The European Football thread!

[Ian Moore Gone Little]

I had finished my library book last night, so read through selected passages of "I Believe in Miracles" again before going to sleep.

The last few pages of the book detailing what the club did between winning the Anglo-Scottish Cup and the second European Cup is astonishing and puts into context just what a tremendous few years it was for those of us who were lucky enough to be around at the time.

I remember watching us collect the Anglo-Scottish Cup on some rather makeshift steps they’d hastily put on the terrace in front of the (then) Committee Box and thinking “Wow, we’ve won a cup that isn’t the County Cup!” As I think Cloughie said, it was a trophy and it gave us a taste for more.

 

[Strummer]

As I think Cloughie said, it was a trophy and it gave us a taste for more.

„The players tasted the champagne, and found that they liked it…“

 

[Huxley]

It seems Tammy Abraham is on loan at Milan for a 5m fee. While Alexis Saelemaekers goes the other way for nowt. Furlani masterclass.

 

[Huxley]

Fonseca's Milan lurching from terrible to Derby tonight. 1-0 up at half time but not playing well. Can barely get a kick in the second half and some player called Nuno Tavares sets up 2 Nazio goals.

Worth pointing out Fonseca made a statement team selection leaving Leao and Theo out after being bobbins the other night.

 

[Huxley]

Fonseca panics, chucks on four subs including Leao, Theo and Tammy Abrahams and the three instantly combine to bag an equaliser. One wonders who's making a statement here, Fonseca or the players.

 

[Huxley]

Osimhen looks to be off to Galatasary after his Saudi pay day went south and Conte wanted no part of him. Shame really, I reckon he could've a done a job as an emergency third striker at the word famous.

 

[Strummer]

Because of their relative success last season - finishing second in the Bundesliga and qualifying for the „Champions“ League - towards the tail end of last season, tickets for VfB home games were at an absolute premium: there were over 100.000 applicants for the home game against Bayern, and 80.000 applied for tickets to the match against Gladbach, the season finale.

Even with the now slightly above 60.000 capacity of the MHP Arena, with 36k season ticket holders and 10% having to be given to the visiting side, that doesn’t leave much, so the club have this season instituted a ballot system, where you can - at your leisure - apply to the ballot for match tickets, and then they are drawn out of a virtual hat - a much more equitable system, and it boosts the priority of club-members to get tickets.

So, anyway, the club ran this for the home game against Borussia Dortmund on Sunday September 22nd, and I’ve only gone and I’ve only gone and „won“ in the ballot, so I have myself a ticket to what could be an absolute cracker, so it’ll be watching Forest in the pub next door, then over to The Neckarstadion to watch the VfB against Die Schwarzgelb, where I’ll enjoy heckling former VfB men Waldemar Anton and Sergou Guirassy, who ran away to Dortmund over the summer.

I’ve also gone into the ballot for the away „Champions“ League game against Real Madrid (Real Madrid! At the Bernabeu!) which should also be an event, played as it will be midweek under the lights.

 

[Farmer Jack]

 

[adam09]

San Marino's second ever, and first competitive, win. Both against Leichenstein, both 1-0. The 19 year old goalscorer wasn't even born when they won the first game, 20 years ago. Amazing.

Literally... "can we play you every month".

 

[Strummer]

Brilliant for San Marino.

So long the butt of everyone’s jokes, but now Lichtenstein will have the same sort of notoriety as Newcastle United, who are to this day ridiculed because they were the only team to lose to the sheep shaggers in 2007-08.

 

[valspoodle]

Not sure whether that win takes San Marino off the bottom of FIFA rankings. They possibly have risen above the mighty Anguilla to 209 in the list.

 

[Strummer]

Shirt-sponsorship news!

As reported before, this season (and last) VfB Stuttgart have had the French gambling company „Winamax“ as their front-of-shirt sponsor, a move which - after many years of commercial sponsorship from more sensible companies including Mercedes-Benz, EnergieBW and the local Dinckelacker brewery - went down like the proverbial lead Zeppelin, especially with the (very vocal) fanbase. Sales of replica kit has apparently dipped these past two seasons, in part apparently due to the sponsor (although some of us were lucky enough to get the unsponsored version at the start of last season, before the gambling company deal was announced).

The club at the time made the excuse that they basically needed the money, as they were on the hook for €90m to fund their part of the refurbishment of the Neckarstadion for Euro 2024, when of course, along came Covid.

However, following the recent additional capital injection from local company Porsche AG, the club has announced from 2025, a new shirt-sponsor, albeit not an entirely new partner: the first team will be sponsored by the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (the state-bank of the state of B-W) who are already a minor commercial partner and in fact, sponsor the shirts of the third-team already.

I am quite happy with this!



And yes, down with gambling sponsors.

 

[TrentEndDr]

Brilliant for San Marino.

So long the butt of everyone’s jokes, but now Lichtenstein will have the same sort of notoriety as Newcastle United, who are to this day ridiculed because they were the only team to lose to the sheep shaggers in 2007-08.

San Marino have technically won more nations league matches than England this season! #CarsleyOut

 

[Apollo11]

Shirt-sponsorship news!

As reported before, this season (and last) VfB Stuttgart have had the French gambling company „Winamax“ as their front-of-shirt sponsor, a move which - after many years of commercial sponsorship from more sensible companies including Mercedes-Benz, EnergieBW and the local Dinckelacker brewery - went down like the proverbial lead Zeppelin, especially with the (very vocal) fanbase. Sales of replica kit has apparently dipped these past two seasons, in part apparently due to the sponsor (although some of us were lucky enough to get the unsponsored version at the start of last season, before the gambling company deal was announced).

The club at the time made the excuse that they basically needed the money, as they were on the hook for €90m to fund their part of the refurbishment of the Neckarstadion for Euro 2024, when of course, along came Covid.

However, following the recent additional capital injection from local company Porsche AG, the club has announced from 2025, a new shirt-sponsor, albeit not an entirely new partner: the first team will be sponsored by the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (the state-bank of the state of B-W) who are already a minor commercial partner and in fact, sponsor the shirts of the third-team already.

I am quite happy with this!

View attachment 42585

And yes, down with gambling sponsors.

Shirt numbers were bad enough but this takes the piss, they should have made this Stuttgart chap pick a number between 1-25

 

[Strummer]

Welcome to the Bundesliga, Holstein Kiel!

At home today to FC Bayern, after 12 minutes of play, it’s Kiel 0, Bayern 3; the Müncheners scored after 14 seconds, and there’s been an own-goal too.

This could honestly be a cricket score.

 

[Strummer]

In the earlier games, the VfB battered Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-3, including a brace for Ermedin Demerović, who now has three goals in three games.

Just the matter of Real Madrid away, up next on Tuesday night, for Die Schwaben.

 

[Huxley]

Milan currently 4-0 up after half an hour against Venezia and they've got (edit: one of ) the hapless scousers on Tuesday.

 

[Strummer]

Remember Jackson Irvine, once of Burton Albion?

He’s captaining FC St. Pauli in the Bundesliga today, with dyed pink hair and a rainbow armband, and I’m here for it, because in „Sankt Pauli“, they absolutely love him.

 

[Strummer]

Augsburg make it 2-0, a superb volleyed finish from Philipp Tietz, popular with the fans of Die Fugherstadter because they get to shout „Tietz! Tietz! Tietz!“ when he scores.

And yes that is pronounced exactly.

 

[RedRobbo]

Just been reading about Heidenheim.
Sounds an amazing story!
Talk to us Strummer ( unless I’ve missed this being discussed previously - in which case apologies ).

 

[Strummer]

Just been reading about Heidenheim.
Sounds an amazing story!
Talk to us Strummer ( unless I’ve missed this being discussed previously - in which case apologies ).

We have briefly touched on Heidenheim before, when they got promoted to the Bundesliga, but it is worth reiterating what a frankly (ha ha!) incredible job Frank Schmidt has done there.

Yes other teams have risen through the divisions, but they’ve been backed by wealthy benefactors (SAP founder Dietmar Hopp at Hoffenheim, and Red Bull at Fizzy Piss Leipzig) but Heidenheim have done it by sheer hard work, teambuilding and they have now gotten themselves in to European competition at the first chance.

They are a compact, hardworking side, not flashy, but determined and difficult to break down, and you know you’ve been in a game.

 

[RedRobbo]

Thanks Strum - kind of thought ( given their story ) I must’ve missed it on here

 

[Strummer]

Shocker in the Young Boys - Villa Champions League match, as Zachary Athekame takes one right to the plums, that leaves him writhing in agony.

Definitely not a Michael Dawson „Love to see this“ moment.

And as I type that, Villa score a third, Athekame well behind the play, and looking like a man who’s just recently taken a heavy whack to the nuts.

 

[Strummer]

An, no goal, handball in the build up, according to VAR.

Athekame will be relieved.

 

[Flaggers]

Villa playing Young boys at the wankdorf arena.

Presumably Huw Edwards is doing the commentary?