Peter Anderson ⚽ To say I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening's UCL game would be an understatement. 

City face Munich in the Etihad in the quarter-finals of this year's competition. You get the feeling that it is now or never for Pep's City to win the competition that has eluded the club up to now. Indeed, Pep hasn't won it since his Barça days.

We've been close in the past, but Pep seems to overthink it. Like when he played the final against Chelsea and didn't use Fernandinho or Gundogan, opting to forgo a holding pivot in midfield. It didn't work, but he didn't change it until it was too late. This season though he has managed to get his stuttering City side purring again. We are playing some excellent football and have Haaland and Alvarez both on top form. Surely this season? To win it, it looks like we will have to beat Munich, then probably Real and Napoli. It won't be easy!

City's fans have a difficult time with the European football. Many would be happy just to play domestic football. For many UCL games the Etihad isn't even full, causing the nickname "The Emptihad". And before every UCL game the UEFA Champions League anthem is roundly booed by the faithful. City have a long list of grievances against UEFA and they have a solid case. The main two reasons are that UEFA failed to sanction other clubs for their racism, and that they favour the traditional "big" clubs over the nouveau riche. 

The first reason stems back to when City played CSKA Moscow. The stadium was supposed to be empty following a stadium ban for racism against CSKA, but on game night several thousand CSKA fans managed to get in. UEFA delegates saw this and did nothing, even shortening their ban on appeal. Also Porto only got fined €20,000 for racially abusing Yaya Toure, but City got fined €30,000 for being 1 minute late back after the half time break. There was a general feeling back then that Yaya was not properly protected from the racism he faced. Much like Samuel Eto'o before him, and the countless others that face abuse that never gets dealt with. If really UEFA wanted to get rid of racism, they could do it one season by proper enforcement and punishment.

The second reason is that UEFA have bent to appeals from Real and Juventus that City and PSG are breaking the rules. I am biased, but I have no sympathy for any of the "established" teams that are suffering from the folly of their own actions. Real inflated the transfer market by selling their city centre training ground for hundreds of millions and then spunked the cash on galacticos. Now they can't afford shit, nor compete with the English teams and PSG. So, now they try to set up a super league and bitch and moan about their rivals. There is a feeling at City that UEFA have bent to the pressure. It's a grey area, safer to stick with the racism reason I think.

City aren't the only fans to boo the UCL anthem. Atletico Madrid also do it. That all stems from a game against Marseille in Madrid in 2008 when the game was delayed as the local police beat the bag out of the Marseille fans in the stadium. Michel Platini, then UEFA President, was in the stands and none too pleased at the treatment his countrymen faced. Later in the game Kun Aguero made a tackle on a black Marseille player and the fans chanted "Kun, Kun, Kun, Kun!" As we frequently did back then. 

In his post-match statement Platini said that the Atletico fans were monkey chanting. Atletico were sanctioned and given a 2 game stadium ban. This was Atletico's first UCL game in nearly 15 years and was devastating for the club and the supporters. The next game was against Liverpool in 3 weeks time. Liverpool complained that the ban was too soon, and their fans had already bought flights and tickets, so the ban was reduced to one game and the Liverpool game went ahead in a full Calderon stadium.

The dogs on the street know that Atletico's fans were not monkey chanting and that Platini was just thran at the Madrid police. This feeds into the narrative that UEFA also favour Real over Atletico. Whether or not Atletico and City have a case for bias against them from UEFA, or whether they just suffer from "small club syndrome" is certainly subjective, but I will love it, love it if one of them could win the trophy and stick up the middle finger to UEFA and the "establishment".

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports

UEFA Lot To Answer For

Peter Anderson ⚽ To say I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening's UCL game would be an understatement. 

City face Munich in the Etihad in the quarter-finals of this year's competition. You get the feeling that it is now or never for Pep's City to win the competition that has eluded the club up to now. Indeed, Pep hasn't won it since his Barça days.

We've been close in the past, but Pep seems to overthink it. Like when he played the final against Chelsea and didn't use Fernandinho or Gundogan, opting to forgo a holding pivot in midfield. It didn't work, but he didn't change it until it was too late. This season though he has managed to get his stuttering City side purring again. We are playing some excellent football and have Haaland and Alvarez both on top form. Surely this season? To win it, it looks like we will have to beat Munich, then probably Real and Napoli. It won't be easy!

City's fans have a difficult time with the European football. Many would be happy just to play domestic football. For many UCL games the Etihad isn't even full, causing the nickname "The Emptihad". And before every UCL game the UEFA Champions League anthem is roundly booed by the faithful. City have a long list of grievances against UEFA and they have a solid case. The main two reasons are that UEFA failed to sanction other clubs for their racism, and that they favour the traditional "big" clubs over the nouveau riche. 

The first reason stems back to when City played CSKA Moscow. The stadium was supposed to be empty following a stadium ban for racism against CSKA, but on game night several thousand CSKA fans managed to get in. UEFA delegates saw this and did nothing, even shortening their ban on appeal. Also Porto only got fined €20,000 for racially abusing Yaya Toure, but City got fined €30,000 for being 1 minute late back after the half time break. There was a general feeling back then that Yaya was not properly protected from the racism he faced. Much like Samuel Eto'o before him, and the countless others that face abuse that never gets dealt with. If really UEFA wanted to get rid of racism, they could do it one season by proper enforcement and punishment.

The second reason is that UEFA have bent to appeals from Real and Juventus that City and PSG are breaking the rules. I am biased, but I have no sympathy for any of the "established" teams that are suffering from the folly of their own actions. Real inflated the transfer market by selling their city centre training ground for hundreds of millions and then spunked the cash on galacticos. Now they can't afford shit, nor compete with the English teams and PSG. So, now they try to set up a super league and bitch and moan about their rivals. There is a feeling at City that UEFA have bent to the pressure. It's a grey area, safer to stick with the racism reason I think.

City aren't the only fans to boo the UCL anthem. Atletico Madrid also do it. That all stems from a game against Marseille in Madrid in 2008 when the game was delayed as the local police beat the bag out of the Marseille fans in the stadium. Michel Platini, then UEFA President, was in the stands and none too pleased at the treatment his countrymen faced. Later in the game Kun Aguero made a tackle on a black Marseille player and the fans chanted "Kun, Kun, Kun, Kun!" As we frequently did back then. 

In his post-match statement Platini said that the Atletico fans were monkey chanting. Atletico were sanctioned and given a 2 game stadium ban. This was Atletico's first UCL game in nearly 15 years and was devastating for the club and the supporters. The next game was against Liverpool in 3 weeks time. Liverpool complained that the ban was too soon, and their fans had already bought flights and tickets, so the ban was reduced to one game and the Liverpool game went ahead in a full Calderon stadium.

The dogs on the street know that Atletico's fans were not monkey chanting and that Platini was just thran at the Madrid police. This feeds into the narrative that UEFA also favour Real over Atletico. Whether or not Atletico and City have a case for bias against them from UEFA, or whether they just suffer from "small club syndrome" is certainly subjective, but I will love it, love it if one of them could win the trophy and stick up the middle finger to UEFA and the "establishment".

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports

7 comments:

  1. An excellent performance from City last night. Our form in the past month has been phenomenal. Ake, Stones, Dias, Rodri et al look so comfortable. I fear for Arsenal.

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  2. I do too. Arsenal threw it away on Sunday against a side that has been piss poor all season. Thy will not beat City at the Etihad so it is looking like another title for the men in Blue. Could Arsenal drop out of top four contention? A bit late for that now I suspect.

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  3. Should be ok for top 4. At the end of April they start a run of City (A), Chelsea (H), Newcastle (A) and Brighton (H). They'll do well to get more than 4 points from that run.

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    Replies
    1. it really is a fall from the perch when we are talking about them maybe being all right for the top four. A formidable opposition ahead of them in the run in.

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  4. Top 4 is done & dusted . The Reds handed City the title . Maybe dark horses Napoli can win the C L . Can the Scousers take care of Leeds next Monday ? Europa spot for the Merseysiders ( hopefully ) . Looks as if Bellers won't be going to Anfield #QuelleSurprise #6NewSigningsNeeded

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    Replies
    1. Can't blame him - what top class player would want to go to such a poor quality side?

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  5. You think that's bad? We're going to be murdered tonight.

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