11 - Raphinha

[Gazzznigga]

You understand it's way more likely to get lucky in a cup competition than in a league?

When your opponent in the semis and final misses chances left and right, and both can't score even from penalty kicks... that helps a lot in a cup competition. Simple as that. CL is far more dependent on luck.

While that may be true, you will agree with me that there is a smaller headroom for errors in Champions league than in national competitions{e.g.Barca vs PSG 2024). In UCL you have tinier margins to absorb and correct the effects of wrong or controversial decisions (Real vs Athletico 2025) compared to the national leagues. One poor match and you are out; one wrong refereeing decision and you are out; you hit a poor run of form, you are out.....in national competitions, you have a good chance of recovering from all these in many other matches. You could even be helped by other league teams in the quest to overcome your rivals. Champions league is tougher and more prestigious. Basic and proven. There is not any reason to debate that.

....the stakes are much higher in the UCL. I believe you all know this but just trying to be argumentative.

Real Madrid are rated best football team in Europe not on the strength of their la liga triumphs but more on their continental conquests. Barca, Liverpool, Bayern are all giants in Europe simply because of the of their european history, otherwise, Zurich FC,PSG, Lokomotiv Moscow, Dunamo Kiev, etc , ...could also lay a claim to being referred to as soccer giants just on the strength of the number of national leagues they have won.

You can be a household name locally by winning your local league over and over but you can only become a recognised global power house/name by winning the UCL over and over even if you don't win your local leagues.

There is a reason the European super league was mooted to break the UCL monopoly.....many national leagues are seen to be weaker than the UCL in terms of quality. Fewer but better quality matches are considered tougher and more attractive to sponsors.....and Barca leadership agrees too. If ESL had succeeded, La liga, Premier League, Ligue 1, etc, would have been relagated to the same level as Copa Catalunya and UCL would have become like Copa Del Rey.

 

[Birdy]

Roberto Di Matteo didn't win any league titles. You can get lucky in Champions League, especially when you have match-winners like Drogba providing clutch goals at the right moment, keepers like Petr Cech, or defenders like that Chelsea side had. But, over 38 games, you have to be the best in the competition to win it. Luck factor goes down by a lot in league format.

I haven't seen you using the same argument for Madrid's constant undeserving CL wins by sheer tons of black magic and voodoo

 

[Gazzznigga]

It is indeed very challenging.

But you can actually "fluke" your way to a CL title, a few calls go your way and all of a sudden your in the CL final and at that point, anything can happen.

Just ask Madrid they've made a living out of it lol.

Can't fluke your way over a 38 game season.

Anyone who thinks winning 1 CL title shows more quality than 1 league title, doesn't know what they are talking about.

But the person who said that also said a 19 year old neymar at santos was better than a 15-16 year old yamal, because neymar was top 10 in the ballon D'or, because you know that means more than winning the euros lol.


2 CL then we are talking because that shows some level of consistency.

Lol....nonsense. what are you smoking?

No team, I repeat, no team have ever fluked its way to UCL trophy. It is usually a combination of brilliance in coaching, providence in draws, strength in unity, some luck with refereeing decisions and right timing in the form of key players. All these factors are available in greater abundance in national leagues too.

No team of 11 bum players have ever strolled their way to UCL title. Not even the Porto team under Mourinho.

Di Matteo had a more difficult task to surmount and he triumphed. He is considered decent coach till today. Xavi as a coach can't match that yet. He might have had a more illustrious trajection as a player but he is a poorer coach compared to what Di Matteo achieved. Finish. All the stories around the circumstances are sentimental and totally irrelevant.

 

[vegitot]

You probably rate Di Mateo as an equal to Klopp (both have 1 UCL tittle).

 

[Gazzznigga]

You probably rate Di Mateo as an equal to Klopp (both have 1 UCL tittle).

Nope. Klopp is a good coach. I dont think he is great yet(Ancelloti, Lippi,Rinus Michels, Happel, Hitzfied, Heynckes, Cappello, etc) nor legendary(Ferguson, Guardiola, Cruyff, Bill Shankly, Paisely, Zaggalo, and co) on the strength of his achievements and impact on the game.

Di Matteo was decent just like Steven Gerrard, Graham Potter, Rogers, Alguacil, etc, and that is the class where Xavi belongs.

 

[Gazzznigga]

It is interesting to recall that there were many reports of Xavi wanting to do away with Raphinha(same he is being praised for discovering now), Lewa and Pedri for the new season and proposing that the money from their sale should be used for Zubimendi, Lo Celso and Morata. 😆

Same Xavi that cried publicly that Barca would never be able to compete with Madrid or Athletico for many more years unless La Porta found a way to raise more funds for him to buy his preferred players, by pulling more levers....😆

Another coach came, made no major purchase, no levers, reorganised the team with same players or even with less experienced ones than Xavis had(no Felix, Cancello, etc) and is competing well without any lever. As Victor Font(a known pro Xavi presidential candidate) said late last year, the best and only right decision La Porta has taken in the last 4 years was sacking Xavi and getting Flick. Even his supporters knew he was comical.

Xavi is a still an amateur coach. Barca vs PSG was a glaring proof. You can only be hovering around being a decent coach if you were 2 goal up, I man down and still went ahead to concede 4 goals at home while blaming the refereee for your loss.

He was a great player.....but as a coach....he was probably decent or less than, the la liga title notwithstanding....and i don't care how many feather that ruffles.

 

[Messigician]

10m Raphinha Bdor clause. They called Victor Orta a madman

 

[snowy]

W for Victor

Had he asked for 888 mil, he'd have gotten it too 😆

 

[serghei]

I haven't seen you using the same argument for Madrid's constant undeserving CL wins by sheer tons of black magic and voodoo

When a certain thing happens over and over again, it's no longer luck. 12 semis in the last 14 is not luck. How you can't see this is beyond me.

 

[FCMessi]

shitty game, bad cardio, 2 assists vs ATM Mar. 16.

 

[jamrock]

Not his best game, but he always has an impact when needed it seems.

 

[MonteCuler]

I'm calm when he performs like shit because I know he's going to do something crazy in the dying minutes and win us the game

Balon de oro, no competition

 

[Joan]

I'm calm when he performs like shit because I know he's going to do something crazy in the dying minutes and win us the game

Balon de oro, no competition

Not even close, so clutch

He's already won it fair and square for me

 

[Total-Football]

Was a pure defensive animal at the end. Elite

 

[FCBfan22]

He always does something in the 2nd half after being utter shite in the first.

He really is The Postman. Always delivers no matter what.