Liverpool FC Forum

[jonnymac1979]

My brothers will see you there.  They got their tickets today...  Absolutely made up for them.

[Fowler76]

Check out the Champions League Final old-school match day programme free with The Guardian tomorrow.

The Guardian is giving away a collectable Champions League Final programme with Tuesday’s paper. This souvenir has loads of great stuff about the match on Wednesday, the teams and their history in the competition, all in a classic retro style that harks back to a golden age of the beautiful game.  http://football.guardian.co.uk/

[zarababe]

Defo get that - thanks !

[Fowler76]

Check out the Champions League Final old-school match day programme free with The Guardian tomorrow.

The Guardian is giving away a collectable Champions League Final programme with Tuesday’s paper. This souvenir has loads of great stuff about the match on Wednesday, the teams and their history in the competition, all in a classic retro style that harks back to a golden age of the beautiful game.  http://football.guardian.co.uk/


[B]

[KAKA22]

Justice - Where is the justice in this

Why Milan should not be in the CL - The Guradian:

Last summer, Milan were implicated in the Calciopoli scandal, which began when phone-taps revealed the general manager of Juventus, Luciano Moggi, had been attempting to control the selection of officials for Serie A matches. Moggi's club suffered the harshest punishment, being stripped of their league title and relegated to Serie B, but Milan - along with Lazio and Fiorentina - were also found guilty of lesser charges.

In Milan's case, their refeering liaison officer, a restaurateur from Lodi called Leonardo Meani, was said to have made incriminating phone calls, one of which was to Gennaro Mazzei, the Italian Football Association's [FIGC] head of linesmen, after Milan had lost 2-1 to Siena. Meani criticised the appointment of one linesman in forthright terms: "I don't want him. I never asked for him nor wanted him." And he added a request for their next match: "On Wednesday, try to send two intelligent ones."

Although the charges were on a much smaller scale than those levelled against Moggi and Juventus, they were nevertheless enough to incur a retrospective deduction of 44 points from the total with which Milan had earned second place in Serie A in the 2005-06 season, plus an advance deduction of 15 points from the present season. On appeal, however, these were lowered to 30 points and eight respectively, the former being just enough to put them in third position, ensuring them a place in last August's qualifying round of the Champions League, while the latter made inclusion in next year's tournament a realistic ambition.

For Juventus, being erased from the final table of the 2005-06 season meant they would automatically be excluded from the Champions League and many felt the same punishment should be inflicted on the other clubs involved in the scandal. At the headquarters of Uefa, however, it was discovered that the governing body's rules did not allow it to override the decisions of a national association. If the FIGC deemed Milan fit to represent them, there was nothing that could be done.

"It was very simple," William Gaillard, Uefa's head of communications, told me. "Our executive committee could only take up the matter after the Italian sentences were confirmed, because there were many appeals. The Italian association sent us their list of clubs, which included Milan. Some of the committee had misgivings about the situation, but when we examined our statutes and regulations we saw that we could not do anything about it because, in matters such as this, the national association was sovereign.

"The only possibility was to change our statutes, and that was done at our congress in Düsseldorf in January. Now we have the power to intervene. If a team has been game-fixing or affecting results, and if the case is sufficiently grave, Uefa will be able to exclude them."

Welcome as the change may be, it came several months too late to exclude Milan from this year's competition, which they are now the bookmakers' favourites to win for a seventh time on Wednesday. And there are those, such as Crerand, who will find it difficult to take comfort from the knowledge that, at least on paper, things will be different in the future.

"They're a smashing team, Milan, and maybe they didn't know what was going on," Crerand concluded. "Or would some of them have known? You'd have to ask them. Obviously the players want to win the top trophy, but if you do it unfairly, is it worth it?"

How the punished clubs have fared:

Milan Docked eight points, they lie fourth in Serie A and have reached the Champions League final

Fiorentina Started with minus 15 points but now stand fifth

Lazio With only three points to make up, they are third in Serie A

Reggina Began 11 points down and hover above the relegation zone

Siena Only one point deducted but they are in danger of the drop

Juventus Relegated with nine-point deficit, but have won promotion
--------------------------

Typical of  UEFA always F***ingwell acting after the event !

the truth is that u r just scared like hell to meet us again in the Final... If not u wouldn t be interested at all about this...

[LFC2007]

Berlusconi is one of the most powerful and corrupt men in Italy, it's no co-incidence that Milan got off lightly.

[Igor Zidane]

Justice - Where is the justice in this

Why Milan should not be in the CL - The Guradian:

Last summer, Milan were implicated in the Calciopoli scandal, which began when phone-taps revealed the general manager of Juventus, Luciano Moggi, had been attempting to control the selection of officials for Serie A matches. Moggi's club suffered the harshest punishment, being stripped of their league title and relegated to Serie B, but Milan - along with Lazio and Fiorentina - were also found guilty of lesser charges.

In Milan's case, their refeering liaison officer, a restaurateur from Lodi called Leonardo Meani, was said to have made incriminating phone calls, one of which was to Gennaro Mazzei, the Italian Football Association's [FIGC] head of linesmen, after Milan had lost 2-1 to Siena. Meani criticised the appointment of one linesman in forthright terms: "I don't want him. I never asked for him nor wanted him." And he added a request for their next match: "On Wednesday, try to send two intelligent ones."

Although the charges were on a much smaller scale than those levelled against Moggi and Juventus, they were nevertheless enough to incur a retrospective deduction of 44 points from the total with which Milan had earned second place in Serie A in the 2005-06 season, plus an advance deduction of 15 points from the present season. On appeal, however, these were lowered to 30 points and eight respectively, the former being just enough to put them in third position, ensuring them a place in last August's qualifying round of the Champions League, while the latter made inclusion in next year's tournament a realistic ambition.

For Juventus, being erased from the final table of the 2005-06 season meant they would automatically be excluded from the Champions League and many felt the same punishment should be inflicted on the other clubs involved in the scandal. At the headquarters of Uefa, however, it was discovered that the governing body's rules did not allow it to override the decisions of a national association. If the FIGC deemed Milan fit to represent them, there was nothing that could be done.

"It was very simple," William Gaillard, Uefa's head of communications, told me. "Our executive committee could only take up the matter after the Italian sentences were confirmed, because there were many appeals. The Italian association sent us their list of clubs, which included Milan. Some of the committee had misgivings about the situation, but when we examined our statutes and regulations we saw that we could not do anything about it because, in matters such as this, the national association was sovereign.

"The only possibility was to change our statutes, and that was done at our congress in Düsseldorf in January. Now we have the power to intervene. If a team has been game-fixing or affecting results, and if the case is sufficiently grave, Uefa will be able to exclude them."

Welcome as the change may be, it came several months too late to exclude Milan from this year's competition, which they are now the bookmakers' favourites to win for a seventh time on Wednesday. And there are those, such as Crerand, who will find it difficult to take comfort from the knowledge that, at least on paper, things will be different in the future.

"They're a smashing team, Milan, and maybe they didn't know what was going on," Crerand concluded. "Or would some of them have known? You'd have to ask them. Obviously the players want to win the top trophy, but if you do it unfairly, is it worth it?"

How the punished clubs have fared:

Milan Docked eight points, they lie fourth in Serie A and have reached the Champions League final

Fiorentina Started with minus 15 points but now stand fifth

Lazio With only three points to make up, they are third in Serie A

Reggina Began 11 points down and hover above the relegation zone

Siena Only one point deducted but they are in danger of the drop

Juventus Relegated with nine-point deficit, but have won promotion
--------------------------

Typical of  UEFA always F***ingwell acting after the event !

the truth is that u r just scared like hell to meet us again in the Final... If not u wouldn t be interested at all about this...

LFC are scared of noone mate , you have a short memory . Remember 05 , ask Barca ,Chelsea , juve , if we were scared.

[SuperScouser]

cant wait flying out tomoz

[lakes10]

my mate is flying out tonight, lucky git

[KAKA22]

Berlusconi is one of the most powerful and corrupt men in Italy, it's no co-incidence that Milan got off lightly.

n u thin kwe haven't payed for it??If it was like this Milan would have been into the champions league straightly without playing against the red star in july....if it was like this we wouldnt have been penalized with - 8 points in the serie A of this here......if it was like this we would have been given the 2 "scudetti"that juventus has lost with these troubles.....so please....if u don't how things have gone truly....pls....shut up..

[account deleted by request]

Zenden winning his fight to be fit

Bolo Zenden is hoping to be given the nod to start in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final against Milan.

The midfielder is an injury doubt for the game in Athens after picking up an ankle injury during Liverpool's training camp in Spain last week.

Zenden is thought to be making good progress with the injury and the Dutchman is hopeful that Rafa Benitez will give him the chance to start against Milan.

"I hope my performances against Chelsea in the semi-final will mean I will be given a start," said Zenden.

"I played in most of the Champions League games this year. I think I have been involved in maybe 80 or 90 per cent of the games so I am really looking forward to the final again. "

Zenden is confident Liverpool can overcome favourites Milan in the final.

"We have a mentality we can deal with anything that can be thrown at us," added Zenden.

"They are a fantastic team and have a lot of experience. They are a team that have played a lot of big games and finals and some of them have won the Champions League several times.

"And although we have players who are in the final for the first time, the occasion will be an extra motivation to bring the cup back home."

Zenden's future at Liverpool is up in the air with his current contract expiring later in the summer and as yet no talks have taken place over an extension.

The former Barcelona man is putting off all talk on his future so that he can focus on the clash with Milan.

"I do not want to talk about my future at the moment," continued Zenden.

"For anyone to be playing in a final would be fantastic, but I will let people know about my future after the game. A Champions League medal on my CV would be quite nice, though."

[Sabre]

Arbeloa has been interviewed by Marca, but to be honest, it was quite a dull interview. No comments about his form, and he was asked for irrelevant things.

About the tickets, btw, he said that EACH player received at least 10 tickets, and a maximum of 15 tickets, just in case you don't know.

About the LFC crowd, he says what you should expect: you're the best.

He was asked: "Tell me a bad thing about Liverpool" He answered, "I love it, but most places are closed too soon so I have to go home earlier than I want"

When Arbeloa was praised after the first games, I didn't join the praises, and when he was criticised later, I didn't join the criticism. I think he's useful as a back up, because he can be a CB, and a RB/and L/B, and when you have a limited amount of players to put in a bench, a versatile player comes handy.

Reina was interviewed 3 days ago, and it was also quite a soft interview. Reina was angry that he's well known as a penalty stopper. He said "It annoys me to be honest, because I think I have other good features aswell!"

[LFC2007]

Berlusconi is one of the most powerful and corrupt men in Italy, it's no co-incidence that Milan got off lightly.

n u thin kwe haven't payed for it??If it was like this Milan would have been into the champions league straightly without playing against the red star in july....if it was like this we wouldnt have been penalized with - 8 points in the serie A of this here......if it was like this we would have been given the 2 "scudetti"that juventus has lost with these troubles.....so please....if u don't how things have gone truly....pls....shut up..

How about you button it, I'm fully aware of the sanctions imposed on AC Milan. They don't go far enough IMO. It's not like match fixing is a trivial issue.

[Dundalk]

"Don't let your heads drop.
All the players who go on
the pitch after half-time have
to keep their heads held high.
We are Liverpool. You are
playing for Liverpool.
Do not forget that.
You have to hold your
heads high for the supporters.
You have to do it for them.
You cannot call yourselves
Liverpool players if you have
your heads down.
If we create a few chances
we have the possibility of
getting back into this.
Believe you can do it and you will.
Give yourself the chance
to be heroes."

(Rafa Benitez – Half time.
Ataturk Stadium. Istanbul.
25th May 2005)

[*Juventino*]

URGENT ATTENTION!!!

Here in Italy a voice is scattered in which is said that the Liverpool would have gone to Spain for the withdrawal on the occasion of the Ending of Champions League for motives for doping. To speak of this has been a journalist sporting named Fabio Caressa that works for the drawer deprived "SKY Sport." Caressa sustains that in Spain the rules anti-dopings are different from the rest of Europe and that therefore the fact that the Liverpool has gone for a few days before May 23 there is enough suspicious.

Obviously I don't believe to an alone word of that that that fool has said journalist, however you seemed me rightful to make to know you this.

I believe that this has to represent for you a further stimulus to beat the Milan Wednesday.

I make besides you notice that the President Berlusconi has just declared that "it will surely win the Milan." The conceitedness doesn't have indeed limits...

I beg me boys, you have to make to retract the world once more. We will see if you will be able to succeed us...