European Football Thread

[Keystone Phil]

Napoli wins!

I knew it. I just knew it would happen today. It was so appropriate that they (on a fourteen game losing/tie streak) beat the champions (who have only lost three or four games all season) on the day when I couldn't follow/watch it live. Go figure!

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. 

[Silent Hunter]

Going to be an interesting last day in the English Premier League.

I hope Sunderland stay up. We'll actually be sending someone down in all likelihood- Middlesbrough.

[minionofmidas]

I hope Sunderland stay up.

Yeah,if they go down after all that might finish Al off.

Hope he's back soon.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I never thought I'd be so happy immediately after losing to Chelsea...

[minionofmidas]

HE'S POSTING AGAIN!

And you found the only hint I dropped in public right away! Though I told Afleitch via pm, too.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

HE'S POSTING AGAIN!

Yep. Feels almost strange to do normal things again, actually.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

(Chelsea fan) Rooting great guns for United tonight.

[Keystone Phil]

I was worried about the strong start by United and then, almost out of no where, Barcelona scores.   Lovely start.

[GMantis]

I was worried about the strong start by United and then, almost out of no where, Barcelona scores.   Lovely start.

I agree -  a rare event indeed

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

3 mins remaining........

A München scenario for Manchester...??

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

...no.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Bother

[minionofmidas]

And good rcomparatively harmless triumphs over evil on three consecutive rounds! (Though the evils got consecutively smaller)

[Keystone Phil]

The best part, of course, came at the end when we got to see Silvio up there.    Fini was even on the stage (but sort of behind Platini)! Barcelona's coach even went out of his way to shake his hand!

[Silent Hunter]

HE'S POSTING AGAIN!

Yep. Feels almost strange to do normal things again, actually.

Love your signature image. Girls Aloud could play better than some Newcastle players.

(For those of you in the US and elsewhere, they're a Geordie pop group. You may have heard of Cheryl Cole).

[Tetro Kornbluth]

The best part, of course, came at the end when we got to see Silvio up there.    Fini was even on the stage (but sort of behind Platini)! Barcelona's coach even went out of his way to shake his hand!

I know you will take offense to this Phil, but as odious as Berlusconi is in Politics, he's even more odious in Football...

I also mimic what Lewis said, except in my view the scales of evil were ever increasing from the Quarter Finals onwards. Though who: Chelsea or Man Utd is more evil is difficult to decide.

[Keystone Phil]

The best part, of course, came at the end when we got to see Silvio up there.    Fini was even on the stage (but sort of behind Platini)! Barcelona's coach even went out of his way to shake his hand!

I know you will take offense to this Phil, but as odious as Berlusconi is in Politics, he's even more odious in Football...

Hey, I don't care. I'm a Napoli fan. 

[Silent Hunter]

The best part, of course, came at the end when we got to see Silvio up there.    Fini was even on the stage (but sort of behind Platini)! Barcelona's coach even went out of his way to shake his hand!

I know you will take offense to this Phil, but as odious as Berlusconi is in Politics, he's even more odious in Football...

I also mimic what Lewis said, except in my view the scales of evil were ever increasing from the Quarter Finals onwards. Though who: Chelsea or Man Utd is more evil is difficult to decide.

That's not difficult. It's United.

[minionofmidas]

United has been very very big even before the Big Evil Three-and-a-Half crystallized for good.

Besides, they still have a couple of players (Giggs, Scholes) who've been there for decades and were actually locally raised. And they beat Bayern on those fateful two minutes ten years and a couple of days ago. That's gotta count for something.

Speaking of ten years ago... The greatest day in World History.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu%C3%9Fball-Bundesliga_1998%E2%80%9399

http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=321583

http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=321593

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH1Ihv9k9Ss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW5jiPvsDc8&feature=related

[GMantis]

United has been very very big even before the Big Evil Three-and-a-Half crystallized for good.

Besides, they still have a couple of players (Giggs, Scholes) who've been there for decades and were actually locally raised. And they beat Bayern on those fateful two minutes ten years and a couple of days ago. That's gotta count for something.

Speaking of ten years ago... The greatest day in World History.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu%C3%9Fball-Bundesliga_1998%E2%80%9399

http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=321583

http://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=321593

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH1Ihv9k9Ss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH1Ihv9k9Ss

Eintracht won by the minimum margin they needed to overcome Nuremberg by goal difference? If this wasn't Germany and Kaiserslautern wasn't trying to get into the Champions league, this could have raised interesting questions
While this was dramatic, the greatest day in World History wasn't 29 May 1999, but 17 November 1993:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Kostadinov
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpwNv29XbbQ&feature=related

[minionofmidas]

Eintracht won by the minimum margin they needed to overcome Nuremberg by goal difference? If this wasn't Germany and Kaiserslautern wasn't trying to get into the Champions league, this could have raised interesting questions

Yes. Also note when we scored all those goals, and take out your pocket calculator and look at where Nuremberg stood in the table after 33 rounds.
Lautern basically gave themselves up after the 2-1. It was a scorching hot day.

And of course that 5-1... on the 89th minute when you're still missing a goal to stay in... I still can't believe it.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

United has been very very big even before the Big Evil Three-and-a-Half crystallized for good.

Besides, they still have a couple of players (Giggs, Scholes) who've been there for decades and were actually locally raised. And they beat Bayern on those fateful two minutes ten years and a couple of days ago. That's gotta count for something.

I still can't believe it's now 10 years ago... talk about "it felt like only yesterday" (the European Cup final, not Frankfurt staying up ;p). Will I get into your bad books Lewis to say at the 89th Minute of the game my 11 year old self was getting ready to celebrate Bayern's imminent victory against the forces of darkness?

As for the earlier comment, United were always big in terms of supporters, even during that season in the 1970s (1974-75?) when they played in the second division they got some of the biggest crowds in the country. Even before the 90s United were probably the second most supported club in Ireland, behind Liverpool (that's switched now obviously).

But in terms of actual trophies not so much, obviously there was the European Cup but Nottingham Forest won that (twice!) and they also had to wait 26 years for their 8th league title in 1993; When Ferguson took over they were behind Everton and level with Aston Villa in the all time list. Now they are level 1st.

[minionofmidas]

United has been very very big even before the Big Evil Three-and-a-Half crystallized for good.

Besides, they still have a couple of players (Giggs, Scholes) who've been there for decades and were actually locally raised. And they beat Bayern on those fateful two minutes ten years and a couple of days ago. That's gotta count for something.

I still can't believe it's now 10 years ago... talk about "it felt like only yesterday" (the European Cup final, not Frankfurt staying up ;p). Will I get into your bad books Lewis to say at the 89th Minute of the game my 11 year old self was getting ready to celebrate Bayern's imminent victory against the forces of darkness?
 

No. You don't know Bayern the way we do.
But for not caring about Frankfurt staying up that year, you do. Get into my bad books.
Here's one of them:

[Landslide Lyndon]

Some fun facts about the final:

1)It was the first time a final ended 2-0 since 1972 when Ajax beat Inter at Roterdam with the same score.

2)All three coaches who led Barcelona to victory, had already won the trophy as players (Cryuff, Rijkaard, Guardiola).

3)It was Manchester United's first defeat since May 2007 when they lost their semifinal against Milan in ''San Siro'' against Milan.

4)Barcelona became the first spanish team ever to achive the Treble.

5)Barcelona scored 32 goals on her way to the top, a record for a European champion. The previous best was Manchester United from 1999 (29 goals). But United played just 11 games instead of Barca's 13, so they still have the best average (2,63 against 2,46 for Barcelona).  

[Tetro Kornbluth]

United has been very very big even before the Big Evil Three-and-a-Half crystallized for good.

Besides, they still have a couple of players (Giggs, Scholes) who've been there for decades and were actually locally raised. And they beat Bayern on those fateful two minutes ten years and a couple of days ago. That's gotta count for something.

I still can't believe it's now 10 years ago... talk about "it felt like only yesterday" (the European Cup final, not Frankfurt staying up ;p). Will I get into your bad books Lewis to say at the 89th Minute of the game my 11 year old self was getting ready to celebrate Bayern's imminent victory against the forces of darkness?
 

No. You don't know Bayern the way we do.
But for not caring about Frankfurt staying up that year, you do. Get into my bad books.
Here's one of them:

I never said I didn't care about Frankfurt staying up; just I don't remember it. Different.

And Encyclopedia Brown? (Funny as always o/c, and painfully true in a way).

The Bundesliga seems to often end dramatically though.