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

[Spaffin]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

[Daniel91]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

Ten years, really!? This is really a drastic punishment for something that, in my opinion, has not been proven.
It's about their match with Dinamo, and the accusations that they deliberately played badly in defense, right?

[LTU_btc]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

It's sad thing for Skenderbeu fans, but I think it's right decision. Fixed matches is cancer of sports and everyone involved into it must be punished strictly. If UEFA gave such big penalty, it means that they had obvious proofs. Albanian football is known well for lot of match fixing cases and there is probably more teams in their league involved into it. I just didn't found information - did individual players of Skenderbeu who got involved in match fixing got banned from football. Because it would be strange if they would be allowed to continue playing like nothing didn't happened.

[swogerino]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

It's sad thing for Skenderbeu fans, but I think it's right decision. Fixed matches is cancer of sports and everyone involved into it must be punished strictly. If UEFA gave such big penalty, it means that they had obvious proofs. Albanian football is known well for lot of match fixing cases and there is probably more teams in their league involved into it. I just didn't found information - did individual players of Skenderbeu who got involved in match fixing got banned from football. Because it would be strange if they would be allowed to continue playing like nothing didn't happened.

They are playing for Skenderbeu many of them as they didn't get into teams playing in Europe from Albania because they can't participate,it is complicated but they are playing for Skenderbeu and not allowed to play in teams taking part in European leagues like Champions and Europa League.I used to work in Albania for about 6 months and I can confirm this fixing of the games.Presidents of each team trying to fix games against the bookies and even worse these presidents even trying to bet on correct score when their team was able to play in preliminary stages of these European leauges.

[buwaytress]

Just saw this bit of news, I'm also surprised it didn't get more coverage, maybe time to ditch my news sources because this was important. My own national league has had a bad experience with match-fixing. My state team has never been fingered but there was a year almost the entire squad was caught taking drugs together and we all got fired, we never really recovered from relegation, so equally rotten problems at the heart of all these lower league footballs where semi pros and amateurs who sometimes don't get paid and basically are villains for fans every time... they see a bribe as years of earnings and the same for officials.

Hopefully, they learn from it. The way Juventus hopefully learnt from their own recent scandals. But ugh Italian football.

Anyway. Underdog pick for tonight. How does a Basel upset look? They're playing away and the clear favourites are the Dutch boys who did really well last season in the league, just lost out to Ajax. But their shitty showing in Champions League group stage, and the fact Basel actually aren't a shit team?

[swogerino]

Just saw this bit of news, I'm also surprised it didn't get more coverage, maybe time to ditch my news sources because this was important. My own national league has had a bad experience with match-fixing. My state team has never been fingered but there was a year almost the entire squad was caught taking drugs together and we all got fired, we never really recovered from relegation, so equally rotten problems at the heart of all these lower league footballs where semi pros and amateurs who sometimes don't get paid and basically are villains for fans every time... they see a bribe as years of earnings and the same for officials.

Hopefully, they learn from it. The way Juventus hopefully learnt from their own recent scandals. But ugh Italian football.

Anyway. Underdog pick for tonight. How does a Basel upset look? They're playing away and the clear favourites are the Dutch boys who did really well last season in the league, just lost out to Ajax. But their shitty showing in Champions League group stage, and the fact Basel actually aren't a shit team?

Basel is not what is used to be anymore,they are no Champions 20 weeks before their national league finishes.The fact that Young Boys has become stronger lately has done the Swiss Championship a bit more interesting.I think Basel will lose tonight against PSV.

[LTU_btc]

I'm also sceptical about Basel win, but I think that draw is possible outcome. It's just first official game for PSV this season and they played only friendly games. While Basel already started their season and already played in national league, so they may be better prepared for this game.
There is another match already started - Plzen playing against Olympiakos and score is 0:0 after 42 minutes. Both teams often playing in Champions and Europa league.

[iyah adrian]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

I really don't know this case, and just found out now. Was the Skenderbeu team really guilty in this case, until their appeal was rejected by the  Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne. I am really curious about this problem. And I have searched Google but did not find any articles, do people here have links that tell this problem.

[LTU_btc]

Basel were really close from making surprise. They were leading 2:1 until 89 minute, but then PSV made amazing comeback, scored 2 goals and won match. But everything still can happen in second leg.
On Wednesday there are many games without clear favorites - Bate vs Rosenborg, Cluj vs Maccabi, Maribor vs AIK or Dundalk vs Qarabag. Great chance to win (or lose) some money .

[Harkorede]

Oh, I had few of my posts on the wrong thread, I suppose we were having a combined thread for Champions League and Europa League qualification phase.

Too bad for Basel that they couldn't hold on to their lead with just a very few minutes to go, but 2 away goals could still be something to cheer about, although a win or draw would have been more advantageous to them.

[Upgrade00]

I personally believe the away goals shouldn't be given the precedence that it is, as it puts more emphasis on attack(goals) and less on defense(clean sheets). But that's the dynamic of the current game and Basel are in a good position, not the best. But they have something to hold onto going into the second leg of the fixture.

[buwaytress]

I personally believe the away goals shouldn't be given the precedence that it is, as it puts more emphasis on attack(goals) and less on defense(clean sheets). But that's the dynamic of the current game and Basel are in a good position, not the best. But they have something to hold onto going into the second leg of the fixture.

It was the problem with the past emphasis on defence, playing like robots passing back and parking the bus all the way to penalties that forced this. I think the impetus on attack is good for the game. I do think and believe defence is all important in football, since I also am a defender (I should say was but let's pretend I still play football). Heart loves rampaging Liverpool but heart also skips when defence is awesome.

And yeah, Basel was not Basel but they did take the lead last night before surrendering 2 late goals, so you never know.

I have a Cluj/Maribor parlay... home wins crucial, so far so good but lots of time left to play.

Edit: And right after I submit AIK level for 1-1 at Maribor hahaha =(

[DeathAngel]

For many fans, sad moments come again today, especially since the Sports Court of Arbitration of Lausanne unexpectedly rejected the appeal filed by Skenderbe on the UEFA decision.  Practically nobody spoke about it.  But the club was removed from the games for ten years and fined.

10 years? That’s ridiculously harsh to be honest. Maybe a couple of years would have been more fair & a higher fine. A 10 year ban just seems like overkill.

[Sharon121212]

Am guessing the table is about those teams that needs to play UEFA Champions league and Europa league qualification matches. the real package starts with the UEFA Champions league group stages match or the Europa league.

[kingpin4321]

Too bad for Basel that they couldn't hold on to their lead with just a very few minutes to go, but 2 away goals could still be something to cheer about...

Basel lost concentration in the final minutes of the match and it cost them dearly, I think leading by one goal with few minutes to go, they ought to have defended better.
But two away goals is actually a good result based on UEFA away goals rule, I think Basel were the better team on the night though and I think they will eventually go through.

[JeromeTash]

Here are tonight's UEFA Champions League, Qualification results, Celtic went on rampage and thumped Nõmme Kalju 5-0

I have a Cluj/Maribor parlay... home wins crucial, so far so good but lots of time left to play.

Edit: And right after I submit AIK level for 1-1 at Maribor hahaha =(

I think you won, Maribor added on another goal later, congrats 

[joniboini]

But two away goals is actually a good result based on UEFA away goals rule, I think Basel were the better team on the night though and I think they will eventually go through.

Sometimes 'a better team' in a game could lose. I like the saying in Tsubasa, which more or less told us that "a strong team doesn't win, the team that win is strong". To put it simply, doesn't matter how you play a game, in the end, the score is what that matters. Basel will need to put everything that they have. Just like Liverpool did on their 2nd leg.

[iyah adrian]

Here are tonight's UEFA Champions League, Qualification results, Celtic went on rampage and thumped Nõmme Kalju 5-0

Celtic dominated every match. And they will always be in the top 32 every year. Unfortunately Celtic was always eliminated after that and they were unable to compete with other European teams in the Champions League.

[buwaytress]

@Jerome yeah I saw that too, both games won by such close margins, but the odds were also extremely close so I should feel good about a 4.6 win. Just haven't been making enough of those wins lately.

Celtic I can't pretend I know well anymore, not since the days of Larsson or even once Brendan Rodgers took over. But there is a personally renewed interest since Gerrard took over Rangers, I think that extra bit of domestic competition will really improve the Old Firm teams, whoever goes to Champs League. It would be really cool to see them get into group stages, but I personally like seeing first-time entrants too.

[DeathAngel]

But two away goals is actually a good result based on UEFA away goals rule, I think Basel were the better team on the night though and I think they will eventually go through.

Sometimes 'a better team' in a game could lose. I like the saying in Tsubasa, which more or less told us that "a strong team doesn't win, the team that win is strong". To put it simply, doesn't matter how you play a game, in the end, the score is what that matters. Basel will need to put everything that they have. Just like Liverpool did on their 2nd leg.

Basel can still advance to the next qualification round bit they will need to be at their absolute best & the fans will have to create an intimidating, passionate atmosphere. It can’t be compared to Anfield & Liverpool though, not many stadiums have that aura.