Time to say goodbye

It's been a long and enjoyable ride for me these past years keeping up with the blog. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and El Bergantin Pirata will no longer be maintained. This is a sad decision for me to take but I have come to realize that I am unable to keep up with the regular updates and information that this blogs needs. When I started this page, I set myself two objectives: first, to strenghten my commitment as a fan to my wonderful club and second, to tell the non-Spanish speaking world about the past and present of the Club Atletico Belgrano. Looking back over these two years, I am satisfied that I have been able to achieve both to some extent.

I didn't want to just vanish so, although this final post comes rather late, I am waiving you all goodbye. I have enjoyed reading comments and interacting with football fans from Argentina and also from Belgium, Italy, Portugal and other places where people don't know much about Argentine football beyond Boca and River. I am also grateful to people that constantly encouraged me to keep with the blog. Those that maintain a blog or a webpage will know about the personal effort involved and I hope they understand this decision. Finally, I would also like to thank people that suggested ways of improving the page.

Belgrano is a great club. Its greatness is not only firmly rooted in its 100 years of history but also in the rock-solid devotion of the fans. The fans have carried out through bad patches in our history and will continue to carry us through whatever circumstances are laid upon us. Hopefully, there will come several decades of glory. El Bergantin Pirata firmly believes that the future is bright. Vamos Belgrano Carajo!!!

We've got coach!

Dalcio Giovanoli became the new Belgrano coach after a long day of negotiations ended with an agreement between both parties. Giovagnoli, whose last coaching spell was at Chacarita Juniors, defines himself as a versatile coach and is said to favour a 3-4-1-2 formation. He declared himself delighted about this opportunity and vowed to rebuild the team with the addition of experienced players. He finally acknowledged that promotion was the only acceptable result in Belgrano.

The appointment of Giovagnoli was received with mixed feelings among Belgrano fans. It was not the high-profile coach many were expecting (in fact, so low a profile that we couldn't find his photo) and his coaching career isn't particularly impressing. Besides, many believe that he may lack the strong grip and personality needed to coach at our club. Although there is the positive feeling that always comes with a new coach, many argue that a bad start of the season may put him under a lot of pressure. We remain mildly optimistic about the new coach and hope he is able to work wonders for Belgrano.

Giunta deal is off

It is really hard to believe but things like these seem to only happen at our club. After announcing to the press that he was the new Belgrano coach, Giunta went back on his word (and a pre-contract) and told the Belgrano chiefs that he wouldn't be able to sign. He mentioned familiar problems as the reason. Yet, nobody seems to understand why didn't he thought of those problems when he was agreeing the deal. Needless to say, the directors at Belgrano were furious.

The whole situation was badly handled since neither Giunta nor the Belgrano board should have announced the news prior to the signing of the contract. We echo the disappointment of both the club and the fans who were eager to have Giunta working with our team. Belgrano are now back to where they started and they better sign a coach soon because we need to plan ahead.

Giunta unveiled as new coach

Giunta appointed as new coach

After accepting the resignation of Mario Gomez, Belgrano didn't waste any time in choosing the new man for the job. Surprisingly, the board decided to break their selection policy from recent years and reached a quick a decision that saw Giunta become the new coach. In appointing Giunta, the board has taken a bit of a gamble. The former Boca midfielder has significant experience coaching small clubs in the lower divisions but has never taken on a challenge this big. He knows that there is only one goal here, and that is to promote. A rustic and perennial motivator as a player, Giunta has shown that he is able to infuse his players with the motivation and desire needed to achieve great goals. We hope that he will be able to bring this to our club.

Speaking to the media yesterday, he stressed his commitment to the Belgrano cause and suggested he may yet need some of the players that were being considered for release by the board. He also hinted at the possibility of new signings and confirmed that they would choose a quiet and isolated place for the preseason.

BREAKING NEWS: Belgrano coach resigns

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, Mario Gomez offered his resignation as coach of the first team this evening. It is not confirmed whether it has been accepted by the chairman. Although Gomez was never a popular figure with the majority of the fans, he managed to keep the team with a promotion chance until the last minute. If the resignation is accepted, Belgrano will have to to start looking for a new head coach as soon as possible.

There were also rumours that Belgrano's upcoming European tour is likely to be canceled due to this situation. It would be a real shame if this were to happen -not least because many European-based Belgrano fans were eagerly expectant about this possibility-, but it would probably be the right step since the new coach will need to bring in new players and offload some of the current players.

Belgrano and Anderlecht agree friendly date

It's official. According to Belgian media reports, Anderlecht and Belgrano will meet in a friendly match on the 16 July 2008. This will be the first time these two teams have faced each other. The match is part of the arrangements involved in the Suarez transfer deal and is one of three matches to be played by Belgrano in their European tour.

Belgrano will spend 15 days in Europe as part of their pre-season preparations and are likely to be based in Belgium (location still to be confirmed). No one has confirmed yet whether Suarez will play for Belgrano --wouldn't it be sweet if gives us one final stellar performance against Anderlecht?- or not. In other words, whether we have a chance of putting in a decent performance or be in for a really tough time.

Suarez deal officially finished

The judge informed that on Wednesday RSC Anderlecht made a total payment of 1.2m euros which will be later distributed between the different parts involved in the transaction. The net amount to be received by Belgrano is just over 600K and only half of that will go towards clearing the consolidated debt.

It was also revealed that Suarez is expected to join his new teammates on the 24th June having agreed on a 5-year contract with the traditional Belgian club. But Suarez could delay his arrival to RSC Anderlecht if Belgrano have to play promotion matches. He has often said that promotion means a lot to him and would be a fitting finale to his career in Belgrano

It's all but done: Suarez is going to Belgium

The Suarez transfer saga will be finally over today with the closing of the bidding window. "There is no chance for Matias to go elsewhere. He is going to Belgium" said his agent Cristian Colazzo when asked yesterday. He also added that the player and RSC Anderlecht have agreed on the contract and that Suarez is expected to join his new club by the 24th of June. Colazzo also noted that no other club held talks with Suarez over a potential contract and played down the interest from other clubs. It was also revealed that Suarez had explicitly asked to stay to help Belgrano secure promotion and join Anderlecht only after promotion legs, should them be needed, are over.

Suarez will join RSC Anderlecht (Photo source: LMCBA)

As the judge turned down the petition to extend the bidding window, the deadline stands at 1 pm today (Argentinian time). According to judicial procedures, the official announcement will be made the day after the close of the bidding period. In light of these recent developments, it is improbable that any party would go back on their words so the deal will surely go ahead. The 1.2m euros transfer will give a financial boost to Belgrano and allow Matias to develop his inmense talent in a top European club. We wish Matias all the best at his new club and will be eternally grateful for his passion and commitment.

Belgrano unveil expansion plans

Belgrano have finally unveiled the plans for stadium expansion. The works will start in 30 days and will last for around 9-12 months. Although it is intended to be an all-around makeover, the main structural modification is the modification of one of the side stands. The expansion will increase the capacity by 7600 by adding a new upper layer to the existing terraces. The process will mainly consists of two stages. In the first stage, new state-of-the-art VIP facilities will be built on top of the lower stands. Later, a large upper stand will be appended to the existing taking the capacity of that sector to around 9000 and the overall capacity to 30000.

The design has already been presented to the judge and planning permission has been obtained. Our stadium will finally get a much-needed expansion and revamp. With the new capacity and other safety measures that are also planned, the stadium will be in perfect condition to host First Division matches next year, that is, in case Belgrano win promotion to the top-flight.

Suarez transfer: Anderlecht in front

Facsimile sent by Anderlecht (Source photo: LMCBA)

The scan above is a copy of the fax sent by RSC Anderlecht to Cordoba Celeste S.A., the administrators of Belgrano de Cordoba. It is dated on the 12th of February and confirms the offer of 1.2m euros for the transfer of Matias Suarez. It is understood that in the absence of offers from other clubs, the judge will authorize the transfer within the next 20 days. According to standard procedures, the judge issued an edict prompting interested clubs to submit formal offers for the player.

There are rumours that Santos Laguna from Mexico would be lodging a formal offer during next week. The judicial procedure states that in order for the offer to be considered, clubs have to make a cash deposit equal to 10% of the proposed offer.

Anderlecht bid 1.2m euros for Suarez

The Suarez saga seem to be nearing conclusion after Anderlecht RSC finally lodged a formal 1.2m euros bid for Matias Suarez. The Belgrano management confirmed that they have received the offer and it was passed onto the judge that will now be advised by the members of the trust on the next steps. It is understood that they will suggest a similar procedure as with the transfer of Bolatti. For this reason, in the next few days, the judge will issue an open call for bids. In the event of a matching offer, Anderlecht RSC will be given priority. It is also rumoured that Anderlecht RSC would be willing to increase their offer if other interested bidders come into play. Although there is no confirmation of what the window period will be, it is likely to extend for one or two weeks. This auction procedure is standard and enforceable in the case of clubs that have gone into management.

The good news for Belgrano is that the offer is finally on the table. Also, despite all the earlier speculation, we believe it is a good offer although still short of the 2m euro price tag that was once suggested. All bets are open then.

Belgrano celebrates 103 anniversary

Belgrano celebrate today 103 years of existence as the biggest football club outside Buenos Aires. Ever since its foundation back in 1905, Belgrano have been associated with its people and the loyal support of its large fan base. Cordoba is Belgrano and Belgrano is Cordoba. We join the celebrations, which include several official and fan-driven activities, and wish the club a long and prosperous future. The collage above is taken from a commemorative postcard designed by Cultura-Arte-Belgrano, a group of devouted fans that are doing a fantastic job disseminating Belgrano's history and culture. Happy Birthday Belgrano!

Who is De Giorgis?

He goes by the name of Carlos Alberto, he is 23 years old, long brown hair and he -listen carefully- is going to replace the much-maligned Juan Carlos Olave. He was brought in by Ferraro last season and pretty much nobody noticed his presence. We don't even know his real name. Is it De Giorgis? Or De Giorgi? I've also seen it written Di Giorgis. He says he is ready to defend our goal. Great, that's the attitude kid. Thing is, you see, he has hardly played in the last two years. During 2004-05 he had a very good season at Racing Club (CBA) --those whose hinchada are known as the Ninja Turtles, yeah, they're only four!. In 2006, he went to Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy to practice the art of bench-warming and he decided Jujuy was too hot for that so he moved to the milder breeze of Cordoba...to continue developing his bench-warming skills. But he's had enough. The unknown soldier has risen from the depths of nowhere and seems likely to start for Belgrano for the first time against Instituto.

That is Carlos de Giorgis. He spoke and he wants to play. The opportunity has presented to him. Let's pray he is as good as keeping as he is warming the bench.

PS. I ain't this nasty usually. But I couldn't help it...

Institutional Montage

This clip is excellent. It was released as part of the promotion for the new season ticket membership programme. Enjoy:

Suarez relishing the prospect of joining Anderlecht

The latest news on the transfer of Matias Suarez suggest the player would be very keen on joining RSC Anderlecht. Van Holsbeeck returned from Argentina without a deal with Matias Suarez, but the player seems anxious to join Anderlecht: "It would be like a dream come true. The problem is that I don't speak English."

"If the transfer continues, I'll start learning English. But right now, I want to focus on my team Belgrano", he said.

So there you go Belgrano fan, let's enjoy Matias in what will probably be his last semester with us. He said he wanted two things for this year: to beat Talleres in the derby and to gain promotion with Belgrano. That will make my day.

Source: www.anderlecth-online.be

All set for Suarez transfer

When Armando Perez said last week that he had met with representatives from RSC Anderlecht, everybody knew the name on the table was Matias Suarez. Apparently, the negotiations went smoothly and, although the final transfer fee is still being worked out, everything suggests that Suarez will be heading to Belgium at the end of June 2008. Rumours indicate that Belgrano have set a minimum price of 1.2m euros and that the final fee could be decided at around 1.4m euros.

Although many fans are shocked at this decision and particularly at what they consider to be a ridiculous fee for such a talented player, the fact that Belgrano are in the second division and going through bankruptcy management limit the ability to negotiate a higher transfer fee. The buzz around the fans is that had the management waited for Belgrano to return to the top flight, they would have been able to sell Suarez for a considerably higher fee.

There are positives, though. Belgrano are inching ever closer to repaying the debt, have established a solid reputation for transfers to the international market (Bolatti, Peppino and Rios were transferred directly to Europe and Mexico) and will have certainly strengthened their links with European teams.

Suarez on the move?

According to several Belgian newspapers, the rumoured transfer of Matias Suarez to RSC Anderlecht is likely to be agreed in the coming weeks. Herman van Holsbeek, the manager of RSC Anderlecht, traveled to Argentina to wrap up the deal that would see Suarez join the Belgian club. Suarez, 19, has been attracting the interest of several local and international clubs and is regarded as one the most promising youngsters currently playing in Argentina.

Matias "Oreja" Suarez

The Belgrano board had firmly stated in several occasions that Suarez would not be leaving before June and are keen on keeping the player, especially if Belgrano win promotion to Primera. However, their plans may be hampered by the tricky financial situation the Club finds itself into since the last word in any transfer deal involving a Belgrano player is reserved to the administrating judge. In any case, in light of the evidence regarding recent transfers from Belgrano to other clubs, everything suggests that, should the right offer come in, the judge will most likely authorize the transfer and Suarez will join RSC Anderlecht.

Link to the news:

lesoir.be

sporza.be

fmbel.be

footgoal.net

The Magnificent Seven?

Not quite but they may well be in due time. The names are Pier Barrios, Franco Giufre, Bernabe Bourges, Julio Cesar Giuliano, Ivan Gonzalez, Adrian Maidana, and Pablo Chavarria. They all came through the youth ranks at Belgrano and have now been selected to go the pre-season training camp with the main squad. The lads will have 15 days to make their case and see whether they can win over the coach's confidence. They have already shown what they are capable of in the youth league, now it's big time. We wish them all the luck!

A total of 31 players will be training hard during two weeks in Mar del Plata under the supervision of Mario Gomez looking to start the season in the best possible shape. The coaching staff are trying to arrange some pre-season friendlies for the upcoming weeks. Before leaving Cordoba, the players, staff and the directors were treated to a great alfresco barbeque. They are certainly no lacking in motivation! Best of luck during the pre-season.

New year, new hopes.. and new posts!!!

Here's to my attempt of keeping this blog alive! Well, at least that will be my intention throughout this year. Now onto some interesting stuff.

Belgrano finished the year on a high with two (much needed) consecutive victories but still far from the top spots. It was clear that the six consecutive defeats had hit the team, fans and management hard. But by the end of last year, that seemed to be over and the new coach Mario Gomez looks now determined to make a big push for the title in the second part of the season. He announced that Caceres, Pages and Pietravallo (a real shocker) would no longer be needed and the club has since ended their contracts. On a different light, Belgrano's only signing so far comes from Gimnasia de Jujuy and has a vast experience. His name is Marcelo Berza and he is a defender. The coach and the directors have said that it may be their only signing despite the release of three first team players. Since there are a number of promising youths being observed by the coach, this seem to be a rather appropriate policy.

So there you go. Not much in the way of breaking news but a few interesting moves nonetheless. So we'll see how it goes for Belgrano this year but one thing is sure. While we will be most likely pushing for the title and promotion to Primera, our local neighbours will be in the desperate hunt for vital points to escape relegation!!!

Belgrano Art!

Belgrano is a football club. But is a whole lot more than that. Belgrano is history. Belgrano is passion. Belgrano is identity. Belgrano is a way of life. So much does it mean that a bunch of people have decided to start an interesting initiative. It's called Cultura Arte Belgrano and it aims at preserving the cultural and artistic traditions associated to the history of the club. Go check their website which is still under construction. You may look at the images below which are just a glimpse of their work. Fantastic job, well done guys!!!