Champions League Thread (the dawn of time - 2014)

[KBC]

Poor Ownership than anything else, they started out decently last season and their situation degraded before Cazorla was sold... but to save their face now They will have to sell Isco and co., But Spain isn't the first place to invest in to expect a lot of revenue and it's needless to why.

This is the beginning of FFP.

 

[Haarithan]

PSG meanwhile have other ideas to combat the FFP...

Qatar Tourism Authority said to ink $800m PSG deal - Sport - ArabianBusiness.com

 

[Epic]

Manchester City bank record ?400m sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways | Football | The Guardian

That was 'then', just imagine what they'd do if our sole purpose was to cut losses...

 

[Auwais]

I don't like Malaga, nevertheless feel sorry for them....

CFCB adjudicatory chamber decisions ? UEFA.com

That's what happens when the owners bail out on the club. Racing Santander had something similar happen with that shady Indian Ali Syed and now they're languishing near the bottom of the Segunda Division.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

so, the ballon d'or is happening right now and apparently nothing happened in football outside of spain last year.

pirlo, and vincent kompany apparently don't exist (there are issues I could make with many of the world team of the year selections but on what planet has xabi alonso been better than pirlo? or vincent kompany a worse defender than pique or ramos?) Thiago Silva should be partnering him in defense too. Philip Lahm is also better than Marcelo no one from the CL final makes it. Ibrhamovic?

 

[Dr. Pepper]

There's always a few weird selections in team of the years but for the most part that one's good. Pirlo>Alonso and Pepe/Silva>Pique but other than that I'd say it's pretty good.

Ibra's been awesome but are we really going to argue with Falcao being in there?

I don't see the point in the awards being at the end of calendar years. They should be at the end of football seasons.

 

[Epic]

Always wondered that, is the award for the season or the calendar year, because the nominees are announced prior to the end of the year and shortlisted from there.

 

[thedon5]

Absolute turd as expected.

 

[Auwais]

Who would you lot have picked in your World XIs for 2012?

Mine:

Buffon
Lahm Hummels Kompany Alba
Pirlo
Xavi Iniesta
Messi Ibra Ronaldo

Subs:
Casillas
Thiago Silva
Piszczeck
Busquets
Ribery
RvP
Falcao
​

 

[thedon5]

Yours is briliant, though I would've probably put Lahm at LB with Piszczek at RB.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

yours is good auwais.

I might have given xabi the nod over xavi but the point is in midfield the debate should have been which of xavi or xabi makes it because Pirlo and Iniesta where out in front and no way should Pirlo have been omitted.

I also think Ibra (and van persie) did more this year to warrant a place over Falcao so that's fair.

at left back people could worse than leighton baines, while that sounds ridiculous no other team in the world is built round the ability of their left back. I'm not seriously suggesting he should have made it and wasn't surprised he didn't but it's not as crazy an idea as it sounds. he'd walk into any premiership team if they could get him away from everton. Alba is a good shout too though.

 

[shravi]

Drawing on what Stinky said about Baines, what would your XI be of players without whom their teams would not function, or at least, would be significantly worse off?

I'm thinking of players like Bale, Baines, Suarez, RVP (at Arsenal), Messi, Ronaldo, Falcao, and Ibrahimovic. Tough to narrow it down.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

that's an interesting question, probably difficult to answer properly as I reckon lots of teams that sort of dominate smaller leagues round europe will have these type of players. like Hagi was for galatasary in the late 90s or Henrik Larsen was for celtic in the early 2000s. I'm definitely not up on football enough to answer fully.

Modric might be there and drogba would deserve a mention given he won chelsea the CL almost by himself. Jan Vertonghen apparently dominated the entire pitch for ajax last year but in all honesty I never once saw him play. Hazard at lille?

from this season michu would be up there for swansea and el shaarawy is keeping milan hanging on to thinking about CL football next year.

 

[thedon5]

Actually I would have either Falcao or RVP ahead of Ibra, probably Falcao since he won something.

----------

Drawing on what Stinky said about Baines, what would your XI be of players without whom their teams would not function, or at least, would be significantly worse off?

I'm thinking of players like Bale, Baines, Suarez, RVP (at Arsenal), Messi, Ronaldo, Falcao, and Ibrahimovic. Tough to narrow it down.

Yaya Toure. As a matter of fact he should have a look in for the TOTY as well.

 

[Epic]

Who would you lot have picked in your World XIs for 2012?

That XI and bench with a few changes for me, so:

--------------Buffon-------------
Lahm---Kompany--Ramos---Alba
---------------Pirlo--------------
-----------Xavi----Iniesta--------
Messi----------RVP-------Ronaldo

Subs:
Casillas
Hummels
Piszczeck
Yaya Toure
Ribery
Falcao
Cavani

----------

Yaya Toure. As a matter of fact he should have a look in for the TOTY as well.

Agreed, one of the Top 5 MF in the world for sure.