2023-24 UEFA Champions League Discussion Thread

[GeorgeSears]

Predictable. When inferior teams like Dortmund miss counter opportunities in the first half, the superior team will find a way. Eventually, Madrid was going to score.

[Foye]

Predictable. When inferior teams like Dortmund miss counter opportunities in the first half, the superior team will find a way. Eventually, Madrid was going to score.

Dortmund always bottles when it matters.

Last year they were celebrating the championship before the game only to be down 0-2 against Mainz at home at halftime.

[El Turco]

winning 6 champions leagues is just crazy, you can combine manchester united, city and juventus and barely get there.

[GeorgeSears]

winning 6 champions leagues is just crazy, you can combine manchester united, city and juventus and barely get there.

6 in the last 11 years is amazing.

But when they're able to buy players like Vini, Mbappe, and Bellingham, arguably the three best players in the world, no one can really hope to compete.

[Foye]

winning 6 champions leagues is just crazy, you can combine manchester united, city and juventus and barely get there.

It‘s not surprising, though.
Real are collecting the best talents while they are still young.
They have by far the best foundation of players aged 25 or younger and are still adding to it this summer with Davies and Mbappe.
There is no other club who has a comparable amount of young world class talents.

[El Turco]

winning 6 champions leagues is just crazy, you can combine manchester united, city and juventus and barely get there.

6 in the last 11 years is amazing.

But when they're able to buy players like Vini, Mbappe, and Bellingham, arguably the three best players in the world, no one can really hope to compete.

Spending power certainly helps but many teams seemingly have the similar unlimited budget but dont get anywhere near the success. look at Chelsea for example, PSG have been throwing money for years and getting the best talent for years to win the CL but cant even get to a final, City barely got one last year etc.

They do a better job developing young talent and pairing them with experienced players. Vini was not a world class player when he got to Madrid, they patiently developed him together with Rodrygo. Doing the same thing with Guler and soon with Endrick too.

[-Luke-]

Great farewell for Kroos. Like others have said, everyone knew what was going to happen after Dortmund missed these chances in the first half. Real is just a machine.

[MaliBrah]

This sport is just way too boring and predictable now. They're adding Mbappe lol....

[sisibilio]

This sport is just way too boring and predictable now. They're adding Mbappe lol....

And the next Pele, so... yeah. It's like Durant joining the Warriors.

[Mamba81p]

winning 6 champions leagues is just crazy, you can combine manchester united, city and juventus and barely get there.

6 in the last 11 years is amazing.

But when they're able to buy players like Vini, Mbappe, and Bellingham, arguably the three best players in the world, no one can really hope to compete.

They changed their behavior a lot lately.
Vini was bought as a prospect, something they are doing a lot in recent years, and they are great at developing players.
They have more money than most teams, but they cannot compete with the big Premier League clubs or PSG.
Now they are just a perfect machine, they make all the good decisions. Mbappe is the only star they signed since Hazard. Bellingham was still a prospect, he just became one of the best players in the world at Real Madrid.
Belligham, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Vini... they were all signed young and developed at the club.

They also are great at selling the players at the right time: Varance, Ronaldo, Casemiro. Odegaard is the exception, but that shows how much they evolved since 2000s, when players like Cambiasso, Sneijder, Robben, Etoo were sold for peanuts and won champions league in other places.

[Baseline81]

They changed their behavior a lot lately.
Vini was bought as a prospect, something they doing a lot in recent years, and they are great at developing players.
They have more money than most teams, but they cannot compete with the big Premier League clubs or PSG.
Now they are just a perfect machine, they make all the good decisions. Mbappe is the only star they signed since Hazard. Bellingham was still a prospect, he just became one of the best players in the world at Real Madrid.
Belligham, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Vini... they were all signed young and developed at the club.

They also are great at selling the players at the right time: Varance, Ronaldo, Casemiro. Odegaard is the exception, but that shows how much they evolved since 2000s, when players like Cambiasso, Sneijder, Robben, Etoo were sold for peanuts and won champions league in other places.

Much like Barca in the past, Real Madrid's name and pull separates them from even the big PL clubs.

As for Bellingham, he was already one of the best players in the world during his time at Dortmund. It's the reason he was sought after, much like Haaland.

[Mamba81p]

They changed their behavior a lot lately.
Vini was bought as a prospect, something they doing a lot in recent years, and they are great at developing players.
They have more money than most teams, but they cannot compete with the big Premier League clubs or PSG.
Now they are just a perfect machine, they make all the good decisions. Mbappe is the only star they signed since Hazard. Bellingham was still a prospect, he just became one of the best players in the world at Real Madrid.
Belligham, Camavinga, Rodrygo, Vini... they were all signed young and developed at the club.

They also are great at selling the players at the right time: Varance, Ronaldo, Casemiro. Odegaard is the exception, but that shows how much they evolved since 2000s, when players like Cambiasso, Sneijder, Robben, Etoo were sold for peanuts and won champions league in other places.

Much like Barca in the past, Real Madrid's name and pull separates them from even the big PL clubs.

As for Bellingham, he was already one of the best players in the world during his time at Dortmund. It's the reason he was sought after, much like Haaland.

https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/goal50-2022-the-best-male-players-in-the-world-revealed-after-your-vote/blt1da542bc7978e833

GOAL had him at #20, and I don't remember seeing him much higher anywhere else. He is now top3, with some putting him #1.

[Baseline81]

https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/goal50-2022-the-best-male-players-in-the-world-revealed-after-your-vote/blt1da542bc7978e833

GOAL had him at #20, and I don't remember seeing him much higher anywhere else. He is now top3, with some putting him #1.

GOAL is your source?

How about common sense? It's laughable you're claiming his move to Real Madrid is the reason he became a top-3 (or better) player. Again, he was about as sure-thing as one can get. He would have improved upon his Dortmund form regardless. Both Liverpool and Manchester City, whom he was also linked to, would have seen him shine into the same spotlight.

[Mamba81p]

https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/goal50-2022-the-best-male-players-in-the-world-revealed-after-your-vote/blt1da542bc7978e833

GOAL had him at #20, and I don't remember seeing him much higher anywhere else. He is now top3, with some putting him #1.

GOAL is your source?

How about common sense? It's laughable you're claiming his move to Real Madrid is the reason he became a top-3 (or better) player. Again, he was about as sure-thing as one can get. He would have improved upon his Dortmund form regardless. Both Liverpool and Manchester City, whom he was also linked to, would have seen him shine into the same spotlight.

Find whatever source you want, nobody had him in top 5.

Liverpool and Man City are great at develop players too, but send him to Man U, Chelsea or Real Madrid from 20 years ago and they will mess him up, and that was my point.

The club changed a lot in the last 2 decades, they are not just throwing money at galacticos as some might suggest. Not sure why is that even a discussion.

[MetalFingaz]

Bellingham at Dortmund was about as sure a thing as you can get at his age. Camavinga and Tchouameni probably illustrate your point better. The GOAL thing is goofy -- Kroos isn't a top 50 player?

[wco81]

Mbappe's new contract:

Kylian Mbappe will earn $16.3 million per season after tax on his contract with Real Madrid and will also receive a $162 million signing-on fee that will be paid over the length of his five-year contract.

Madrid have not yet confirmed when he will be presented at the Bernabeu, although that is expected to take place after his involvement with France has been concluded.

Mbappe reportedly made $90 million on the field with Paris Saint-Germain last season.

https://soccer.realgm.com/wiretap/10694/Kylian-Mbappe-To-Earn-$32M-Per-Season-After-Tax-With-Real-Madrid

You could argue that Real doesn't "need" Mbappe. After all, they've won 6 of the last 11 UCLs and several La Liga titles in the last decade.

They are the highest or one of the top revenues clubs in the world, over €800 in 2023.

Of course Mbappe will increase the probability that they keep winning league and UCL titles over the next 5 seasons.

Plus they will sell a ton of Mbappe Real jerseys.

Would they increase revenues by more than whatever they pay Mbappe?

Maybe, maybe not.

Or just to keep him from going to another top club, it's worth paying him to sign with Real so that he can't deny Real more titles playing for another team.

[Foye]

Mbappe's new contract:

Kylian Mbappe will earn $16.3 million per season after tax on his contract with Real Madrid and will also receive a $162 million signing-on fee that will be paid over the length of his five-year contract.

Madrid have not yet confirmed when he will be presented at the Bernabeu, although that is expected to take place after his involvement with France has been concluded.

Mbappe reportedly made $90 million on the field with Paris Saint-Germain last season.

https://soccer.realgm.com/wiretap/10694/Kylian-Mbappe-To-Earn-$32M-Per-Season-After-Tax-With-Real-Madrid

You could argue that Real doesn't "need" Mbappe. After all, they've won 6 of the last 11 UCLs and several La Liga titles in the last decade.

They are the highest or one of the top revenues clubs in the world, over €800 in 2023.

Of course Mbappe will increase the probability that they keep winning league and UCL titles over the next 5 seasons.

Plus they will sell a ton of Mbappe Real jerseys.

Would they increase revenues by more than whatever they pay Mbappe?

Maybe, maybe not.

Or just to keep him from going to another top club, it's worth paying him to sign with Real so that he can't deny Real more titles playing for another team.

It's rather surprising to me that Real offered such a big signing-fee for Mbappe.
Seems like they were the only suitor in the race for him.
It was known for a while that he is likely to leave PSG and Real is his dream club.
At least $300 mil. for 5 years of a player who doesn't even command a transfer fee? That's ridiculous. Football is not the NBA where one superstar can be the difference from bottom feeder to playoffs or better.

Quite possibly this is setting the tone for a new age of transfers where players are increasingly looking to run down their contracts and leave without a fee for the club. Besides the obvious big clubs - a lot of clubs will suffer from that financially.

[Shaazzam]

Mbappe's new contract:

Kylian Mbappe will earn $16.3 million per season after tax on his contract with Real Madrid and will also receive a $162 million signing-on fee that will be paid over the length of his five-year contract.

Madrid have not yet confirmed when he will be presented at the Bernabeu, although that is expected to take place after his involvement with France has been concluded.

Mbappe reportedly made $90 million on the field with Paris Saint-Germain last season.

https://soccer.realgm.com/wiretap/10694/Kylian-Mbappe-To-Earn-$32M-Per-Season-After-Tax-With-Real-Madrid

You could argue that Real doesn't "need" Mbappe. After all, they've won 6 of the last 11 UCLs and several La Liga titles in the last decade.

They are the highest or one of the top revenues clubs in the world, over €800 in 2023.

Of course Mbappe will increase the probability that they keep winning league and UCL titles over the next 5 seasons.

Plus they will sell a ton of Mbappe Real jerseys.

Would they increase revenues by more than whatever they pay Mbappe?

Maybe, maybe not.

Or just to keep him from going to another top club, it's worth paying him to sign with Real so that he can't deny Real more titles playing for another team.

It's rather surprising to me that Real offered such a big signing-fee for Mbappe.
Seems like they were the only suitor in the race for him.
It was known for a while that he is likely to leave PSG and Real is his dream club.
At least $300 mil. for 5 years of a player who doesn't even command a transfer fee? That's ridiculous. Football is not the NBA where one superstar can be the difference from bottom feeder to playoffs or better.

Quite possibly this is setting the tone for a new age of transfers where players are increasingly looking to run down their contracts and leave without a fee for the club. Besides the obvious big clubs - a lot of clubs will suffer from that financially.

Great point, didn't realize any of that... and I get it from the players perspective. If I was a pro, if I'm the asset and that money is on the table, so why share so much of it? And I would suspect this will also lead to more cash for the agents.

That said, I totally agree with what you're saying in your last sentence. To get shut out of that cash could be devastating to teams. Really interested to see how this plays out.