doing with it?

 

 

Not too sure mate, Guillem Balague was on LFC last week on that Press Box programme and they were talking about reserves coming through and how they get more games in the likes of spain with their current system of playing in lower leagues and Ballague said that from next season(I think) they are converting to the English method of having reserve leagues, apparantley the Spanish looked at both systems and thought the English way was better. Not surprisingly Ballague and the rest of the press thought the move was crazy.

[Maldini]

  Chili Palmer said:

Not too sure mate, Guillem Balague was on LFC last week on that Press Box programme and they were talking about reserves coming through and how they get more games in the likes of spain with their current system of playing in lower leagues and Ballague said that from next season(I think) they are converting to the English method of having reserve leagues, apparantley the Spanish looked at both systems and thought the English way was better. Not surprisingly Ballague and the rest of the press thought the move was crazy.

 

Jesus, it must just be a case of seeing English football doing well and deciding to copy them. Still maybe their structure will be a bit less archaic than ours.