June 24, 2003

i see it says he was fired as a coach. i have to ask, in north america (some sports such as hockey and basketball) a coach plays a different role than the manager. typically the manager assembles the team and the coach directs the players on the game to game basis (strategies etc). i don't quite know enough about real madrid but the article mentioned he was the coach. was he also responsible for assembling the make up of the team? yes, the standards are high with a team like that but if defense and midfield were a problem then, as you've written your analysis, i'd say the one responsible for assembling the team should take more blame than the bench boss. but for all i know those two roles are one and the same and Del Bosque filled both. can anyone clear that up for me? i guess i wanna know how much of 'his fault' it should be according to my thoughts on delegating responsibility.

posted by gspm at 05:49 AM on June 24, 2003

His percentage of games won is interesting, given that the Spanish league is far superior to the premiership. No team, however good is ever going to win everything, so the overall record is superb. Real may have underachieved in terms of trophies this season, but the football they have played has been breathtaking, and they were unlucky to be knocked out of the European Cup by a side which didn't actually want to play. Del Bosques record is remarkable, the new chap will have a very hard act to follow, and may well fall flat on his face. I would have loved Sociedad to have won the league though, or even Deportivo.

posted by Fat Buddha at 08:17 AM on June 24, 2003

The following was posted on rec.sport.soccer today, by what I think is a reliable source. Begin quote: Posting this from a Liverpool site I'm a member of - from their Spanish correspondent who is impeccably connected and scooped most of Europe with the beckham agreeing to join Madrid story I posted here in April ...... "Phoned xxxx last night to congratulate him on Madrid winning the Liga and to find out just exactly why Florentino had kicked out Del Bosque and Hierro when it was agreed and accepted up to Sunday night that both would continue; Del Bosque for a year and Hierro for two. The decision not to renew Del Bosques contract was taken during the Board meeting yesterday after a three hour discussion - the original plan was to offer him a year's extension on the same wage as before - 2 million Euros plus bonuses. What effectively turned the Board against Del Bosque was the fact that he had hired an ex-vice president, Juan Onieva, as his lawyer to negotiate a pay rise. Onieva was ousted by Florentino at the time of the arrival of Figo. Onieva is one of the most hated enimies of Florentino. Del Bosque knew this and was playing with fire when he hired the lawyer. The other reason not to continue with del Bosque mentioned in the Board meeting was that he had allowed the players too much leeway. This also ties in with the events post Athletico Bilbao and Hierro. As I told you a couple of months ago Florentino and Hierro had come to a gentleman's agreement that gave the player a further two years at the club and then a testimonial. This is what xxxx told me last night. The celebration of the 29th Liga title cost Hierro his head. Instead of a big party it was a disaster. Long faces, dropped heads and insults were the norm during the after match dinner. According to xxxx, the news of Beckham's arrival in the week that the team had to play the decisive Liga game was the last straw for some of the players, lead by Hierro. Hierro had turned Guti against the club and Beckham according to the xxxx's insiders. Hierro had previously attempted a player's revolution just before the Supercup in Monaco in response to the director's treatment of Morientes. The situation between the players and the Board had also grown tense over the renewals of Guti and Solari, as well as Hierro's own renewal. Up until Sunday evening the relationship had been cold, but correct, on Sunday correctness went out of the window. Everything started when the players refused to do a second lap of honour around the grass in the Bernabeau. The excuse given by the players was that there were too many press reporters and photographers on the pitch. But everything had been prepared beforehand. It was the players manner of protesting against the club. Valdano went down to the dressing room to see what was going on. he asked the players to go back up onto the pitch. Hierro told him in blunt terms what he could do with his celebration. xxxx had placed one of his reporters inside the dressing room with the permission of Florentino. The reporter was dressed as a waterboy/groundsman and was a first hand witness to what went on. Valdano told Hierro to stop being an arsehole and the players then refused to go to the Cibeles fountain to do the traditional celebration and they also refused to go to the celebratory ceremonies held yesterday in the town hall and cathedral. Valdano phoned Florentino, who didn't want to answer the call, because he guessed what was happening in the dressing room. Eventually, he answered and told valdano to tell the players that they had to go to the Cibeles and the club dinner. At the Cibeles fountain, the police refused to let the players "crown" the statue of the Godess, but it seemed as if the players had calmed down by the time they got to the restaurant. In the Mesón Txistu, (the restaurant where they always eat after winning something), with xxxx amongst the limited number of guests, things started to go off the rails. At two in the morning the players started chanting "China, china, china" in reference to the planned pre-season tournament of China and Japan. Hierro as spokesman had voiced their refusal to start their pre-season on the Far East on various occasions. Valdano was forced to call the club capitans, Hierro, Figo and Raul away from the tables and he told them to put their house in order. Time and time again for an hour and a half Hierro and company were told to leave their tables and speak to Valdano, much to the surprise of their wives and girlfriends. The result of these comings and goings was that the players refused point blank to celebrate the Liga title infront of their fans the following day. The motive - the growing distance and coolness in the relations between the president and the Board of directors and the players. Raúl told the other players and Valdano told Florentino of the players decision. Florentino was dumbstruck. It was four in the morning and he decided to take control of the situation. Standing up Florentino spoke to everyone in the restaurant: ?Good evening, ladies, gentlemen and children (referring to the players). I ask that tomorrow, although many of you don't want to do it, because of what happened in the Cibeles, we put on your best suits and we go and do our duty with the Institutions, the people and the thousands and thousands of madrileños who will be waiting for us in La Almudena, in the Town Hall and in the Community. To turn this into a scandal between grown ups in the best club of the 20th century does not make any sense. And I also want, each time we win a title, to see happy faces because this is the second title that we have celebrated with expresions and moods that do not fit in with winning the Liga. I ask that you show respect for the millions of our fans and that you act like grown ups once and for all. Finally remember this, take it as you like. In this club I'm the boss, not the players!" At half past four Florentino, valdano and the directors left the restaurant. A little later they were followed by Ronaldo, then Mcmanaman with Robbie Fowler. The players had decided to go to the celebrations after an hour of debating. (steve d adds: Fowler was over as guest - McManaman was later to have a bust up with his wife and miss the traditional celebrations no doubt over the fact that his old drinking companion from Liverpool was over). Florentino had breakfast with xxxx on Monday morning at eleven thirty - he told xxxx, off the record, that "Hierro has opened his mouth for the last time..." and that "we need someone who can kick them (the players) up the arse from time to time..." As reported in the press the only candidate atm is the 2nd coach at Man Yoo - that's one of the reasons why Figo was called into the Board meeting - Figo is pals with Quieros and the club want him to be an intermediary. Figo was also told to buck up and it was made clear that he was not untouchable. More later ..... ..... an addendum. Wenger was offered the post a number of weeks back at the infamous Paris meeting but was rejected after he demanded (rather than asked) for more power at Madrid. If he changed his stance the job would be his in one phone call.

posted by salmacis at 09:35 AM on June 24, 2003

Man, what a story, it could almost be the Villa. Cheers Salmacis. A while back Del Bosche was complaining, in an understated way that Perez wasn't playing fair, so perhaps knowing which way the wind was blowing, he decided to just play silly buggers. Guardian interview with Perez, from last week.

posted by Fat Buddha at 10:08 AM on June 24, 2003

ay yi yi! spanish soap opera! i think i need a coloured flow chart to follow that insider account of the buildup to this piece of news.

posted by gspm at 01:28 PM on June 24, 2003

Thanks salmacis for that nice little insider snippet, which I shall take with the relevant pinch of salt. What a bunch of f---ing prima-donnas though, eh? I'm surprised Del Bosque didn't jump well before he was pushed, going by that account!

posted by walrus at 08:04 AM on June 25, 2003