Chapter 719 Our goal is still the triple crown!
When Butragueno, the representative of Real Madrid, the venue of the Champions League final, opened the ball he had just drawn, took out the note with Manchester United's name on it, turned it over and showed it to the live camera, Su Dong felt that the atmosphere around him was a little solemn.
Indeed, this is not a good draw! This year's Champions League quarterfinals are actually quite unexpected, but if you think about it carefully, you can understand it.
The first is that many strong teams have been eliminated.
Strong teams such as Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool were eliminated in the group stage, while teams such as Real Madrid, ACX Milan, Chelsea and Porto were eliminated in the round of 16. This led to the emergence of teams such as Bordeaux and CSKA Moscow in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The reason for this situation is the loss of players in the summer transfer window.
In the minds of Bayern players, whether it is Bordeaux or CSKA Moscow, or Lyon who eliminated Real Madrid, they are all very good targets, but Bayern successfully avoided these three teams, avoided Arsenal and Inter Milan who are slightly weaker in strength, and drew Manchester United. This luck is really bad.
On the other hand, Lyon met Bordeaux and CSKA Moscow met Inter Milan. Was this just a coincidence? As expected, as soon as the draw results came out, Bayern's players were skeptical and thought it was another "conspiracy" by UEFA.
Since Platini came to power in 2007, such controversies have been heard everywhere. Every year, there are several teams that have extremely good luck in the draw, such as Bordeaux facing Olympiacos this year, and CSKA Moscow facing Sevilla.
It's not that teams like Bordeaux, Sevilla, or CSKA Moscow are not strong, but that they are always able to avoid big teams, which really makes people have to respond with conspiracy theories.
One year like this can be a coincidence, but every year like this, is it still a coincidence? Bayern drew Manchester United, and the players all complained, thinking that there was something fishy about the draw.
But who knows? …
Sudong is not a conspiracy theorist, but he increasingly feels the changes brought about by Platini.
Or rather, that feeling of being torn apart.
Platini was born a legendary superstar. After Beckenbauer and Cruyff, and before Maradona, Platini was the number one superstar in European football. Winning the Ballon d'Or three times in a row was his greatest honor.
After retiring, he began to work hard for the 1998 World Cup in France, and thus came into contact with FIFA President Blatter. After the great success of the World Cup in France, he successfully joined FIFA. Later, he used the French Football Association as a springboard to join UEFA and defeated Johansson in 2007 to be elected UEFA President.
In the world-renowned UEFA presidential election in 2007, Platini fully demonstrated his qualities as Blatter's apprentice.
As we all know, Blatter can sit firmly in the position of FIFA president not because he has the recognition of football powers. On the contrary, his relationship with UEFA is very, very bad. However, he has the support of many football-backward countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In the one-person-one-vote voting game, Blatter is as stable as a rock.
The same is true for Platini. He received support from many mid- and lower-level leagues and countries within UEFA, so he defeated Johansson in the vote. But what followed was that as a representative elected from the middle and lower classes, Platini had to fulfill his promise and serve his votes.
As a result, a series of policies such as Champions League quotas, draw tricks, financial fairness...all came from this.
It can be said that Platini represented the lower-middle class from the very beginning, so he and G14 were at loggerheads. Although the confrontation ended with the dissolution of G14, the struggle for interests continued.
Not long ago, a famous British football journalist criticized Platini's financial fair play policy, believing that he was stifling the possibility of a counterattack for the middle and lower-level teams, which would only lead to the solidification of the class system in which the strong will always be strong and the weak will always be weak.
He cited the examples of Chelsea and Manchester City, both of which are seen as the teams most affected by the financial fair play policy because they rely purely on the investment of their owners, and on the club's books, the investment of the owners is calculated as liabilities rather than financing, which leads to these teams spending more than they earn.
The reporter believes that in the era of free market economy, the willingness of capital to invest proves that they are optimistic about this market and they believe they can profit from it. Otherwise, who would be willing to invest?
However, UEFA's Financial Fair Play policy prevents them from investing. Under this policy, teams like Manchester City will never make it because they cannot afford to buy stars. Without stars, how can they compete with the giants?
Top clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona don't need to do anything but continue to generate revenue in the global market, and then wave their money around the world to buy the players they like, which can ensure that they will always stand at the top of the football world.
Teams like Manchester City, limited by financial revenue, can never catch up with the giants in investment and will always be inferior to them. Even if they occasionally perform well, the stars they cultivate will be quickly poached.
Therefore, the reporter criticized Platini, believing that his financial fair play policy was anti-free market economics and contrary to Platini's previous positions and policies, which seemed more like a compromise with the top teams.
This was the sense of tearing that Su Dong felt.
On the one hand, Platini stands on the side of the middle and lower-level countries and teams, suppressing the powerful top teams; but on the other hand, Platini has introduced policies to limit the possibility of the middle and lower-level teams shaking the foundations of the top teams.
All the media, fans, and even players have very contradictory reactions to Platini, UEFA, the big clubs, and the nouveau riche like Manchester City.
It depends more on the position he occupies and where he sits to decide whether they support, oppose or criticize him.
Just like now, Bayern players are complaining about the draw for the Champions League quarter-finals, believing there is a conspiracy.
But in fact, what they are criticizing is conspiracy and tricks, right?
No.
What they criticized was that they failed to benefit from the conspiracy and tricks!
As to whether there is really a conspiracy or whether there is really something fishy going on, it actually doesn’t matter anymore.
Regarding this feeling of tearing, Su Dong always felt that there would be more big problems.
Professional football is a pyramid. Don't listen to the fans who say they have been fans for many years and are so die-hard fans. It's not that there are no such fans, but they are very few. The vast majority of fans worship the strongest.
This results in the strongest teams and the strongest players attracting the most attention from around the world.
But Platini's policy is suppressing these strongest teams. Will they be willing? No! After the G14 is disbanded, they can form the G18 or even the G20.
As long as it is profitable, these top teams will reorganize sooner or later and launch a revolution.
Su Dong can be considered a vested interest in the current system, but as a player, there are actually very few things he can change.
No matter how well he performs in Barcelona, his historical status will not be higher than Cruyff, or even higher than Guardiola. It is probably similar to Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and others, or slightly higher at best.
The same is true in Bayern. How can he surpass Beckenbauer, Rummenigge and Hoeness? Even Gerd Muller is firmly above him.
Su Dong was clearly aware that no matter how well he played in these top teams, it was only a page in their glorious history, at best a relatively shining page, and he could be entered into the Hall of Fame, but that was all.
Go to Manchester United? Go to Real Madrid? It's just repeating the past of Barcelona and Bayern.
He wants to go to a team that can become unique in history!
Not a wealthy family?
It doesn’t matter, if he goes, he will become a wealthy family!
This is what Su Dong can think of. As a professional player, in the current situation of European football, this is the best he can do! Virgo's perfectionism makes him unwilling to share with others, he wants to monopolize.
…
After the draw results for the quarter-finals came out, Bayern will face Manchester United, and in the semi-finals will face the winner of Inter Milan and CSKA Moscow, while Barcelona will face Arsenal, and in the semi-finals will face the winner of Lyon and Bordeaux.
This creates a possibility that the number one favorite to win the championship and the second favorite team Barcelona will meet again in the Champions League final.
In the history of UEFA Champions League football, no two teams have ever met in the UEFA Champions League final for two consecutive years.
If it happens this year, it will be the first time in history.
Bayern's are Sudong, Ribery and Robben, Barcelona's are Messi, Ibrahimovic and Eto'o.
Barcelona is also better in midfield, while Bayern's defense is more solid.
However, to create this history, both teams still have to go through many difficulties and obstacles, especially Bayern, who had bad luck in the draw.
First of all, we have to overcome Manchester United.
…………
…………
On the afternoon of March 20th, in the 27th round of the Bundesliga, Bayern challenged Frankfurt away.
Just five minutes into the game, Modric made a diagonal pass from the right.
On the right side of the penalty area, Robben missed the ball and sent it diagonally into the penalty area.
Su Dong quickly made a run after the offside position, stopped the ball and moved it to the right side of the penalty spot, then caught up and shot, breaking through Frankfurt's goal.
One to zero!
But in the final stages of the game, while Bayern was saving their strength for the German Cup semi-final in the middle of the week, Frankfurt suddenly launched a fierce attack.
Young player Alaba, who replaced Marcelo, made a mistake when passing the ball back to the goalkeeper. The ball was intercepted by the opponent and he scored.
One to one!
In the end, Bayern drew 1-1 with Frankfurt away.
Alaba was questioned by many people after the game, but the young player's debut still received a certain degree of recognition, especially from Bayern's first team, who spoke well of him and believed that he had great potential.
Of course, it is still very difficult for Alaba, who is only seventeen years old, to become a main player directly.
At least before him, Contento and Badstuber were both very strong contenders for the left-back position.
Not to mention that Marcelo's performance in recent years has been getting better and better, and his progress has been getting bigger and bigger, which has attracted the attention of many top teams including Real Madrid.
In the next 19 days, Bayern will face six tough games, including the German Cup and the Champions League quarter-finals, which are undoubtedly huge challenges.
After the game against Frankfurt, Su Dong accepted media interviews as arranged by the club, and he publicly expressed his confidence in the team's strength.
"Among my teammates, some hope to win the league title, some hope to win the German Cup, some hope to win the Champions League, and I hope to win all three titles!"
"Our goal is still the Triple Crown!"
(End of this chapter)
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