Even from the sofa, Wednesday’s Champions League game between Manchester City and Real Madrid felt like an event. The stakes were high and so was the quality of the football.
Pep Guardiola’s City swarmed over their opponents like bees only for Real to show the courage and energy to draw their sting. Man of the match was probably Real’s former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and there is nothing wrong with that. Defending is an art form at this level too.
And all this, I would imagine, is something close to what the French journalist Gabriel Hanot — editor of the esteemed L’Equipe publication — had in mind when he successfully petitioned UEFA to put on the inaugural European Champions Club Cup in 1955.
The clue — as it still is — was in the title. It was for the champions, the very best of each country. It was then and indeed still was by the time Celtic and Manchester United became the first British clubs to win what was by then called the European Cup in 1967 and 1968 respectively. Yes, a tournament for champions.
What a very quaint idea that seems now as English clubs prayed last night for unexpected twists in the Europa League and Europa Conference League results that would ease our UEFA coefficient into such a position that it would be us, and not Germany, that would be offered five rather than four places in next season’s Champions League.
Antonio Rudiger scored the winning penalty for Real Madrid against Manchester City
City and Arsenal’s exits damaged the UEFA coefficient for Champions League places
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It’s not hard to wonder what the likes of Jock Stein, Sir Matt Busby and other fabled winners like Bob Paisley, Brian Clough and Tony Barton would make of that now. All those men triumphed first in their domestic leagues and then flew the flag for their nation across land and sea — often in difficult conditions — to lift that most beautiful of club trophies. Yes, the European Cup took some getting into back in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties and then it took some winning too.
It’s still devilishly hard to win. That has not changed even though the format has. But in terms of entry, the door has long since been left swinging open. For a short while there were two teams from the established European leagues — the champions and runners-up — and that felt about right. Football has grown over the years. So has the appetite for glamorous European fixtures. It’s natural to want more of a good thing and we understand that. Real, it’s worth noting, finished second in La Liga last season.
But now we are here, with four threatening to become five, and it’s much harder to square the circle. There are only 20 teams in the Premier League. So to even consider offering a quarter of those clubs places in the Champions League feels a little like an insult to the values and heritage of this great old competition.
Legendardy Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough poses with the European Cup back in 1980
Who knows what Bob Paisley, the iconic Liverpool manager’ would make of the format now
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham would currently stand to benefit from five qualifying places
Tottenham will not care for this sentiment. Currently it would be Ange Postecoglou’s team standing to benefit from a fifth spot. The London club have travelled well under their charismatic Australian coach this season. A joy to watch and all that.
But as it stands now, Tottenham have lost exactly a quarter of their 32 league games. A quarter. Champion form? Champions League form? Not even close. But then the quality of their blue riband competition has long ceased to matter to UEFA.
Forget the substance, just have a feel of the size of it and the value. Like a sports car with a big engine, two exhausts but cheap plastic seats inside, UEFA are threatening to pump up their prized asset so far that at some stage we can only expect it to skid off the road.
It will still be the usual suspects at the business end of the Champions League next year
Next season the tournament will look different with 36 teams lumped into one league. The top eight will go through to the last 16 while eight more will join them after a series of knockout games. More games. More TV. More money. We know who will be there at the death. The same teams, the same names, and this is exactly what the big clubs want. Guaranteed access to their favourite tournament. It’s the closest they could get to a European Super League and for now they will take it.
This time next year the latter stages of the competition will doubtless feel much the same. They will carry the same ‘zing’. So why should we care? Well those of us who believe in truly elite sport know that dilution will only ever point you in the opposite direction. So, yes, we care.
Champions League? It may be time to call it something else.
Are Chelsea players listening?
Chelsea’s dressing room is such a mixed-up place they can’t even win a game 6-0 without sending out the wrong messages. Mauricio Pochettino should have a 1-2-3 of penalty takers and tell his players to stick to it.
But what if they just aren’t listening? Then Pochettino really does have a problem much greater than who scores goal No 5 in a rout.
Foden’s Klopp view cuts through the nonsense
During some time spent with Phil Foden earlier this week I asked the Manchester City forward about Jurgen Klopp and was surprised by his answer.
‘He has been such a brilliant manager and it’s a shame to see him leave,’ Foden told me. ‘I think he is good for the game.’
At a time when relations between City and Liverpool off the field remain as bad and frankly as petty as can be, it was refreshing to hear someone cut through the nonsense. Klopp’s upcoming departure from Anfield at the end of the season would be a good excuse to wipe the slate clean.
Phil Foden spoke in glowing terms about the departing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Champions League pain is Southgate’s gain
Bad news for England’s Champions League hopes, then, but better news for Gareth Southgate. Firstly, did you see the penalties taken by Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham on Wednesday in the Manchester City v Real Madrid game? Put them in your designated five, Gareth.
Secondly, the Champions League final this year rubs so far up against the start of the Euros that it will leave friction marks — but now only Bellingham or Harry Kane will be busy at Wembley on June 1, which for England is just as well. Southgate’s team have a pre-tournament friendly against Bosnia in Newcastle two days later.
Bellingham slotted his penalty for Real Madrid in their dramatic shootout win over City
Mane’s Reds exit was bad for everyone
It was at Liverpool’s Champions League media day at Kirkby in 2022 that Sadio Mane first hinted he may leave Anfield.
It felt bad at the time and it feels worse now. Indeed it feels now a little bit like a sliding doors moment, for him and for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s team — for all there is to marvel at the way he has reconstructed their attack — have never been quite as deadly without Mane while the player’s own career has dropped him off the charts.
The move he was granted was to Bayern Munich and turned out to be a disaster. Now, having only just turned 32, he is marooned in the Saudi Pro League.
Sadio Mane is in the Saudi league now and his career since leaving Liverpool has deteriorated
It’s a great shame, for him and for Liverpool. Mo Salah attracted most of the attention as Liverpool terrorised the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City at Anfield during Klopp’s golden years at the club. But ask those who played against Liverpool and they will tell you of the constant, monotonous, draining threat of the Senegal forward who would tear holes in defences with directness, speed and intelligence.
Mane — unlike Salah back then — understood the value of an assist and there were many. He scored, too, and there was just about one goal every other game he started over six seasons.
It is hard not to think of this now as Liverpool start to fail in front of goal, as we watch Darwin Nunez strike a fallow patch and even Salah struggle for form.
Mane was one of those transfers that everybody — player, manager, fanbase — has cause to regret. Sometimes it just happens that way.