European Leagues.

[Taylor]

Has anyone been to the Nou Camp for one of the top European games or for a Athletico/Madrid game?

The atmosphere last night seemed to be unreal akin to one of those crazy S Amercan club teams

[Fuzzman]

I think if video evidence was allowed to be used after games to suspend players who very obviously dive or cheat should get bans. If players knew they would be punished afterwards there would be a lot less of it going on.

I tuned in last night just before the second penalty and I couldn't believe that was given. Maybe I was distracted by Suarez's total overreaction to see if the defender did actually touch his arm off his neck or chest but when I saw the first one then later I was totally amazed.
It was a great exciting match and I was disappointed for PSG but I suppose that's what makes sport exciting and it's much better than the defensive games we've all come to know so much lately.

[Maroon Manc]

I think if video evidence was allowed to be used after games to suspend players who very obviously dive or cheat should get bans. If players knew they would be punished afterwards there would be a lot less of it going on.

I tuned in last night just before the second penalty and I couldn't believe that was given. Maybe I was distracted by Suarez's total overreaction to see if the defender did actually touch his arm off his neck or chest but when I saw the first one then later I was totally amazed.
It was a great exciting match and I was disappointed for PSG but I suppose that's what makes sport exciting and it's much better than the defensive games we've all come to know so much lately.

Just checked and it was 2009 when Eduardo was initially banned for his dive against Celtic, I don't recalled UEFA or the FA banning anyone since. Its such a big part of the game and players are allowed to get away with it.

[Esmarelda]

It's pretty bizarre that Eduardo was banned and nobody since. How can that be? UEFA decided to look at one incident? Who brought the Eduardo incident to their attention or what is the protocol for such retrospective action.

Oh and Maroon Manc, my comments above don't mean that I'm an ABanything.

[Fuzzman]

Think it was the Sunday Game who told UEFA 
Probably Ciaran Whelan.

[Rossie11]

Has anyone been to the Nou Camp for one of the top European games or for a Athletico/Madrid game?

The atmosphere last night seemed to be unreal akin to one of those crazy S Amercan club teams

Have been to 7-8 of them all in knock outs. If Barca had won the 1st leg the 2nd leg was usually a duck shoot so atmosphere was tame enough
Few of them were good. Chelsea in 2006 even though Barca had won the 1st leg, Jose was involved and there was needle from the 1st leg made for a great atmosphere.
PSG in 2013 were ahead in the tie at one stage so that made it a nervy finish.
Heard from a hungover Catalan season ticket holder this morn and he said they had never seen anything like it. It topped the 4-0 comeback V Milan a few years ago and the 5-0 V Madrid in 2010.
Normally the stadium would empty in 20mins but last night nobody wanted to leave.

I think the fans know that this team is coming to an end and it gave them one more special night to appreciate them.

[Dinny Breen]

Speaking of Barcelona I read this in the telegraph yesterday.

Since the Second World War, only two Barcelona managers have ever made it past four seasons. Frank Rijkaard did five, and ended up a hollow, haunted husk of a man, his managerial career destroyed. Johan Cruyff did eight, and had a heart attack.

The most pressurised job in world football, you can even see it Enrique's eyes.

Full article here - a good read

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/08/madridification-barcelona-barca-went-mes-que-un-club-just-another/

[Main Street]

Eduardo got off on appeal, afair, the appeal was based on this arbitrary use of the diving charge.
Since then though Arsenal have been truly cursed in the champions league (post group stage), a curse of Gypsy Lee proportions. Realistically Celtic only had pride to play for in that 2nd leg but that Eduardo cnt took away that chance that honest effort could allow  Celtic to salvage some pride from the tie.
That Eduardo incident brought about the extra goal line official in uefa competition in both club and country, supposed only to advise on penalty incidents.
The ref last night copped onto much of the diving and I don't believe the onus should be the ref to dish out a yellow card  unless he is absolutely 100% sure, I'd leave charges for diving for a post game video court.
There were 3 tv angles of the Suarez dive.
It looked a blatant penalty from the first live angle, Suarez got chopped down with forearm smash, no question it was a penalty.
The second and third angle show that only the slightest contact was made, not enough for a penalty award
But the defender in a moment of nerve assisted panic, brought his armed right across Suarez, who theatrically dived as soon as felt the hair on his neck being touched. Therefore imo hard to prove beyond doubt with video evidence that he dived, the defender did not leave enough doubt in live viewing, both for the ref and the fella behingd the goal, that it was not a foul.
Afaic, the ref did well and the game was one enthralling football spectacle from the beginning (yes we can), to the end.

[laoislad]

Has anyone been to the Nou Camp for one of the top European games or for a Athletico/Madrid game?

The atmosphere last night seemed to be unreal akin to one of those crazy S Amercan club teams

I was at it for a La Liga game a few years ago v Sevilla. Fantastic atmosphere.

[Applesisapples]

Suaraz dive hidden in the result.

This time, the result was greater than that blatant dive.

No doubt that Suarez bought the peno, but Messi was pulled to the ground previously, swings etc...

[Syferus]

It will take PSG a long time to get over that, they threw it away. They were the better team over 2 legs as shown when they went 3-0 down last night and they created 4 great chances scoring one. YOu have to give Barca credit for the way they kept going given they scored 6 times without Messi & Suarez playing that well. If PSG had been 2-0 coming into that game last night I'd have expected them to go through, they approached the game in the wrong ways and its cost them.

As for Barca its hard to take to them, Suarez, Neymar & Busqets are 3 of the biggest cheats that have ever played the game, thought Neymar and Suarez took it too new levels last night. The cheats prospered last night, must be nearly 10 years since Eduardo was banned after diving against Celtic yet I can't remember it happening to a player since.

PSG were far from the best over the two legs. Even a team getting annihilated can get a few goal chances. Barca pressed them high up the field and they totally lost any sembelence of composure for 75 minutes of that match.

Very easy to like Barca too. What a wonderful footballing side. They may have won plenty but most would have been rooting for them over the oil men. There might be no better atmosphere in world sport than the Nou Camp at full tilt.

Who is sponsoring Barcelona ??

For many years Barca paid UNICEF to use their logo on their jersies. They're a big commercial operation of course but they do things differently both on and off the field to most clubs. Their academy is legendary in a way that makes the Class of '92 nonsense in Manchester look like a pale imitation. It's hard not to appreciate players as good as Messi, Neymar, Iniesta and even Suarez. Would not begrudge them another European Cup, certainly more than their Classico rivals or Man City.

[seafoid]

Barse would remind you of Kilkenny. They know how to grind out a win they don't deserve, playing on the mental weakness of their opponents

[shark]

Has anyone been to the Nou Camp for one of the top European games or for a Athletico/Madrid game?

The atmosphere last night seemed to be unreal akin to one of those crazy S Amercan club teams

Never for a European game, but for league games. Spend a good bit of time in Madrid. Was at Real v Las Palmas last Wednesday and Atletico v Valencia on Sunday. There is no comparison between the atmosphere at the two. Going to a game at Vincente Calderon is amazing. On another level to anything I've experienced at English grounds. Obviously a larger crowd at Real but they are much quieter and turn on their team in an instant. About 20% of the crowd had left last week while they were 3-1 down. The boos and hisses started once they went 2-1 down. They drew 3-3 in the end.

[Boycey]

Been at the Nou Camp for a couple of League games and the atmosphere was pretty low key, also was at the Barca-United Champions league semi in 2008 and the atmosphere was nothing to write home about that night either. Although it was a pretty tense 0-0 1st leg..

[bennydorano]

It will take PSG a long time to get over that, they threw it away. They were the better team over 2 legs as shown when they went 3-0 down last night and they created 4 great chances scoring one. YOu have to give Barca credit for the way they kept going given they scored 6 times without Messi & Suarez playing that well. If PSG had been 2-0 coming into that game last night I'd have expected them to go through, they approached the game in the wrong ways and its cost them.

As for Barca its hard to take to them, Suarez, Neymar & Busqets are 3 of the biggest cheats that have ever played the game, thought Neymar and Suarez took it too new levels last night. The cheats prospered last night, must be nearly 10 years since Eduardo was banned after diving against Celtic yet I can't remember it happening to a player since.

PSG were far from the best over the two legs. Even a team getting annihilated can get a few goal chances. Barca pressed them high up the field and they totally lost any sembelence of composure for 75 minutes of that match.

Very easy to like Barca too. What a wonderful footballing side. They may have won plenty but most would have been rooting for them over the oil men. There might be no better atmosphere in world sport than the Nou Camp at full tilt.

Who is sponsoring Barcelona ??

For many years Barca paid UNICEF to use their logo on their jersies. They're a big commercial operation of course but they do things differently both on and off the field to most clubs. Their academy is legendary in a way that makes the Class of '92 nonsense in Manchester look like a pale imitation. It's hard not to appreciate players as good as Messi, Neymar, Iniesta and even Suarez. Would not begrudge them another European Cup, certainly more than their Classico rivals or Man City.

Paid UNICEF? Wore their jerseys yes, the more cynical in the world reckoned they were the ethical bridge from going from a 'we will never have sponsors on our jerseys' (as it wasn't their way) to Qatari Airways.