Champions League Thread & Superbru Pool 2021-22

[PeteC]

Champions League final moved from Russia to Paris

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60520933

The 2022 Champions League final will be played in Paris after Russia was stripped of the match following the nation's invasion of Ukraine.

The final of Europe's most prestigious club competition was due to be played in St Petersburg on 28 May.

Following a meeting on Friday, Uefa confirmed the match would not be held at the Gazprom Arena.

Instead the European football governing body has decided it will be staged at the Stade de France in Paris.

Uefa expressed "thanks and appreciation" to French President Emmanuel Macron for "his personal support and commitment to have European club football's most prestigious game moved to France at a time of unparalleled crisis".

It added: "Together with the French government, Uefa will fully support multi-stakeholder efforts to ensure the provision of rescue for football players and their families in Ukraine who face dire human suffering, destruction and displacement."

At Friday's meeting, Uefa also ordered Russian and Ukrainian clubs and national teams to play their home matches away from the region.

Spartak Moscow are the only Russian team left in European club competition this season, having reached the Europa League last 16.

They will find out their opponents - with Scottish Premiership champions Rangers one of the clubs they could be paired with - when the draw takes place at 11:00 GMT.

Spartak, along with other Russian and Ukrainian sides, will "be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice", said Uefa.

Russia and Ukraine are both scheduled to play 2022 men's World Cup play-off matches in March, with world governing body Fifa saying on Thursday it was monitoring the situation in the region.

Russia are due to host Poland in Moscow on 24 March, while Ukraine travel to Scotland on the same day.
Uefa does not address Gazprom relationship

In the statement announcing its decisions, Uefa did not mention its relationship with Russian state-run gas giant Gazprom.

Gazprom is one of Uefa's major sponsors in a long-term deal worth about £30m, as well as holding the naming rights for St Petersburg's 68,000-capacity stadium.

Gazprom is also the main sponsor of German club Schalke, who announced on Thursday the logo of the company would be removed from the club's shirts.

Alex Phillips, a former Uefa executive and now an independent adviser to Fifa, said Uefa will have to "seriously revise who they accept sponsorships with".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "When I was at Uefa I was head of compliance and I wrote a series of regulations recommending that this sort of relationship should be, at the very least, out in the open and regulated."

[PeteC]

Quarter Finals - 1st Leg standings

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[Dannie Boy]

Surprised that nobody has commented about Chelsea’s performance last night - I only watched the highlights but both that and the statistics show that they were unfortunate to get knocked out despite winning last night, there’s not a lot of consolation once out, but they can at least say that they upped their game considerably from the first leg 1-3 defeat.

[PeteC]

How wonderful did everyone do on this one! Four should have a cap, and four should have spoons. They haven't sorted it that way.

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Quarter Finals- 2nd Leg

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[Dannie Boy]

As for last nights games, both Liverpool and Man City progressed through to the semi-finals, Liverpool a bit more comfortably than City, where apparently Athletico Madrid let themselves down in the last 10 minutes resulting in chaos including many altercations and one of their players Felipe, being sent off towards the end.

[caller]

Surprised that nobody has commented about Chelsea’s performance last night

I think that just as for the superbru premier league and actual premier thread, the actucal Euro competitions and superbru league thread, need to be separated.

[PeteC]

^ Next season.

[Lost]

Liverpool closing in on their third final in five years.

Bit sickening really. All I can do is throw a 'bin-dipper' insult at them. Attach a picture like this or similar.

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Makes me feel worse that, actually. Petty.

[pharvey]

By far the better team - should have been 4 or 5-0. Will take City in the final.

[Lost]

Bit sickening really. All I can do is throw a 'bin-dipper' insult at them. Attach a picture like this or similar

For those who may not have understood the reference there - folks from the US maybe, like Pete, or those who prefer an oval-shaped ball game, like Pete.

In Liverpool there aren't any supermarkets, grocers or restaurants. The population there survive by foraging through bins, gnawing on the leftovers of passers by. In evolutionary terms, they're akin to the early primate Ardi. Thus the term, 'bin-dippers'.

If you Google the term, before you even finish...

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[Lost]

By far the better team - should have been 4 or 5-0. Will take City in the final.

True. Hope City win, mind. Even better, Real Madrid!

[PeteC]

Nope, it will be Liverpool. A box of Crempogs and Borscht is my bet.

[Lost]

Nope, it will be Liverpool. A box of Crempogs and Borscht is my bet.

I will see your Crempogs and Borscht and raise you an English beans on toast and som tam. City or Real Madrid for the win.

[Dannie Boy]

Well I’ll be rooting for Liverpool and I think they have a pretty good chance of getting there - watching the highlights they were totally dominant and could/should have won more comfortably making the second leg a formality, now they have to be on their toes.

The night before, the Man City/RM game was a classic but with just the one goal advantage, City will find it tough in the away leg, but it would be good to see them get through and another clash between these two titans!!

[PeteC]

Semi Finals - Leg #1

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