2013

[TheAdmiral]

There is nothing in the Belgian's loan agreement to automatically stop him from facing the Blues, but the Madrid club would have to pay the Londoners more than £8 million

Thibaut Courtois will not play for Atletico Madrid if they draw Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, club president Enrique Cerezo has revealed.

"If we draw Chelsea, Courtois won't play. It is a figure we cannot pay," Cerezo told Onda Cero.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champi ... y-atletico

[Foye]

Sucks for Courtois. Maybe they'll play him if they meet Chelsea in the final, though.

[Maex]

Robben in a Interview (rough translation):

Interviewer: What was more pleasant for you, the goal with your left foot or the assist with your right one?

Robben: I have to sleep at least one night over that to get a clear mind. But probably the assist. Bastian (Schweinsteiger) always makes fun out of me, cause of my right foot. And somehow he is right (no pun intended) about it. Within the last training we did practice this a bit. We made some fun, and I did always cross with right. I didn't know where Bastian was sitting in the stadium, but I though: Here it is, here is my right foot!

[Foye]

Messi ran just 6.9km today. Pinto, 5.4

That must be less than I run in a regular game. And I'm a CB at my new club lol.

[treiz]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/19423702

no he did play.

Oh fair enough, was pretty sure he didn't.

[treiz]

I would like Atletico though, just because of how entertaining Mourinho vs Simeone will be

I don't think we match up very well against them. They are like the better version of us. There's no easy draw left, but I'm just happy we made it to the semis. Yesterday's comeback will be big for the younger players. It was their first big CL moment with Chelsea. That game and the win at the Etihad felt as good as winning trophies.

Well they have the perfect striker for their/our system so that alone makes them better than us in terms of our styles and the main focal point of the Mourinho/Simeone/Klopp system is to defend from the front from which Diego Costa (of course assuming he's fit) is really good at and Eto'o/Torres/Ba are meh at. Heck even Villa/Adrian Lopez are better than those 3. We definitely have a better back 4 than them but it's the midfield and attack that concerns me especially since Matic is ineligible, if he was playing then it's a different story, but then again I'm sure if we get them Mourinho will plan accordingly, and that's what I'm looking forward to the most.

Those two games are definitely huge, considering that Mourinho has said that this is a transitioning year so getting the likes of Hazard/Oscar/Azpi/Schurrle these types of wins can only do them good going forward

Sucks for Courtois, although the British media would've gone nuts with the Cech vs Courtois story line throughout, hopefully we get them in the final though

[Point forward]

I am so pumped for the semis. Every possible match is a grudge match. In alphabetical order:

Atletico - Bayern: Revenge for 1974
Atletico - Chelsea: Will Courtois play?
Atletico - Real: Battle of Madrid
Bayern - Chelsea: Loser gets his guts ripped out, Part III
Bayern - Real: La Bestia Negra vs Royals, Part 7638648
Chelsea - Real: Mourinho faces his past

Let the storylines begin

[huskerdu]

Ronaldo has torn a thigh muscle and will be out two weeks most likely missing copa del Rey final and first leg
Of semi final.

That's lame.

[DD12]

:lol:

xD xD xD

man i love some people in here!!

I hope Chelsea vs Atletico will be semi final so that Madrid will go through by beating Chelsea twice in Madrid and London.

Then Arda Turan will show the world that he is better than Ribery and Robben

Ahh Ribery.. Used to play right in front of me on the pitch with Galatasaray jersey.

[El Turco]

if gala still had ribery and arda, they probably would have won the cl last year smh

[USA]

Thibaut Courtois will not play against Chelsea should they be paired with Atletico Madrid in Friday's Champions League semifinal draw, the Spanish club's president has confirmed.

[Foye]

if gala still had ribery and arda, they probably would have won the cl last year smh

No.

[El Turco]

ok, you convinced me.

[El Turco]

wonder if it is too late for argentina to nab simeone for the world cup, di maria-messi-aguero counter would be a sight to see if you can get them to defend.

[Foye]

ok, you convinced me.

It is the same like saying Dortmund would've won it this season if they were healthy. Or they would've won it last season if Götze played the final.

Or: Barcelona would've won it if Messi and a few others weren't injured and the refs had given them their usual advantage in the Bayern tie.

With all respect, the "if this happened we would've, could've or should've won" posts are always stupid.

Just take the situation as it is. Gala had bad luck with the refs against RM last year, though.

[El Turco]

germans need to learn how to dream, dreaming ties all mankind together.

[Boognish]

Turks rustling German jimmies per usual

[Next Coming]

Messi ran just 6.9km today. Pinto, 5.4

He's definitely saving himself for the World Cup.

[chappadon]

Despite a relatively decent La Liga run by Villa, I want him leading the charge in this upcoming World Cup. Granted Barcelona were missing key pieces on the defensive end, Villa still showed everyone that his pace, finesse and finishing (though none hit the back of the net) can still hang with the best of them.

What are the chances he's among the starting 11 in Brazil? What is the starting 11 shaping up to look like for Spain? I know it's still too early to tell but I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

[huskerdu]

Messi ran just 6.9km today. Pinto, 5.4

He's definitely saving himself for the World Cup.

I've heard this a lot from various cases, but do some player think so little of CL that they would mail it in.

Personally I think winning CL>>>>> Domestic League

but that's just me.