The Official 16/17 UEFA Champion's League and International Club News Thread

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Bagor

And they didn't need penalties to win it.

no, but at some point they did need a joke of a penalty to go on and win it.

[Bagor]

Like a Stevie flop joke of a penalty?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Barca's comeback is definitely the greatest ever because of the away goal. At 3-0 after the Messi penalty and with almost 40 minutes to go, Barca almost certainly were convinced they were going to come back. So that Cavani goal was emotional devastating for them. For 25 minutes after the Cavani goal they really didn't have a single real chance to score. Then Neymar scores a brilliant free kick, and the rally is on. They had to comeback twice, and the second one was very difficult to come back from emotionally. Yes the diving and flopping was awful, but the ref mostly got them right except the Suarez sniper.

[devo22]

... and the di Maria non-call. That's two decisive mistakes in the dying minutes that had an unreal influence on the outcome of the game and that completely spoils the "wonder" for me.

[Senator Clay Davis]

But again PSG basically quit the last 10 minutes and just hoped time would run out. One completed pass outside kickoffs is crazy. How did they not complete another pass or two just by accident? It was just a confluence of events that made it happen, something we likely will never see again. We will see more three goal comebacks with an entire half to play.

[devo22]

yeah no doubt PSG was helpless in the last 10, but to me that has nothing to do with Aytekin completely bottling it. He should never get to officiate a big match again.

also, I just can't get myself to glorify those three goals as a "wonder" when the biggest cheat in world football had a key role in stealing a penalty.

[GirlySports]

That Milan team was stacked

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That Milan team was stacked

Newsflash. There are a lot of good teams in Europe.

Twas no more stacked than any other. Now go and watch the game.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by devo22

yeah no doubt PSG was helpless in the last 10, but to me that has nothing to do with Aytekin completely bottling it. He should never get to officiate a big match again.

also, I just can't get myself to glorify those three goals as a "wonder" when the biggest cheat in world football had a key role in stealing a penalty.

I get what you're saying and there is no disagreement that the referee was duped by Liverpool's best supported racist but the whole nearly comeback only to get suckered with an away goal only to turn around and complete it remains quite remarkable and a feat that we are unlikely to see again.

[Bagor]

Anyways, Olympiakos keep their managers on a short leash.

Greek side Olympiakos have dismissed former Portugal coach Paulo Bento, despite leading the Superleague by seven points.Bento's sacking after seven months in the job, came after Olympiakos' third straight league defeat on Sunday opened the door for second-placed Panionios, who have a game in hand.
The 47-year-old was Olympiakos' second manager this season. Victor Sanchez was sacked in August after two games and less than two months in charge, following the club's exit from the Champions League in the third qualifying round.
Bento, who led his country at the 2014 World Cup, lost four out of 23 league matches.
But winning the league is what is expected at Olympiakos - they have been champions in all but two seasons since 2000.
Bento leaves a team still in the hunt for three trophies. They have a last-16 tie against Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League and are also in the Greek Cup semi-finals.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39186147

[Locke]

A Real Madrid fan petitions UEFA for a replay of the Barca-PSG Match.

The petition on change.org states: "I want to request a replaying of the Barcelona-PSG match."

Real Madrid supporter Luis Melendo Olmedo began the petition on Friday, citing a string of what he felt were mistakes by referee Deniz Aytekin, and by Sunday afternoon the number of backers for his campaign had reached six figures.

Despite the numbers responding to the petition, the absence of any such appeal from PSG, who have accepted the result, means there is no prospect of UEFA ordering an unprecedented replay.

http://www.espnfc.us/uefa-champions-...000-signatures

[VladtheImpaler]

Come on - a Soviet referee and you are even debating whether the fix was in???

[Locke]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Come on - a Soviet referee and you are even debating whether the fix was in???

Actually....I believe he was German...

Sorry, a Turkish German. I dont know what implications that may hold but I'm sure whatever part of him is incompetent is the Turkish part...

[Senator Clay Davis]

Leicester get the goal they need and are headed through as it stands. Can they hold on for an hour?

[SuperMatt18]

Forgot it was a bit of a later start this week because of Europe not changing the clocks until the 26th.

[devo22]

2-0 Leicester. Said it before, will say it again: ungrateful and spineless bastards. Completely turned on Ranieri, got him sacked, now get results again. Player power in today's world football is unbelievable.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Player power is football is the same as every other sport. It's a lot cheaper to fire the coach than it is to fire all the players. Ranieri has every right to be pissed, at the same time Leicester clearly made the right call because they saved their season.

[Senator Clay Davis]

That said this really is more of a Sevilla meltdown. Nasri with a terrible red card.

[d_phaneuf]

what a great through ball to set up that penalty

[d_phaneuf]

on the other angle, and might need to see it again

I dont think Nasri threw a headbutt

him and Vardy came forehead to forehead, and then Vardy clearly dove