[Krijn]

Why couldn't we use Depors weak game to catch up? We should have taken that 3 points. The last match will decide now if we win La Liga. And with a form like this, and the weak form Depor has, I still see Zaragoza (of all teams) winning La Liga on the last day....

 

[The Birdman]

Sorry, but it will take a miracle to win. Deportivo has been very stable at home and Espanyol has nothing to play for. So it´s probably over. But it´s still necessary to win against Celta if we want to play CL next year!

 

[Iqbal]

Litmanen's missed chance was terrible...what happened to the Litti of old? He has been THE most disappointing player this season.

 

[Krijn]

It will take a miracle indeed. But trying to be optimistic, I only have to take a look at the serie A...

And Litmanen wasn't good the whole season...

 

[Amor]

Our only chance is to beat Celta and Espanyol beat Depor and hope Zaragoza to draw so we will win by goals deference.

 

[labas]

Face it guys, it's over. And what has to hurt even more is the way it happened. I mean Deportivo have been playing such sh|t over the past 4 weeks, a normal Barca and a normal Real would've taken them over long ago. Don't think that I'm not dissapointed either - if only Real had won games like against Alaves at home last week they would now be almost in the driving seat. Ia slo realise Barca had an even bigger chance, but it's over. If you guys think your cross town rivals are gonna present you the title, well I'd have to see it to believe it

 

[Oly]

All spanish teams do this.
I can bet you that Depor will pay Celta and Real will probably pay someone also.
I guess it's nott echnically cheating, because we're not paying anyone to lose.
I mean, if Espanyol have cash for winning, it doesn't guarantee that they will win. lol

 

[dado]

I'm waiting for the season to finish to tell you guys something... but I agree that Litmanen sucks, it's not that he doesn't try - he just doesn't have what it takes to be a Barca player...

 

[CarlosMiguel]

The word is we will pay Espanyol 1.2 million pounds if they defeat Depor on friday. Maybe that will be extra incentive. Personally i think it is shameful and embarassing. We have all year to win this league, now we have to resort to giving rewards to our city rivals to win the league for us. We're too big too respected a club to do such things. It makes me sick. Oh well, i guess that's the way some people in the club do things. I'm someone who would do anything to see Barca win, but this even makes me sick. Sad stuff going on in Can Barca.

 

[Rondinaire]

A few more thoughts about Friday night folks.
1/Barca weren't allowed to play on Friday before the 94 Final
2/Another nasty atmosphere in the stadium
3/Celta definitely don't want Depor to win the league
4/Roger, Toni, Cristobal and Nando are ex-Barca players (the first two are fans)
5/Figo is suspended
6/If Barca hadn't thrown away the Copa del Rey, Español would already have an automatic place in UEFA so why should we ask for any favours?
7/It's definitely Van Gaal's last match
8/Barca have a better goal average than Zaragoza and both have a better one than Depor
By the time this message gets through, we'll have played the final of the Catalonia Cup.
Half the first team's playing, Van Gaal's sitting on the bench but Mouriho's coaching. Another big demo against Van Gaal?

 

[Driver X]

Miracles don't happen twice, Barca have really screwed this season up. No silverware, and the coach is gone, that's the way it goes. Let's look ahead to next season with good prospects.

 

[zoso]

Thanks for the info Roger, just a couple of questions:

How come the match is on Friday - this is pretty unusual isn't it? and
What's the Catalonia cup all about - is it a tournament between Lerida, Valencia, Mallorca, Barca etc.?

 

[Oly]

Valencia isn't in Catalonia.
Well I don't think so anyway.

 

[Pelle]

You`re right about Litmanen, he´s been a disappointment.But I think he´s played in wrong role as right midfielder. He´s in his best in free role just behind the forwards (just like in Ajax). Litmanen can´t defend well and as a right midfield position he should also defend.Though in a game against Athletico Madrid (Barca won 3-0) he was rather good (assisted two goals)...

 

[Rondinaire]

Zoso. The Catalonia Cup is played by teams who are stictly from Catalonia like Barca, Español, Lleida,etc but not those from the so called Catalan countries: Valencia, Balearics, etc. The big teams play a lot of reserves so there are often shocks.
Final score-Barca 3 Mataro 0 (Kluivert, Santamaria and Micky).
The games are being played on Friday to facilitate Madrid and Valencia's cup bids, which were denied Barca in 1994.

 

[zoso]

Cheers Roger - its good to have somebody with a bit of local knowledge on this forum.

To respond to Oly -
Yes you're correct Valencia is not in Catalonia (at the moment!). However, from about the XIII century to the XVIII century, I think, Valencia was united with Barcelona as part of the Catalan-Aragon Kingdom. That is the reason why in Valencia, they speak Catalan (in the Valencian dialect).

There are people who long for a reunification of the Catalan Countries (North of France, Catalunya, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, basically), because people in these places share the same language and some of the same traditions.
Anyway, that's basically why i thought Valencia might have been involved in the Catalonia Cup.