UEFA Champions League 2013/2014

Rentalkid said:
As someone who watches every Bayern game as well as as many Dortmund games I can catch: Lewandowski is just so much better than Mandzukic in every regard. I do not have anything against our current number 9, but Lewy is, hands down, in another league. A+ player.
And it's a free transfer! :P
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Have to agree. Just hope Bayern let him go to a top side team. Such a waste if he ends on the bench.
 
Barça had a few changes and looked like the "old" barça at the begining of the second half. But since Diego enter on the pitch it was Atleti all over again. Great Simeone, beat Martino in ever aspect, they really played like a team. Barça losing the game, did looked like Barça at all, the calm, composed team that always believes in their way of play. Just hope Tito Vilanova could get well to return to the bench. I believe this generation still can give something more.
 
S-NipE said:
Because he's coming for free and another good player. Although I personally rate Mandzukic higher than him.
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Both are good players Mandzukic is just proven w/ Munich.

Anyhow, Surprise result for Simone`s men or not! Moyes fell short and made Bayer mad. Although I think Moyes grew as a manager this season.
 
Kanouté said:
bayern don't have a messi
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That is why Bayern is stronger than barca!

Barca depends too much on messi like real on cr7.
Bayern has no special player that can not be replaced.
Another reason for me why i believe they will defend their title.
Bayern - Atletico would be a great final...
 
Atletico deserved it. Definitely the most amazing story this year. I hope they can take their domestic league's championship and, if Bayern won't make it, grab the CL trophy as well. That'd be something else.

Semis without Barca - not impossible after all. :P
 
Well, this Atletico makes me remember Mourinho's Porto in 2004. Its a smaller team than the other ones in CL but they are playing as good as the others. Maybe better! They are a unit and very organized team. In 2004 Porto surprise everybody and won CL... who knows if Atletico will win it this year? A huge candidate in my opinion!

Let's wait and see. I think that they can win against Madrid or Chelsea, just not against Bayern. Lets see which team they will face in the semi finals.

And about the match against Barcelona, Atletico definitely deserved win! This players are fighters!
 
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Atletico players looked hungry, that made the difference tonight. They fought on every ball, impressive performance by them.
 
Spain's All-time leading scorer still doing this thing! :WORSHIP:

It's a shame the woodwork kept him from scoring a couple against the team that let him go.
 
Thouroughly deserved by Atletico. Their spirit ressembles so much of Diego Simeone's own personality as a player (if you remember his playing days).
Even without Arda Turan and Diego Costa they made it, largely due to a great suffocating start. Barcelona were sucker punched there, that won the game to Atletico, and it could have been more if those shots went in, instead off the woodwork.

Barcelona seems in a limbo right now. They're not the same as in Guardiola's period, they're just a pale memory of that old team. They retain a lot of that old philosophy but they lost so much of the organisation. Oh, and the lack of centre backs is appaling too. How did they let it come to this?
Tata Martino doesn't seem capable of drilling the players to execute what he wants, or worse, he doesn't know exactly what he wants from the team. It seems he's just reaping the last benefits of that legacy, but not making the most of it.
I think he should be off in the summer.
 
Well, Atletico proved tonight that there is something more important than have the greatest players of the world in a team in football: having a group that knows that if they work harder, if they fight using all their forces, they will have their recompense! Great message passed by this brilliant team tonight!!

About Tata Martino, i agree that he should get sacked this summer. He made a big mistake: he tried to change Barcelona style. He can't do that, because that players after so many years playing that way, can't get the best results playing differently. And tonight's game is the prove that Tata is wrong and Barcelona needs a new manager next season!
 
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I like Tata , he needs time to adjust. You need to take note that injuries sort of did this to Barça . A well oiled machine can sometimes get dirt and causes things to slip. It's bad form in a crucial time and they can concentrate on the domestic front w/ both Madrids still in the hunt for CL. Crown.
 
bebo said:
I like Tata , he needs time to adjust. You need to take note that injuries sort of did this to Barça . A well oiled machine can sometimes get dirt and causes things to slip. It's bad form in a crucial time and they can concentrate on the domestic front w/ both Madrids still in the hunt for CL. Crown.
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I love Barça, and i hope they win La Liga! Maybe you are right when you say Tata needs time to adjust, i don't know...
 
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Class from both teams, amineken.
Over the moon that Atletico went through.
Villa was unlucky, but in the second half Atletico were wasteful with their counter chances.

In the second half Courtois made one fantastic save, a couple of secondes later he was lucky.
I also saw one phenomenal pass by Xavi.
Fabregas looked a much better player when he was at Arsenal.
Messi played a bad match.
 
gerd said:
Class from both teams, amineken.
Over the moon that Atletico went through.
Villa was unlucky, but in the second half Atletico were wasteful with their counter chances.

In the second half Courtois made one fantastic save, a couple of secondes later he was lucky.
I also saw one phenomenal pass by Xavi.
Fabregas looked a much better player when he was at Arsenal.
Messi played a bad match.
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About Fabregas:
Yes, i share your opinion. Fabregas is one of the best midfielders in the world.

About Messi:
Everybody knows, or should know that when Messi isn't the Messi that we know, Barcelona isn't Barcelona that we know...
 
Messi ran just 1.5Km more than Pinto. And half what Koke ran. That surely shows something.

Pep's Barça was built around possession + suffocating pressure to win back the ball and regain possession. This is a team full of talented players, top-class passers that need the ball to execute. These guys are 5+ years older now, they can't push the same crazy, obnoxious way they did in the past. It's either you give way to the next generation, or you change your style.

Atleti is built around Simeone's mentality, which goes back to his days with Sevilla under Bilardo: do whatever it takes to win the ball, win every clash, pressure every move, never rest. If you work twice as hard as the best teams, you may get the same chances to win. And it's working: leading in La Liga, unbeaten in the Champions League, lost Spanish Cup semis against Real Madrid on their only weak game... Played Barcelona five times this season, lost none of those games. Their only shortcoming is that they clearly depend on scoring first. If they concede an early goal they have to fight twice as hard as they usually do, and they may run out of gas early.

I see Atlético having an infinite amount of faith in their system and their coach now. They destroyed AC Milan, dominated Barcelona, reached the first UCL semis in 40years, are the current holders of the Spanish Cup, two UEFA cups in the past years, and commanding La Liga. I don't see my team (Real Madrid) making it to the final this year. Therefore I'd love to see Atleti lift the trophy they deserved back in '74 vs Bayern and get their place in history. Much lesser teams have won the UCL, now its their time.
 
Gedtillo,

I agree with you about RM.
I also don't see them in the final.
we have so many flaws, even in our specialty "attacking".
well organized teams can easily annoy RM's deffense.
they also can stop Madrid's attacking force, because we lack mobility, ball calling is weak, players almost walk when the ball is with a midfielder waiting for someone to call the ball correctly.
 
if atlético were to draw chelsea in semi-final it gonna cost them €6m for them to use their goalkeeper:LOL:
 
I think it is true, clubs like Madrid also do this with all the loaned players, and I think it's pathetic that UEFA and FIFA allow this sort of contracts which adulterate the competition.

There's clearly the need of reorganizing and structuring football and try to create something remotely similar to the NBA, a serious organization compared to the circus of football.
 
That's a contract clause, Atlético were well aware of it since the summer when they wanted to get another loan on him.
I don't see anything wrong with it, we hold the rights to his contract and we're allowed to protect our investment.

I think that it's pretty disgusting that people are trying to play the pity card, if they really wanted him, they would've bought him. Atlético had money after they sold Falcao this summer, we were prepared to let him go for fair value, but they chose otherwise. Who's fault is it?
 
What's a "fair value" when you consider the fact that Atlético developed him and secured his progression through top level matching? I'd say half market value would be "fair" in that respect. I know there's a difference between "legal fairness" and "ethical fairness" so don't even get started on that business. I'm obviously on the ethical side of things.
 
I know it's a contract clause, what I'm saying is that it's a disgrace this clauses are even allowed.

In my oppinion, if you buy a player but don't use it and want to loan it, at least be brave enough to let him play against you. It's not "protecting the investment", that's bullshit. It's cowardice and wanting privilege if you play against that club. It's unethical and a lack of respect for the rest of clubs in the competition.

And in my oppinion this shouldn't happen at all. Otherwise it's and adulteration of the competition.
 
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drekkard said:
I know it's a contract clause, what I'm saying is that it's a disgrace this clauses are even allowed.
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Really? So how about that Thiago clause, should it be allowed too?

drekkard said:
...It's not "protecting the investment", that's bullshit. It's cowardice and wanting privilege if you play against that club. It's unethical and a lack of respect for the rest of clubs in the competition...
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You think so? When you let your investment backfire, that's on you.
These are only cautionary measures that are here to prevent the damage as much as possible. What you call it: cowardness, I call: smart investing.
You also should be the last one talking about things being "ethical" giving all the sleazy things your club done/does/will do.

When can sit here and argue all day, but there is one fact: Atlético agreed with all terms, and that's the most important here. It's irrevocable now, so they might as well deal with it (If it we were to meet, which is still an "IF").


On a more related subject to this thread, some impressive numbers here:

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Contract clause or not, to me it is simple: Chelsea loaned out Courtois to Atletico because they think he is not good enough to play for them.
Well, if he's not good enough for them, then they should not be afraid of him when he plays against them...
That is the logic behind loans.

I'm one of the people who have often defended Chelsea, i am one of the few people here who genuinely like Chelsea. To me, this has nothing to do with Courtois or with Chelsea. I would say exactly the same thing for the players that my favourite teams have loaned out. It is question of principle.

And Amineken, don't take this personal: "protecting investment" ? We are talking about a club that is financially a joke. A club that still makes losses, a club that still pays 27 managers (i'm exagerating of course, but you get my drift). Chelsea honestly don't care about being financially sound. This has nothing to do with investment.

I even agree with you that Atletico can't complain about this, because they damn knew very well about this when they signed the loan contract.

You know who have all the right to complain ? The millions of neutral football fans who want to see one of the best GK's in the world in action...Football is nothing without the global intrest of millions of people. Without the millions of football fans there would be no money to earn, there would be no investments to protect. This is about football as a spectacle with global appeal.

Courtois should play and Atletico should not have to pay Chelsea...and you can substitute Courtois, Atletico and Chelsea by what other names of football players or clubs.

Rant over. And i apologize for it.
 
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