Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

As I've said before Liverpool have struggled offensively the past couple months. Salah, especially.

Salah had a couple of really good chances in the game, I'd say the best Liverpool had, but on both he was thwarted by Courtois.

[Sheilbh]

Disagree on Liverpool deserving the win. Courtois was colossal on goal and stopped every single shot Liverpool took. R. Madrid had fewer chances but they managed to score and should have probably been awarded the disalowed goal at the end of the 1st half.

I agree it was like a battle of is Real Madrid more Real Madrid than Liverpool is Liverpool - and they are. I think in that run against Chelsea and Liverpool who've won it recently and City who are more coherent PSG in the games I saw I'm not sure that over the match Madrid were ever necessarily the better team. But they had incredible individual performances from incredible players - Benzema, Modric, Courtois at different points - and moments of genius.

Which feels like a very fitting way to win for an Ancelotti led team v Tuchel, Klopp and Guardiola

But from the highlights it seems Liverpool indeed should have won. Very unlucky. Though also true Madrid had the easier run in.

Other way round, no? Madrid had PSG, Chelsea and City; Liverpool had Inter, Benfica and Villareal. That's not to do any of those teams down (and Villareal had a great run) but Liverpool's run-in seems a lot easier.

Completely off topic... But I've been doing a bit of research into the history of the term geordie (somewhat more thinking of doing research), trying to track down some sources I remember seeing a while ago when Sunderland people were called geordies pre John Hall and nobody much minded.... The rather interesting base hypothesis is one that it seems originally, back in the early 19th century, the term was explicitly used to mean someone NOT from Newcastle....

I thought Newcastle = Geordie and Mackem = Sunderland?

I wonder, mainly at Sheilbh as I guess he's most alert to this, has anyone noticed Liverpool FC/it's fans being called scouser as a cover all, neglecting many scousers aren't Liverpool fans?

Only from Liverpool fans

[Josephus]

As I've said before Liverpool have struggled offensively the past couple months. Salah, especially.

Salah had a couple of really good chances in the game, I'd say the best Liverpool had, but on both he was thwarted by Courtois.

Six months ago he would have scored both.

[The Larch]

Nottingham Forest is back in the Premier League. Made me think of Norgy.

[Gups]

I couldnt see the game, it was locked away on pay per view and I didn't care/have time/influence enough to pay/work around....

For future reference the CL final was free to air (and on YouTube) and always has been so far

[celedhring]

Over here several TV channels used static pictures to report the game because UEFA apparently wants a pretty penny for the highlight packages 

Not that I'm dying to watch the highlights, mind!

[Josquius]

Yeah, I had to watch the highlights on YouTube (didn't advertise well the whole thing was there). All talk of it on TV just showed fan reactions as they watched it live.

Other way round, no? Madrid had PSG, Chelsea and City; Liverpool had Inter, Benfica and Villareal. That's not to do any of those teams down (and Villareal had a great run) but Liverpool's run-in seems a lot easier.

Yes. Used the wrong word.

I thought Newcastle = Geordie and Mackem = Sunderland

These days yes though mackem is a fairly new term that only really rose to prominence in the 80s and 90s with the changes in football of the time and rising hate.
I can't find the source again but I remember seeing around Sunderland 73 cup win talk if them being the pride of the geordie nation et al.

Geordie has its origin as a term to refer to coal miners from the area around Newcastle. Ie a term people actually from Newcastle would use to call folk hicks.
This conceivably could make Sunderland more geordie than Newcastle but I haven't found anything so specific.

[Sheilbh]

Appears to be a lot of pushback against the French government's line that the issues at the stadium was because of "British supporters" and that there were 30-40,000 Liverpool fans with fake tickets and also 3-400 locals causing issues.

In part this is because those numbers just seem absurd. But it also doesn't align with what reporters on the ground - from all countries and outlets - were reporting all day (I'd also note more than one journalist has said the police went after them as well even when they explained they were press), or with social media footage. It also seems that there were similar, but lesser, issues on the Madrid side. And I think in part because of Hillsborough, Liverpool fan groups are very well placed and experienced in fighting back against that sort of narrative.

One thing that's come up a lot from Liverpool fans is locals rushing a gate. That caused the gate to get closed and there's then, obviously, loads of people with tickets unable to get in and getting funnelled to another gate. Apparently this happened at a few gates.

I saw one journalist note that the entry to the stadium for ticketholders was right up against the stadium - they contrasted this with Euro 2016 when the ticket control was basically a block or two away at the metro.

That was also a problem at Wembley - it was also a problem in the crush in Cameroon. I don't fully know why but it feels like football associations decided to try and the first ticket control right up against the stadium at a few big games since the pandemic and there's been issues at each one. Sadly the best case is there's disorder and chaos at the gates/stadium - worst case is gates are shut, people are re-directed and die in a crush. The social media footage of Liverpool fans helping kids, the elderly and disabled people out of the crowd and onto car or van roofs is pretty grim (again especially given the history).

My guess is that it's cheaper and they thought it might be away to save money? But I'm not sure if that really explains it. It's very weird - but this is now the third game there's been issues and it feels like the organisers need to go back to whatever they were doing pre-pandemic?

Edit: Eg, Miguel Delaney reporting that fans were told there's be four locations for ticket checks before the stadium: there were none.

Edit: Similarly current line is that 70% of tickets presented at the stadium were fake. An Athletic writer noted they were at an entrance waiting for an hour and saw zero evidence of fake tickets. Also this is why you normally have ticket checks away from the stadium to filter the ticketless or fake tickets to a different area.

[Josquius]

If we assume the fake ticket story is true, even then it seems strange to blame the Liverpool fans.
Surely if fake tickets were so rampant the fault there lies with the organiser for not doing their job and guarding against this.

[Sheilbh]

Yes - and in any event despite that being the line from the Interior Minister and the Sports Minister yesterday, the French Football Federation have today said there were fewer than 3,000 fake tickets.

Lots of fans saying there were issues with the scanning machines that took multiple scans to get through - which is possibly the source of the 70% of tickets were fake line from yesterday.

The Athletic report by reporters on the ground - as well as stuff by CBS and NYT writers just doesn't tally with what the government and police are saying. Also - and I never thought I'd say this - but El Chiringuito did some really good reporting with footage of the stadium:
https://twitter.com/elchiringuitotv/status/1531066003458867200

It just looks like a huge failure of organisation and policing - chaos. And I've now seen English-speaking, Spanish and French journalists pushing back against the line from the French government and police.

[Duque de Bragança]

That's Macron's clique at work, comparable to the bad policing of Yellow Vests demonstrations.
Not that fooball crowds in the Ligue des Talents are better managed, this season has been awful.

Some French links

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/daniel-riolo-ce-fiasco-monumental-n-a-rien-a-voir-avec-les-supporters-anglais-mais-beaucoup-avec-des-jeunes-de-cites-20220530

A well-known sports journalist, controversial, but right once in a while as in now.

Also, reminder of Thierry Henri's prophetic words:

"Saint-Denis is not Paris"

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/comme-l-a-dit-thierry-henry-saint-denis-n-a-pas-grand-chose-a-voir-avec-paris-20220510

[Josquius]

That's Macron's clique at work, comparable to the bad policing of Yellow Vests demonstrations.
Not that fooball crowds in the Ligue des Talents are better managed, this season has been awful.

Some French links

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/daniel-riolo-ce-fiasco-monumental-n-a-rien-a-voir-avec-les-supporters-anglais-mais-beaucoup-avec-des-jeunes-de-cites-20220530

A well-known sports journalist, controversial, but right once in a while as in now.

Also, reminder of Thierry Henri's prophetic words:

"Saint-Denis is not Paris"

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/comme-l-a-dit-thierry-henry-saint-denis-n-a-pas-grand-chose-a-voir-avec-paris-20220510

How is it Macron's fault ?

[Zoupa]

Duque blames Macron when he stubs his toe or burns his toast.

[Admiral Yi]

Should sound a little familiar Squeeze. 

[Duque de Bragança]

That's Macron's clique at work, comparable to the bad policing of Yellow Vests demonstrations.
Not that fooball crowds in the Ligue des Talents are better managed, this season has been awful.

Some French links

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/daniel-riolo-ce-fiasco-monumental-n-a-rien-a-voir-avec-les-supporters-anglais-mais-beaucoup-avec-des-jeunes-de-cites-20220530

A well-known sports journalist, controversial, but right once in a while as in now.

Also, reminder of Thierry Henri's prophetic words:

"Saint-Denis is not Paris"

https://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/comme-l-a-dit-thierry-henry-saint-denis-n-a-pas-grand-chose-a-voir-avec-paris-20220510

How is it Macron's fault ?

 

Macron's clique as in...

People he chooses. Darmanin, interior ministry namely who has been blaming the English all weekend as in claiming 30,000 false tickets so problems at the gates. Plus the sports secretary, lower rank though.
Last but not least, the Police prefect Didier Lallement.

https://rmc.bfmtv.com/actualites/societe/incidents-au-stade-de-france-le-prefet-de-police-didier-lallement-encore-sous-le-feu-des-critiques_AV-202205300259.html

Didier Lallement est un homme sous le feu des critiques ce lundi matin, après les scènes de chaos au Stade de France, samedi soir, lors de la finale de la Ligue des champions de football. Le préfet de police de Paris connaît bien la pression, car il a régulièrement été contesté.

Il a 65 ans, il est préfet de police de Paris depuis mars 2019. Patron de 40.000 fonctionnaires, dont 20.000 policiers, et de services très prestigieux, comme l'anti-gang. On dit souvent du préfet de police de Paris que c'est l'homme le mieux informé de France. Il avait fait campagne ouvertement pour ce poste et avait remplacé Michel Delpuech, à qui on reprochait d'être trop mou face aux Gilets jaunes.

S'il y a bien une chose qu'on ne peut pas reprocher à Didier Lallement, c'est d'être mou. On le sait autoritaire, cassant, cinglant, provoquant même parfois, à la limite de la rupture.

On a en tête cette scène, avec une manifestante gilet jaune qui l'interpellait, à qui il avait répondu en lui tournant le dos: "Nous ne sommes pas dans le même camp, madame".

Il avait donné pour consigne aux forces de l'ordre "d'impacter" les manifestants gilets jaunes. Des manifestations où il y a eu de nombreux blessés, dans les deux camps d'ailleurs, manifestants et policiers.

From Macron's Fox News, BFM TV, no less.

FFF (French Football Federation) is wisely keeping a low profil, however.

Funny to see the macronolâtres triggered. 
But one cannot expect much from a band-wagoner who left behind his Olympitre for the Spurs. 

PS: Jupiter has spoken

https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/macron-fiasco-ligue-des-champions-gouvernement-commentaire_fr_62962451e4b05cfc269f3494

"Je ne ferai aucun commentaire sur ce qui relève du gouvernement et ce qui a déjà été instruit", fait savoir Emmanuel Macron en réponse à une question (à partir de 14′ dans la vidéo ci-contre).
"No comment. it's a government matter"