Gary Lineker: "Who the hell are Lask by the way? Don’t worry I Lask someone."

This got me good.

Okay Bundesliga matches without spectators is already stupid enough, especially the Dortmund-Schalke derby, but now they're doing the same for the Germany vs Italy FRIENDLY MATCH in the end of March. That's a maximum of pointless.

Tottenham are utter shite.

Congratulations, not a single goal. Maybe they should have had some energy drinks?

It's official, Sky is putting all Bundesliga matches with no spectators on free TV and free live stream, everyone can watch the next matches.

What THE FUCK was Frankfurt doing there.

I've been watching Rangers v Leverkusen but that's an embarrassing result for Frankfurt.

Durr, and now they're all cancelled...

Scottish FA has suspended everything too. We’ll have to wait a few weeks to confirm that Celtic wins the title again. On the other hand, this news keeps Ross County out of the relegation zone a little while longer!

I thought small gatherings were still permitted?

I'll just bump this for you.

Ohh no you didn’t!

Couldn't help myself. I've got a problem.

Some people are suggesting to cancel the Premier League season and declare the entire season null and void. I don't think those people would survive a trip to Liverpool if they succeed.

Apparently all 14 teams of the swedish hockey league has proposed to cancel the whole season! It is a little bit different though since it is built around a regular leage that then goes to play-offs which is at the point where they are now (quarter finals). So its not as devastating as in the premier league where its a straight league format. Although I don't want them to cancel the Premier League for the remainder of the season as a person who is sympathizing with West Ham I wouldn't mind not having to worry about relegation this season...

UEFA actually did something sensible!

The leagues now have a fighting chance to actually finish their seasons. I would expect the leagues to resume somewhere around June, and carry on until August, with the new season immediately following on without a break.

This week in English football the FA has decided to cancel all football below the National League, and void their results and seasons. There's no promotion or relegation for these teams. It sets a precedent, but I really hope this isn't extended to the Football League.

Isn’t that decision redundant? I know of many leagues below the National League that had already made the same call, and figured they all followed suit one by one.

I haven't seen anything from the leagues before this announcement, though I don't exactly follow amateur football. You could well be right.

Liverpool are confirmed champions. It's been 30 years. Man City get the honour of forming the traditional guard of honour on the weekend. Fucking brilliant.

At last! Well done, Klopp!

Made up that the 19th title is finally won. Thoroughly deserved - celebrations are somewhat subdued for most here due to the pandemic (although there was plenty of fireworks and singing / cheering going on on Thursday night), but hopefully in the future there can be some sort of public event.

I think if there's no investment in the squad, it'll be a challenge to retain, as if AFCoN goes ahead next year, losing Salah and Mane around January will be very detrimental.

They missed a trick in not following up on Werner. However, Klopp knows what he's doing, and the owners are completely backing him. There'll be at least one winger signed this summer.

Germany is safe from the danger of another coronavirus outbreak, there's not a single person on the planet who'd celebrate in the streets for Bayern winning the championship. Everyone just shrugged and moved on.

It's like Italy and Juventus. It's got to be something like 7 in a row for Bayern?

Eight.

There are slight hopes for a streak interruption next year, at least Dortmund and Leipzig know exactly where they fumbled and how they want to fix it.

Klose being sent off for Norwich today was BS. But to be fair, Man U carried enough of the play even at full strength to deserve the win.

As expected, Manchester City's appeal went their way, meaning their ban from European competitions is lifted.

Do Hull want to get relegated? Lost to mid-placed Wigan with 8-0, 7-0 at half-time...

They might - is there a parachute payment out of that league ? They might need a bit of financial TLC and a year to lick their wounds ?

I would if I was them

I’m gonna assume there are no parachute payments for relegation out of the Championship. Couple months ago, EFL Chairman Rick Parry called them “an evil that must be eradicated.” https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... d-football
So I hope he wouldn’t complain so strongly about pp’s benefitting teams booted from the Premier League, then turn around and dump the same problem on League One!

I hope I'm not inadvertently raising a dead horse topic by asking this , but how common is it for people throughout Europe to have a negative view of their country's national football team ?

I'm asking because in my neck of the woods bashing the national team is something of a national sport , which is why I'm curious if that is the case in other European countries as well .

As soon as any club player is injured playing for the national team, all the boards of that respective club are buzzing with any kind of slang slurs against the national team. Calls for a complete ban on friendly matches between the national teams follow immediately and are amplified by hundreds. Honestly, in the big European leagues, fans doesn't care much but for their clubs. Maybe people feel much more part of their clubs instead of nation's representatives. Everywhere (United/Liverpool/Inter/Juve, etc) I've read comments on how pleased the fans are if players from their club doesn't play at all during the national teams matches because "they won't got tired from those stupid matches". So, I guess is much more common than you think.

Agreed - lots of "too much international football" stuff goes around. Lots of 'it's a waste of time / we don't pay for these players to do this / what do we get out of it'. Part of the business of business I suppose.

Grassroots ?

England are the champions of the world when a tournament starts, then are a bit of a disappointment, then there's some 'well, we expected better' grumbling, followed by 'WHO ARE THEY TO BESMIRCH THE HOLY NAME OF CHEAP LAGER AND ST GEORGE' when they're inevitably knocked out around the semi-finals.

Hilarious, as it happens every single time.

We traditionally viewed our national team as utter shit (and for good reason), with the exception of the Otto Rehagel years, where we granted them god status when they won Euro 2004 against all logic and odds and then we gradually reverted to normality, considering the national team a disgrace, with even better reason, like losing in our home to Faroe Islands in 2014 (we were ranked 18th at the time, they were 187th). We managed to lose at Faroe islands too.

So, yeah. Also, when I was in the UK, it was a common theme at the time (1996-2001) to bash their national team. You can see the AliG - Beckhams interview for a taste of that as well.

Interesting ...

I was under the impression that hating on your national football team is a Hungarian specialty , but I guess not ...

FWIW I suppose my ignorance stems from the fact that I've never had a conversation about this subject IRL with other Europeans .

Germans hate their national team with a passion and the titles they won are seen as flukes or accidents. Because the German national team really does fucking suck and the only way they won those titles was because other national teams sucked even more.

Funny that - the English team has always been mediocre, but the 1966 win is still seen as divine right; all other poor performances are blasphemy put on the players / management / referees / non-compliant foreigners.

We could do with more of the German attitude about it, really !

Well done Arsenal! Especially Aubameyang’s first goal, the second was a little squidly. I liked the banner behind the net saying “We’re Not Really Here”

Yes I heard Mesut was spectacularly watching from somewhere else again.