Archives for category: Champions League

Learning from other sports

December 13, 2011 //

Learning from other sports is often a good exercise. I recently discussed how football could use a golf type handicap system to make the UEFA’s Financial Fair Play easier to apply for some of Europe’s most debt driven clubs. Football could also learn from tennis. I had already referred to this sport when debating on the current World Cup 1st round group stage which is contrary to the spirit of any cup type competition. The same applies to the Champions and Europa Leagues. If you are not backed up financially to double most positions on the pitch, your chances of winning these Cups is close to nil. The last time a less “prestigious” club won the Champions League was Porto back in 2003/04 and before that Dortmund in 1996/97. The first round group stage acts like a powerful filter to eliminate the less wealthy smaller teams. Luckily there are exceptions to this rule such as Apoel Nicosia this year.

With a knockout stage from the start like in tennis tournaments, the excitement of the potential elimination of a star club by an underdog is introduced back into the competition just as it was when it was called the European Champions Clubs’ Cup. I’m also in favor of just having one representative per country for the Champions League. Sounds logical for a Cup with that name right? The damn tv rights have pushed for up to 4 clubs from the most powerful championships participating in the Champions League thus paving the way to the group stage. However, the dismal quality of most of these first round games has started to erode the audiences of some of the leading European tv channels! I am ready to bet that this trend will continue as long as the UEFA doesn’t revert back to the original knockout system.

Maracanazos like to think that anything is possible!

Tags Knockout

Categories Champions League

Financial Fair Play: letter to Michel Platini

November 25, 2011 //

Dear Michel,

You do allow me to call you Michel I hope? I have seen you play at least a dozen times when I was a kid in the Parc des Princes and your unforgettable goals against Bulgaria, Yougoslavia, and Spain to list just a few. I consider you as my favorite player of all times.

I am all for your Financial fair play concept. I think it’s the right way to fix the major problem football has been running into since some years. You recently re-stated at the “Il Bello del Calcio” Gazzetta dello Sport Award the simple business concept that so many club owners have forgotten or don’t care about; don’t spend more than you earn! I would propose another option to your model that currently forbids any club in participating in the Champions League and Europa League if they don’t reach break-even by 2017 (and with maximum losses capped at different levels until then). The current financial fair play concept, if applied strictly, could well mean that clubs like Barça, Man United or Man City would risk not being able to participate in upcoming Champions or Europa Leagues. If you carry it through strictly, the level of participation could damage the overall quality of these tournaments which would then penalize the healthy clubs by generating less television and sponsorship revenues for them.

The Golf handicap model

Clubs with losses would still be able to participate but would start with a handicap in terms of negative points in the play-off round groups. The number of points below 0 would depend on the size of the loss. For example, a club with an annual loss of between €0 to €10 million would start the play-offs with -1 point, between €10 million and €50 million, -2 points, and so on. These numbers would need to be refined, it’s just the concept I am trying to explain here. In this scenario, you are not barring the entry to some of the prestigious loss making clubs but their chances of qualifying to the second round become much more difficult to attain. I feel this idea would bring the best of both worlds to the financial fair play concept but would still strongly encourage club owners to strive for financial health in the next coming years.

Maracanazos like to borrow from other sports.

Photo Credit: danperry.com

Tags Financial fair play, Michel Platini

Categories Champions League, Clubs

Is this the real Real?

April 28, 2011 //

Mourinho is a dangerous coach. The Real Madrid should be careful that this man doesn’t change the image and style that have contributed to the legend of the club. Mourinho has been hailed as the man who brings titles. That is true but the collateral damages can be terrible. Mourinho in his press conference yesterday evening incriminated the Barça, the refs and even Unicef…If If I were Mourinho, I would ask myself these questions:

How on earth do you think you can win a game against Barça playing the whole 2nd half of the Champions Leagie semi-final with a midfield composed of Diarra, Alonso and Pepe!! Do you see one creative player here? No, only 3 destruction weapons…
Don’t you obviously run a higher risk of getting players sent off when letting the ball 70% of the time to the Blaugrana? Don’t blame the referee for this. This is what happens to many teams that let the ball to the Barça. I’m sure a team who would try and fight much more for the ball possession would have much lower chances of having a player sent off.
Is a tactic that consists in hoping Ronaldo will score on a free kick or that the ball will land on Adebayor’s head sufficient against the Barça?
Why on earth do you let Lassana Diarra with the n°10 on his shirt? Puskas must be turning in his grave! This might seem like a minor point but it’s a symbolic one.

Florentino Perez should have a serious discussion with the Special One. Great clubs have built their success on staying true to their football philosophy. Real Madrid should not let Mourinho break over 109 years of history marked by a flamboyant, offensive and aristocratic approach to football.

Maracanazos are against foul play.

Categories Champions League, Clubs, Coaches, Uncategorized

Barça – Real: will Mourinho trap Guardiola again?

November 27, 2010 //

Will Monday’s Barça-Real reflect Mourinho’s renewed superiority over Guardiola during last year’s Champion’s League semi-final between Inter and Barça?

Maracanazos love clásicos!

Categories Champions League, Clubs

Nike World Cup ad

May 23, 2010 //

Nike does it again. I like the part with Federer!

PS : Got it wrong again yesterday with Inter – Bayern…

Maracanazos can smell the World Cup approaching.

Categories Ads, Champions League, Clubs, World Cup

Inter – Bayern: will the student overcome the teacher?

May 22, 2010 //

Mourinho was Van Gaal’s assistant at Barcelona a few years back. Now both can become the 3rd coach (after Hitzfeld and Happel) to win the Champions League with 2 different teams. Mourinho already won it with FC Porto and Van Gaal with Ajax Amsterdam.

Odds seem to be in favour with Inter who has already eliminated Chelsea and Barça on their route to the final. Mourinho is like a world class chess player; he always seeems to be a play ahead and has the ability of dissecting his opponent’s tactics.Mourinho seemingly wants to play a 4-4-2 tonight to complicate Robben’s life on the pitch.

Bayern have had a more rocky trip so far barely getting through the 1st round and playing a complicated quarter final against Man United. However, they have incredible resilience and Van Gaal is a master in bringing out the offensive potential of his teams.

I am and vote for Bayern. I have been in the stadium of 2 of their Champions League Cups (Bruxelles 1974 and Paris 1975). In 1974, they scored and tied during the last 30 seconds of the overtime against Atletico Madrid and won the 2nd match (at the time there were no penalty shootouts for finals, why don’t we go back to that system which is so much fairer M. Blatter!!). I predict a 2-1 win with goals by Olic and Robben.

This will be the first Champions League final between the 2 teams. Inter have won it twice and Bayern four times.

Maracanazos like to take sides.

Categories Champions League, Clubs

Premium Wordpress Plugin