I've received earlier this week a job offer that gives me the chance to play in the Champions League of my profession. Intellectually (and yes, financially), this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that I cannot let pass, so I've accepted the offer yesterday.
This sadly means that I won't have the time anymore that I think is necessary to keep up the level of this blog. The quality of the content has always been my main concern and quality asks time.
I didn't only bring the big stories that attract the most readers. I didn't only checked the main sources and took the most sensational stories from there. If there were five articles on a story, I didn't use one but I wanted to have them all included in my post. I actually checked my sources. I think I can say this has been the place, all professional sites included, where you have been able to find the most reliable Barcelona information.
It started as a little personal blog to keep track of what really was going on and it has been growing ever since. Over the last month we've again doubled everything one can double, visitors, visits, page views, revenues. Yesterday was the best day ever, the day before the second best. This blog stops at its peak and that's the way it probably should be.
The timing of all of this couldn't be worse, since we were just bringing new and enthusiatic people in and were ready to take all this to another level. I was very much looking forward to work together with a group of fellow culés, to work out all the ideas I had, but it wasn't to be.
This blog will stay up as a remembrance of the best season ever in the history of the greatest club. If you're going through a bad time, you can come and get some renewed energy here.
To avoid the cold turkey, I've decided to start two little new blogs:
Barça Cartoons will have every day one (or maybe two, but surely one) cartoon
The Nose of Txiki will have every day a translation of one (or maybe two, but surely one) opinion piece published in the Spanish or Catalan press
That last is something I wanted for a while, but I didn't have time for it. I think both blogs can give you some kind of inside view of what is living in Spain and Catalonia.
I have some more ideas, something about Spanish referees, the long awaited Ultimate Barça Wags blog, a Presidential Elections 2010 blog, but if I'll start one of those, that'll probably be for September. If it's good, I'm sure the word will spread again and you'll hear about it. You can also follow all my current and future Barça-related adventures on Twitter. If people have ideas or want to start something on their own and want my support or feedback, they know where to find me.
I want to thank all the people who have been involved with this blog, writing things, translating things, looking for things, sending me suggestions, offering their help. They made this blog to what it was. I want to thank you for reading and for spreading the word. It has been a pleasure working for you, you were a great public, take care.
Visca'l Barça!