Other games 2024 - 2025

[jozza800]

It's not just Scottish football clubs though. You've got teams in the CL from the likes of Croatia, Slovakia, Belgium, etc. that are assembled for £30m or £40/50m playing against teams assembled from £200m and upwards to half a billion...
The gulf in class is just too big and it just becomes damage limitation for most...
The smaller teams will be glad at a crack at the CL money pot though...

The money from the Champions League (and the Prem) has knackered any sort of real competition. Long gone are the days when Steaua Bucharest or a Partizan Belgrade, or even an Ajax could win a European Cup.

The difference between the top and the bottom is so vast now that 80% of the teams taking part are literally making up the numbers.

But as you say, these teams do deserve their crack at it but again, becasue of the money it creates a massive inbalance in the smaller leagues as well.

The money that the likes of Celtic, Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague will make from the CL will keep them at the top of their respective leagues for years to come, especially as these clubs are likely to requalify for the competition over and over again.

[Steveo]

Don’t believe Partizan ever quite managed to bag old Big Ears - That’s was Red Star or as most know it today Crvena Zvezda (Red Star in Serbian) - and what a team it was.

That core would have walked the Euros for Yugoslavia in Denmark that year had they not been pulled out, and made up so many of star players for the top Serie A clubs through most of the 1990’s.

But you are right about the gulf in money these days. In the case of ex Yugoslav teams the biggest hit was the break up of what was a very decent league into tiny groups.

Have been to a Belgrade derby. And the noise - I have never heard anything like it. Nothing even close tbh

[jozza800]

Don’t believe Partizan ever quite managed to bag old Big Ears - That’s was Red Star or as most know it today Crvena Zvezda (Red Star in Serbian) - and what a team it was.

That core would have walked the Euros for Yugoslavia in Denmark that year had they not been pulled out, and made up so many of star players for the top Serie A clubs through most of the 1990’s.

But you are right about the gulf in money these days. In the case of ex Yugoslav teams the biggest hit was the break up of what was a very decent league into tiny groups.

Have been to a Belgrade derby. And the noise - I have never heard anything like it. Nothing even close tbh

Yep, you are quite right. My mistake. And yes, some of those players from that era were frankly ridiculous!

Same thing with the Soviet sides.

The issue starts from a lot higher than the likes of Slovan and Celtic. I can't envisage too many of the non-super powered clubs winning it any time soon. It's mad to think that it would be considered a pretty big upset if say AC Milan won it this season!

[redebreck]

And Lille have beaten Real Madrid 1-0

[Kev0909]

Considering i was talking to myself yes... what a night for football some crazy results

[RedMagic]

Is the love child of Ten Haag and late career Pepe Reina playing in goal for Porto tonight?

[RedMagic]

The evergreen Pepe gets a goal back for Porto.

[justme]

come on lads keep hag in a job for life

[Kev0909]

2-2 lmao

[RedMagic]

Samu levels up the game for Porto.

You love to see it.