Newell’s News
By: Jeremy |
3 Comments
Ok, not a lot to report on the Newell’s front. Cristian Fabbiani wants out, again. Adios, I say, but for a decent price. River Plate boss Nestor Gorosito wants him, so how about $750,000 for the season, and then he is back to Cluj in Romania. Except that River don’t have that much cash. At least it appears that way because as badly as they need the cancer back in their side, Rivadavia apparently won’t let him go back for less than a cool million.
Another option, somehow exercise their option with Cluj and then sell him for boatloads of cash. Either way, he is gone from Newell’s.
Ex-Old Boy and all around good guy Lucas Bernardi has verbally agreed to play this season on a free transfer and is in France arranging his early release from Monaco, where he has played for the last eight years, or so. That’s good news. Lots of experience and Newell’s pride, plus he comes for free and is going to work cheap this season because he understands the situation in which Lope$ left the club and wants to help out. So a big pay cut is upcoming for him. Are you listening Heinze?
Gaston Machin is probably heading back to Independiente since Eduardo Lope$ never made the payments. Juan Insaurralde is facing the same thing with Chacarita Juniors since Lope$ wrote a bad check for the first payment and the second is due really soon. Los funebreros want him back so they can sell him to another big club after the season he had at Newell’s. We need him to cover the back line because Spolli or Schiavi is likely to be sold so Lorente has a meeting arranged for Tuesday. I think he has scraped the cash together, but I am not totally sure.
Pablo Aguilar is in the same boat as well. And so are Walter Fretes and Ernesto Cristaldo, and Cerro Porteno wants their cash or players, but mainly their cash. There are a couple more under the same conditions, with the total debt owed on outstanding player transfers a whopping $4,000,000. Ouch.
Newell’s is going to make a preseason swing through Chile, playing matches against Everton and Audax Italiano - coached by ex-Newell’s boss Pablo Marini. A third match against La Serena is in the works, but nothing definite yet.
Newell’s is selling a lot of the stadium seats to help pay for new ones. They ought to just dump them all on Eduardo Lope$ lawn and send him a big fat bill, which I am sure he would cover with a bad check.
Oh well, I am sure I am missing something, but this is it for now.
Category: Team News
Maybe Pigs Do Fly
By: Jeremy | 6 Comments
Despite saying that there would be no reinforcements arriving at Parque Indpendencia during the break, Guillermo Lorente has apparently given the green light to a free transfer for Lucas Bernardi.
Currently playing with AS Monaco in France, Bernardi has been suffered through a pair of injury plagued seasons and is now fit again and looking for first team action. A product of Newell’s Old Boys, he has stated that he wants to return to Rosario and end his career there.
While still under contract for six more months, Bernardi has said that if he chooses to leave now, it would be ok with the Monaco brass. He also has said that he understands the economic situation at Newell’s right now and wants to help out.
At 31, his best years are behind him, but he would provide loads of experience in the midfield for La Lepra. While I have seen this rumor for a while now, it does seems to be gaining an air of plausibility now, especially with the player himself speaking out about his desires.
He is currently in Argentina, but is due back in France on Jan 2. New coach Roberto Sensini has given his approval to the signing so there seems to be good will all around. It remains to be seen if it will happen, but given the fact that no one else is coming in and the midfield could use a little shoring up, it would be a good thing to grab him if he is willing to come.
Category: Team NewsTax Evasion and Ansaldi, or What Tio Edward Did
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
Looks like Eduardo just couldn’t help himself. In the beginning of 08, Newell’s sold Cristian Ansaldi to Rubin Kazan in Russia for eight million dollars. Remember Ansaldi? He didn’t play much until Caruso Lombardi came along and then he was a superstar. So Lope$ got a ton of money for him.
The only thing is, he listed the sale price as two, not eight, million dollars, ostensibly to avoid taxes. Well, he couldn’t send along a transfer to Russia that didn’t agree with what Kazan had paid, so Ansaldi spent a few weeks ineligible to play. It wasn’t until the Russians threatened to send him home and get their money (which had already been embezzled in the large part) back.
So in steps Don (mafia sense, not Spanish sense) Grondona (and Lope$ buddy) at the AFA and he (a FIFA vice president) uses his connections to get some strings pulled over in Mother Russia and presto chango look who is now cleared to play without transfer paperwork.
So the tax authorities in Argentina are looking into possible tax fraud and maybe even money laundering. I’m not sure how it would be money laundering, but I wouldn’t put it past dear old departed Uncle Edward - departed not as in dead but as in boot print in his ass out the door departed.
Category: Team NewsSensini Finally Says Yes
By: Jeremy | 5 Comments
Ok, all the reports are now saying that football manager Dezotti managed to convince Sensini to accept the position. WHY? I know he was a great player. He only ever played for Newell’s (he was part of the golden generation), and then spent 15 years playing in Italy.
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Category: Team NewsSensini says no, and other stuff
By: Jeremy | 1 Comment
Seems like Roberto Sensini has turned down repeated offers by Newell’s to be the new coach, citing ethical reasons. He was a loud opponent of Lope$ during his presidency embezzlementcy of la Lepra and doesn’t feel like he should appear to be profiting from that.
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Category: Team NewsEl Ciudadano Mirrors Newell’s Old Boys
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
It seems like the good folks over at the newspaper El Ciudadano have the same problem that the Newell’s employees do. They haven’t been paid since September. Their owner last Monday promised to pay them part of October’s salary. Which he has yet to do.
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Category: Team NewsRoberto Sensini or Ramon Cabrero
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
I’m seeing conflicting reports naming Nestor Sensini the new coach of Newell’s or Ramon Cabrero the new coach of Newell’s. I’ve got to say the fact checking done by some of the journalists leaves something to be desired. Of course, it’s not like they can just phone up the offices and ask, since the barra stole the phones and the desks they were on.
There is rumor that much of the stolen stuff from el Coloso and Bella Vista has made it’s way over to Argentino’s ground (Argentino de Rosario, not Juniors). One of the big shots there is a member of the NOB barra. I’m starting to think that they might actually recover some of it. My question is (and I’m looking right at you, Rosario police department) how do four semis back up to el Coloso in the middle of the night and quite a few members of the barra get out and rob the place blind without any one noticing. Well my real question is how much did they pay the police that showed up to look the other way? They even took the pool filter.
I’ll have a write up of Nico Spolli’s interview today later on this weekend. Good stuff. Classy guy, unlike our mercenary Fabbiani.
Category: Team NewsPossible Replacements for Gamboa
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
Well, the rumor mill is up and running. The name with the most traction seems to be ex-Lanus coach Ramon Cabrero. According to Rosario3 he has confided that he would be extremely interested if a proposal was made. He has, of course, denied any official contact.
Ramon Cabrero
Next up is long time Loco Bielsa assistant, former goal keeper in Newell’s lower divisions, and currently in charge of the lower divisions at Atlas (Mexico). If La Lepra want him, they’ll have to fight off competition from Argentinos Juniors, who are thinking of him to replace departed Nestor Gorosito.
Category: Team NewsWe Still Don’t Know How Bad It Is
By: Jeremy | 3 Comments
Well, first and foremost, Gamboa did resign, saying that he couldn’t betray anyone or himself. Whatever that means. Loyalty is admirable, when it is to the right things, not to a rat bastard thief like Eduardo Lopez.
The club is basically bankrupt. There is 180 thousand pesos from the money collected on Sunday. The rest of the money that socios paid to vote, some 300,000 pesos is gone. There isn’t a penny in the accounts of Newell’s. The administrative staff hasn’t been paid in months, nor have the players. Their checks for October actually bounced.
The complex in Ricardone is in the name of an individual, not Newell’s. I don’t know when they started using it. Since I have been a fan it has been there. If it was purchased during Eduardo’s time, I am sure it is a total loss. If it predated him, maybe there is a chance to recover it. They don’t know yet about the ownership status of Bella Vista or the Islas Malvinas complexes.
Nothing is left in the stadium offices. Lopez even took the desks. The cables for the missing security cameras are themselves missing, as are any kind of electronic device. No surprise here but not even the contracts with the players remain. Lawyers for Mo Le are heading to the AFA and making copies. It is quite possible (and strongly rumored) that members of the barra own a couple of players. We’re about to find out.
Of course all accounting records are gone. No one knows the extent of Newell’s debt or to whom it is owed. There is even the possibility of Lopez being one of the creditors. New president Guillermo Lorente promises a thorough investigation and a transparent report detailing the current status of the club and then basically it will have to be re-founded.
The stadium itself hasn’t been maintained in some time, so structural engineers will be evaluating it for any potential dangers. After that, it will get a good cleaning, basic maintenance and a coat of paint.
Now, here in the US, Lope$ would go to jail for fraud and theft of club property. But I know how things work in South America, and I am going to guess that if anything he will have to turn over the financial records, carefully doctored before being returned sometime in 2010. But as far as an actual penalty, I am guessing there will be none, or a small fine that he probably won’t pay.
He no longer has the influence he used to. The judges he used to bribe have retired, as well as his government functionaries. Binner and Lifschitz are still around, but his hold on them is slipping. In the end he didn’t have enough left to prevent losing the club, but he still has what it takes to prevent going to jail.
Oh yeah, he didn’t even have the balls to congratulate Lorente or even personally acknowledge the defeat. I’m sure he’ll be under fire for some time to come for how he left the club and what he did to it, and might I suggest getting used to being under fire because I hear that Hell is a mighty warm place.
Category: Team NewsEduardo was a bad boy
By: Jeremy | 1 Comment
Well, when new president Guillermo Lorente and a team from Mo.Le entered el Coloso, they found that Lope$ had removed all the computers and desks from the building. I doubt we will ever see those again, as I am sure he is covering up his dirty dealings.
He even took the security cameras, televisions and airconditioners, and it appears that the place was pretty deteriorated, probably because Lope$ paid himself the money that should have been going to upkeep the place. Even a bust of Isaac Newell was found tossed on the floor in an unused office.
Another surprise, the Ricardone is not in Newell’s name. Seems like another long legal battle is forthcoming, although I think the judges are getting pretty tired of Lope$ and his crap.
But, it couldn’t overcome the sheer joy of having ousted that rat bastard, since the grills in the Parque were fired up and hamburgers are on the menu today.
Category: Team News
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