Entertainment For Lively Minds
'Champions' League
Posted by ranger on 16 September 2010 - 7:43am.
On the back of another procession at The Emirates (Arsenal are now back to being boring, but in a completely different way to twenty years ago, brilliant!) and a stroll for Chelsea may I ask a quick question about this competition?
Has there ever been a surprise?
I mean, has there ever been a surprise that has actually knocked out one of the ten or so 'big boys'?
I know Man. U. lost last year to a bunch of fishermen from somewhere, and Chelsea drew a similar game, but as they were 'league' games neither result actually mattered.
The F.A.Cup this year will throw up a surprise, Tottenham losing at Crystal Palace or Everton getting turned over at Port Vale but the 'Champions' League.....I can't think of one.
Can you?
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Barcelona not getting past last year's semis
surprised quite a few people but I grant you they weren't knocked out by one of the minnows.
The chances of a major upset have been diluted by turning into a league competition with the knock-out element coming later.
More to the point, you now have a "champions" competition with up to 4 teams per country. I'm a Spurs fan but I have to admit it seems pretty rum that we can get our best league finish for years by coming 4th and find ourselves in the Champions League. There's one pool in the current competition where, despite the seeding, there isn't a single national champion. Hmm....
Happy days
Monaco
Didn't they get through a knockout match against Real Madrid a few years back after losing the first leg 4-2?
Yes, that's the one I thought of
2003-4 season.
Quarter-final (March-April 2004)
1st leg: Real Madrid 4 - AS Moncao 2
2nd leg: AS Monaco 3 - Real Madrid 1
Not too many others spring to mind, though.
Has there ever been a surprise?
Not many, but then the whole structure of the Champions League is set up to favour the bigger clubs and to minimise the chances of one.
I think Porto's victory in 2004 would count as the biggest surprise in recent memory.
2004/05
Liverpool's victory in 2005 was something of a surprise. Particularly to the Milan players that were celebrating at half-time.
Well we didn't knock them out
and we lost the replay but Exeter City's FA cup tie against Man U from what seemed to be an inevitable demise and made our supporters trust viable
probably the best day out I've ever had as a football fan
"Can we play you every week?"
We
"We" knocked them out ?
OK
As I said...we didn't knock them out.
Are you taking issue with the use of the word 'we'? Fair play - the players did most of it but the fans had a role too, and as a supporters trust I feel the use of the word 'we' is more appropriate than in most cases
sorry.
Sorry, I still have the Mitchell & Webb thread playing on rotation in my head.
I was just trying (& failing) to be witty & clever, but ended up sounding like a twat.
And I must have missed that thread!
Sorry for being thick!
You didn't sound like a twat....
Mitchell & Webb
it was on this board 2 / 3 weeks ago, I beg of you to look for it, then you will see what I was getting at.
No offence intended.
Don't worry!
I already did, and I thought it was hilarious...
No offence taken, believe me!
How far back?
Steaua Bucharest beating Barca in 1986
Dortmund beating Juve in 1997
Red Star Belgrade beating Chris Waddle and JP Papin's Marseille in 1991
Porto beating Bayern in 1987
Real Madrid being knocked out by various sides in the last 16 for the past 6 years!
Champions league
I have posted about the CL recently, & will not "blather" my opinions in depth again, but I have thought for years that the CL is not about glory, but just money.
As a contest, it doesnt really start until march, & it is designed to be a huge income stream for the first 2/3rds of the season. That is why there is hardly any "giant killing"
Champions League
... is just set up to maximise revenue for the big clubs. The group stages sets up the big teams who are in it every year against 1 or 2 teams as cannon fodder. Then the last 16 usually comprises at least 10 or 12 of the usual suspects - the two Milan teams, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, the 4 English teams, 3 more Spanish, Italian or German sides. It's all a little stale.
Quite frankly, the Europa League is more unpredictable.
A few teams not getting past the group stages
Liverpool last season - Fiorentina and Lyon finished higher
Manchester United finished bottom of a group containing Villarreal, Benfica and Lille in 2005/2006.
Inter were knocked out at the group stage in 2003/2004 as Lokomotiv Moscow finished second in their group
OK, it's not much but it does happen.
I thought Porto as well but we're thin on the ground!
Consider this proposition:
Would a club like Arsenal or Chelsea, who have never won the European Cup, trade one win this year if they knew that they'd miss the next three or four seasons on the gravy train?
My guess is 'no' and 'no' and, as such, why would I give a damn who wins it if they themselves don't care either!
Puts 'JT's tears in context.
Excellent comment
Excellent comment ranger, & for all of the living in the past, Aston villa (1982), & nottingham forest (79 / 80) both have there names on the trophy, & that can NEVER be taken from them.