European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[cmonurz]

Just heard on the radio that in Norway a player went down in the box and was awarded a penalty. The player then told the ref that he tripped over his own feet and that it was no pen, ref disagreed and after the player continued to state that it was no pen the ref gave him a red card. Other team missed the pen on purpose

Can't find that one, although did find the example below from the Irish league, Dungannon deliberately miss a penalty after an opposition defender bizarrely caught the ball before punting it out so that a player could received treatment. Very sporting on all counts, stupid to catch the ball though, ref didn't have much choice.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/130 ... nalty.html

[who are ya?]

Should have done a Van Persie vs Wolves penalty instead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdwCbB3hTmA

[cmonurz]

I do like this little stat from the Guardian – this is the first season that Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not won the domestic league title since 2003. And this in spite of Ibrahimovic enjoying his best return in terms of league goals (28) in his career.

2002-03 Ajax – 2nd
2003-04 Ajax – 1st
2004-05 Juventus – 1st
2005-06 Juventus – 1st
2006-07 Inter – 1st
2007-08 Inter – 1st
2008-09 Inter – 1st
2009-10 Barcelona – 1st
2010-11 Milan – 1st
2011-12 Milan – 2nd*

[cmonurz]

I know I’m like a broken record on this guy, but back to Messi….

72 goals in a season. 72. If a player scored 36 goals in a season for Reading, he’d be our most prolific striker for twenty years. And Messi has scored double that.

72 goals, in only 58 games, including 10 hat-tricks. 50 in 36 league games, only two goals fewer than scored by Atletico Madrid this season. And 28 assists too.

Will we ever see another individual season of such brilliance? These are once in a lifetime, surely?

[Starfish]

Wonderful German Cup Final. Dortmund won 5-2 to secure their first ever double and only their third ever cup success. They have now won their last five encounters with Bayern - I am sure Bayern are pretty happy BVB are not their opponents next Saturday.

[Starfish]

Hut ab Herr Klopp.

[soggy biscuit]

Villarreal go down also meaning Villarreal II must take one of the relegation spots in Segunda. With only the top 2 divisions being professional in Spain that is some knock on effect that relegation brings

Interesting to note that in the Spanish top scorer table Messi sits top on 50 goals while no other Barcelona player appears in the top 15 places, Real Madrid have 3 players in the top 5 on 46, 22 & 21

[handbags_harris]

1) Ajax - 76 points - Champions League Groups
2) Feyenoord - 70 points - Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round
3) PSV - 69 - Europa League Playoff Round
4) AZ - 65 - Europa League Playoff Round
5) Heerenveen - 64 - Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round
6) FC Twente - 60 - Europa League 1st Qualifying Round
7) Vitesse - 53 - Eredivisie Europa League Playoffs*
NEC - 45 - Eredivisie Europa League Playoffs
9) RKC Waalwijk - 45 - Eredivisie Europa League Playoffs*
10) Roda JC - 44
11) FC Utrecht - 43
12) Heracles - 40
13) NAC Breda - 38
14) FC Groningen - 37
15) ADO Den Haag - 32
16) VVV-Venlo - 31 - Relegation/Promotion Playoffs
17) De Graafschap - 24 - Relegation/Promotion Playoffs **
18) Excelsior - 19 - Relegated to Eerste Divisie

* Vitesse v RKC Waalwijk contest the Europa League Playoff Final played over two legs 17/05 and 20/05.
** De Graafschap relegated to Eerste Divisie after losing Relegation/Promotion playoff on away goals, 1-1 v Den Bosch.

VVV-Venlo have one last chance to remain in the Eredivisie as they take on Helmond Sport in the 3rd Playoff round.

In the Eerste Divisie:

FC Zwolle won the division (where Reading signed Elroy Kromheer from).
Sparta Rotterdam, FC Eindhoven, Helmond Sport and Willem II finished 2nd thru' 5th and qualified for the relegation/promotion playoff 2nd round. Only Willem II and Helmond Sport remain in the hat for the 3rd and final round.
Den Bosch, Cambuur, MVV and Go Ahead Eagles finished 6th thru' 9th and qualified for the relegation/promotion playoff 1st round. Only Den Bosch remain in the hat at the 3rd and final round.

3rd round games to be played 17/05 and 20/05:-

Den Bosch v Willem II
Helmond Sport v VVV-Venlo

[Stranded]

Confusion reigns in Germany. Dusseldorf fans invade the pitch to celebrate promotion with at least 1 minute to go. Ten man Hertha Berlin need a goal to retain their Bundesliga status.

Currently 4-3 to Fortuna on agg.

[Stranded]

Looks like it might now be over. Players waved off the pitch, riot police on perimeter watch. Not sure what they'll do here, as there was at least a minute to play.

[Stranded]

Talking to myself, I know but Fortuna fans now being arrested. Ref re-emerging, looks like they'll be giving it another go.

[Stranded]

Fortuna players ready to go but Hertha have not re-emerged. Ref has gone back in to try to coax them out.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Here they come. Come on Hertha

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Went down in the sixth of seven minutes of time added on --much of that for a shower of flares launched from the away support raining down on the pitch with an hour gone and it looking a lost cause for Hertha having gone two goals down on aggregate and playing with ten men on the nite

Exceedingly poor show all round this --Serie A standard, really-- but anyway here come the Hertha boys, and now on with it...

[Stranded]

And after all that not much happens, and Fortuna back in the Bundesliga for the first time in 15 years. At least for now, can't see this being the end of it.

[Starfish]

And after all that not much happens, and Fortuna back in the Bundesliga for the first time in 15 years. At least for now, can't see this being the end of it.

The DFB will wag their finger, the BILD-Zeitung will talk horror stories, Düsseldorf will have to pay a fine, there will be a lot of humming and hawing and next season, Düsseldorf will play in the 1. BL. Let's end the story now.

In Germany, anytime anything like this happens, there is constantly talk of points deductions and relegations and I have no idea what, but there are never 'repercussions', other than fines and (if the club is Rostock) games behind closed doors, and I think that's okay. The exception, of course, is if a club get into serious debt. Then they're f*cked.

[LUX]

for any one who cares, Metz have been relegated to the Third division . I suppose the best comparison would be Coventry dropping down to that Division, which tbf, has just happened. But the French third division<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<the English one, at every level.

[Wax Jacket]

they used to be quite the noise Metz with ther shiny stadium and that

meanwhile in Belgium the play-offs are finally ending on Sunday as Gent and Cercle Bruges battle it out for the last Europa League spot

[LUX]

I've seen Pires, Ribery, various Songs and Saha all start their careers in the French top league with Metz. Probably forgotten some.

[Starfish]

And after all that not much happens, and Fortuna back in the Bundesliga for the first time in 15 years. At least for now, can't see this being the end of it.

The DFB will wag their finger, the BILD-Zeitung will talk horror stories, Düsseldorf will have to pay a fine, there will be a lot of humming and hawing and next season, Düsseldorf will play in the 1. BL. Let's end the story now.

In Germany, anytime anything like this happens, there is constantly talk of points deductions and relegations and I have no idea what, but there are never 'repercussions', other than fines and (if the club is Rostock) games behind closed doors, and I think that's okay. The exception, of course, is if a club get into serious debt. Then they're f*cked.

Maybe I was too quick with my generalisations. Maybe. I was talking to someone today who works in football here and he was saying that he really believes there is a 50-50 chance of a replay. I am still very skeptical, but this person knows a lot more about the sport here than I do.