2012/13 UEFA Champions League thread

[MDK]

Villa makes it three!

You won't hear that in the Prem thread

[DavidMarrio]

Dear Andy Townsend

I do not care if the Spanish commentator is blowing kisses at you and you are trying to move away from him. Please just talk about the match

Thanks

Viewer.

[Thrilla]

I was wondering about the other commentary I could hear though.

[Benjamin]

Dear Andy Townsend

I do not care if the Spanish commentator is blowing kisses at you and you are trying to move away from him. Please just talk about the match

Thanks

Viewer.

That's not as bad as the guy I'm listening to. Yes, I know that Flamini used to play for Arsenal, how many fucking times must you tell me?

[MJB]

Jordi Alba is amazing.

[Dan]

YES! GALATASARY!

[MDK]

EXTRA DONER MEAT!

[Matt]

YES! GALATASARY!

[Lineker]

Stonking!

YES! GALATASARY!

[Dan]

YES! GALATASARY!

:/ Why roll eyes? It was great.

[MDK]

Great great

[Matt]

YES! GALATASARY!

:/ Why roll eyes? It was great.

Cheering for a set of murderous hooligans makes you a bit of a cunt.

[Dan]

Because the acts of a section of the fans defines the whole club? :/

[Colly]

Pretty much.

[Matt]

We've been through this before, this isn't some minority of their crowd, it's a large section of their fanbase that are involved in hooliganism and it follows them everywhere they go - fuck, there was rioting a month after the Leeds fan murders when they faced Arsenal. The fanbase glorify the murders of Chris and Kevin and the club themselves have never shown any remorse or taken any sort of responsibility, they simply washed their hands and stuck their hand in the sand. The Galatasaray management not only refused to postpone the game or have a minute's silence, but they refused to wear black armbands in either leg of the game. There were even outcries from their fans when the murderer got sentenced because he was just "passionate".

It's not just a section of the fans, it's the club.

[Lineker]

But on the other hand, myke got extra meat in his keab. You can't help but not be a little happy that they won, for this reason if nothing else.

[Adam]

I think we;ve covered the Matt Galatasary hate plenty of times before. It's understandable if not predictable.

And I can't believe I missed my opportunity to gloat at Lineker that Rovers beat Bournemouth at the weekend. Balls.

[Lineker]

Poor show.

[Lineker]

In its latest move to achieve sporting dominance, Qatar will launch the ‘Dream Football League’ (DFL) next month, featuring some of the world’s top football clubs, according to The Times.

The British newspaper said that the DFL, which is backed by the Qatari royal family, will be held every two years in Qatar and neighbouring Gulf states. The DFL would be a clear rival to existing competitions like FIFA’s Champions League.

Elite clubs such as Manchester United and Barcelona could be offered as much as US$261m on a two-year basis, the Times said, dwarfing receipts from the Champions League, where current champions Chelsea picked up US$70m in prize money last year.

The report suggested that 16 clubs could become ‘permanent members’ of the DFL, with a further eight clubs competing on an invitational basis.

The tournament, which The Times said could be held in Qatar and six cities across the Gulf – including those in the UAE – would be held in the summer, offering a way to test Qatar’s plans to provide air conditioned stadiums and facilities for fans.

The Gulf state is set to host the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2022, and has faced criticism about the tournament being played in the hot summer months.

“These people have already shown that, if they want something to happen, they will throw enough money at it to make it happen,” one source close to the project told The Times. “And the football industry has shown that everything can be bought for the right price.”

Qatar is spending billions of dollars in upgrading its infrastructure ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Apart from new stadiums, the country is also building a railway network, a metro line for the capital,

Doha and upgrades for its roads and bridges. A new US$15.5bn airport, Hamad International Airport, will open next month.

Aside from the World Cup, Qatar has also invested heavily in Paris St Germain, the French Ligue 1 side. Currently top of the French League, the Gulf state has brought the likes of David Beckham, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris.

[Summers]

That's mad cash. Ffs.