⚽UEFA Champions League Discussion Thread -- 2021/22 winner - Real Madrid!

[Swordsoffreedom]

I think Messi drama comes to an end. He declared few hours ago that he will remain in Barcelona to avoid legal battles vs his club, although he mentioned his intention to leave months ago.

It is probably not a drama, mate. It may be true that he really wants to leave Barcelona. Unfortunately, he has no choice for now as the club may not allow him to go. You know that Barcelona may lose power if Messi leaves now. However, Messi already stated to stay and I think it is the time to end the rumor. Let's see what's happening in Barcelona in the next season with the captain (Messi) stays in the club. We expect that Barcelona still has the power to be competitive if they can keep their most influential player.  

It is actually a drama for him and his family but also his fans. Check the source I pointed at and his interview, he wants truly to leave, trusted Barca's president promises which failed him, he doesn't want to start a court battle against his club and his kids +probably his fans too were crying when they heard him planning to leave Barcelona. By this I mean it is a drama... unfortunately  

I believed that Messi stays in Barcelona only for his family and fans. We all know that Messi has some problems with the Barcelona board, especially with the club president Bartomeu. some days ago, we heard that if Bartomeu resigns then Messi will stay in Barca. " The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster," Messi told on his last interview. I think Messi will play in Barcelona against his will. what do you think ?

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[OcTradism]

I believed that  Messi stays in Barcelona only for his family and fans .We all know that Messi has some problems with the Barcelona board , especially with the club president Bartomeu . some days ago we heard that if Bartomeu resigns then Messi will stay in Barca. " The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster ," Messi told on his last interview. I think Messi will play in Barcelona against his will . what do you think ?

As Messi said in the interview with Goal, he loves Barcelona and does not want to have any lawsuit against the club. He emphasized that he did not feel happy for too long and the decision to leave Barcelona did not come from the defeat with Bayern.

Finally he stays with Barcelona and will at least finish his last season in the current contract with Barcelona. Fans can enjoy maybe his very last moments in Barcelona till next summer transfer season.

[snipie]

I think Messi will play in Barcelona against his will . what do you think ?

Yeah he will not be satisfied if the team does not improve but he will not be in Gareth Bale mode since he has no intention to ruin his reputation and to keep his odds very high to join another club with good contract in the next year eventually.

[BIT-BENDER]

I think Messi will play in Barcelona against his will . what do you think ?

Yeah he will not be satisfied if the team does not improve but he will not be in Gareth Bale mode since he has no intention to ruin his reputation and to keep his odds very high to join another club with good contract in the next year eventually.

As a footballer one will not be satisfied with his/her team mate playing awfully -lets permit Messi to express his feelings- but messi annoyance is with the way Barcelona in ran -the board,management- I think he loves Barcelona as a club and he would still play all his best for the club. In between what a drama this Messi leaving was.

[kassex]

I think Messi will play in Barcelona against his will . what do you think ?

Yeah he will not be satisfied if the team does not improve but he will not be in Gareth Bale mode since he has no intention to ruin his reputation and to keep his odds very high to join another club with good contract in the next year eventually.

As a footballer one will not be satisfied with his/her team mate playing awfully -lets permit Messi to express his feelings- but messi annoyance is with the way Barcelona in ran -the board,management- I think he loves Barcelona as a club and he would still play all his best for the club. In between what a drama this Messi leaving was.

I think Messi will not go anywhere. Next year there will most likely be elections for a new president. The new president of Barcelona will do everything to keep Messi. Plus Messi will age one year and hardly anyone will need it as a player, although his name will still work for marketing.

[tyz]

Messi in very end of his career does not want to gamble with a strange coach whom he has not yet worked with before. So from this point of view, Pep is the best coach for Messi. Pep won't leave Manchester City so Messi will come to join the party with Pep.

I doubt that Messi can really help Manchester City. He is 33 and English football is different from the one he used to know in Spain. The game system would have to be adapted to him, which means that ManCity would have to change its current system. That would be bad for a well-rehearsed team. Besides, it would take at least a season to make it work. By then Messi will be 34, almost 35, and none of this will work.

Although English football is totally different than Spanish.  I think English gameplay is faster than Spanish.

It differs much from Spanish football. I wouldn't say that English soccer is faster, but at least it is rougher and more intense. Messi is one for the Tiki-Taka game but certainly not someone who can play his strengths in fighting games. The best example was the lost World Cup final in 2014, it was an intense fighting game and Messi couldn't play his game and that's why he and his team didn't come to fruition at that time. But the discussion has become superfluous anyway after Messi will stay in Barcelona.

[Daniel91]

Sorry but I don't think you understand what the real problem is here. The problem is actually in the double standards of UEFA, because they obviously apply different rules and standards to big clubs compared to the rules they apply to small clubs.
So that I don’t have to repeat everything now, read my previous post to understand what the real problem is with this decision:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5163249.msg55088896#msg55088896

Do any of you seriously think that a situation can happen at all that a match of a big club like Real, Barcelona, Juve can't be played and the winner is decided by lottery?
Even if such an opportunity arose, UEFA would do anything to solve such a dangerous situation for them, to avoid losing big money and for the match to be played at any cost and anywhere.
Has everyone already forgotten how UEFA allowed Atletico to play the Champions League quarter-final match in Portugal?
On the other hand, for small clubs like these two clubs from Kosovo or a club from Slovakia, these rules don't apply and no one in UEFA cares about them and their fate.
UEFA will simply exclude small clubs from the competition or decide on the winner through a lottery, which is something they will never even try to practice with big clubs.
For me, this is a classic example of UEFA's double standards and hypocrisy.

I really missed your previous post, sorry about that.

Even back then I was already surprised that Barca players didn't have to go into quarantine after Umtiti was tested postitive right before the match against Bayern. Or that Athletico had 2 Covid 19 cases before their match against Leipzig (Correa and Vrsaljko) and there was no quarantine for other players. I can only explain it that way that this was last season and that the UEFA put new rules in place for this new season 20/21 that consider this whole new situation since the Coronavirus outbreak. Otherwise one cannot really understand the decision against Slovan Bratislava (they could have attended the matches with their youth teams, right?).

All these examples show the double criteria of UEFA.
If Atletico or Barcelona found themselves in the situation of Slovan from Bratislava, does anyone here seriously think that UEFA would expel them from the competition?
Of course not and that is the whole problem of this competition.
Some clubs are more equal than others because of their reputation, influence, or sponsor money and therefore not everyone has equal conditions and rights and this competition is irregular.

[Darkoth89]

~snip~

All these examples show the double criteria of UEFA.
If Atletico or Barcelona found themselves in the situation of Slovan from Bratislava, does anyone here seriously think that UEFA would expel them from the competition?
Of course not and that is the whole problem of this competition.
Some clubs are more equal than others because of their reputation, influence, or sponsor money and therefore not everyone has equal conditions and rights and this competition is irregular.

Slovan Bratislava wasn't "expelled". Their original match was rescheduled and they also couldn't attend the match on the second date. And the UEFA set new rules for this season because of the pandemic. These new rules are the reason Slovan Bratislava lost their match. But you can't apply these new rules to the last season (at least that's my opinion). If there will be a Covid case this season in the "more equal" clubs, as you call them, and the UEFA will still not put the team under quarantine and apply their new rules to them, then we can start to question the objectivity of the UEFA. 

[kawetsriyanto]

I think Messi will not go anywhere. ~~~ Plus Messi will age one year and hardly anyone will need it as a player, although his name will still work for marketing.

Who knows? You must know that age isn't a big problem if the player still can take advantage of the team. Even if Messi will age one year more, I am pretty sure that the interest from other clubs won't disappear. Look at Zlatan Ibrahimović, he was already more than 35 years old but AC Milan still bought him on the previous transfer season (Jan 2, 2020). As long as Messi has no problem with his physical health, then there is always a chance for him to move.

[hd49728]

Who knows? You must know that age isn't a big problem if the player still can take advantage of the team. Even if Messi will age one year more, I am pretty sure that the interest from other clubs won't disappear. Look at Zlatan Ibrahimović, he was already more than 35 years old but AC Milan still bought him on the previous transfer season (Jan 2, 2020). As long as Messi has no problem with his physical health, then there is always a chance for him to move.

You are talking about talented and strong players. In history of football, there are a few legendary players can play til their fourties at top leagues: Baresi, Maldini, Baggio, Totti, Ibra. There are some goal keepers but I don't want to discuss about them.

Those players are strong (from his youth's performance), and talented so at the end of their careers, they are smart enough to play base their skills that are collected after many years before. Some other players decide to stop because they lost their ambition and happiness when playing football. Or they simply have other priority, families, children, or want to enjoy life without football.

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

[BIT-BENDER]

I think Messi will not go anywhere. ~~~ Plus Messi will age one year and hardly anyone will need it as a player, although his name will still work for marketing.

Who knows? You must know that age isn't a big problem if the player still can take advantage of the team. Even if Messi will age one year more, I am pretty sure that the interest from other clubs won't disappear. Look at Zlatan Ibrahimović, he was already more than 35 years old but AC Milan still bought him on the previous transfer season (Jan 2, 2020). As long as Messi has no problem with his physical health, then there is always a chance for him to move.

Also Ronaldo did it, Messi will not be as he was in his prime but, Messi would play even after one year addition, Messi had not less than twenty assist last season and his assist record are impeccably awesome, he can be played in a sit back role assisting the forwards. There are players that beats age barriers and Messi would be one.

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

Are you implying Messi as a weak player? Have you seen Messi run with the ball and five to six players trying to bring him down and still he resist the urge to fall? Messi had played against top English premier league teams. There is no league in this world Messi won't play even at 35-37

[Daniel91]

~snip~

All these examples show the double criteria of UEFA.
If Atletico or Barcelona found themselves in the situation of Slovan from Bratislava, does anyone here seriously think that UEFA would expel them from the competition?
Of course not and that is the whole problem of this competition.
Some clubs are more equal than others because of their reputation, influence, or sponsor money and therefore not everyone has equal conditions and rights and this competition is irregular.

Slovan Bratislava wasn't "expelled". Their original match was rescheduled and they also couldn't attend the match on the second date. And the UEFA set new rules for this season because of the pandemic. These new rules are the reason Slovan Bratislava lost their match. But you can't apply these new rules to the last season (at least that's my opinion). If there will be a Covid case this season in the "more equal" clubs, as you call them, and the UEFA will still not put the team under quarantine and apply their new rules to them, then we can start to question the objectivity of the UEFA. 

We can call ''Slovan'' case with another word but the final result is the same, the inability to continue participating in the competition.
Besides, have you forgotten the case of 2 clubs from Kosovo?
Both clubs had the same problem, several players infected with the coronavirus.
But since the local epidemiological rules in San Marino are much softer than the rules in Gibraltar, the first Kosovo club could still play and continue the competition and the second not, although their situation was the same.
Of course, given that these are clubs from a country not important to UEFA, UEFA has done nothing about this case, while in another, similar case UEFA has done all it can so that Atletico can play in the Champions League quarter-finals in Portugal.
Is there still anyone here so naïve and believes that UEFA treats all clubs the same way and that there are no double standards?

[3meek]

For Barcelona, the loss of Messi will certainly be a great shock! But history remembers the recent transition of Ronaldo from Real to Juventus... And as we see both clubs continue to play successfully!

[kassex]

I think Messi will not go anywhere. ~~~ Plus Messi will age one year and hardly anyone will need it as a player, although his name will still work for marketing.

Who knows? You must know that age isn't a big problem if the player still can take advantage of the team. Even if Messi will age one year more, I am pretty sure that the interest from other clubs won't disappear. Look at Zlatan Ibrahimović, he was already more than 35 years old but AC Milan still bought him on the previous transfer season (Jan 2, 2020). As long as Messi has no problem with his physical health, then there is always a chance for him to move.

If Messi leaves for Milan, Inter or Juventus, he may be able to show something. But then he will have to say goodbye to the dream of winning the Champions League once again. Agree that Italian clubs in the next couple of years cannot claim victory in the Champions League. But Messi wants to move to Manchester City in a league where physical strength is the main ingredient for any player. Can Messi keep up with the pace of the English championship? I doubt it.

[kawetsriyanto]

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

I doubt if he will play till forties. 38 may be the last age for him to play in a football match. But it is purely our speculation, we don't know what he already plans for his career in the old age. But I disagree to underestimate him to play in Premier League. Never judge that he won't play well till he tries to play there for one season at least.   

[hd49728]

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

I doubt if he will play till forties. 38 may be the last age for him to play in a football match. But it is purely our speculation, we don't know what he already plans for his career in the old age. But I disagree to underestimate him to play in Premier League. Never judge that he won't play well till he tries to play there for one season at least.   

If he won't get serious injuries and has to end his career when he won't want to stop. He can play till his fourties or even fifties like Kazu Miura. It depends on future injuries, his joy in playing football (that I think Messi is abundant with), and which league he will play at his last seasons.

One of greatest players in history can play at any league (except top leagues in Europe) at end of career. Newell's Old Boys is not bad for Messi at his fourties.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53977255
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuyoshi_Miura

[leea-1334]

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

I doubt if he will play till forties. 38 may be the last age for him to play in a football match. But it is purely our speculation, we don't know what he already plans for his career in the old age. But I disagree to underestimate him to play in Premier League. Never judge that he won't play well till he tries to play there for one season at least.   

I have seen it before happening in English and Italian leagues, with players at 40 playing very well. Obviously they are not fast but these players never tend to be about speed in the first place so Messi should do well for many more years, obviously injuries might set in later but he is a well managed player with good diet and exercise, he will be fine:)

[Daniel91]

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

I doubt if he will play till forties. 38 may be the last age for him to play in a football match. But it is purely our speculation, we don't know what he already plans for his career in the old age. But I disagree to underestimate him to play in Premier League. Never judge that he won't play well till he tries to play there for one season at least.   

I have seen it before happening in English and Italian leagues, with players at 40 playing very well. Obviously they are not fast but these players never tend to be about speed in the first place so Messi should do well for many more years, obviously injuries might set in later but he is a well managed player with good diet and exercise, he will be fine:)

Messi is no longer as fast as he used to be and he also helps his team's defence much less than other players in the team.
It's far from the demands of modern football and can only work if the whole team is subseauted to that one player.
However, it has been shown in recent years that such a system no longer works and that Barcelona doesn't win trophies like it once did, especially the Champions League.

[Naida_BR]

Messi can play well till his fourties if he want but I am not sure he will play well in Premier League after his 35s.

I doubt if he will play till forties. 38 may be the last age for him to play in a football match. But it is purely our speculation, we don't know what he already plans for his career in the old age. But I disagree to underestimate him to play in Premier League. Never judge that he won't play well till he tries to play there for one season at least.   

I have seen it before happening in English and Italian leagues, with players at 40 playing very well. Obviously they are not fast but these players never tend to be about speed in the first place so Messi should do well for many more years, obviously injuries might set in later but he is a well managed player with good diet and exercise, he will be fine:)

Messi is no longer as fast as he used to be and he also helps his team's defence much less than other players in the team.
It's far from the demands of modern football and can only work if the whole team is subseauted to that one player.
However, it has been shown in recent years that such a system no longer works and that Barcelona doesn't win trophies like it once did, especially the Champions League.

Messi is still fast that he hasn't the endurance to make a lot of sprints.
He can still make the difference in this team due to his amazing technique.
The reason why Barca do not win a lot of title isn't Messi but the problem is in other positions.

[babo]

The strength of Messi, in my humble opinion, MIND is his really talent.
So even if it were a little slower, it would still be able to make a difference.. because have mind, experience and is a great champion.

I dont like power-only athlete, i prefer minded (like Del Piero).