Football Thread!

[Spartan]

It used to be, but those old political allegiances between club and party are over now...
But yes, at one time they were affiliated with the socialist PASOK party

Ill tell you though, from watching seri a , and the occasional Lazio game, Pandev doesnt lack any killer instinct whatsoever!!
I wish we had a gun like that on our team....

[osiris]

we lack the killer insinct when we play for our nation not when we play for clubs especillay international ones. pandev is a gun, you are right.

[Spartan]

Do you guys have any other big players playing outside Macedonia?
Is football big for you guys back home?

[osiris]

yes mate in macedonia its a religion, even in australia we formed our own football teams, i spent many sunday mornings of my childhood putting up nets and marking grounds in country australia.

what do you think of arsene wenger spartan, i remember reading that manchester united spend 3 times arsenals budget on their squad while chelsea spent double manchester united. i find it frustrating that money is becoming the key factor in determining success in europe. in australia we have salary caps in most competitions and that seems to even up the clubs and also makes the coaches role more than just one of signing cheques.

here is another ethnic macedonian i believe is a class player, dimitar berbatov from manchester united

[Spartan]

Osiris, I think Wenger is the best coach in the world, has been for a decade imo.
No one plays more beautiful ball to watch than the Gunners.

I always thought Berbatov was Bulgarian.
Im pretty sure he is a Bulgarian national.
Not to say hes not Macedonian, I just never knew or heard that.
Whatever he is, hes an excellent striker!
A class above even Pandev imo.....

To your other point, money rules football now, Its too bad, but ever since Real Betis bought that Brazilian Denilson in the early 90's for 15 million(which seems like nothing today, Berbatov cost ManU 25 mil for example), it introduced mega spending to the game, and the smaller teams dont have a prayer.
Thats why a guy like Arsene is so refreshing to the sport.
Arsenal wins on his system rather than induvidual talent.
Arsenal doesnt need to spend the money some other clubs do to remain competitive as long as they have him.
Hes their best player....

[Orovnichanec]

You are correct Spartan about Berbatov, he is a Bulgarian National

[Spartan]

This is what I found on Wiki

Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (Bulgarian: Димитър Иванов Бербатов; born 30 January 1981 in Blagoevgrad)[1] is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United in the Premier League and the Bulgarian national team.[3][4] He has won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award five times, equalling the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov.

Biography
Berbatov's father, Ivan, was a professional footballer with local outfit Pirin Blagoevgrad, and his mother, Margarita, was a professional handball player.[5] As a youngster, Berbatov supported A.C. Milan and modelled himself on Marco van Basten until Euro '96 in England, when the then fifteen year old discovered a new role model in Alan Shearer,[6] formerly of Newcastle United, even sleeping in a Newcastle shirt. His mother later spoke of Dimitar's dream of playing for Newcastle one day.[7][8][9] Berbatov learned the English language by watching the "Godfather" films.[10] Outside of football, he lists his hobbies as drawing and basketball.[11]

Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes.[12] He also has plans to open a football academy in his hometown.[12]

[osiris]

he is a bulgarian national and most likely a proud bulgarian at that, but the chances of him being an ethnic bulgarian given his birhplace blagoevgrad are very slim. blagoevgrad is in the bulgarian part of macedonia. its called blagoevgrad after the founder of the bulgarian communist party, dimitar blagoev an aegean macedonian. the city was a very popular destination for macedonians from aegean macedonia fleeing greek opression.

he may or may not agknowleade this, but i guarantee you if he did , he would not be playing for bulgaria.

i agree totally with you re arsene wenger, pity we have been decimated with injuries this year, when we beat manchester we had 7 of our best 11 out. it was a kids team that beat alex fergusons side on that day. he makes great players fergusons buys them.

[Dejan]

The small amount of research about Berbatov i've done also leads me to believe he has some sort of Macedonian background. But he is a bulgarian national.

Did you know - Hristo Stojchkov and Gjorgi Hagi are good friends? This is because they both have an Aegean Macedonian background.

[osiris]

georgi haji is from bitola is he not.