Champions League final one for the ages
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 28 May 2009 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Barcelona football, Champions League, Chelsea football, European Cup, football, Manchester United, UEFA, World Football
Manchester United's Anderson, left, gestures as teammate Carlos Tevez looks on, during a training session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final match between Manchester United and Barcelona, at the Rome Olympic stadium, Tuesday, May 26, 2009. AP Photo/Jon Super
The suggestion that UEFA conspired to knock Chelsea out of the Champions League can be put to rest. The inference that Europe’s governing body were desperate for an historically important final is a joke. UEFA proved long ago that they care little for history by revamping the European Cup in the first place.
When UEFA introduced a group stage to what was then the European Cup in 1992-93 – thereby creating the re-branded Champions League – it signalled an awareness that football had transcended its working class roots and become a multi-million dollar industry in its own right.
And while the face of European football has changed irrevocably, from the loss of the Cup Winner’s Cup to the G14 and beyond, few could begrudge the purists for purring in anticipation as Manchester United squared up to Barcelona in Rome.
When the dust settles on what was hopefully an epic Champions League final overnight, all the talk will be of the showdown between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Few will still be grumbling about conspiracy theories – the odd Chelsea fan aside.
My friend Morten is a life-long fan of Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt, and having long ago relocated to Oslo, he often flies home and away to support his team.
After one particularly galling defeat away at Aalesunds last year, he fumed at having to share the same plane home as the referee – whom Morten labelled “incompetent.”
The referee in question? None other than Tom Henning Ovrebo.
But Ovrebo’s performance in the semi-final, second-leg between Chelsea and Barcelona will be confined to the annals of history by the time United and the Catalans run out at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Hopefully it’s a final that lives up to all the hype – particularly after last year’s showpiece event fell slightly short in Moscow.
Any doubts as to the global significance of the Champions League final should be dispelled by the size of the media circus that descended upon Rome.
If you flicked on CNN or the BBC in the build-up to the game, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the world was about to stop turning – at least for ninety minutes.
Given the calibre of the two clubs in question, it’s no surprise that interest in this year’s final reached such frenzied proportions.
Manchester United need no introduction, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side hoping to become the first team to defend a Champions League title since the introduction of the new format.
Likewise, Barcelona are one of the biggest names in world football.
But it’s the style of football on display from Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering outfit that has everybody talking.
I’ve been lucky enough to catch most of Barça’s games on pay TV this year and while critics swooned over their 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid this month, the Catalans were equally ruthless in coming from behind to hammer Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the recent Spanish Cup final.
Their free-flowing football has drawn widespread acclaim, even if their tendency to pontificate endlessly as flag-bearers of Catalan nationalism irks some – not the least their diametrically opposed city rivals Espanyol.
For neutrals the showdown between United and Barça represents a dream finale to what is undoubtedly the premier football competition in Europe.
UEFA supremo Michel Platini may be determined to strip back some power from Europe’s biggest clubs – not surprising, since former champions like Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade are these days largely forgotten – but even Platini must be pleased with the grandiose match-up between two of Europe’s undisputed elite.
Here’s hoping the 2009 Champions League final is remembered first and foremost for the football on the pitch.
The Stadio Olimpico is a notorious hotspot for hooliganism, and Roman police rarely hesitate to wade in with batons swinging – particularly when English fans are involved.
One thing is certain: this year’s Champions League final is one for the ages – if only for the unprecedented media coverage it has generated across the globe.
Hopefully the game itself lived up to all expectations.
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May 28th 2009 @ 9:56am
Slippery Jim said | May 28th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Pippu, I never claimed a wild conspiracy was afoot the way you did, I just call it as it is – the worst refereeing performance by a group of officials in living memory. I think you’ll find Guus Hiddink agrees with me on that one.
By the way, none of your points have anything to do with football, and have nothing to do with the final, or the semi final.
May 28th 2009 @ 9:58am
Pippinu said | May 28th 2009 @ 9:58am | Report comment
sj
my points have everything to do with the claim that Barca is just another big, rich club – I’m saying they’re different and are worthy of our veneration.
May 28th 2009 @ 10:01am
Midfielder said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Pip
I know more like an AFL club in many ways but they still are not poor and spend a dollar or two … and the city of B and many business have given Barca a decent amount of coin over the years … Also no sponsor on their shirt I know it all .. but today they played a magic game they won and they won in style
May 28th 2009 @ 10:02am
dasilva said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
Great match and great result.
Manchester United seem to lost all their fight after the first goal.
Pippinu is right
Barcelona are the ultimate role models of what a club should be like.
People may dispute whether they are the best club or deserved to be in the final or not but I believe the Barcelona model is something to admire and perhaps emulate in the future in Australia.
May 28th 2009 @ 10:14am
Pippinu said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
It’s a bit like Brazil – who has a bad thing to say about Brazil??!!
May 28th 2009 @ 10:17am
Jesse Fink said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Hahahahahahahahahaha!
Mike, or “Tuckerman” as you are referred to here, it seems we have a one-eyed Chelsea supporter on here who is still crying into his muesli. Poor diddums.
Oh the comedy to be mined in the statement: “In the second match Chelsea scored against Barcelona, a goal of sublime technical skill, and denied them a single shot on goal in the ninety minutes, with of course Barca’s flukey scuffed goal coming only in the third minute of extra time.”
Of course! Chelsea’s Essien goal wasn’t flukey, but Barcelona’s Iniesta one was. Of course! Despite both goals being laid up on a plate from miscues from opposing players.
Congratulations to Barcelona and congratulations to you, Mike, for the great stuff you’ve been churning out for The Roar. Keep it up.
May 28th 2009 @ 10:23am
Colin N said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
“Pippinu is right
Barcelona are the ultimate role models of what a club should be like.”
I’m sorry, but when a team dives and cheats like Barcelona do and hound the ref at every decision, they don’t deserve respect in my opinion. May I also add how it was strange that Xavi wasn’t charged for describing the refereeing performance in the first leg of the semi-final as ‘worse than deplorable.’
They may play beautiful football, but when players like Puyol feign injury at every opportunity and try and get fellow players booked (and succeed), then it makes them very difficult to like.
May 28th 2009 @ 10:24am
Slippery Jim said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:24am | Report comment
Ha ha! Well played Jesse. But I can’t help thinking that now you are stalking me?!
May 28th 2009 @ 10:37am
dasilva said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:37am | Report comment
Colin N
Barcelona aren’t perfect
Too be honest I seen most big clubs do it as well.
Ronaldo dives and fake injuries. Manchester has been guilty of hounding referees in the past
Fergurson has question referees decisions in press conference before and insinuate bias as well as confront referee on the pitch.
The unsporting behaviour that barcelona demonstrated are the problem with the sport as a whole rather then specifically a barcelona issue.
The role model comment is more of the structure of the club and their youth development as well as style of football.
May 28th 2009 @ 10:42am
Pippinu said | May 28th 2009 @ 10:42am | Report comment
Doesn’t Chelsea have a reputation of hounding refs?