Luca Koleosho

[Stoppage Time]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I'm a miserable human being, and part of that includes a certain adversion to BS-ing. 

I mean, I also have inside information and many people on the board do as well. I've been contacted by families and agents of Canadian players about contracts and deals in Spain, been happening for over 20 years. But I doubt anyone here knows who I have been in touch with, and then, if I have ever insinuated I knew something, I did not combine it with totally off-based comments with the idea of discrediting myself. Because that would make me seem even more miserable.

Fernando Aguiar and Dani Fernandes many years ago during the odd Lenarduzzi era to name two.  😀

[VinceA]

Just now, Stoppage Time said:

Fernando Aguiar and Dani Fernandes many years ago during the odd Lenarduzzi era to name two.  😀

The singer and Shawn Desman's less talented cousin, that Dani Fernandes?🤣

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Stoppage Time said:

Fernando Aguiar and Dani Fernandes many years ago during the odd Lenarduzzi era to name two.  😀

Aguiar because he came on the board, complained about something, then I was in touch with him for many years. I think he posted as F.A. or something. Aguiar told me rather juicy things about the whole Radzinski saga with Canada. A few players would post on this board, like Rick Titus.

Dani I knew because when he signed for Celta Vigo I got in touch with him, and was in touch for many years. I met him when he came with Panathinaikos to play Barça in Champions, he was 2nd keeper, remember also greeting ex-Liverpool and Barça Luis García.

There are more cases and discretion requires not saying anything. There are more Canadians who have had possibilities of playing in Spain, including some in our current player pool, some cases have never been so much as commented on here on the board.

What Stoppage is not saying is that he once called Lenarduzzi to see if Whitecaps might be interested in Dani, being a Vancouver boy an all, and that is when he was in his prime. If anyone is looking for an agent I think @Stoppage Timewould do a good job.

[Borjans Sweatpants]

Didn’t start but subbed on in 80th minute for Italy’s u19 Finals, which they won 1-0

[Unnamed Trialist]

I suspect they'll require him to join the first team Espanyol training, within a few days, as I suspect they consider he had his break before the u-19 Italy callup.

[Stoppage Time]

On 7/14/2023 at 10:38 PM, Unnamed Trialist said:

What Stoppage is not saying is that he once called Lenarduzzi to see if Whitecaps might be interested in Dani, being a Vancouver boy an all, and that is when he was in his prime. If anyone is looking for an agent I think @Stoppage Timewould do a good job.

This occurred after Dani has been the Portugal #3 goalkeeper at WC 2010. He told me that he would be interested in playing in Vancouver, his home town. I arranged for him to talk to Lenarduzzi who, for some reason or other, wanted Dani to try out for the Whitecaps. Not impressed, Dani went back to Europe (Holland, Romania, Greece?) and the opportunity was lost. I may have missed on a detail or two, but the theme is correct.

As for Radzinski, there was a certain defensive friend of Lenarduzzi and a certain very rough midfielder in the CMNT at the time and these players had it in for Aguillar and Radzinski, both top drawer players who would have elevated Canada, and both had Lenarduzzi's ear. Aguillar was repeatedly not called and Radzinski was not impressed with the culture of the team and did not play.

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, Stoppage Time said:

This occurred after Dani has been the Portugal #3 goalkeeper at WC 2010. He told me that he would be interested in playing in Vancouver, his home town. I arranged for him to talk to Lenarduzzi who, for some reason or other, wanted Dani to try out for the Whitecaps. Not impressed, Dani went back to Europe (Holland, Romania, Greece?) and the opportunity was lost. I may have missed on a detail or two, but the theme is correct.

As for Radzinski, there was a certain defensive friend of Lenarduzzi and a certain very rough midfielder in the CMNT at the time and these players had it in for Aguillar and Radzinski, both top drawer players who would have elevated Canada, and both had Lenarduzzi's ear. Aguillar was repeatedly not called and Radzinski was not impressed with the culture of the team and did not play.

I think the one detail, Stoppage, was that at the time Dani was still in Greece. Or am I wrong, maybe that was another time. He rarely returned to Vancouver, I think he was in Greece in the off-season, said it was boiling hot, and I think his little brother was with him (he had some possibilities of being a player as well iirc).

This is not at all relevant. The point was that he is a Vancouver boy, and has never played in Canada. And none of that is relevant to Koleosho other than he too is rather displaced, with his roots in a lot of places. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

This "distraction" got me looking at Luca again. La Grada online, the best Espanyol online source, says he will join the first team for training on 18 July, Tuesday, along with another 13 players from the Espanyol B team. Only he and Simo Keddari, who he played against in semis, are not there yet because of international committments.

https://lagradaonline.com/luca-koleosho-italia-europeo-sub-19/

[Stoppage Time]

18 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I think the one detail, Stoppage, was that at the time Dani was still in Greece. Or am I wrong, maybe that was another time. He rarely returned to Vancouver, I think he was in Greece in the off-season, said it was boiling hot, and I think his little brother was with him (he had some possibilities of being a player as well iirc).

This is not at all relevant. The point was that he is a Vancouver boy, and has never played in Canada. And none of that is relevant to Koleosho other than he too is rather displaced, with his roots in a lot of places. 

Yes, Trialist, Dan never did play in Vancouver other than for a training stint with Vancouver Olympics at which he was a guest. He kindly invited me there to train as well. I am proud to say that I got two past him during drills, one of which was a rocket. Unfortunately, he stopped me about a dozen or so other times over the course of the session. He stopped a lot of prime attempts and hard shots that evening. Lenarduzzi missed a good chance with a willing top end keeper.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just now, Stoppage Time said:

Yes, Trialist, Dan never did play in Vancouver other than for a training stint with Vancouver Olympics at which he was a guest. He kindly invited me there to train as well. I am proud to say that I got two past him during drills, one of which was a rocket. Unfortunately, he stopped me about a dozen or so other times over the course of the session. He stopped a lot of prime attempts and hard shots that evening. Lenarduzzi missed a good chance with a willing top end keeper.

Was that before he got sent to Porto? When you were teens?

[Stoppage Time]

38 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Was that before he got sent to Porto? When you were teens?

It was after WC 2010. Not sure about Porto. I was almost 50. Dani was home for a visit and he kindly contacted me. 

[InglewoodJack]

Going to Burnley for €3M

 

[Dominic94]

Would think they rate him highly and will play him. Big move.

 

[TGAA_Star]

33 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Going to Burnley for €3M

 

Because of this it makes you almost wonder if he will choose to play for Italy after all? I mean Roberto Mancini will most likely take an interest in him and then what? Canada loses yet another potential dual national. 

[toontownman]

Wow. Big move. Guess we can prepare to move this thread to a different section if he starts getting regular PL minutes.

[InglewoodJack]

Burnley themselves isn’t too far off from the level that Italy’s senior team brings in players from. If he has a good season there, he might not be that much farther off from playing for them than he is playing for us. Hope Herdman can pull off a heist here.

[Obinna]

Feel this keeps him out of Italian hands. A move to Italy would have been concerning. I am still not bullish on our Koleosho chances, but getting minutes in the EPL is going to keep his stock up. Will it be enough to attract a senior call from Italy? No. From USA? Maybe. From Canada? Absolutely.

IIRC he needs to file a one-time switch for USA or Canada. He can't play in the Olympics without that switch, can he?

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Burnley themselves isn’t too far off from the level that Italy’s senior team brings in players from. If he has a good season there, he might not be that much farther off from playing for them than he is playing for us. Hope Herdman can pull off a heist here.

Come again?

[Jack1997]

Canada needs to give this kid the world honestly, treat him incredibly well and have Phonzie talking to him.

[VinceA]

I think we lose him to the US unless he doesn't see any minutes for Burnley. 

[frmr]

Am I the only one who thinks this is a move for the future? When's the last time a €3M player went straight into the lineup in the Premier League? That's SPL prices.

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, VinceA said:

I think we lose him to the US unless he doesn't see any minutes for Burnley. 

This is what I am concerned with. I am wondering what the threshold is to break into the USMNT senior squad. Sure, they go pretty deep into the pool for friendlies, calling up MLS players and such, but would Luca file a one-time switch away from Italy to play in a friendly? I am not convinced he would. Would he get into a competitive USMNT roster? Depends on how good he does at Burnley. Obviously zero minutes wouldn't do it, but it wouldn't do it for Canada either.

I think it's kind of like Jebbison, if he's on the fringes of the Burnley team, developing slow and steady getting minutes here and there, then it may be enough to make a NL squad for Canada. If he does better than that the USA may bring him into their NL squad. And if he REALLY kills it then Italy could bring him in for a senior friendly and he wouldn't have to file a switch at all. That's how I see it.

[Obinna]

6 minutes ago, frmr said:

Am I the only one who thinks this is a move for the future? When's the last time a €3M player went straight into the lineup in the Premier League? That's SPL prices.

Agreed. This is Burnley paying a modest fee to pick up a project from relegated Españyol.

[Ottawafan]

On 7/14/2023 at 2:57 PM, Footyeh said:

You must be one miserable person lol.  
 

I remember telling you he would play and be showcased and what happened?  He was.  I remember telling you he trains everyday in 1st team, he was.  I remember telling you the club wants to sell, well they are.  I’m not saying they are going to get an astronomical fee, but for a 19 year old player with 11 months left on his deal and 7-8 apps off the bench, they are definitely cashing out.  

You keep bringing up loyalty so you clearly don’t know how football works.  It’s a business, players are trying to maximize what they can in a short career.  You’re mad at him for not choosing Canada?  Eustaquio played for Portugal until the senior level, is he disloyal to Portugal?  I can assure you, if he was good enough to play for Portugal senior team, he wouldn’t be playing for Canada.  Look at USA, Balogun, Musah, Dest etc would have all played for their European countries if they were good enough.  They entertained them until the very end and then switched to capitalize on an opportunity.  Maybe Luca will do the same.  In club football, do you risk re-signing for a club that was just relegated and has no guarantee of going up?  If you re-sign, are you in control of your future?  

It’s ok to not understand everything.  Just revisit this in a couple weeks and you can tell me I’m wrong then 🤣

Looks like you were right. 

[Obinna]

3 minutes ago, Ottawafan said:

Looks like you were right. 

Thought the exact same thing. Take that @Unnamed Trialist