Pique suspected Guardiola detectives

Wasn't is just for nightclubs etc that the players got followed?

You have to follow them more than that otherwise you don't know where they are going in the first place.

I'm sure a dick doesn't make that distinction.... how could they? Its not like pep would say "follow him, but only if he's going to a night club"... they were being followed. Period. Meaning that they were watched to see if they made any poor decisions, bad behavior, wrong doing ETC.

Look. The career I am in, I can lose my job if I am caught doing anything untoward. As such, I don't do it. However, if my boss called me into his office and said he was firing me because he had a detective spying on me, I would lose it. I would probably start elbow dropping his desk like Flair in the video above. You have invaded my privacy. Yes, what I was doing wasn't OK with you, my employer, but you got that information through ill gotten gains (violation of trust and privacy).

Now, on the flip side, if a player did get caught going to a night club while under direction not to, you can argue that is a breach in trust between player and coach. But still, you don't send a f*cking detective out to figure that out. its ridiculous.

These are professional footballer and they get paid a lot of money, I honestly have no issue with this. We often get supervised at work and while these players may not have been at the football facilities, going to bed late and partying will most certainly have an effect on performance on the pitch. While I am open to hearing those out who think this is wrong, these players can go take some minimun wage job if they do not like this type of behavior. Team invest a lot in players and you often see these athletes expect wage increases when they are playing well, but how many would be willing to take a pay cut if their performance is not up to par...

Edit: It seems to me that certain players we being targeted, so it is not like Pep was doing this for the heck of it. The results speak for themselves and it is clear to me that Pep is passionate and dedicated to coaching his team to the highest of standards.

Nature Boy, if your boss ever does that. Wait outside, call me. We'll go in together. You can slap his chest and i'll apply the figure four lock


And yeah, what Pep done was wrong. I'm sure some people who are Barca fans are defending it anyway, despite probably understanding why it's wrong.

Maybe Pep just wanted his players to behave properly and stay focused.

Yohan Modric wrote:Maybe Pep just wanted his players to behave properly and stay focused.

Interesting theory

I wonder if Collblanc is Olegeur?! Any who, if Pep's rules were no night life at all then his players have an obligation to follow it. However, to spy on your players (the known suspects that is), monitoring them like children is going quite overboard in ensuring squad discipline.

I believe Pique when he said it's under the bridge but I'm pretty sure he was quite upset about it. He is a grown ass man. I would be as well and would have told Pep my mind about it in rather colourful terms.

I'm wondering though. I read Macca's book about his time in Spain and he mentioned most Spanish clubs leave the players to their own discretion when it comes to outside of football. I wonder if Pep found these practices to be too casual for his liking...

Even grown ups are prone to making mistakes and getting carried away.

There's footballers who are known for partying too much and not really looking after themselves. All of that can affect how they perform on the pitch.

but they are grown ups. People are entitled to their privacy.

You can make a case for either side. Just the fact that it was done irks me to no end.

and tom, sounds good to me. He benches over 1k though.

What does being a grown up have anything to do with it? These men are collection massive pay checks for playing the game of football, do you really think they should not be held to a higher standard. Albeit that this is essentially only a game, but there is a lot of money involved and results matter. If Pep did not get results, he could very well lose his job. Ever player was not assigned detectives because some players actually take their job seriously and act accordingly (like grown men who go about doing their jobs. There is a certain responsibility you should have once you collect millions of dollars for playing a sport (baring gridiron football players because they are not guaranteed the money in their contracts) I love Ronaldinho to death, but he is the perfect example of a player who is not a "professional" in my eyes.

Maybe managers should pull their players financial records too, see if they're buying into anything illegal. Oh and don't forget bugging their phones to monitor any conversations they might have with doctors, trying to purchase drugs and whatnot

It's just the job they do requires them to be focused. I doubt they'd get privacy anyway considering they're famous footballers.

And don't forget the flash camera in the clock opposite the bed to see who Terry's shagging

Lex wrote:And don't forget the flash camera in the clock opposite the bed to see who Terry's shagging

Way to always exaggerate, Lex. Once you are out in the public eye, privacy is no longer to be expected. Keep in mind that I do have an issue with paparazzi, but hey, to each his/her own.

Calling to check on players to make sure their home, monitoring their movement, that more sounds like your PO than a manager of a football club. As for being professional, that's up to the player. The club can only do so much.

And in all honesty, the only person that would be affected is the unprofessional player. Ronaldinho was unprofessional and was shipped out. Dinho's career never sailed such lofty heights after and Barcelona are doing just fine.

The Nature Boy wrote:but they are grown ups. People are entitled to their privacy.

You can make a case for either side. Just the fact that it was done irks me to no end.

and tom, sounds good to me. He benches over 1k though.

I might be wrong, but given that taking pictures of people in public spaces is not considered an invasion of privacy i suspect that following people is not an invasion of privacy so long as they're only doing it in public spaces (ie: not trespassing property, etc).

You mean the club should only do so much? Are you really telling me there should be no added responsibility when someone is collecting so much money for playing a football. This type of attitude is part of the reason our world is in such shambles - everyone wants to collect the most while doing the least. Going out is one thing, but staying out past midnight (including not sleeping before midnight) will have a negative effect on any person (no matter what job they are doing). Athletes should be held to a high standard during the football season, what do you think the offseason is for?

It is foolish to say that it is only the unprofessional footballer who is affected by such actions, the dressing room is a very big part of sports and such behavior can have players beginning to take sides.

So how did these detectives know where the players were without starting the surveillance from the player's houses? Did they just happen to see Pique buying a snow cone one day and followed him from there?

Wait, we have someone from La Masia, along with someone from Bayern's youth?

Anymore people from youth academies?

Lex wrote:Maybe managers should pull their players financial records too, see if they're buying into anything illegal. Oh and don't forget bugging their phones to monitor any conversations they might have with doctors, trying to purchase drugs and whatnot

This. because if you start doing things like spying, where does it stop? Financial records, porno rentals, it will never end once you set a precedent.

and the age thing, ranDOM. My point about age is this. A child needs guidance and assistance in life. Adults do to, but you trust that as adults they will make the right decisions and do what they are obligated to do, or at least honor the specifics of a contract.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

The Nature Boy wrote:but they are grown ups. People are entitled to their privacy.

You can make a case for either side. Just the fact that it was done irks me to no end.

and tom, sounds good to me. He benches over 1k though.

I might be wrong, but given that taking pictures of people in public spaces is not considered an invasion of privacy i suspect that following people is not an invasion of privacy so long as they're only doing it in public spaces (ie: not trespassing property, etc).

Professional athletes are public figures and the standard for privacy is different, so I see your point. However, when someone is being paid to deliberately invade said privacy and use the intelligence that they get to formulate opinions and possible consequences for the actions inherent to the information obtained, it is different, at least IMO.

You could argue that rag magazines that just publish fotos of people so that they can make up stories and sully celebrities names do the same thing, but the big difference is that that magazine isn't your employer. they cannot terminate your contract or do any other such thing. and before people say barca wouldn't have taken in that far, then why hire a dick in the first place?

Yohan Modric wrote:It's just the job they do requires them to be focused. I doubt they'd get privacy anyway considering they're famous footballers.

my job requires me to be focused, among other things like obeying the law, and doing things that would be deemed as responsible behavior by a public employee.

If i stray from those things, I am subject to termination. If they based the termination of my contract on information they obtained from a private eye, there would be hell to pay.

BTW, this is all LEGAL (not illegal) the issue is more betrayal of trust and invasion of privacy.

and sorry for 12 posts in a row LOL. Im at work and only have 10 minute or so breaks in-between things.

so, I'm trying to get in as much as I can.

If you ever become a manager you will learn that blind trust will often get you walked all over.

I'm glad you mention the contract situation, I am curious to know if anything like this is mentioned in a contract. Bottom line is that these players have a responsibility to their employers and I have no issue with a manager making sure his players are following certain guidelines. Keep in mind that Pep is not Pique's employer, so there goes that logic. Pep is merely a manager who is going above and beyond do make sure he is getting HIS job done (something that certain players were not doing).

The Nature Boy wrote:

Professional athletes are public figures and the standard for privacy is different, so I see your point. However, when someone is being paid to deliberately invade said privacy and use the intelligence that they get to formulate opinions and possible consequences for the actions inherent to the information obtained, it is different, at least IMO.

If certain players are out in the public when they "should" be in the privacy of their own homes sleeping, there is no privacy being broken (hence the word out in the public). Not sure if you recall Ronaldinho having fans capture images of him because he was out late partying when he should have been at home resting his body. I know that gridiron football players have been know to have curfews and if they break them, they are liable liable for fines and such.