FOOTBALL HAS GONE MAD

FOOTBALL HAS GONE MAD:

I don’t really mean this in a negative connotation I mean it in the best way possible. I have over the past 7 years witnessed the game go absolutely berserk. Crazy transfer fees, crazy T.V. money for the Premier League, crazy score lines, crazy transfers and crazy salaries for players.

Ok before you rubbish my thoughts let us go through a couple of things to defend my thesis:

CHELSEA FC

Of course yes I am a Chelsea fan so I shall start with a little something about my team and believe me that 2011/12 UEFA Champions league campaign was bizarre. It all started with the 3-1 loss to Napoli in Naples before Chelsea launched a comeback and won the game 4-1 with goals from Didier Drogba, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic. Then yet another mountain arose for the men in blue. Chelsea would then go on and beat Benfica and book a date with a Barcelona side at some point looked like they were unbeatable. How Chelsea managed to win 1-nil at Stamford Bridge with that man Drogba was a thing that was strange as Barca hit posts and saw several goal-line clearances and last-ditch blocks. In the Camp Nou the blues saw everything go wrong as the Catalans took a 2-nil lead and John Terry sent off in between Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta’s goals. But before half-time Ramires pulled one back for the blues. Messi then came in the second half missed a penalty before Torres scored another goal to send Chelsea to the final. In that final vs Bayern. Chelsea was without Captain John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires. Bayern struck first but Drogba scored in the dying minutes to level before Cech saved two penalties and Drogba scored the winning penalty.

MAN CITY VS MAN UTD

Same season the English Premier League was on fire Manchester City and Manchester United produced the greatest run in the premier league in recent times. United at one point held an 8 point lead but a 4-4 draw with Everton and a loss to Sunderland and an eventual loss to Man City put the twp teams on equal points. The league headed to the last day with the two teams tied on points. Sir Alex Ferguson and United were at the Stadium of light and the Roberto Mancini City side was at home to Queens Park Rangers. Wayne Rooney scored in the 20^th minute to put United 1-0 up. City responded with a goal in the 39^th minute by Pablo Zabaleta. But in the second half QPR scored two goals in the second half and Joey Barton gets sent off. United fans at the Stadium of Light begin to cheer knowing the title was coming home. United win the game 1-0 but it’s extra time at the Etihad. Fans begin to leave the stadium with some breaking in tears. Then bang Edin Dzeko pulls one back and its 2-2. The entire City team then camp in QPR’s half with their keeper Joe Hart,  the only one in their half. A moment of brilliance from Mario Balotelli passes the ball falling to Sergio Aguero who creates space and scores. “Aguerooooooooo…..  I swear you’ll never see anything like this ever again. So watch it … Drink it in..” Martin Tyler’s words edged that moment into sporting history. Damn the heartbreak of the United players and fans but the jubilation at the Etihad the first title in 44 years. That was one hell of a last day of English Premier League action the league was decided on goal difference.

LEICESTER CITY

A few years later a team gets promoted to the premier league survives relegation and in their second season with a manager who has not yet tasted success and a striker who played non-league football only a few years ago in a team of misfits elsewhere begin something special. Jamie Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s  record after he scored in 11 consecutive games Ironically breaking the record against Manchester United. This was supposed to be the only success that Leicester was going to have. But the team starts rising to the top of the table and they sit top of the log. Everybody rules out the team winning the league even their manager Claudio Ranieri made two statements to this effect; the first was that his team was eyeing 40 points and avoid relegation, he then made a remark to be remembered for year’s “dilly ding dilly dong we are in the Champions League.” This was the success that he wanted and with Tottenham and Arsenal chasing Leicester in the run-in everybody now wanted the fantasy of Leicester winning it all come true but reality was that the two teams chasing them were more experienced and had more quality. Soon Tottenham were the only challengers to Leicester and with a couple of games to go they were in it but had to face London rivals Chelsea, (the defending champions who were having a very very bad season, they finished 10^th this season). Tottenham took a quick 2-0 before Chelsea came back to draw the game a 2-2 with Hazard’s goal winning the title for a team with odds of 5,000/1 win the premier league.

ROMA VS BARCA

Then the demons of comebacks struck again this time louder than they come and at the Quarterfinals stage of the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona beat AS Roma 4-1 at Camp Nou and everyone says that tie is done and dusted. Then Roma decides at the grandest stage of them all its time to produce magnificence. The resolute defensive play put forward by the Roma defence was something to admire. It was putting bodies on the line it was an effort, it was cutting Barca’s passing lanes, let me not be too much of a geek so you get what I’m alluding to.. They defended and it was a thing of beauty, they reminded me of a long-standing saying when Italian teams defend it’s a joy to watch.  Edin Dzeko opened the scoring in the 6^th minute before Danielle de Rossi the heart of Roma net the second goal. With 8 minutes to go Kostas Manolas rose high to score a header completing the comeback and Peter Drury put in some poetic word; “ Roma have risen from their Ruins. Manolas, the Greek god in Rome. The unthinkable unfolds before our eyes. This was not meant to happen. This Could not happen. This is happening. Barcelona Extraordinarily eight minutes from elimination and Di Francesco does not know where to go, Iniesta does not know where to look. It is a Greek god from Mount Olympus who has come to the seven hills of Rome and pulled of a miracle.” I swear each one of those words touched my heart and soul as I stood shell shocked wondering isn’t 4-1 enough anymore!

THE AJAX STORY

Then if you thought football was not mad this season I saw a group led by a teenager an 18-year-old captain Mathijjs de Ligt started their campaign in the second round of qualifying they dispatch Austrian side Sturm Graz 5-1 to move into the 3^rd round where they beat Belgium side Standard Liege 5-2 on aggregate. In the play-off round, they eliminated Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiev then got into the group stages. Ajax was then drawn alongside Bayern, Benfica and AEK Athens in Group E where they emerged as second and qualified for the knockouts. A draw with defending champions Real Madrid seemed like their end but the boys played with n fear and beat Real 4-1 at home, I repeat 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. And ahead lay the monster in the name of Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juve team that looks like the Avengers but Ajax like Thanos eliminated Madrid to move into the semis. Neres, Ziyech, Tadic, Van de Beek, Blind, Schone and that Ajax team was proving like they might win it all. They then faced Tottenham in the semi-finals and that was their end but my good Lord their heart, passion and no fear won the hearts of the entirety of Europe.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

It hurts to write this as a Chelsea fan but I can’t help but be jealous that these scam (sorry this team) our rivals are in the final of the Champions league. This team faced Manchester City and eliminated them after a goal that was scored by Fernando Llorente put them in the semis. Here they faced the darling of a majority neutral fans (Man Utd Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal) Ajax. Ajax beats them 1-0 at their new stadium. Then in the second leg in Netherlands they trailed 2-0 in the first half and half of world football goes to bed. I decide to catch a cold Balozi (Kenyan Beer). Then Spurs scores the first in the second half and I’m here thinking it can be maybe, maybe not.. then its 2-2 Lucas Moura on fire I tell my self but then as the game comes to the end Spurs have done it and they score a third. This Moura kid was sold by PSG because they wanted the quality to chase the Champions league has just led a team with an injured captain to the final of the Champions league. I don’t think you all heard Tottenham are in the Champions league final. A three nil lead is nothing in football nowadays.

LIVERPOOL VS BARCELONA

Perhaps this was the greatest of the nights this year and probably ever at  Anfield. See there’s this manager who hugs his players and believes in Unicorns and impossibilities and lo and behold he made impossible possible. Barca was leading 3-0 from the first leg after a Lionel Messi masterpiece at the Camp Nou. This should be enough for Barcelona. But whoever said Lightning does not strike the same place twice, where are you I want to hit you right in the mouth or get you drinking a bottle of Tequilla. Jeez Divock Origi scores early and I’m seated wondering it can’t be. Hold my beer.. In the second half Georgino Wijnaldum is subbed on and scores two goals to make the game 3-0// And im at a club screaming football is mad. Then in the 78^th minute a moment of Genius from a 20 year-old right back catches Barca napping and Origi scores his second and it’s 4-0 and the Kop is wild Anfield is rumbling football fans across the world shocked or u in dance.. My good Lord Barca just needed one and now they can’t pass the ball their way. Milner, Henderson, covered every single blade of grass, Fabinho put in some aggression and Tenacity and its nights like these you just want to be in that stadium Barca fans in tears two years in a row they had a three-goal lead and two years they have been knocked out.  Goosebumps, tears, chants, cheers, beers, hugs, anger and sheer utter passion.

Jeez now tell me how is football still sane..

This case shall be built further in the next write up on Football financing..