Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League 23/24

[Winston Biscuit]

A win for Real Madrid tonight will see Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos & Nacho all go level with Paco Gento as having the most ever Euopean Cup/Champions league wins (6)

[LUX]

Hummels is a fantastic player. Apparently he is not in the German squad

[Winston Biscuit]

Great half from Dortmund. Kind of feel they may regret not going ahead though

[Clyde1998]

Great half from Dortmund. Kind of feel they may regret not going ahead though

They've looked like the only side that was going to score in that half - Real Madrid haven't offered anything so far.

I think the one-on-one was the best chance IMO; touch was far too heavy though.

[genome]

Take a shot every time Ally McCoist says "brilliant"

[genome]

Had seen enough football matches to know exactly how that game was going to go after that first half

[Clyde1998]

Had seen enough football matches to know exactly how that game was going to go after that first half

Agreed. Dortmund simply didn't take their chances and were always going to struggle to get back into the game after going 1-0 down. Real Madrid didn't do much up until about ten minutes before the goal. I think the experience of how to win in Europe from the Real Madrid players ultimately won them the game; they executed their game plan well.

[Snowflake Royal]

Occasional moments of quality aside, and understanding that the technical ability to play that way is incredible, what a shit football match. Tedious soft passing through a constantly congested pitch.

[Winston Biscuit]

[Franchise FC]

Been wall to wall coverage today, rather unsurprisingly

[Winston Biscuit]

Just read that Arda Guler (the teenager at Real Madrid with all the crazy hype) is the first ever Turkish player to win the Champions League. Surprised at that.

[Clyde1998]

Just read that Arda Guler (the teenager at Real Madrid with all the crazy hype) is the first ever Turkish player to win the Champions League. Surprised at that.

I'm surprised by that too. Guler didn't even come on the pitch in the final, nor played any minutes in this season's tournament (from what I can see).

Had a look at the Turkish finalists (of those who were in the matchday squad):

• 2002 - Yıldıray Baştürk (Bayer Leverkusen)
• 2010 - Hamit Altıntop (Bayern Munich)
• 2013 - Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund; subbed on)
• 2023 - Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
• 2024 - Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund; remained on the bench)
• 2024 - Arda Güler (Real Madrid; remained on the bench)

Surprisingly small list to even be in the matchday squad in the final - let alone for a winning team.

[Winston Biscuit]

Just read that Arda Guler (the teenager at Real Madrid with all the crazy hype) is the first ever Turkish player to win the Champions League. Surprised at that.

I'm surprised by that too. Guler didn't even come on the pitch in the final, nor played any minutes in this season's tournament (from what I can see).

Had a look at the Turkish finalists (of those who were in the matchday squad):

• 2002 - Yıldıray Baştürk (Bayer Leverkusen)
• 2010 - Hamit Altıntop (Bayern Munich)
• 2013 - Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund; subbed on)
• 2023 - Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
• 2024 - Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund; remained on the bench)
• 2024 - Arda Güler (Real Madrid; remained on the bench)

Surprisingly small list to even be in the matchday squad in the final - let alone for a winning team.

Arda Turan would have been in a final surely?

Edit - nope, looks like he got injured in the last league game of the season so didn't play the Madrid Derby CL final in 2014

[Clyde1998]

Just read that Arda Guler (the teenager at Real Madrid with all the crazy hype) is the first ever Turkish player to win the Champions League. Surprised at that.

I'm surprised by that too. Guler didn't even come on the pitch in the final, nor played any minutes in this season's tournament (from what I can see).

Had a look at the Turkish finalists (of those who were in the matchday squad):

• 2002 - Yıldıray Baştürk (Bayer Leverkusen)
• 2010 - Hamit Altıntop (Bayern Munich)
• 2013 - Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund; subbed on)
• 2023 - Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
• 2024 - Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund; remained on the bench)
• 2024 - Arda Güler (Real Madrid; remained on the bench)

Surprisingly small list to even be in the matchday squad in the final - let alone for a winning team.

Arda Turan would have been in a final surely?

Wasn't in the matchday squad in 2014; he must've been injured or suspended as he would've been in the squad otherwise. I think he left before the next Atletico final.

[Winston Biscuit]

I'm surprised by that too. Guler didn't even come on the pitch in the final, nor played any minutes in this season's tournament (from what I can see).

Had a look at the Turkish finalists (of those who were in the matchday squad):

• 2002 - Yıldıray Baştürk (Bayer Leverkusen)
• 2010 - Hamit Altıntop (Bayern Munich)
• 2013 - Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund; subbed on)
• 2023 - Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
• 2024 - Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund; remained on the bench)
• 2024 - Arda Güler (Real Madrid; remained on the bench)

Surprisingly small list to even be in the matchday squad in the final - let alone for a winning team.

Arda Turan would have been in a final surely?

Wasn't in the matchday squad in 2014; he must've been injured or suspended as he would've been in the squad otherwise. I think he left before the next Atletico final.

Yeah, just edited my post up there, injured the week before so didn't play in 2014.

Very surprising on the lack of Turkish players CL success. It's hardly a backwater of football.

[Sanguine]

Don't know if we've had this, but I find this super-impressive from young Jude, conducts an interview in very decent Spanish after the CL final.

https://x.com/totalcristiano/status/1797391391686791459

[6ft Kerplunk]

Don't know if we've had this, but I find this super-impressive from young Jude, conducts an interview in very decent Spanish after the CL final.

https://x.com/totalcristiano/status/1797391391686791459

Yep, good on him. I'm sure it was mentioned when he signed for them that he'd been learning Spanish for a while as that's where he wanted to play.

[Franchise FC]

Don't know if we've had this, but I find this super-impressive from young Jude, conducts an interview in very decent Spanish after the CL final.

https://x.com/totalcristiano/status/1797391391686791459

Yep, good on him. I'm sure it was mentioned when he signed for them that he'd been learning Spanish for a while as that's where he wanted to play.

Even if he’s scripted that’s a great effort
I’ve been learning for a couple of years and, like any language, it isn’t easy, particularly the grammar