Bank Holiday Week 34 / CL Semis

[Natty]

Smh at all these people who I've seen berate English teams on a budget of <50 million not seeing anything wrong with a team worth >400 million of playing like that.

:!: :!:

[TF S4DK]

Real Madrid played like StokeExcept, Stoke have better set pieces

Better on the break too...

[TF S4DK]

With the wealth of talent in the Real squad they were embarrassing at points tonight.They weren't even attempting to regain possession at points, Ronaldo was rightly pissed off. Smh at all these people who I've seen berate English teams on a budget of <50 million not seeing anything wrong with a team worth >400 million of playing like that.

+1

[MEIRELES.]

Real Madrid were a disgrace tonight. Played for the 0-0 draw.I do not know which is worse - Arsenal getting obliterated by Barca or this. Thing is Madrid were at home! Mourinho should be f*ck*ng ashamed. I would love him to go to Ushited. He would f*ck up so bad.

[TF S4DK]

UEFA have announced a new three-year deal for Champions League rights with Sky and ITV - but England's top clubs face a major drop in their income from the competition if a European ruling goes against them.The deal for 2012-2015 is understood to be worth £400million, similar to the current agreement. But William Gaillard, adviser to UEFA president Michel Platini, said a European Court of Justice (ECJ) case could force a major shake-up in the sale of TV rights across the continent.Gaillard told Press Association Sport: "This may force us to sell the rights on a Europe-wide basis, which would prevent us from identifying individual national TV pools. That will be bad news for clubs in big TV markets such as England."The Premier League also fear the case - their legal battle against Portsmouth pub landlady Karen Murphy who has used a Greek satellite decoder to screen live matches - could affect their TV income.The European Union's advocate general Juliane Kokott has already advised that the case means that selling TV rights in separate countries within the EU goes against European law. The case is now being dealt with by the ECJ with a decision expected in the late summer.At the moment, UEFA splits Champions League payments among the 32 clubs in the group stage, half depending on far they progress and half on the value of their country's TV deals.The current £400million deal with Sky and ITV for the UK rights is the biggest in Europe and has seen English clubs earn between £20million and £35million annually from the Champions League alone. Beyond 2015, the future is uncertain.Under the new deal, ITV will have first pick of the match to show live on Tuesday night and highlights, while Sky Sports have the rights to broadcast live all Champions League matches except for the games on ITV. Sky also has the rights for delayed broadcasts and highlights on both nights.Gaillard fears that those who say the ECJ often do not follow the advocate general's advice may be burying their head in the sand.He said: "Most of the time the ECJ follow what the advocate general has said, and the rest of the time partially follow that advice."

[Natty]

2015mehhow about they f*ck off and sort out the tv rights in la liga and serie A first thoughd*cks

[Carlos Slim Helu]

There is nothing wrong with how Madrid played, you lot are just chatting sh*t, if the score ended up 0-0 i doubt anyone except from purist Arsenal fans would be saying sh*t, there's not a set way to play football, Madrid have already had success playing how they did today against Barca, so its only logical that they ould set up that way again. Also if Pepe had not been sent off, i don't think Barca would have managed to score 2 goals, also all the talk about budgets and all that bullshit is irrelevant in the discussion.

[Carlos Slim Helu]

Real Madrid were a disgrace tonight. Played for the 0-0 draw.I do not know which is worse - Arsenal getting obliterated by Barca or this. Thing is Madrid were at home! Mourinho should be f*ck*ng ashamed. I would love him to go to Ushited. He would f*ck up so bad.

How is it a disgrace, your sounding like them Arsenal players that complain when they face a team that actually tries to tackle them, also during our 2005 Champions League win, there was many a time i was literally bored to death with some of the football we played, Madrid are playing Barca with a formula that their manager has used to beat Inter before and your expecting them to go all out, so they could end up losing 5-1 again?

[Mr Q]

Even in the 5 - 1 game they didn't go all out or even try to play that expansively. They scored in extra time last week. This week they didn't really look like scoring, and its not even that they should open up, but that Barca team had f*ck*ng JAVIER MASCHERANO playing at centre back. If you don't try and attack their defence then, I don't know when you do. Whenever a team is at home, the expectation is upon them. We all know this. And even if Barca didn't look like scoring, did Madrid. He was going to take a 0-0 to Camp Nou and do what exactly? Defend again?

[MEIRELES.]

Real Madrid were a disgrace tonight. Played for the 0-0 draw.I do not know which is worse - Arsenal getting obliterated by Barca or this. Thing is Madrid were at home! Mourinho should be f*ck*ng ashamed. I would love him to go to Ushited. He would f*ck up so bad.

How is it a disgrace, your sounding like them Arsenal players that complain when they face a team that actually tries to tackle them, also during our 2005 Champions League win, there was many a time i was literally bored to death with some of the football we played, Madrid are playing Barca with a formula that their manager has used to beat Inter before and your expecting them to go all out, so they could end up losing 5-1 again?

Even in the 5 - 1 game they didn't go all out or even try to play that expansively. They scored in extra time last week. This week they didn't really look like scoring, and its not even that they should open up, but that Barca team had f*ck*ng JAVIER MASCHERANO playing at centre back. If you don't try and attack their defence then, I don't know when you do. Whenever a team is at home, the expectation is upon them. We all know this. And even if Barca didn't look like scoring, did Madrid. He was going to take a 0-0 to Camp Nou and do what exactly? Defend again?

[Carlos Slim Helu]

Even in the 5 - 1 game they didn't go all out or even try to play that expansively. They scored in extra time last week. This week they didn't really look like scoring, and its not even that they should open up, but that Barca team had f*ck*ng JAVIER MASCHERANO playing at centre back. If you don't try and attack their defence then, I don't know when you do. Whenever a team is at home, the expectation is upon them. We all know this. And even if Barca didn't look like scoring, did Madrid. He was going to take a 0-0 to Camp Nou and do what exactly? Defend again?

A 0-0 would of been a decent result for them to take to the nou camp, i'm not sure but Carvahlo would of been back as well?

[MEIRELES.]

Ramos is out of second leg. He is Madrids best defender - more of a loss compared to Carvalho.

"I respect him (Barca coach Pep Guardiola) a great deal as a coach and a person... but I would like to see him win a Champions League without scandals."

Mourinho is so f*ck*ng salty.

[Yoshie]

Haven't read the thread so sorry if posted already.

José Mourinho rages at 'plot' to put Barcelona in the finalSid Lowe at the Bernabéu The Guardian, Thursday 28 April 2011 José Mourinho effectively accused Uefa of fixing it for Barcelona to reach the Champions League final after his Real Madrid team were beaten 2-0 at home by their fiercest rivals in an ugly and controversy-filled first leg of their semi-final.Mourinho claimed it was "impossible" for Madrid to defeat the dark forces lined up against them after a night on which he and his defender Pepe were sent off. Two goals by Lionel Messi followed those dismissals to leave Barça on the verge of the final, where they look certain to meet Manchester United.Madrid's coach accused Barcelona of wielding untouchable power in European football and insisted their coach, Pep Guardiola, should feel "ashamed" if he wins a competition that "yet again" is engulfed in "scandal". Barcelona also had a man sent off, their substitute goalkeeper, José Pinto, for his role in a mass brawl as the teams left the field at half-time. The incident was one of numerous flashpoints."One day," Mourinho said, pointedly using the Barcelona coach's full name, "I would like Josep Guardiola to win this competition properly." That was a reference to the controversial semi-final victory of Guardiola's team over Chelsea en route to their triumph in 2009.Mourinho, who has had a player sent off in all four meetings with Barcelona this season and with Internazionale in last season's semi-final, said that he did not want to say what he "really thinks" because he feared a life ban but he did insist he felt "disgusted" to be working in football. In the end, there was little holding back. The accusation was hardly a veiled one.Mourinho claimed his red card and that handed to Pepe were unjustified and that this was not the first time Barcelona's opponents have been singled out for unfair punishment. He reeled off a list of referees whom he said had "favoured" the Catalan side, pointing an accusing finger at those who he sees as engaged in a pro‑Barça conspiracy. He insisted that the evidence is unavoidable and asked: "Why?""If I tell Uefa what I really think and feel, my career would end now," Mourinho said. "Instead, I will just ask a question to which I hope one day to get a response: why? Why? Why Ovrebo? Why Busacca? Why De Bleeckere? Why Stark? Why? Because every semi-final the same things happen. We are talking about an absolutely fantastic football team, so why do they need that? Why? Why does a team as good as they are need something [extra] that is so obvious that everyone sees it?"Why Ovrebo [two] years ago [when the Norwegian referee did not give Chelsea a series of penalties against Barcelona]? Why couldn't Chelsea go to the final? Last year it was a miracle that Inter got there playing with 10 men for so long. A miracle. Why weren't there four penalties against Chelsea [in 2009]? Why send off [Arsenal's Robin] Van Persie [in the last 16]? Where does their power come from?"It could have been 0-0 tonight, but then suddenly we are down to 10 men and they have a free path to find solutions that they could not find before then: we could have played for three hours and they would not have scored. But today we have seen that it is not difficult – it is impossible."The question," Mourinho continued, "is why? I don't know if it is the Unicef sponsorship or if it is because they are nice guys. I don't understand. Congratulations to Barcelona on being a great team and congratulations for all the other stuff you have which must be very hard to achieve. They have power and we have no chance. Chelsea had bans for Drogba and Bosingwa; Wenger and Nasri were banned for Arsenal; me today. I don't know why. All I can do is leave that question here in the air and hope that one day I will get the response. They have to get to the final, and they'll get there, full stop."Asked if Madrid, trailing 2-0, were now out, Mourinho replied simply: "Yes, yes." There was a pause and then he added: "We will go there with pride and respect for football. It is a world that sometimes disgusts me to live in and earn a living from, but it is my world. We have to go there without Pepe, who didn't do anything, without [the suspended] Ramos who did nothing, without a coach who can't be on the bench. It is impossible. And if we score a goal and open up the tie a little, they will just kill it again. Tonight we have seen that we do not have any chance."Mourinho sought to discredit Barcelona's 2009 Champions League success and any victory they may have this season."Josep Guardiola is a fantastic coach," he said, "but I have won two Champions Leagues. He has won [only] one Champions League and that is one that would embarrass me. I would be ashamed to have won it with the scandal of Stamford Bridge and if he wins it this year it will be with the scandal of the Bernabéu. I hope that one day he can win a proper Champions League. Deep down, if they are good people, it cannot taste right for them. I hope one day Guardiola has the chance of winning a brilliant, clean championship with no scandal".

IMO, Pepe's weren't a red, but I don't get his tactics. Was he hoping for a draw at home and then hoping to take the game to Barca at the camp, we know what can happen there.Said during the game, as soon as Pepe was off it was game over, so much space in the midfield, someone needed to fill his job of blocking Messi for the rest of the game and when Ronaldo and Di Maria went forward there was little tracking back, Adebayor did a better job tracking back.

[MrJibbles]

Jose using that us against the world mentality he used everywhere else.

[Heero Yuy]

I see Mourinhos plan and hearing his rant i feel his painbut when you bring on adebayor instead of benzema, higauin or kaka you deserve iti know he wanted to rope a dope..... that was his game planthink at the camp nou he should just play everyone and see what happensronaldo - higuain - benzema-------------ozil-----kaka------------------------alonso----------------might as well

sdl;dl;sdfffdggffdfgfffThat Line up would be f*ckin nuts, tekkers over 9000

[Michel Kane]

If he (the referee) says that he’s sorry to UEFA, I will end my career today. Why can he not, I ask. Why? How can we have Obrevo, Bussaca, Stark? Why? Every semi-final, it’s the same thing. We are speaking about a FANTASTIC football team. So why is what Obrevo did at Stamford Bridge two years ago necessary? Why what happened against Inter last year? You need a miracle to beat them.Not let us try and finish the tie when it could have gone on for three hours and ended 0-0? With our strategy we were not going to lose. So why did we? Maybe it’s because advertising Unicef gets you sympathy, maybe having [spanish Football Federation chief) Villar on UEFA gets you sympathy, or some form of congratulations for being a great football team? I don't know why. All I can do is leave this question and wait to see if there'll be any response.I should not have to be here, and it should not have been a red card. Let's see if somebody will explain why because I don't understand. A foul, yes, a free to Barcelona and then? Miraculously, a red. So, next week we'll play in Barcelona in the second leg. If we were talking about something difficult in sporting terms, after what happened tonight it's simply impossible. They have to get to final... and they will get to final. Full stop. Why does such a great team need something every time, something so obvious for all to see? Obervo, Bussaca, and now Stark...Football is a game that should be played with the rules applied equally to all. And at the end, it should be won by the better team, the team that deserves it most. It would have been better today if we'd drawn nil-all, and if in the second leg Barca had beaten us, we would accepted it is 'fair-play'.Why in a game that was so finely balanced at 0-0, did he [stark] have to do what he did? Only the referee can answer that one; but he won’t. Last year, at Inter we had a miracle to to progress with 10 men, but another miracle this year simply wasn’t possible.Yes; Real Madrid is now eliminated from the Champions League. We will go with total pride and respect. At times it disgusts me to live in such a world, to earn my living in this world that is football. We will to to the Camp Nou proudly; without Pepe, who did nothing, with Sergio Ramos, who did nothing wrong, and without a coach… And if, somehow, we go there and score and perhaps open this tie just a little bit- they’ll kill us all over again. We have no chance no matter what we do. Is it because they are better? Is that why they will win? Or…? They should by football, and football alone. So why not? It must taste different to win, and to win fairly.I know what people felt about that that Chelsea game, what happened to Inter last year, and now I feel it with Madrid this year. It’s not hypocrisy, I am trying to be honest. It’s not a drama to me, I feel too sad and frustrated by what has happened. Tomorrow is another day. All that matters to me now is to go back home, where my wonderful family awaits me.I’m sure they’re not bad people, so they must have this feeling in them; to know that win in this way has a bitter taste. We beat them last week in the Copa del Rey final. We know what it feels like to win properly, to celebrate with peace of mind, and this is why Real Madrid is a great team.Yes, I commented on Josep Guardiola’s words afterward freely, but the atmosphere was charged. And Guardiola in turn replied to me freely, with a little bit of politics. I believe that politics should not come into football. But today’s referee was something else!I’ve won two Champions Leagues; one with Porto, the other with Inter. Both were won ON the field. We won both through had work, struggle and sweat. Guardiola is an exceptional manager, but if I was to win the Champions League the way that he won his, I would be embarrassed. And now, if he wins it this year, the win will be tainted by the scandal of the Bernabéu. I hope that maybe one year he will win a Champions League that will have been totally deserved. I thought that I could address him as ‘tu’… Well, now I see that I’m not allowed to. Okay then. I will call him ‘Señor Josep’. Well Señor Josep, I hope that one day you too will win a clean Champions League, not yet another one sullied by scandals.

[Michel Kane]

Out of 15 'borderline' decisions in knock-out games under Pep Guardiola, seven went for Barcelona and eight went against. After Robin van Persie’s ridiculous red card last night, there has been an element of debate over whether referees “favour” Barcelona in Europe. In the Daily Mail today Martin Samuel wrote “it would make a refreshing change if just once Barcelona could win this tournament without being set on their way by the obliging incompetence of a match official. For the clueless Tom Henning Ovrebo against Chelsea in 2009, read the merciless Massimo Busacca in 2011.”To some, particularly Arsene Wenger, the outcome would have been markedly different had Van Persie stayed on the pitch. However, the outcome could also have been markedly different had Leo Messi’s marginal offside call in the first leg been allowed or the same player been awarded a penalty before half-time.Mindful of this counter-balance as well as the copious conspiracy theories around referees and Uefa, we decided to look at all of the marginal calls involved in Barcelona’s Champions League knock-out games under Pep Guardiola. The point was not to express judgment on any of them, merely to lay them out and say whether they went for or against Barcelona.As ever, it appears accusations of bias on either side are illusory. The marginal calls generally even out.Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea, 2009 SFAgainst Barcelona 0-1Jose Bosingwa grabs Thierry Henry in the box. Penalty appeal turned down.Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, 2009 SFFor Barcelona 1-1Dani Alves tugs Florent Malouda who falls around edge of box. Ref rules outside.Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, 2009 SFFor Barcelona 2-1Eric Abidal tugs Didier Drogba’s shirt as the striker goes through on goal. No penalty or red card.Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, 2009 SFAgainst Barcelona 2-2Aric Abidal sent off for colliding with Nicolas Anelka.Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, 2009 SFFor Barcelona 3-2Ball hits Gerard Pique’s hand in the box. No penalty given.Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona, 2009 SFFor Barcelona 4-2Ball hits Seydou Keita’s arm in the box. No penalty given.Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona, 2010 QFAgainst Barcelona 4-3Carlos Puyol and Cesc Fabregas collide. Penalty given, Puyol sent offInter 3-1 Barcelona, 2010 SFFor Barcelona 5-3Samuel Eto’o in through on goal only to be called for offside in borderline decision.Inter 3-1 Barcelona, 2010 SFAgainst Barcelona 5-4Milito in offside position when Sneijder takes preceding touch. Scores and goal given.Inter 3-1 Barcelona, 2010 SFAgainst Barcelona 5-5Wesley Sneijder brings down Dani Alves in the box. Alves booked for diving.Barcelona 1-0 Inter, 2010 SFFor Barcelona 6-5Sergio Busquets goes down after Thiago Motta palms face. Notoriously peeks at referee. Motta is sent off.Barcelona 1-0 Inter, 2010 SFAgainst Barcelona 6-6Bojan Krkic scores but goal disallowed because ball struck Yaya Toure’s arm. Debate over “ball to hand” ensues.Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona, 2011 last-16Against Barcelona 6-7Leo Messi scores but goal disallowed for offside. Replays suggest it was onside.Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal, 2011 last-16Against Barcelona 6-8Leo Messi brought down on edge of box. Penalty not given.Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal, 2011 last-16For Barcelona 7-8Robin Van Persie given second booking for shooting after whistle had blown.

[Creed Diskenth]

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Mourinho got his tactics wrong, cos once again he had a man sent off... Pepe shouldn't have gone for that, but the guy had previous.

:unsure:Not serious.

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

I see Mourinhos plan and hearing his rant i feel his painbut when you bring on adebayor instead of benzema, higauin or kaka you deserve iti know he wanted to rope a dope..... that was his game plan

All of this. (Id never hearsd this 'rope a dope' term before Sky commos on tuesday)/Refs are just humans. They have also seemingly developed a soft spot for barcas style of play, like the rest of europe. and imo it clouds their judgements. They are seen as squeaky clean.IMO Jose should try highlighting how much of a diving, whinging team they are to try and swing peoples opinion. Guess thats kinda hard when you got Ronnie and Di maria in your team though

[Michel Kane]

I see Mourinhos plan and hearing his rant i feel his painbut when you bring on adebayor instead of benzema, higauin or kaka you deserve iti know he wanted to rope a dope..... that was his game plan

All of this. (Id never hearsd this 'rope a dope' term before Sky commos on tuesday)/Refs are just humans. They have also seemingly developed a soft spot for barcas style of play, like the rest of europe. and imo it clouds their judgements. They are seen as squeaky clean.IMO Jose should try highlighting how much of a diving, whinging team they are to try and swing peoples opinion. Guess thats kinda hard when you got Ronnie and Di maria in your team though

Oh, you forgot about Marcelo, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, etc.

[Captain Planet]

Preach Jose

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

@ Kane, There you go then...

[Flojo]

Marcelo is rising up the ranks of the pricks within football list at an alarming rate.Ramos has got some deep rooted hatred for Messi, certain times he looks like he wants to kill him. The fact Messi seemingly couldn't give a sh*t and will humbly done the dance is hilarious.