Champions League: Few Things Annoy Me More...

[FortescueFotheringhamSmyth]

... than what nationalist politics and the modern European club game has done to football in former Communist countries. 

Three consecutive fixtures on the coupon today that feature home teams that won European trophies - representing countries that no longer exist. Dinamo Tblisi, Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb. Now often playing in front of three men and a dog in Mickey Mouse leagues.

Tblisi v. Neftchi Baku would occasionally have been a huge game in Soviet times, when Neftchi sometimes qualified for Europe and Azeri oil money went to Moscow, not to buy mansions in Hampstead or Kensington, through companies registered in Liechtenstein or the Cayman Islands .

The other pair are reduced to playing Shamrock Rovers and Valur Reykjavik.

And Celtic think they have problems?

Soyuz nerushimy, respublik svobodnikh. Splotila naveki velikaya Rus!

That is all.

[Jimi Shandrix]

I share your pain and revulsion for the Champions League. I like to remember the sepia tinged footage that showed these sides in their free flowing pomp giving the west a bloody nose in the only way they realistically could to the delight of huge moustaches with faces on them. Unfortunately it's like me trying to argue that Doja Cat isn't as good or as talented as Joni Mitchell. Ultimately pointless. The great format that we once had is gone and it is never coming back. Life goes on. Football goes on. I just won't be watching it.

[Boo Khaki]

Haven't watched a CL match in years. The format holds no interest for me at all. What finally killed it for me was Liverpool 0-0/1-0'ing their way to a final under Benitez playing the sort of anti-football that would have made a 1980's Romanian side cringe with embarrassment, and the media (Sky) carrying on like it was the most magical fairy-tale journey ever. That, and the same club playing the final of a 'Champions' League a few years later, against another English opponent,  neither side having won their domestic title in a combined 60 seasons.

The quality of the football on show is irrelevant when the tournament itself is nothing more than a cynical money-spinning exercise. Thank god we still have international tournaments where teams can't just buy their way to 4th position, then masquerade as 'Champions' of something.

[HibeeJibee]

It's only going to get worse in a few years when you've 36 clubs in a single massive group playing 10 random games and 24 of them progressing to knockouts.

Meaningless games central.

Unfortunately they've decided EL+Conference will follow.

[Cyclizine]

I'm reasonably convinced we'll start seeing supranational leagues in the next decade or so as smaller countries band together to get their "big clubs" more exposure/cash. I don't know how long UEFA will resist it. Not sure if this is the right solution though. I know a BeNeLux league was rejected earlier this year, but I suspect it will remain on the table. I could see Czechia/Slovakia (re)combining their top leagues, Baltic states and possibly some of the Balkan nations (politics permitting). I suspect the "Champions League" will become pretty much a stand alone league and to qualify you'll either have to be one of the big clubs and be grandfathered in, or you'll have to win one a qualifying Euro competition. It's already heading that way.

[GordonS]

13 hours ago, FortescueFotheringhamSmyth said:

... than what nationalist politics and the modern European club game has done to football in former Communist countries. 

Three consecutive fixtures on the coupon today that feature home teams that won European trophies - representing countries that no longer exist. Dinamo Tblisi, Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb. Now often playing in front of three men and a dog in Mickey Mouse leagues.

Tblisi v. Neftchi Baku would occasionally have been a huge game in Soviet times, when Neftchi sometimes qualified for Europe and Azeri oil money went to Moscow, not to buy mansions in Hampstead or Kensington, through companies registered in Liechtenstein or the Cayman Islands .

The other pair are reduced to playing Shamrock Rovers and Valur Reykjavik.

And Celtic think they have problems?

Soyuz nerushimy, respublik svobodnikh. Splotila naveki velikaya Rus!

That is all.

 

Aye, it was better when they all lived under a brutal totalitarian dictatorship. I mean, for criticising the government you would be worked to an early death in a Siberian labour camp alongside your fellow intellectuals, democrats and artists, but the local football team would get some big matches so it was clearly worth it.

All that oil money was such a huge benefit to the average Georgian, they all lived like Kings and never once had to queue for bread.

Fk sake, I've seen some shit takes on here but this is like a satire of itself.

Edited July 7, 2021 by GordonS

[DanMc99]

2 hours ago, Boo Khaki said:

Haven't watched a CL match in years. The format holds no interest for me at all. What finally killed it for me was Liverpool 0-0/1-0'ing their way to a final under Benitez playing the sort of anti-football that would have made a 1980's Romanian side cringe with embarrassment, and the media (Sky) carrying on like it was the most magical fairy-tale journey ever. That, and the same club playing the final of a 'Champions' League a few years later, against another English opponent,  neither side having won their domestic title in a combined 60 seasons.

The quality of the football on show is irrelevant when the tournament itself is nothing more than a cynical money-spinning exercise. Thank god we still have international tournaments where teams can't just buy their way to 4th position, then masquerade as 'Champions' of something.

i guarantee you have watched one. Liverpool anti footballing it in the greatest final of all time caused you to stop watching??? weird.

[Boo Khaki]

18 minutes ago, DanMc99 said:

i guarantee you have watched one. Liverpool anti footballing it in the greatest final of all time caused you to stop watching??? weird.

Unless you believe Milan 2-1 Liverpool is the greatest final of all time, then you are confused.

And no, I can guarantee you I haven't 'watched one'. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Boo Khaki

[DanMc99]

13 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

Unless you believe Milan 2-1 Liverpool is the greatest final of all time, then you are confused.

And no, I can guarantee you I haven't 'watched one'. 

Liverpools knockout results 04/05

Last 16 Liverpool 6-2 (agg) Leverkusen

Last 8 Liverpool 2-1 (agg) Juventus

Semi Liverpool 1-0 (agg) Chelsea

Final Liverpool 3-3 Milan

 

Liverpool Knockout results 2006-07

Last 16 Liverpool 2-2 (agg) Barca

Last 8 Liverpool 4-0 (agg) PSV

Semi Liverpool 1-1 (agg) Chelsea

Final Liverpool 1-2 Milan

 

not as many 0-0's and 1-0's as you say.

 

[Boo Khaki]

They were beyond murder to watch throughout that entire campaign, and only ever showed any interest in crossing the half-way line once they went behind in the tie. The utter sterility of their football made a mockery of what is always touted as the greatest club competition in the world.

No idea why you are bringing up the 04/05 campaign, as I made no reference to that at all.

[GordonS]

26 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

They were beyond murder to watch throughout that entire campaign, and only ever showed any interest in crossing the half-way line once they went behind in the tie. The utter sterility of their football made a mockery of what is always touted as the greatest club competition in the world.

No idea why you are bringing up the 04/05 campaign, as I made no reference to that at all.

"One team used negative tactics 16 years ago, so I'm never going to watch the entire annual competition again."

There are good reasons for eschewing the Champions League, but if you really took this position you'd never watch football again.

[craigkillie]

Neftchi Baku never once competed in Europe prior to Azerbaijan gaining independence.

[Boo Khaki]

2 hours ago, GordonS said:

"One team used negative tactics 16 years ago, so I'm never going to watch the entire annual competition again."

There are good reasons for eschewing the Champions League, but if you really took this position you'd never watch football again.

I never claimed that was the single reason why I stopped watching. Putting it in quotes doesn't make it any more truthful or accurate.

That was the last season where I watched the Champions League consistently. Liverpool's turgid run to the final was what cemented my already diminishing interest in the competition into total indifference. The same clubs appearing year-in year-out despite winning absolutely nothing domestically makes a bit of a mockery of the original concept of a 'Champions' cup. As I said, my decision not to bother with a subscription TV service when I moved home in 2017 was largely down to the fact I'd totally lost interest in the CL by that point, and didn't feel that I could justify it given that their coverage of Scots football invariably means sitting watching one or other of the arse cheeks every weekend. The fact that the final the season after that was contested by one team that hadn't won a title in 30 years, and another that hadn't in 50'odd just vindicated my indifference, as I don't see that as any different to watching the two of them battle it out for 3rd place in their respective domestic league. Neither of them were Champions of anything, so one beating the other to lay claim to the title of 'Champion of Champions' is a complete nonsense.

Like I said in my first post in this topic, it's specifically the format that holds no interest for me. The fact that it's a competition between the strongest sides in Europe featuring the players their riches can buy is not by itself in any way an attraction for me. I can totally understand why other people will feel entirely differently, but it's the competition itself I have no interest in, the merits of who or what is participating are rendered moot by the apathy towards the format of the tournament itself. I suspect that not actually having any affinity for any of the participating clubs has been a significant factor in my gradual loss of interest, but far more tangible is the feeling of nostalgia for the old European Cup, and the fact that the CL does absolutely nothing in terms of scratching that itch.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Boo Khaki

[Jacksgranda]

7 hours ago, Boo Khaki said:

Haven't watched a CL match in years. The format holds no interest for me at all. What finally killed it for me was Liverpool 0-0/1-0'ing their way to a final under Benitez playing the sort of anti-football that would have made a 1980's Romanian side cringe with embarrassment, and the media (Sky) carrying on like it was the most magical fairy-tale journey ever. That, and the same club playing the final of a 'Champions' League a few years later, against another English opponent,  neither side having won their domestic title in a combined 60 seasons.

The quality of the football on show is irrelevant when the tournament itself is nothing more than a cynical money-spinning exercise. Thank god we still have international tournaments where teams can't just buy their way to 4th position, then masquerade as 'Champions' of something.

Me neither.

[GordonS]

Got to say, I don't know why the Champions League should be for league winners only. The countries obviously aren't of equal standard. There's plenty wrong with the seeding, qualifying and the automatic places for the group stage, but the idea Malta should get the same number of places in the competition as Spain doesn't have any obvious rationale. We never had that for the UEFA Cup and I don't see a problem with it in the big competition. In fact there were years when the UEFA Cup was the hardest to win of the three.

[Brummie Clyde]

You say that, but obviously it was a lot harder to qualify for the European Cup than the UEFA Cup.

[ahemps]

15 minutes ago, Brummie Clyde said:

You say that, but obviously it was a lot harder to qualify for the European Cup than the UEFA Cup.

That is true but you qualify for Europe the following season. Years ago it was probably more difficult to retain the league title, especially in some leagues so therefore the season the previous league winners were competing in the European cup they were not the best team from that country in the same season.

Look at Aston Villa, the year they won the European cup they finished 11th in their league so you could argue they weren't even in the top 10 English sides that season but they still won the European cup.

The UEFA cup usually made up of the teams in 2nd -5th (roughly) there is a good chance that the following season the league winners will have came from this bunch of teams so therefore in a particular season the best team in the country would have been competing in the UEFA cup and not the European cup.

I would guess that this was the case for most leagues but now with the CL format it would be rare for a league winner not to have also been in the CL in the same season.