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

[ampere]

postponing is the only one solution

unfortunately we live in very particular times, and we cannot do otherwise (i mean covid)

indeed there are games to keep us company, think if they closed championships and cups, we could watch the games of the past (and it's not a nice thing)

Postponing will destabilize the knock out phases and also league ties; because if you postpone a champions league mid week game; it will affect league arrangement. Uefa instead should make the knock out stages a one legged tie, just like last season; it will ease travel burdens amidst the pandemic; and also helps to choose the safest location too.

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[babo]

@ampere
i know

but we havent other solutions.. or you have a recipe?
i remember the guy said: open stadium for 10000 people

and some weeks ago, pandemic covid going in 2 wave


guys, is strange situation, we need do be flex .. we havent other solutions
or be flex or no matches (in tv) for all

[nelson4lov]

Postponing will destabilize the knock out phases and also league ties; because if you postpone a champions league mid week game; it will affect league arrangement. Uefa instead should make the knock out stages a one legged tie, just like last season; it will ease travel burdens amidst the pandemic; and also helps to choose the safest location too.

Considering how hard the current Covid-19 keeps biting hard, it's a great idea and a welcomed one at that but not a lot of people would appreciate that. 2019/2020 UCL was just weird with those one-legged matches. If it has always been a one-legged affair, we wouldn't have gotten the chance to watch that glorious come back by Liverpool against Barcelona in 2018/19 campaign. Being a two-legged affair meant there was a second chance to fight for a comeback. Take that out and teams won't get much chances to redeem themselves.

[babo]

Considering how hard the current Covid-19 keeps biting hard, it's a great idea and a welcomed one at that but not a lot of people would appreciate that. 2019/2020 UCL was just weird with those one-legged matches. If it has always been a one-legged affair, we wouldn't have gotten the chance to watch that glorious come back by Liverpool against Barcelona in 2018/19 campaign. Being a two-legged affair meant there was a second chance to fight for a comeback. Take that out and teams won't get much chances to redeem themselves.

is true, you said a sad truth... but
would it be better not to see matches? you/we have to compromise
sacrifices must be made in covid time

rather than not seeing anything, better something like this (given the period) and we'll do it again next year

[masulum]

Sacrificing a leg for the UCL this season makes sense. Thus the players are not too tired due to the busy schedule. As we know, COVID-19 is spreading so fast. This is indeed the only thing that UEFA have to enforce. When the 2nd leg is eliminated, this means reducing activities that can help players stay fit and avoid COVID-19.

[kawetsriyanto]

The BBC has published the official UEFA position on the possibility of postponing the match between Liverpool and Leipzig.

We must support this decision! We are not in a good situation because of the fast spread of Covid-19. To ensure the security of all players and club management, postponing the match may be the best solution for now. There are many things to be considered on pandemic days, we cannot force to hold the match if it will be too risky for all parties and those players of the two clubs (both players of Liverpool and Leipzig).

[Pmalek]

There are some reports about possible changes to the Champions League format starting from the 2024/2025 season. UEFA is interested in finding a solution that the European heavyweights will be happy with because the top football teams have been threatening UEFA with creating a European Super League on their own.

These are some of the changes that have been reported:

- The participants list would we extended from 32 to 36 teams.
- The group stage format of 8 groups with 4 teams in each will be changed to a league format.
- Each team will play a guaranteed number of 10 matches during the first stage of the competition compared to 6 matches that is currently the case.
- The TOP 8 would be automatically qualified to the round of 16.
- An X number of other teams will play in some sort of playoff to fill the remaining slots.
- This will result in an increase in played matches during the first stage from 96 to 180, which also means more money for the clubs involved in the competition.

Read more about it below:
https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/02/04/uefa-champions-league-expansion-format-change-plan-proposal
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/feb/04/champions-league-revamp-talks-could-herald-end-of-group-stage

[MCobian]

The BBC has published the official UEFA position on the possibility of postponing the match between Liverpool and Leipzig.

We must support this decision! We are not in a good situation because of the fast spread of Covid-19. To ensure the security of all players and club management, postponing the match may be the best solution for now. There are many things to be considered on pandemic days, we cannot force to hold the match if it will be too risky for all parties and those players of the two clubs (both players of Liverpool and Leipzig).

I agree with you, in a pandemic situation like now we often find games postponed. And that we must support the decision, although sometimes
it is disappointing for the supporters of both teams. If it turns out that the Leipzig vs Liverpool match will be postponed, we must support
the decisions made by the official UEFA.

Indeed, there are a lot of considerations and calculations for holding a football match in a situation like now. Moreover, football matches are
a difficult activity to run a social distance, therefore the spread of the corona virus can very well occur. So the preparations made must be really
good if we want to host the Leipzig vs Liverpool match. Let's wait for the next update on the Leipzig vs Liverpool match.

[StartupAnalyst]

The BBC has published the official UEFA position on the possibility of postponing the match between Liverpool and Leipzig.

We must support this decision! We are not in a good situation because of the fast spread of Covid-19. To ensure the security of all players and club management, postponing the match may be the best solution for now. There are many things to be considered on pandemic days, we cannot force to hold the match if it will be too risky for all parties and those players of the two clubs (both players of Liverpool and Leipzig).

A very strange position from UEFA. I don't quite understand why they didn't accept it at the beginning of the season. In the fall, almost the entire main team Shakhtar Donetsk was infected with coronavirus and a lot of team staff too. But the matches were not postponed.

[nelson4lov]

~Snipped

is true, you said a sad truth... but
would it be better not to see matches? you/we have to compromise
sacrifices must be made in covid time

rather than not seeing anything, better something like this (given the period) and we'll do it again next year

I have no problem with those one-leg clashes which UEFA introduced for the reminder of 2019/2020 UCL campaign. Just like everyone else, I'm fine with the decision if UEFA decides to still follow a similar schedule. I was only trying to point out the fact that since it's a one-way ticket with just one chance to make the cut, we won't have to look forward to. Teams don't have a chance to fight back since there are no second-legs to be played.

I'm still interested to enjoy the reminder of the Champions League without covid-19 interruptions even if it has to be one-leg clashes moving forward 

[AndySt]

The BBC has published the official UEFA position on the possibility of postponing the match between Liverpool and Leipzig.

We must support this decision! We are not in a good situation because of the fast spread of Covid-19. To ensure the security of all players and club management, postponing the match may be the best solution for now. There are many things to be considered on pandemic days, we cannot force to hold the match if it will be too risky for all parties and those players of the two clubs (both players of Liverpool and Leipzig).

A very strange position from UEFA. I don't quite understand why they didn't accept it at the beginning of the season. In the fall, almost the entire main team Shakhtar Donetsk was infected with coronavirus and a lot of team staff too. But the matches were not postponed.

I would interpret the statement of UEFA a little differently, that the organization reserves the right to postpone the match, but not necessarily that this will happen in the case of a match between Liverpool and Leipzig. Just in case, UEFA leaves itself room for maneuver, but in this case, it seems that we are not talking about the COVID-19 players of the teams, but about the unwillingness of the German authorities to lift the ban for Liverpool and allow them to enter the country.

[coinlocket$]

Remember, UEFA has a plan B in case more games will have problems like postponing for Covid restriction or something like that
Plan B consists of a final 16 or 8 depending on when and if they will have problems, played in Portugal or Italy like they did the last year.

I don't think we are yet in this situation but there is this possibility.

[snipie]

Remember, UEFA has a plan B in case more games will have problems like postponing for Covid restriction or something like that
Plan B consists of a final 16 or 8 depending on when and if they will have problems, played in Portugal or Italy like they did the last year.

I don't think we are yet in this situation but there is this possibility.

A handball cup has been hold on Egypt lately with countries coming from different parts of the world so the possibility you mentioned could be used as the last alternative. Until now I think that the game will took place as scheduled but in a different location.

[Serious475]

Ok let's start having fun again with the forthcoming Champions League Round of 16. Liverpool is getting better and better lately and I think they will win the first game away with Leipzig.

This will be one of the delightful draws in this round. Both sides have played strong in the Champions League games. But I think it is obvious that Liverpool are the absolute favorite team in the draw. Besides, Leipzig have a very big disadvantage. Because the first game isn't going to be in their home stadium. It is going to be played in a neutral location. The second game is going to be in Liverpool's home stadium. Hence, I think Liverpool can defeat them in both games and advance to the Quarter Final.

In the Bundesliga, Robert Lewandowski has hit 24; can anyone equal that?  UEFA.com monitors the highest scorers in the continent's leading domestic leagues and UEFA's most popular club competitions as the season unfolds. Since the start of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages, six players have scored six goals, while Robert Lewandowski is only eight goals removed from the second highest scorer in the top domestic competitions. While Lewandowski is the best scorer, there are others who also slaughter the field like Silva of Frankurt, Mbappe of Paris, Ronaldo of Juventus, Salah of liverpool, Haland of Borussia, Lukaku of Inter, Suarez of Atletico, Immobile of Lazio and Cramaric of Hoffenheim.

[NotATether]

In the Bundesliga, Robert Lewandowski has hit 24; can anyone equal that?  UEFA.com monitors the highest scorers in the continent's leading domestic leagues and UEFA's most popular club competitions as the season unfolds. Since the start of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages, six players have scored six goals, while Robert Lewandowski is only eight goals removed from the second highest scorer in the top domestic competitions. While Lewandowski is the best scorer, there are others who also slaughter the field like Silva of Frankurt, Mbappe of Paris, Ronaldo of Juventus, Salah of liverpool, Haland of Borussia, Lukaku of Inter, Suarez of Atletico, Immobile of Lazio and Cramaric of Hoffenheim.

You can't rely on one person to carry the whole team. If strikers and wingers can't get in shooting range because creative midfielders aren't passing the ball to them eventually, then what's the point? You also didn't take into consideration that some of these players get a good amount of their goals from penalties (Rolando) or free kicks compared to direct goals (Haaland and Suarez).

postponing is the only one solution

unfortunately we live in very particular times, and we cannot do otherwise (i mean covid)

indeed there are games to keep us company, think if they closed championships and cups, we could watch the games of the past (and it's not a nice thing)

Postponing will destabilize the knock out phases and also league ties; because if you postpone a champions league mid week game; it will affect league arrangement. Uefa instead should make the knock out stages a one legged tie, just like last season; it will ease travel burdens amidst the pandemic; and also helps to choose the safest location too.

As much as I would like the Liverpool match with RB Leipzig postponed while we are still in terrible form, it's likely not going to happen. A one-leg tie will actually be better for Leipzig in the short term cause they have a better chance of scoring.

I feel like most visiting teams i.e. everyone who finished second in their groups have even worse odds of advancing except for Barcelona and Leipzig.

[tyz]

Sacrificing a leg for the UCL this season makes sense. Thus the players are not too tired due to the busy schedule. As we know, COVID-19 is spreading so fast. This is indeed the only thing that UEFA have to enforce. When the 2nd leg is eliminated, this means reducing activities that can help players stay fit and avoid COVID-19.

If this continues, it would make sense for this year to invite the last eight or four teams to a location from the quarter or semi-finals and play the matches in a small tournament with just one game (no return leg). There is now news that there is a new virus mutation in Tyrol (Austria) that is said to be even more infectious than the one in England. If so, then the mode intended for the tournament will come as described above. The UEFA European Championship will also be canceled.

[TheGreatPython]

Postponing will destabilize the knock out phases and also league ties; because if you postpone a champions league mid week game; it will affect league arrangement. Uefa instead should make the knock out stages a one legged tie, just like last season; it will ease travel burdens amidst the pandemic; and also helps to choose the safest location too.

Considering how hard the current Covid-19 keeps biting hard, it's a great idea and a welcomed one at that but not a lot of people would appreciate that. 2019/2020 UCL was just weird with those one-legged matches. If it has always been a one-legged affair, we wouldn't have gotten the chance to watch that glorious come back by Liverpool against Barcelona in 2018/19 campaign. Being a two-legged affair meant there was a second chance to fight for a comeback. Take that out and teams won't get much chances to redeem themselves.

I feel like there are already a lot of sacrifices made just so the football world could continue, otherwise there were a lot of places closed off and in lockdown while games continued because football is not something you can completely stop, otherwise we are not going to have the same football when we get back and will take years and years to recover.

Teams are not making any profit from fans who will buy tickets to go watch the game in the stadium, that's been like that for the whole year, and there is also obviously merchandise issue as well, most merchandise sales happen on match day but since there is no fans in stands that means merchandise loss as well.

This is exactly why we are going to end up with a lot less money in football for a while as it is, those are the sacrifices, if we do even more that is going to hurt even more people in the end and we should stop all the sacrifices here and not go overboard with it.

[Daniel91]

The BBC has published the official UEFA position on the possibility of postponing the match between Liverpool and Leipzig.

We must support this decision! We are not in a good situation because of the fast spread of Covid-19. To ensure the security of all players and club management, postponing the match may be the best solution for now. There are many things to be considered on pandemic days, we cannot force to hold the match if it will be too risky for all parties and those players of the two clubs (both players of Liverpool and Leipzig).

A very strange position from UEFA. I don't quite understand why they didn't accept it at the beginning of the season. In the fall, almost the entire main team Shakhtar Donetsk was infected with coronavirus and a lot of team staff too. But the matches were not postponed.

I would interpret the statement of UEFA a little differently, that the organization reserves the right to postpone the match, but not necessarily that this will happen in the case of a match between Liverpool and Leipzig. Just in case, UEFA leaves itself room for maneuver, but in this case, it seems that we are not talking about the COVID-19 players of the teams, but about the unwillingness of the German authorities to lift the ban for Liverpool and allow them to enter the country.

The point is that each country has its own Covid rules and UEFA cannot influence the decisions of the state authorities.
As last season in the Champions League showed, the most important thing for UEFA is that all their competitions somehow end, because of the big money that is at stake here.
The German government's decision to ban matches will not stop the Champions League and other competitions, but only transfer those matches to other countries.
Regardless of all the problems surrounding Covid and border closures, the most important thing for Uefa will always be to protect their financial interests.

[Daniel91]

UEFA has just officially announced:
''UEFA can confirm that the Champions League round of 16 first leg between Leipzig and Liverpool will now take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 16 February.''
So, some other possibilities that were mentioned in the media have been dropped and these two clubs are playing in Hungary.
Great news for football fans in Hungary!

Source: https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0266-118507f7b277-e0b239dfd239-1000--uefa-confirms-leipzig-vs-liverpool-venue-change/

[coinlocket$]

UEFA has just officially announced:
''UEFA can confirm that the Champions League round of 16 first leg between Leipzig and Liverpool will now take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest on 16 February.''

Yeap good advantage for Liverpool even if closed doors is not so big.

Anyway its almost time, 10 day left!

Tuesday 16th February
Barcelona 20:00 Paris Saint-Germain
RB Leipzig 20:00 Liverpool

Wednesday 17th February
FC Porto 20:00 Juventus
Sevilla 20:00 Borussia Dortmund

Tuesday 23rd February
Atletico Madrid 20:00 Chelsea
Lazio 20:00 Bayern Munich

Wednesday 24th February
Atalanta 20:00 Real Madrid
M'gladbach 20:00 Manchester City

Source: https://www.skysports.com/champions-league-fixtures