SPORT
The Champions League has been devalued

by Craig Turp
June/July 2005

I write this the morning after Liverpool’s astonishing Champions League victory over Milan. To sum up for the uninitiated, Milan led Liverpool 3-0 at half time, having produced a sublime display of skilful, dynamic football. Milan then lost their heads, and in a six-minute spell at the beginning of the second half, allowed Liverpool three very soft goals (the first two owed much to Milan not having a satisfactory goalkeeper). The match finished 3-3, and Liverpool prevailed on the utter lottery that is a penalty shoot-out.

In doing so, they damagingly devalued the Champions League as a first class competition. For the second year in a row a very ordinary team has won what ought to be club football’s most prestigious trophy. Last year Porto, this year Liverpool. I do not mean to diminish the achievement of Liverpool; far from it. Yet for a mediocre team made up of so many ordinary players, to win the competition raises serious questions. Liverpool, do not forget, have not qualified for next year’s Champions League as they only finished fifth in the English Premiership, 37 points behind the champions, Chelsea. Liverpool was in fact closer to the relegation zone than they were to Chelsea. To put this in perspective for American readers: imagine a mid-ranking treble A outfit winning the World Series and you have some idea of what Liverpool managed to pull off.

To be honest, the Champions League, or Champions Cup as it was for so long, was devalued the day teams that are not league champions were admitted, back in 1996. Since then it has become far too big for itself, and its appeal is on the wane. With Milan leading 3-0 at half time something of the majesty had been placed back in the competition, with the classy aristocrats of Milan giving poor Liverpool a thorough lesson in knowing your place. Liverpool has never cared much for good manners – on or off the pitch – and replied in kind. To come back from the dead to win – however fortunately – is astonishing. For the majority of football fans who love the game, the action, the drama and who always want plenty of goals, Liverpool versus Milan will remain one of the great European finals. It typified why football is the most loved game in the world: it is capricious, and often the best team doesn’t come out on top. No other sport in the world is so unpredictable. Yet for anyone who really knows football, it will remain the day the Champions League lost much of its allure.

Craig Turp edits Bucharest in your Pocket.