[Dae]

This is a subject that pains me when talking about Sporting, but who's leaving after this season? I'm hoping the core of the team will be around for European action next year. We're looking at a Champions League spot and it would help to have the team that got us there. Are Delfim and Duscher staying? That was a hot topic earlier in the year, but I haven't heard anything since.

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VIVA SPORTING!!!
FORZA MILAN!!!

 

[RedEagle]

I doubt Duscher is staying. However, whatever do try to keep Cruz and Schmeichel. Cruz is one heck of a defender, plus he can hit free kicks. It should be easy to keep them, they are in the latter part of their careers.

 

[laureano]

Duscher may well stay to play in the CL (are Parma gonna get in it next year?)
Anyway if he's sold for big money ($15m plus) this may be the best for Sporting.
Simao going to Barca last year meant they were able to reinvest the money and strengthen the squad - i wouldn't fancy Tiago in goal again.

And congratulations to Daeone and others for pushing for this forum - and to Jan for responding to the overwhelming demand so quickly - here's to many good discussions.

[This message has been edited by laureano (edited 28-03-2000).]

 

[laureano]

I think they'll try and offload Edmilson - he's on a big wage.
De Francheschi and Robaina's loans are up, Hanuch hasn't worked out and will Bino want to go somewhere to play? Same for Quiroga.
Iordanov says he'll retire if not offered a new contract. Is the MS getting much worse?
Problem may be keeping the squad players who will be more important if we're in the CL.

 

[Dae]

I agree that $15 to 20 million might be useful, but it must go to strengthening the team. It seems Sporting has finally found a way to manage it's money (cue to Benfica). It pained me how they used to sell everything short of their mother (I assume) to pay off debts. What's this about Iordanov and MS? What about De Francheschi? Does he ever play and who loaned him to us? I read La Gazzeta dello Sport and they talk like Sporting is his team. I realize it's because he's the only Italian, but I still have never heard much about him.

Hey Louletano, what's the status of the tape? It's criminal to make me wait this long for it!
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VIVA SPORTING!!!
FORZA MILAN!!!

[This message has been edited by daeone (edited 28-03-2000).]

 

[Dae]

Somebody tell me if I read this correctly since I don't read Portuguese very well. The Record is saying (I think) that Delfim is out or may be out for the season, but is think of staying next year. Please, somebody read the article and tell if I'm right or close to right. It's the main article on their web version of the paper.

 

[laureano]

I read on the Sporting site that Delfim would be out for about 3 weeks ( a week ago) after minor knee surgery - it could be longer. I don't think it's a huge loss as there's still Vidigal, Duscher and barbosa for central midfield.
De Francheschi was playing every game from when Inacio came until recently (is he hurt?) as Edmilson's replaced him in the starting lineup. I imagine he was playing left wing. I read he was on loan but you can get conflicting stories on whether players are loaned or not - obviously he came on Materrazzi's recommendation.

 

[Paulo]

Has selling players really made Sporting a stronger team.Lets see Figo(Greatest player in the world),Balakov,Dani,Oceano(although he is old now),Simao,Amunike,Hadji,P Sousa and much much more.You see if we had that squad we would have won alot more had monet to stall buy the players we have now.People we would by far be the best team in the world.Forgot about Sa Pinto,Leandro
Amunike Sa Pinto
Simao Dani P Sousa Figo
George Cruz Beto Prates
Schmeical
What a great team

 

[laureano]

The point i was making was you can strengthen the squad by re-investing the money. Plainly this was done with the $15m the club received from Barcelona. Look at the players brought in since the sumer. Ok Schmeichel and Cruz were free transfers but are on big wages - £20k a week plus.
I agree it's bad when the proceeds are squandered on paying off debts run up by bad management but this hasn't been the case recently.
Do you agree that the current team is stronger than the one that finished last season?
If rich Italian teams with too much money to spend want to blow $15-25m on a young midfielder let them. I think it is by building strong financial roots that Sporting can dominate portuguese football in the next 10 years. It comes down to whether you trust the president to do a good job, and i've a lot of faith in Roquette.
Re the names you mentioned, Figo was always going to go abroad - the club couldn't have kept him, Sousa - well Benfica have a more legitimate claim to him being theirs, Balakov would always leave for a big wage as his career wound down (big money in the Bundesliga) and Oceano left when he was about 32 and has been replaced by Delfim and Duscher.
In fact Sa Pinto wants to come back. He's the type of player who shouldn't have been sold as he's loyal and committed to the team. I think they should sign him on a Bosman (i think his contracts up next summer)

[This message has been edited by laureano (edited 28-03-2000).]

[This message has been edited by laureano (edited 28-03-2000).]

 

[Paulo]

I want Sporting to do well in the next 10 years in Portugal but i also wantThem to do well in Europe as well.Face it the Italians and Spaniards spend P15-25 mil on those players is because those players can win the CL.It would be my dream if Sporting could win the CL and with the squad we have i dont think we can compare to those of Barce,Juve etc... But if we had kept those players we could have given them better salarys because we would have been doing very well and the clubs would have attracted players from abroad and even made the smaller teams in Portugal stronger.

 

[laureano]

Realistically for a team like Sporting or Porto for that matter to win the CL would be a fairytale.

 

[Dae]

The league must strengthen itself before any of those players stay and can be kept. Let's face it, for the 1990's Portugal was a one team league and that team can't even win anything in Europe. Obviously, our great players will leave to join leagues that can compete on a broad scale. Finally, Sporting seems to be building a sound base for the future. What we need is a true Big Three, not simply a Big One with two bums. Let's face it, Sporting has absolutely sucked prior to this season and a big reason for the turnaround is the good financial status. Any other year and Delfim, Duscher, Acosta and any other servicable player would have been sold. Things are looking bright, but the future begins with a championship.

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VIVA SPORTING!!!
FORZA MILAN!!!

 

[Paulo]

If we win the league how much money do we get.
If it is quite a bit and the money we are going to make on Leandro maybe will see a player coming in soon.
And i think next year we have a new sponser.
I hope we have a guy who could pump in 20 + goals in for us.

 

[Louletano]

Whatever amount of money we get i just hope that we don't foolishly spend it like Benfica does.
I heard rumors of Zamorano, and that would be a huge mistake, he's too old and too expensive.

 

[Dae]

I agree he's expensive, but the man can still score key goals for Inter when they give him a match. Of course, that doesn't happen on a regular basis. If Sporting make the CL then he might consider coming over. Of course, England seems to suck up every player who is maybe a little old but can still play. Either that or he can wait until he's 37, join the MLS and still kick the college boys' butts.

 

[Paulo]

Look Zamarono would do great in our league.
He is a strong aerial player like Jardel i believe that he could also get us 20+ goals a season.

 

[Santamaria]

He'd blow the wage structure out the water. He'd want double what Schmeichel gets and it wouldn't help team morale.
Sporting have just got a strong financial footing and you guys want to send us back on the road to bankruptcy.
Remember Benfica when they signed Canniggia?

Basically we want to use the money to keep top Portuguese players like Beto and Delfim at the club longterm, players loyal to the club, not blow it on expensive football mercenaries who will insist on playing even if their form isn't good and then sulk if they're left out.

[This message has been edited by Santamaria (edited 30-03-2000).]

 

[Dae]

Needless to say Zamo would be an idiot to believe he'd get paid Inter-type wages at Sporting and Sporting would be an idiot to pay them. I just think the possibility is interesting. Cannigia was a bum who'd just come off drug suspension. Zamo kicks his ass.

 

[Santamaria]

Yes, but he's not likely to come for half the wages.
Daeone, a question - "Would you rather keep Delfim and Beto or have Zamo?"
I think the team should plow it's money into keeping it's home grown stars, something it's never done in the recent past.

 

[Dae]

Yes. Delfim should be kept. He'll be star (like Figo) who if kept, can make us strong for a long time. I just think Zamo is an interesting option, but hardly worth selling the team for. He's a name brand, if nothing else.