Champions League Begins!!!!!

[jazzypom]

Shakhtar Donetsk’s ‘refugees’ provide escapism in war-torn Ukraine


A few of the players
The talk in Shakhtar Donetsk’s dressing room last week was not cars or girls or even football, but rather the ceasefire agreed between government forces and pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.

As soon as the players gathered for lunch on Thursday, they began discussing the truce and the possibility that peace could come to their club’s hometown, the veteran goalkeeper Andrei Pyatov told the Guardian. The team have been training in the capital Kiev for their Champions League match against Bayern Munich on Tuesday since Donetsk is under rebel control.

“If people stop dying everyday, we’ll be able to focus on the game,” Pyatov said. “Sometimes you go out to play after hearing on the news that some bus came under fire and people died, and you think about that. It influences you, even if you hide it. Internally you’re not as concentrated. You try to be professional but those thoughts are there all the same.” sobering article.

SB Nation: Previewing the Champions League


This is where it gets serious. The little fish - your Maribors, your Liverpools, your Ludogoretss - have had their moments, have enjoyed the attention, have been roundly patronized by the press all over Europe ... and have been sent on their way with a cheery wave. Now, it's time for the big fish (and Basel) to step up. Swim up. Whatever fish do.

16 teams are left in the Champions League, and all of them have the ability to make life awkward for their opponents. Of those, at least eight will consider themselves in with a shot of lifting the cup in early June, which by the standards of modern football is a decent proportion. A couple of those will certainly be eliminated, which given the bloodthirstiness of today's television audiences is ideal. Nah, nah, nah, wait till we get our money right... I see the shade though. Wondered why it was still twilight outside. Shade aside, it's a good article to whet one's appetites for the CL. I'm watching this as a neutral come on Dortmund, I'ma need you to snatch edges and slay

Chatter from the sidelines

• Tottenham Hotspur liable for player brain damage tragic story this.
• Liverpool look to bring in Roma midfield ace Miralem Pjanic WHAT? Don't play with my feelings. If it's true- I'd pull the trigger and eat the costs for a season ticket, I would. Dat skill, when he threads dem passes doe- Pjanic makes me abandon good English and common sense when I speak about him to people
• Xabi Alonso impressing at Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola and eyeing a third Champions League medal hmm, I gotta say, I'm not convinced with Alonso and Basti on the pitch at all (when I've seen clips of them on the pitch together, I'm not convinced. Oh well, there's always genocidal costume parties to be had. Yayy!)
• Former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi says there are 'too many black players' in Italian youth teams OMG... I OMG Oh, he clarifies his comments but still boils down to no blacks on the Italian team. Oh, Balotelli
  
• Mario Balotelli, Daniel Sturridge starting to give Liverpool winning combination we'll see. Two swallows doesn't a summer make, and we're twenty eight weeks in! That being said, you get the feeling that it's the first time Balotelli has had to be a team man, rather than teams accommodating him, he has to now accommodate LFC. It's telling that Lallana was like, "Yeah, Mario can be important, if he works HARD." I don't think he'll be back for next season, so I hope Balotelli ramps up his form for the remaining sixteen weeks
• DAVID LUIZ: The real reason I left Chelsea, I still love Gary Neville and how I sledged Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger during the Champions League final
  for rielle, because Luiz is her boo thang
• Barcelona could face disciplinary action after Cristiano 'Ronaldo is a drunk' fan chants at the Nou Camp seriously? Y'all disappear when they're throwing bananas at black players but all up in arms because opposing team supports sing that Cristiano is a drunk? Oh Europe, stay failing
• Danny Ings to Real Sociedad? unlike his coach, I think Ings should go. La Liga is more technical, and he can only grow from playing in a different league, even if the experience doesn't work out
• Tim Sherwood bats off gilet joke at Aston Villa unveiling, but more is needed than a well-timed quip in club's current plight I have things I want to say about this appointment, but I'ma keep it cute. It might be good for Villa in that Sherwood believes in da youf, and arrogant enough to be secure in that belief, because the players on the field look snake bit. I'd hope that this time around he'll be a bit more circumspect in his dealings, i.e. - not LEAKING ish to the press and under minding other personnel. Hopefully he'd have gotten his full complement of coaching badges and some tactical nous. *breathes, rubs ear lobes* Okay, carry on
• 96% of fans want safe-standing introduced at football grounds across the UK according to a new report I do, too. I know that the Hillsborough contingent will push back, with 96 as warning and spectres (as they should; it would keep the process honest, that being said, they shouldn't hold change to ransom) but with modern stadia technology I'd dig it (of course, have a seated area for the disabled, or those who can't stand for long periods, sure. But bring back standing terraces!
• Julian Green's career at HSV not working out link in German. Oy
• Arsenal and Chelsea owners could help finance 2018 World Cup in Russia as Vladimir Putin reaches out amid financial crisis say what now? Well, if you're helping out people in financial crisis, throw some money my way, savvy?
• The Messi vs Ronaldo competition rumbles on my money is on Messi though
• AC Milan willing to make ‘significant’ offer for Asier Illarramendi I think Illarramendi likes sitting on the team bench and collecting the awards, tbh. Clubs keep coming for him, he keeps knocking them back
• Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla agrees to Atlético Madrid move Is this true? Granted, Atlético Madrid now has money to offset the amount they have to pay for transfers and such but wow if it's true. Get 'em before 2016, y'all

Pictures


Champions League begins tonight! I have Spanish class tonight. It's going to be awkward having the mobile vibrating on my table while the results come in. (._.) Kampl amusing me, good lad


So far, Real Madrid's performances through the initial round robins have been flawless, flaw free, free of flaws- you get the picture- will their form continue? Or have doubts started to creep in, rumours of the dressing room being fractured and all that? Tune in!


I heard about Tin Tin resigning a contract with Dortmund keeping him until 2019. It's good for him, in that he gets to consolidate his form, good for Dortmund in that it gives them confidence (they've been playing well although Klopp needs a whisper in his shell like re: defence), good for the club in that there's no set figure. I'm just feeling glad all over/baby I'm glad all over/so glad you're mine


Seriously, for all my snark, I'm glad for him, and Dortmund. Even the Dortmund fans on reddit now have a spring in their step, and Echte Liebe (I spelt this wrong, I know) is less a whispered cry and more a rallying shout.


For real, I know some people were like, 'But he's getting paid, probably more than he did and blah blah blah but his signing seems to have halted a cratering morale


And seriously, football is all about confidence- well, if you go by what people say these days. Confidence and character seem to be bywords brought to you by the letter C


Around this time, little tidbits of information pop up. Go on Messi, I smell CL in your future


LOL, I swear this was the best part of the game. I was really impressed by Sturridge here, in that even though he got the goal, he remembered his promise to Moreno, grabbed his hand, and they did the Studge. But in every afterglow of joy is the cold, dead certainty of Roy Hodgson wanting to pick Sturridge up and break him. Don't do it, LFC!


Poldi is coming back to Arsenal in the summer? You wot, mate? Didn't the Inter loan go well?


Yo, what's the deal with van Gaal and why doesn't he use Herrera? Herrera has initiative, makes things happen, is an intelligent player, and okay, a bit of a maverick, but every time he comes on, he either scores, or has a goal assist. Why the hate, LvG?


The lad is stealth and cunning - and yeah, ALLEGEDLY linked with a match fixing thing - but you've played worse, and he's innocent until proven guilty and jailed


Fellani did stuff. So Manchester United won the match. Man, they've been lucky because some of the gameplay has been unbelievably bad. That Man United luck wins again


Felllani won, Falcao flopped


The profile of a player that's going to Real Madrid. You get the feeling that if Manchester United doesn't sign Falcao, Mendes is going to engineer a move for DeGea to Real Madrid, and Manchester United will try and come for Lloris, and hopefully Levy will Levy and make it hard for Man U. Scalp 'em, Levy

I'm back. Had to do the internet equivalent of going for a long walk from this comm for a while. That being said, I'm back, and intend to do the CL round up (and Europa, if I can, two of my teams are in the mix) for the posts going forward. The usual applies, broken links, dodgy articles, any missed news, leave in the comments. If you can throw any missed tags on the post, I'll be grateful, if not, I'll get around to these bits when I can. Chinese New Year is coming up, and I'm in the throes of cleaning house from top to bottom (seriously, how many of the same magenta lippies can a girl have? WTF) so I might not be able to get back to cleaning up until Feb 19