T oooor in Limassol,” shouts a reporter’s voice, as if the climax of this supposedly decisive evening had finally been reached at this XXL conference of Europe’s football elite. In the 87th minute in Cyprus the score was 4-1 between the local FC Pafos against Slavia Prague. The anxious question is whether the Cypriots might still make it to the intermediate round of the Champions League in order to then qualify for the round of 16.
Only those who have the live table at the same time know exactly what this depends on with Europa’s 36 Top Teams has in mind. But even if you have realized that, the next scream at the goal throws everything into disarray again.
The Champions League will be held for the second time in a league format that seems very arbitrary played, which ends after just eight match days. This is made possible by the early meeting of top teams such as Real Madrid and Manchester City and what makes a clear sporting competition impossible.
On the final eighth league match day, football fans are chased blindly from one venue in Europe to the next on the screen. And despite the huge outcry everywhere, a look at the final table reveals that nothing actually happened. Among the best eight teams that immediately qualify for the round of 16, there are – unsurprisingly – five from the highest-grossing English Premier League. There isn’t really a surprise to be found among the twelve who failed prematurely. Everyone else moves in the large intermediate area that still leaves room for every fantasy.
When the screaming stops elsewhere
And yet there is a great moment on this final matchday, when there is only one game left. Benfica Lisbon leads 3-2 in front of their own crowd against Real Madrid, the record winners of the premier class, and incorrectly believes they have already qualified for the intermediate round before the round of 16.
Those responsible have obviously lost track of what is happening at the 17 other venues. There is still one goal missing to progress. Goalkeeper Anatolij Trubin is ordered forward from the coaching bench for the final offensive action when this is noticed and he sends the whole stadium into ecstasy with his header. Because no one else can score goals anymore, the success endures.
Who would have thought that football in the Champions League could be so exciting even at this early stage. It just takes a lot more patience until the fog about the possible outcome of the other games has lifted and the fate rests only in the feet of the teams on the pitch.