(OLD THRED FROM 2014) - CL Semi-Finals [R]

Maly

Ball Boy
May 31, 2004
317
0
Athletico madrid beat Barcelona, they are first in spanish league and this year, NO ENGLISH could match any of the first 3 spanish teams (Athletico, Barcelona and Madrid).

From any standard and from any neutral point of view, these 3 teams were stronger than all other european teams. It was a total domination for Madrid against champion Bayern Munich and a total domination from Athletico against Chelsea and again, i am not a fan of Athletico, we analyze facts as they are.

It is always very astonishing to see "fans" seeing their team playing "bad" when they lose but the reality is that it is Athletico which made Chelsea plays bad and not Chelsea who played "by definition" bad !

Let us put aside the fact that Athletico Madrid is a popular club having a budget, around 5 times less than Chelsea ! :) My hat to them to have build such a wonderfull team with much less money than Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea ...

The pressing of Athletico and their tight defense totally neutralized any of the Chelsea plan or gameplay. It was not luck that they were able to beat Barcelona although in the first leg, they were a bit lucky but finally, overall deserved victory !

To conclude, these 3 first teams of the spanish league (especially Madrid and Athletico) were just too strong for their opponents and that's it !

It is a "shame" which is way beyond blindness to see Athletico as a "weak" team despite me beeing a fan of Barcelona ! They deserved their victory against Barcelona and even more against Chelsea who is just as crap (in the sense that they are just not able to produce anything really interesting against top opponents) as all the other "top" English teams this year.

Top La Liga teams makes English premier league look almost as second division old fashion league like Italian SERIE A...
 
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InDaMoneyz

IPL Player
Mar 13, 2007
2,966
0
Athletico madrid beat Barcelona, they are first in spanish league and this year, NO ENGLISH could match any of the first 3 spanish teams (Athletico, Barcelona and Madrid).

From any standard and from any neutral point of view, these 3 teams were stronger than all other european teams. It was a total domination for Madrid against champion Bayern Munich and a total domination from Athletico against Chelsea and again, i am not a fan of Athletico, we analyze facts as they are.

It is always very astonishing to see "fans" seeing their team playing "bad" when they lose but the reality is that it is Athletico which made Chelsea plays bad and not Chelsea who played "by definition" bad !

Let us put aside the fact that Athletico Madrid is a popular club having a budget, around 5 times less than Chelsea ! :) My hat to them to have build such a wonderfull team with much less money than Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea ...

The pressing of Athletico and their tight defense totally neutralized any of the Chelsea plan or gameplay. It was not luck that they were able to beat Barcelona although in the first leg, they were a bit lucky but finally, overall deserved victory !

To conclude, these 3 first teams of the spanish league (especially Madrid and Athletico) were just too strong for their opponents and that's it !

It is a "shame" which is way beyond blindness to see Athletico as a "weak" team despite me beeing a fan of Barcelona ! They deserved their victory against Barcelona and even more against Chelsea who is just as crap (in the sense that they are just not able to produce anything really interesting against top opponents) as all the other "top" English teams this year.

Top La Liga teams makes English premier league look almost as second division old fashion league like Italian SERIE A...
Dear clueless, with the exception of courtoise - who is already a chelsea player, there is not a single player on athletico who would make chelsea or city lineup - not even one! so you are talking rubbish.

And barcelona were handed the city matchup if you ever bothered to watch the match. They were the better side against barca until barca once again were difted with a red card and a penalty! - now you tell me who could at this stage of CL come back from that?

Mark my word, and i said this about barca many years ago: you will not see Real or Athletico in finals for a long time to come. The only reason they did so this year is because EPL teams were busy destorying each other in world's toughest league. At leats go through the tables to simply see how many points top 3 in EPL have lost compared to that of top 3 in laliga, maybe that would give you a clue, why do you think that is?
 
Feb 22, 2005
6,884
9
With you, one always has to go to children Football lesson 101 as you know nothing about Football. A 4 years old knows more than you.

The reason you dont see teams like Athletico Madrid make it is due to Cash flow. They dont have the kind of money that teams like Real, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern, Man U, PSG, ... have. So, they are forced to sell players like Aguerro, Falcao, Torres, Villa, Costa (right there your brain should pop up that you dont know anything about Football). Aguerro never wanted to leave Athletico for Man City. He was forced to, due to Athletico needing the cash to be able to compete.

Those same players that you think would never make it to Chelsea or Man City destroyed Chelsea yesterday.

Koke, Turan, Costa are some of the most sought after and you will get to see that (again you know nothing about Football).

You should learn to give credit to a team like Athletico which with a fraction of Many city or Chelsea has put such amazing team together.

Dear clueless, with the exception of courtoise - who is already a chelsea player, there is not a single player on athletico who would make chelsea or city lineup - not even one! so you are talking rubbish.

And barcelona were handed the city matchup if you ever bothered to watch the match. They were the better side against barca until barca once again were difted with a red card and a penalty! - now you tell me who could at this stage of CL come back from that?

Mark my word, and i said this about barca many years ago: you will not see Real or Athletico in finals for a long time to come. The only reason they did so this year is because EPL teams were busy destorying each other in world's toughest league. At leats go through the tables to simply see how many points top 3 in EPL have lost compared to that of top 3 in laliga, maybe that would give you a clue, why do you think that is?
 

ardy

Legionnaire
Nov 25, 2004
6,575
0
San Diego Armando Maradona, CA
Dear clueless, with the exception of courtoise - who is already a chelsea player, there is not a single player on athletico who would make chelsea or city lineup - not even one! so you are talking rubbish.

And barcelona were handed the city matchup if you ever bothered to watch the match. They were the better side against barca until barca once again were difted with a red card and a penalty! - now you tell me who could at this stage of CL come back from that?

Mark my word, and i said this about barca many years ago: you will not see Real or Athletico in finals for a long time to come. The only reason they did so this year is because EPL teams were busy destorying each other in world's toughest league. At leats go through the tables to simply see how many points top 3 in EPL have lost compared to that of top 3 in laliga, maybe that would give you a clue, why do you think that is?

ghAsem khafe sho!


Mr. Tactical Genius Mou and Chelsea fan's pride and joy Abramovic have made Diego Costa their number one summer priority.
 
Feb 22, 2005
6,884
9
Unfortunately, Chelsea and Athletico have a very good relationship on exchanges, otherwise, would have loved to see Costa in a team like Arsenal or others. It was nice to see them in Athletico and would have been good for Athletico to keep him. But Athletico need money and they cant afford not to accept the offer from Chelsea. Ame will happen with Koke. Same with Diego Simone. There will be so many teams after him. Hoping Arsenal will get him.

ghAsem khafe sho!


Mr. Tactical Genius Mou and Chelsea fan's pride and joy Abramovic have made Diego Costa their number one summer priority.
 
Feb 22, 2005
6,884
9
The former Manchester United manager David Moyes spent 10 months watching 39,432 players a total of 5,097,301 times, only to sign Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata. But only research as forensic as this could uncover the talent of Atlético Madrid's Diego Costa, a principal summer transfer target – but whose arrival may well be predicated on that of Diego Simeone, a leading candidate to be the next United manager.
 

Agha Shojaa

Elite Member
Nov 8, 2002
7,110
0
Canada
Part of an article I found on The Guardian:


When Simeone took over in 2011, Atlético hovered just above the relegation zone. They had won the Europa League 18 months earlier, sure, but crisis gripped and they had been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by the second division B side Albacete. Six of the players who lost to Albacete started on Wednesday; a seventh, captain Gabi, was suspended. "I don't want to say 'sunk', but we were in a bad way," Koke recalls. "Simeone changed our life."

In his first (half) season, Atlético won the Europa League and climbed to fifth. In his second, they won the European Super Cup, hammering Chelsea, and finished third, returning to the Champions League. The season ended with them winning the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid – at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was the first time Atlético had beaten their city rivals in 14 years and a fatalism had taken hold. They beat them again at the start of this season. From no wins in 25 to two in two. What happened next was that Radamel Falcao departed. But still they grew.

Although Real knocked Atlético out of the cup this year, the city's "other" team are two wins in three games away from winning a first league title since 1996, a league title that appeared utterly impossible, that even their manager said could not be won, and they are in the final of the European Cup. "This is madness," Tiago said last night. No one expected this, even if privately the players did think that a good European run was possible. More possible, in fact, than the league. Amazingly, they could now win both.

On Wednesday no one could doubt their superiority. Even Chelsea's goal was an Atlético goal. Atlético have reached the final without losing a game. They have conceded just once in four matches against Barcelona and Chelsea.

All this with a budget less than a quarter the size of Real Madrid's. It is not as if reinforcements have arrived either. Simeone's starting XI last night did not include a single new signing. It cost a total of €38.3m in transfer fees. Again, the likely consequence is sales. Atlético, Chelsea and the agents involved all agree on Diego Costa moving to Chelsea. At the moment, the only person who does not is Costa himself. He will not find a club, a life, like this elsewhere. "We might not have the economic might of other clubs but no one can match us for ambition," Simeone said.

At the end of Wednesday night's press conference, Simeone had a message to deliver. "I want to say thanks to the mothers who gave birth to these players: they have huge balls." Together, they have done something barely believable. When they arrived back at Barajas airport it was 5.30 in the morning. Around 100 fans had gathered to greet them, some holding the first edition of the morning's papers. They chanted and sang.

Atlético's hymn was among the songs. It starts with the line: "I'm going to Manzanares." The Manzanares is the river that runs through Madrid, alongside the Vicente Calderón and into the Tagus, heading west all the way to Lisbon.
 
Very good read. thanks

just to add to it Atletico Madrid's Entire Starting XI Cost £20 Million Less Than Fernando Torres :)

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Part of an article I found on The Guardian:


When Simeone took over in 2011, Atlético hovered just above the relegation zone. They had won the Europa League 18 months earlier, sure, but crisis gripped and they had been knocked out of the Copa del Rey by the second division B side Albacete. Six of the players who lost to Albacete started on Wednesday; a seventh, captain Gabi, was suspended. "I don't want to say 'sunk', but we were in a bad way," Koke recalls. "Simeone changed our life."

In his first (half) season, Atlético won the Europa League and climbed to fifth. In his second, they won the European Super Cup, hammering Chelsea, and finished third, returning to the Champions League. The season ended with them winning the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid – at the Santiago Bernabéu. It was the first time Atlético had beaten their city rivals in 14 years and a fatalism had taken hold. They beat them again at the start of this season. From no wins in 25 to two in two. What happened next was that Radamel Falcao departed. But still they grew.

Although Real knocked Atlético out of the cup this year, the city's "other" team are two wins in three games away from winning a first league title since 1996, a league title that appeared utterly impossible, that even their manager said could not be won, and they are in the final of the European Cup. "This is madness," Tiago said last night. No one expected this, even if privately the players did think that a good European run was possible. More possible, in fact, than the league. Amazingly, they could now win both.

On Wednesday no one could doubt their superiority. Even Chelsea's goal was an Atlético goal. Atlético have reached the final without losing a game. They have conceded just once in four matches against Barcelona and Chelsea.

All this with a budget less than a quarter the size of Real Madrid's. It is not as if reinforcements have arrived either. Simeone's starting XI last night did not include a single new signing. It cost a total of €38.3m in transfer fees. Again, the likely consequence is sales. Atlético, Chelsea and the agents involved all agree on Diego Costa moving to Chelsea. At the moment, the only person who does not is Costa himself. He will not find a club, a life, like this elsewhere. "We might not have the economic might of other clubs but no one can match us for ambition," Simeone said.

At the end of Wednesday night's press conference, Simeone had a message to deliver. "I want to say thanks to the mothers who gave birth to these players: they have huge balls." Together, they have done something barely believable. When they arrived back at Barajas airport it was 5.30 in the morning. Around 100 fans had gathered to greet them, some holding the first edition of the morning's papers. They chanted and sang.

Atlético's hymn was among the songs. It starts with the line: "I'm going to Manzanares." The Manzanares is the river that runs through Madrid, alongside the Vicente Calderón and into the Tagus, heading west all the way to Lisbon.
 
Jul 5, 2008
2,723
0
Melbourne
Its quite a deja vu moment in this years Champions League when you think about it, Real Madrid is the perfectly balanced, explosive hungry for success machine of a team that Bayern was last year, and At.Madrid (no-less hungry for success then Real Madrid by any means) is the very impressive underdog that Dortmund was under the guidance of an incredible young coach.

It will be a cracking final, no doubt about it. It's too close to call even.
 
Feb 22, 2005
6,884
9
We might not have the economic might of other clubs but no one can match us for ambition," Simeone said.

This is very true of Athletico. Against Barcelona at half time coming out in the tunnel was Aguerro standing with the players. He never wanted to leave Athletico but was sort of forced as the club needed the money to survive. Players love playing them and you can see it in them. It is great seeing Simones put such a team together.
 

Behrooz_C

Elite Member
Dec 10, 2005
16,650
1,566
A small island west of Africa
Honestly if he stops supporting Chelsea there wiil be more sympathy with Chelsea among members here ...
Yes well, the guy is full of contradictions as he changes his ideas to fit his agenda. He forgets some basic footballing sense. Sure Sunderland had chances against Chelsea but that's because Chelsea played differently, as they went looking for goals which allowed Sunderland to exploit spaces. Against Atletico, Chelsea played a very different approach. This was plainly obvious to even the most naive observers. Also, he seems to forget that Chelsea also created a hell of a lot more chances against Sunderland than they did against Atletico.

As usual, his take on the game as a whole is very superficial.
 

Maly

Ball Boy
May 31, 2004
317
0
I really hope Atletico Madrid win the CL this season they deserve it immensely

I totally agree with you, and it will also show that with spending much less, you can achieve great things with scouting, tactic, discipline etc ...

I am a fan of Barcelona but honestly, after they beat Barcelona and how i saw them playing since the beginning of la LIGA, they deserve their title and they deserve to win the champion's league as well.

IT will be a great boost of moral for all these poor people in the southern suburbs of Madrid supporting them who are almost starving and in compare to Real located in the North of Madrid which spent money without even counting ...