Transfer history: Guus Hiddink (PSV Eindhoven)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said at a press conference that Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink (52) was one of the candidates to become the new Barcelona head coach in the summer of 2003:

"I've always liked Guus Hiddink for his attitude and his way of being. I remember that, when he was the manager of Valencia, he ordered to withdraw a nazi flag with a swastika sign from the stands.

It's a coach of the Dutch school and a lover of total football. We've always liked him. When we were negotiating with Rijkaard, Hiddink was coaching the national team of South Corea (note: this is not correct, he was the manager of PSV Eindhoven in 2003) and he was one of our options if Rijkaard would have said no."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that Hiddink was actually the preferred option of the new board that came to power after the elections of 2003. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and then Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell would have met twice with Hiddink but the Dutchman asked a too high salary. And with Ajax asking a fee to let Ronald Koeman go, it was in the end Frank Rijkaard who was appointed as new Barcelona manager.

Hiddink, who had joined PSV in 2002, stayed with the Dutch club until the summer of 2006, combining the job during his last season with coaching the Australian national team. After the World Cup in Germany, Hiddink became the coach of the Russian national team.

Read more:
Transfer history: Ferguson (Manchester United)
Chelsea will try to sign Alves this summer
Transfer history: Cristian Karembeu (Sampdoria)

Barcelona not planning to go for Ribery and Lahm

Asked about the rumours linking Bayern full back defender and German international Philipp Lahm (25) and Bayern Munich attacker and French international Franck Ribéry (26) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Barcelona president Joan laporta has said in an interview with German sports weekly paper Sport Bild that Barcelona wants to respect the wish of the German club:

"I finally want to put an end to all these rumours by clearly saying: no! Our good relationship with Bayern is more important than any player in the world. Ribéry is for Munich what Messi is for Barcelona. That's why I understand that Kalle (Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge) says that Ribéry is not for sale. We accept that. The same goes for Lahm. He's a very interesting player but he's also a Bayern player. As long as Bayern isn’t willing to let him go, he's not an option for us."

Read more:
Ribery and Lahm approached by Begiristain
Zhirkov and Lahm on top of left back list
Ribery wants to join Barcelona

Poll result - Man of the match: Bayern Munich

This is the final result of this blog's Bayern Munich-Barcelona: who was our man of the match? poll:


1. Iniesta 22%
2. Keita 16%
3. The whole team 15%




see full results here
see previous poll results here

Ex-Barça: Laudrup dismissed by Spartak Moscow

Former Barcelona player Michael Laudrup (44) has been dismissed yesterday as manager of Spartak Moscow, the club he joined in September last year (read more here).

A statement on the official website of the Russian club reads as follows: "Michael Laudrup has been dismissed as FC Spartak Moscow coach on April 15 night due to unsatisfactory performance and poor results.

Michael Laudrup’s discharge has been initiated by General Director Valery Karpin. This suggestion found approval of the board of directors. Erik Larsen, assistant to Michael Laudrup, has also been dismissed from his duties."

Arriving from Italian club Juventus in the summer of 1989, Laudrup played five seasons for Barcelona. In a controversial move, the attacking midfielder joined Real Madrid in 1994.

With Barcelona, Michael Laudrup won four Spanish leagues in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994, one Spanish cup in 1990, two Spanish super cups in 1991 and 1992, one Champions League in 1992 and one European super cup in 1992.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Giovani to Ipswich Town on loan
Guardiola or Laudrup
Ex-Barça: Laudrup to Spartak Moscow

[2008] Messi is Chelsea top target

this post was published exactly one year ago:


British tabloid The Daily Mirror reports that Chelsea owner and Russinan billionaire Roman Abramovich is ready to hand Chelsea manager Avram Grant 125 million euro to spend in the summer transfer market, giving the Israeli manager the chance to prove himself next season with a squad he has built himself.

The tabloid claims that, together with AC Milan playmaker Ricardo Kaká and Bayern Munich right winger Franck Ribéry, Barcelona right wing attacker and Argentinian international Lionel Messi (20) is heading the list of Chelsea summer targets.

Asked about the rumours, Chelsea manager Grant admitted in an interview with British tabloid The Daily Star that he's planning serious changes in the squad and didn't want to exclude any names: "We need to do something. We want to be more consistent and we want a different style of football, and of course I need players who can help with this. Will it take a flair player like Kaka or Messi? I will not reject that one of those names will be here. Will they come? I think so, yes. This is a big club."

In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian, Grant nevertheless seems less sure about the possibility of Chelsea being able to transfer the Argentinian striker: "The advantage we had three years ago was that the other big clubs didn't have the money, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona, so we could show the money and get the player. Now it has changed. For example, I don't think Barcelona would give you Messi even if you showed them big money."


More 16 April 2008 news:
First contact with Lyon on Benzema
Transfer history: Cruijff