Anyway, we’re going through similar crap with Hleb at the moment, and maybe with Adebayor as well depending on how far Milan or Barcelona want to push things.

I definitely favor every player having the right to freely negotiate and move to the situation that’s best for him. After all, that’s what we have in the dull “real world.” But the Crissy situation is strange to me because it makes his contract seem meaningless.

Maybe it’s foolish to agree to contracts that are longer than a year or two–especially with highly talented, youthful starlets like Ronaldo. I can see why United wanted to tie him up for a long time. It will probably come out to their advantage anyway, assuming they can coax a fat transfer fee out of Real. United got a couple of great years out of him and they can use the cash to pick up other players. No player is irreplaceable.

(Those grapes are sooo deliciously sour).

I was going to ask Steve if he could find the same data for other leagues and see what those results look like. He’s out for a run now, but I’m sure he can tell you which program he used to generate that regression. He just came back and said it was S-Plus, but anything will do, including an Excel spreadsheet.

Weren’t you taking Portuguese in school? That should help you when you go over there some day to watch FC Porto or Benfica, right? I wonder how Freddy likes his total-immersion Portuguese language education. That’s the best way to learn, of course. Btw, I haven’t read your Porto article yet–you had so many posts for me to catch up on.

I will admit that I don’t really understand how someone who is in the middle of a written contract can expect to get out of it just because he wants to. My American/Anglo-Saxon sensibilities on contracts would make me respond, “Tough luck, Crissy. You’re stuck in Manchester.” But I suppose they do things differently in European football.

Time to watch Switzerland-Czech Republic.

Your translation was close.

“Are you (plural) ready? I’m ready for Euro 2008, I am not able to wait (or I can’t wait). I am ready to watch the soccer team of Portugal dance their way to victory! At arms Portugal!”

- There will be more posts entirely in Portuguese to come, and hopefully someone fluent will correct my errors so I can learn during the summer.

As for Ronaldo, he may indeed go to Spain. At first it didn’t sound like he or Man U were having any of it. However the news/media keep insisting there’s something there. Of course with the help of the Madrid boss’ persistence. If he has made a decision, we won’t hear about it until after the Euros.