The Football Thread

[ginny76]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

So, today it's the European Cup Final, oops, silly me, Champions anthem playing opportunity match. So given the relative lack of British involvement are we supporting the team in the Notts County shirts or the team in the Corinthians shirts?

Given I find much to admire about CR7 but little to like, to the point of wanting him to be on the winning side (for shame! I know he works hard, gives to charity and loves his mum, but...) I think my sympathies will be very much with the grand old lady, John Charles' old team.

I hope they stop the match in the 26th minute so that everyone can show their appreciation for John Terry. And then let him lift the trophy.

[footstep]

Juventus, angrier than Real.
For Buffon.and everything's else.
Never forget :
Real Madrid: jewel of Franco's Spain...

[Motorboater]

5:22am down here. I'm still half asleep watching this game.

But ****! That Mandzukic goal has woken me up!

[mungy]

Congratulations to Madrid, that's some team.

[tsunamiSD]

even if it was womens' football...


Lyon Wins Fourth Champions League Title after Defeating PSG, 7-6, on Penalties

Olympique Lyon once again who became the first team to defend their European title for a second time.
With the game at deadlock, penalties were to decide the fate of France’s giants and it was Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedryznek who missed, meaning her opposition goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi could step up and score the winner for Gérard Prêcheur’s side

[judy84]

Not sure about the review of diving next year.

If it was enforced in Europe then after the CL final about 10 players would be worried, some for multiple indiscretions. In such cases inEngland, would the bans be cumulative?
English teams will be at a disadvantage in the CL, since they will be "out of practice" at the art of diving cf European teams.

When is a dive not a dive? Often whe a defender with the ball feels an attacker at his back he will fall over to get a freekick. before players challenge for a ball in the air there is often a nudge to put a player off...if he doesn' "fall over" he won't get a freekick.

Will it only be dives in and around the penalty area? If so, how far outside the penalty area?

Finally, remember last year when there was a clampdown on players shirt pulling in the penalty area? It lasted a few weeks until some refs were (rightly) giving too many pens and criticized.

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by judy84

Not sure about the review of diving next year...
Will it only be dives in and around the penalty area? If so, how far outside the penalty area?

Finally, remember last year when there was a clampdown on players shirt pulling in the penalty area? It lasted a few weeks until some refs were (rightly) giving too many pens and criticized.

I suspect until we punish players and teams during the game by sin-binning that the refs will continue to have the moral fibre of a Bonobo and clubs will ignore the edicts until it hits them consistently on the pitch, during the match.

The game has sunk to a new low. Not that those in charge will admit they have a problem. Cheating is now 'professional' and the phrase 'entitled to go down' should only be heard in the boudoir xx

[Greenman]

So Chelsea snatch the title from Liverpool and Manchester City and Liverpool again end up fourth-the Ladies title I mean, yet a few weeks ago Liverpool were leading by a big margin-ah well there is always next time and they have also ended up in the same position that the men ended-does that mean playing in Europe or is that just the men?

[gordian_knot]

Stange goings on in Qatar. The Qataris seem to have fallen out with Saudi Arabia (their partner in the Syrian Civil War) and other Gulf States, who have closed their borders and severed relations, supposedly due to Qatar's support for Islamic State and other terrorist organizations (pot calling kettle black there).

How or whether this will affect the World Cup is yet to be seen.

[gordian_knot]

Today's news/rumours:

Eden Hazard has broken his ankle.
Griezmann and Bale are to stay at their respective clubs.
Chelsea reject Mo Salah to move to Liverpool (what is it with Liverpool and wingers?).
Wojciech Szczesny is moving to Juventus.
Reese Oxford off to Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.

So far, no major star has come to England. Maybe too much like hard work .