2024/2025 International Club Football Thread

[Winsor_Pilates]

I didn't know Enrique lost his 9 year old daughter to cancer.
That's so sad and makes me happy for him to win at least.

[CroFlames]

As a rule, I cheer against Oil State FC.

The Enrique story is nice, so I am happy for him. He ultimately is a good coach, but I still was cheering for Inter.

They clearly had nothing left in the tank after that semi tie vs Barca.

And if PSG was going to win it, I'm happy they did it after Mbappe Messi and Neymar left.

[CroFlames]

In news that surprises no one, The Athletic is reporting tens of thousands of empty seats for the opener for the club wc.

FIFA has once again slashed ticket prices for the Club World Cup’s opening night fixture, with concerns mounting that the launch game starring Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will be overshadowed by masses of empty seats at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Florida.

In a tournament that no one asked for, FIFA is surprised no one is showing up.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

In a tournament that no one asked for, FIFA is surprised no one is showing up.

in a country that doesn't really care about football. I think the tournament is about as useful as a hole in the head, but I have no doubt they'd have no problem selling tickets for this in Europe.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

The only part of the tournament I find a little interesting is to see matchups we would never otherwise see. Games such as Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund, CF Monterrey vs Inter Milan. Otherwise I don't care at all

[Locke]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

The only part of the tournament I find a little interesting is to see matchups we would never otherwise see. Games such as Chelsea vs Seattle Sounders, Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund, CF Monterrey vs Inter Milan. Otherwise I don't care at all

And while that might have been neat, at a time like this you're likely only getting a handful of first-teamers and whole bunch of Academy kids.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Originally Posted by Locke

And while that might have been neat, at a time like this you're likely only getting a handful of first-teamers and whole bunch of Academy kids.

I do wonder if the stupid amount of prize money available forces teams to take it a little more seriously than they otherwise would've

[devo22]

hasn't been mentioned here, but Simone Inzaghi immediately bolted for Al Hilal after the CL final. They're paying him €26m per year or something crazy like that

But on the player side, they are taking L after L. Bruno Fernandes has rejected them, Theo Hernandez has rejected them, now Victor Osimhen has rejected them ... despite them upping their offer to €45m per year. FORTY FIVE MILLION. Now they want to sign Viktor Gyökeres, good luck with that.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

hasn't been mentioned here, but Simone Inzaghi immediately bolted for Al Hilal after the CL final. They're paying him €26m per year or something crazy like that

But on the player side, they are taking L after L. Bruno Fernandes has rejected them, Theo Hernandez has rejected them, now Victor Osimhen has rejected them ... despite them upping their offer to €45m per year. FORTY FIVE MILLION. Now they want to sign Viktor Gyökeres, good luck with that.

Man...I honestly think that a lot of European players are hearing the stories from the guys coming back from Saudi.

You cant fault the money. But the difference is, in Europe you are an asset paid to do a job within the structure of an organization. In Saudi? They OWN YOU.

Its all well and good when everything is all well and good, dip in form? Want to go for a beer? Whatever. But you might yourself as a corpse in a dumpster in some alley in Riyadh.

You are literally a ball-kicking piece of meat.

[devo22]

Leroy Sane leaving Bayern Munich for Galatasaray (!) for financial reasons (!!) might be one of the wildest transfers I've seen in a very long time.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

Leroy Sane leaving Bayern Munich for Galatasaray (!) for financial reasons (!!) might be one of the wildest transfers I've seen in a very long time.

I'm just guessing here, but didnt he come to Bayern from City? His wages were probably outrageous.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The interwebs tells me he was earning around €6 million per at City and was earning €15 million per at Bayern. Which makes sense, he was younger at City and was in his prime at Bayern. But good for him getting another deal for €15 million per because he's almost 30 now and was kind of a disappointment at Bayern.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The interwebs tells me he was earning around €6 million per at City and was earning €15 million per at Bayern. Which makes sense, he was younger at City and was in his prime at Bayern. But good for him getting another deal for €15 million per because he's almost 30 now and was kind of a disappointment at Bayern.

Okay...still odd because Bayern can easily afford those wages, but you are correct that he was under-performing.

"Watch out Turkey!! He comes Leeeroooooy JENKINS!! Sane!!"

[Senator Clay Davis]

Maybe he got tried of the second rate baklava in Munich and wants the Turkish goodness from the source.

[CroFlames]

The Turkish restaurants in Germany are better than in Turkey. Kinda like how the Indian restaurants in Scotland are better than in India.

[Locke]

Welp. Thats gonna sting at ye ol' Club World Cup.

Bayern Munich 10 - Auckland City - 0

Uhh...are they really thinking these matchups through?

[Barnet Flame]

To be fair, Auckland fielded a weakened side because some of their players coudn’t get time off work.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

To be fair, Auckland fielded a weakened side because some of their players coudn’t get time off work.

I saw the one guy was working concessions until the coach told him he was getting subbed in...

[GirlySports]

Club football has a massive wealth gap compared national team football. New Zealand can go to a world cup and survive, Auckland City cannot.

[GirlySports]

South Americans have played Portuguese clubs well. Palmeras drew Porto and Boca Juniors drew Benfica in a heated affair, 3 red cards.