Huge blow if confirmed. Too late to find replacements.

 

20 + 3, cost us 7 and we sold 20% for 3.4 If the numbers are right.
http://web3.cmvm.pt/sdi2004/emitentes/docs/FR41304.pdf

 

Absolutely massive loss, must say I like this from the perspective of a rival.

Lima also in, Michel/Kardec/Sidnei to Braga, Silvio on loan(?), bunch of other shit... very busy day for you guys.

 

Absolutely massive loss, must say I like this from the perspective of a rival.

I can't disagree. Especially when early reports had the deal @ 30. SLB will spend the fall with a thin defense & too many attackers. Matic will get his chance. If he flops, will be interesting if JJ switches formation versus just plugging another player into that role.

 

If you're taking someone from Braga, it should be that Ismaeili kid. This kid can play.

 

They just got him from Olhanense this summer. Benfica will have to wait until next summer at least.

 

I don't understand picking up Lima if we're keeping Cardozo, both 29 years old, one will have to sit unless Lima plays the Saviola role that had been given to Rodrigo.

As for Javi, Matic is not a #6, different ways of playing, we need a Javi vs Braga, Porto and Sporting.

 

Benfica throwing in the towel with this deal
It seems

 

I don't agree that they're throwing in the towel, this was a good amount of money for a #6 whom we paid 7Mil for and got 3.4 mil right back, in the end he'll net us a good 12 or so after we pay 4 to Benfica Stars Fund then another 2.4Milion Euro if everything in the contract is fulfilled.

What puzzles me is Lima, why get him if Cardozo is still here?
Don't the Eastern markets close later? Perhaps he's on the move to Russia or the Ukraine?

 

Also, Nolito to Atletico Madrid on loan. He had a good start to the season last year, seemed to drop down the depth chart, and now doesn't count in JJ's plans at all. Odd.

 

So, no Javi Garcia or Nolito? son of a bitch

 

Josh, anything confirming Nolito to Atletico or Silvio to us? All i heard was talk all day, i think Ojogo said that it wasn't going to happen anymore.

 

Yeah, you're right bro, I was just going through the official player registration stuff on the league website today... nothing. Nolito stays with you guys and Silvio stays with Benfica. That likely would have been your starting LB. No Silvio, no Eliseu... Melgarejo better keep learning fast.

By the way, in case anybody wants to check all the league registrations from today:

http://www.lpfp.pt/noticias/Pages/Fechodomercado-actualizado.aspx

 

So the Silvio x Nolito deal fell through, I saw Silvio as a back up for Maxi and either starter on the left or back up for him too. The only thing that puzzles me is that Lima was picked up when Cardozo's here, no way that Lima will start over takuara, I'm thinking that the Eastern market is still open and Russia or Ukraine might be calling.

 

Yeah, 4 days to go until the Russian market closes and that's why I'm not totally convinced Hulk/Moutinho stay for sure. Cardozo could also go to one of those clubs, who knows. Focus goes back to league action this weekend, though.

 

In Cardozo we trust, and also in Eastern European teams

 

i dont know about lima not playing ahead of cardozo ...cardozo is way too "fixed", and has a poor ball reception, not to mention that he is useless when it comes to making a pass.

Lima is more versatile

im really really concerned about javi leavinng though...are we left with matic alone?! not only is he not as solid as we have no back up in case he cant play!

 

Axel Witsel to Zenit for 40m Euro (buyout clause)

Crazy day, Zenit came to Portugal and dropped off 100m, taking both Hulk and Witsel.

Zenit activated the 40m Euro buyout clause in Witsel's deal and off he goes.

Accoding to MF, you offered him a new deal and tried to convince him to stay today, but no luck. Seems the money of the Russians is too much for these guys.

--

De acordo com o que Maisfutebol apurou, os responsáveis do Benfica tudo fizeram para tentar manter o jogador.

Luís Filipe Vieira chegou a oferecer-se a renovação, aumento de salário e subida da cláusula de rescisão. Witsel ainda hesitou, mas acabou por aceitar a oferta milionária do Zenit.

--

Midfield now has no Witsel and no Javi Garcia. Carlos Martins and Matic pairing... anybody else even in the squad? JJ can't be happy!

 

Crazy day, Zenit came to Portugal and dropped off 100m, taking both Hulk and Witsel.

Zenit activated the 40m Euro buyout clause in Witsel's deal and off he goes.

Accoding to MF, you offered him a new deal and tried to convince him to stay today, but no luck. Seems the money of the Russians is too much for these guys.

--

De acordo com o que Maisfutebol apurou, os responsáveis do Benfica tudo fizeram para tentar manter o jogador.

Luís Filipe Vieira chegou a oferecer-se a renovação, aumento de salário e subida da cláusula de rescisão. Witsel ainda hesitou, mas acabou por aceitar a oferta milionária do Zenit.

--

Midfield now has no Witsel and no Javi Garcia. Carlos Martins and Matic pairing... anybody else even in the squad? JJ can't be happy!

It really sucks but there was nothing we could have done here, they paid the buy out clause and Witsel agreed to go.

Au revoir mon ami Axel and Thank you for your time at our club.

 

its a disgrace :wallbang:

 

Too huge of a whole to make up with what is currently onthe squad. Perhaps in the winter transfer we can get Manny back. Hopefully it won't be too late.

 

So, no Garcia, Witsel or Nolito? Maybe we should sell Aimar while we're at it. :yuck:

 

Nolito stayed. The Nolito-Silvio swap didn't happen.

Benfica 2012/2013:

Artur Moraes
Paulo Lopes
Júlio César

Luisão
Luisinho
Maxi Pereira
Ezequiel Garay
Melgarejo
Miguel Vítor
Jardel

Bruno César
Nolito
Pablo Aimar
Ola John
Carlos Martins
Salvio
Nicolás Gaitán
Matic
Enzo Peréz

Óscar Cardozo
Rodrigo
Alan Kardec
Lima

 

Javi Garcia forced out as far as we're told, "too good of a deal" to pass up for him in Man City, as for Witsel Zenit offered to pay the 40 million Euro and convinced him to go, when that happens the player can say not but the $$$$ spoke higher.

Good luck to you Axel and I'm sure we'll have new players in January, hopefully won't be too late by then.

 

Breakdown:

 

Who paid the other $20M. Zenit insists they paid $40M for each player. So where did the other $20M come from? And since when is $20M 15% of $60M?

That's some fuzzy math.

 

i need to become a football agent

 

It's Nuts...

 

Also, Zenit did NOT exercise Witsel's buyout clause.

Zenit said they are paying Witsel's 40m in 3 installments, which means Benfica agreed to the deal. A buyout clause is a fixed sum of money to be paid all up front to release the player from his contract, any deferring of the payments is negotiated upon.

Seems LFV is trying to save face, but the truth is he negotiated Javi Garcia and Witsel's sales both.

 

That's a disrespectful comment for somebody who had open heart surgery yesterday morning.

Show some class. I would never joke about somebody's serious medical health, no matter who it is.

 

I was a bit disappointed he made it through his first morning, but not surprised, with black magic on his side and all.

Your feigned sense of decency to deflect the embarrassment of being a Portista trying to make sense of Pinto of the Coast's ridiculous lie was amusing, though.

 

Classless.

I hope you teach your kids better ethics than that.

 

You hope of no such thing, son.

Classless is the duplicity of self-righteous Portistas, who willingly champion a goon whose abhorrent crimes span across a large majority of any moral scale throughout the ages.

Now try to have enough self-respect to stop trolling and feigning violence of your fragile moral sense of decency and stick to the topic of real interest, filhote. You're a married man now, with responsibilities, and at some point, maybe even a family. Time will become increasingly short for you to spend on false moral indignities.