This is the thread for the Arsenal/Barcelona Champions League final

qft.

So how much will Blatter be fining young Thierry for his "with the ref on their side" comment?

is it not the same
as intentional hand ball
or clapping the ref?

"the sight is in end" genius.

Yeah, that was brilliant.

For a "Ronaldhino v Thierry FITE" final, they were both kinda underachievingly OK. I think most other things I wanted to say have been covered (re. Lehmann could have stayed with the goal still being awarded, ref being shite, Sol's goal was textbook but the free kick that led to it should never have been awarded, etc). It was never going to live up to last year's final, was it? Still, does Celtic a favour, so, erm, result!

Yeah, I was thinking that as well! A star substitution indeed.

If there's one thing I *really* hate about Arsenal, it's the fact they set themselves up as paragons of footballing virtue whenever a decision goes against them, as if it would take a hail of bullets to take an Arsenal striker down in the penalty area. The gall of Thierry Henry to whinge about the ref while conveniently ignoring Eboue's blatant dive that led to the Arsenal goal.

Also, Lehmann = blatant sending off. And Eboue should have gone off a few minutes later as well.

He wasn't the last man, there was someone else hovering as well. Also, since Eto'o stayed on his feet and put the ball in the back of the net, he clearly didn't deny a goal-scoring opportunity either. Goal stands, Lehmann stays, everyone's happy (especially Andy Gray who commented that we don't want sendings-off in showpiece games, shortly before the bloke in the pub turned over from Sky Sports back to ITV)

I am pleased Barcelona won, but the palpable sense of entitlement when the second goal went in reminded me of how annoying the Catalan Giants and their followers can be.

Yes he was and no there wasn't.

"Also, since Eto'o stayed on his feet and put the ball in the back of the net, he clearly didn't deny a goal-scoring opportunity either"

Eto'o was sprawled on the ground when Giuly slotted the ball into the back of the net. And he did his slotting AFTER the ref had blown for the foul and play had stopped.

You can argue that he should have played the advantage, but there's nothing technically wrong with his decision. Andy Gray can shove his "players shouldn't be sent off in big games" crap up his arse, where he might also find Gazza in the 1991 FA Cup final.

http://www.elpais.es/articulo/deportes/29/heridos/centenar/contusionados/Barcelona/elppordep/20060518elpepudep_3/Tes/

Ha ha ha, etc.

That said, there was no excuse for Gabby Logan's shoes - they looked like something from a Tandem shoe outlet.

Poor game, eboue should have walked for that challenge on Van Bronkhorst and dive for the free kick, although the linesman on that side evened it up by not flagging Eto'o for Barca's first.

Delighted for Larsson though in his last game for Barca, and done teh 'Tic a turn too.

Anyway, you can't beat Barca with ten men, as any Chelsea fan will tell you.

Also, I'd forgotten what a good player Ljunberg was.

Noted Ronaldinho was very smiley throughout the game despite being a bit below par - as if he knew they would win and could afford to 75 minutes. Impressive confidence, but otoh damn that smug JarJar git.

Delighted for Sol, had a feeling he would do something. Had same feeling when Berletti came on, oddly.

It all seemed appropriate, in the end.

England clubs both losing finalists in Europe. Third time's the charm (World Cup final)?

I don't mean "they'll do crap" necessarily...

The only correct decision was to give the goal and send off Lehmann, as far as I can see, and I think that fact obliterates any complaints Arsenal might have about the ref.

Henry in particular can really look at the two chances he missed. For a time Arsenal looked the more likely to make it 2-0 rather than concede.

forgotten what a good player Ljungberg was

Ljungberg had a brilliant game last night, yeah.

Anyway, Eboue should have gone for that horrendous stamp on the Barca dude's groin.

Henry afterwards: 'I'm with Mourinho'. Heh heh. Unsurprisingly that comment has made it into the papers today...

Yeah also completely otm. My friends and I were like "how can there actually be 5 minutes", it was so obviously going to be 3 or less.

BRING BACK RACIST RON. At least you could listen out for him saying his weird phrases from dangerhere.com.

x-post Giuly scored so quickly after the foul that blowing the whistle shouldn't affect it, IMO, unless there is some official bureaucratic type rule about this. If you watch the replay it's like a split second and then Giuly scores.

Arsenal have no cause to complain about the ref when he effectively gave them a two goal start thanks to the disallowed Barca goal and the ridiculous freekick from which Campbell scored. Lehmann absolutely deserved to be sent off (though the ref should have played the advantage - the goal was scored like a second later, why did he have to blow up straight away?); Eboue's dive was up there with the absolute worst we've seen, although a Barca player (Giuly?) dived in the box and play was waved on, which is a stone cold yellow card that never happened.

this still feels awful - losing it 4-0 might've felt slightly better than coming so close. xp

Now i'm on the wrong side...

second half: still supporting barcelona although the support level dropped more and more as they seemed to not be in a hurry to attack like they can but instead almost looked like they wanted to get their own back through diving in the box like there was no tomorrow, ronaldinho was the worst, and deco and various others kept fouling badly. and arsenal getting some deserved chances because barca were fannying about. well done ljungberg for trying.

why is alumnia just hoofing the ball to the opposition corner flag everytime there's a goal kick? has he noticed that there's no arsenal players there?

i thought i heard a whistle during the buildup of the 1-1 goal, probably offside, arsenal players all sleeping. didn't really like that goal for those reasons, but barcelona still deserved to be level. hated the reaction of arsenal after the 1-1 goal. all standing around as though it was game over. and it starts pouring with rain, a sign? it's like a film. it was only logical given that arsenal had given up that the 2-1 goal went in, crap goal. through the keepers legs - he can't be tired!!!!

and then, arsenal: this is like, the very very last game this season, you're 2-1 down, why are you just standing around?????? thierry henry get one fitness? i mean, it's not like he's playing 3 games in 3 days! fuck's sake. £60k or whatever a week can't afford you a gym membership?

it's just ridiculous, after the 2-1 goal went in it didn't have to be over but it was. barcelona prodding the ball to each other, whilst arsenal sits down on an imaginary sofa and watched, feeling sorry for themselves. fuck's sakes.

and then henry reveals after the match why he was so shit for the last 30 minutes: TOO BUSY WRITING A SPEECH IN HIS HEAD FOR THE INTERVIEWS. It was poetic, the whole speech, he must have worked hard on it whilst crouching down by the corner flag huffing. i don't think the ref was that shit. not as much as the players were shit, the goals were shit. a bad night for football.

I hope you all appreciate my extensive mediawatch.

it's true. but then i was at the pub for the second half and the cheers from that cheated freekick as if arsenal were some kind of heros for scoring that goal made me glad that the ill-placed gloating happens in a different country than here. by the end of the match i wanted neither team to win.

They're such a canny side. Did much the same to us at the Bridge (tho Arse played much better than we did overall). Flustery start, we had a player sent off then went sort of ballistic and took the lead, rode our luck but missed a couple of chances, game opened up, we got knackered, they scored twice late on. After that, we were totally spent.

Oh, he wasn't typing, right? He said it, right?

wenger is stupid plank!

reminder who plays for Arsenal: JENS Lehmann!

systems thinking dictates loss would not have happened if JAMIE ASHDOWN in goal

season is INVALID!

has SVEN even heard of CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? no, he doesn't have their new 10"! or a record player! RADIO dial not set to SYSTEMS FM!

Arsenal must not represent ENGLAND next season. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE must be brought to FRATTON. can thick bastard BARWICK do this? NO!

Barcelona would not cope with SYSTEMS FOOTBALL of stefanovic and PRIMUS

Wasn't much of a game really. The ref was right to send the keeper off but then Andy Gray was right that it spoiled the game.

We switched to ITV but someone told me today that Andy Gray had a go at Martin Tyler(? is that his name?) for going on and on about the "injustices" that Arsenal were being subjected to and ended up saying something like "For goodness sake Martin! Behave!" on air. Anyone confirm?

Arsenal, UEFA Cup final, 2000. And before that - Arsenal, UEFA CUp final, 1996.

On Saturday it was burning hatred and violent despair vs Porkpie and JtN will be jumping up and down, bless them. I wish the former didn't overwhelm the latter by 50:1 but it's this dash of genuine misanthropy which makes me such sparkling company.

last night last week

x-post, ah.

I'm not necessarily disputing the 1996 one, but I have no memory of it. They won the FA Cup against Sheff Wed in 93, then won the Cup Winners Cup in 94 against somebody (all I remember is Alan Smith scored), then they lost the Cup Winners Cup final in 95 against somebody else when Nayim scored from the halfway line.

That's a bit different though, because Gazza went completely mental and tried to break someone's legs.

You can't let a player get away with that sort of professional foul (imagine if Lehmann had stayed on then made the winning save in a penalty shoot-out?). And Barca deserve the goal. So send him off, allow the goal. Tough justice.

Pete: What about Cech against Liverpool in the European Cup semi last year?

Henry: 'I'm with Mourinho'. Maybe he's coming to play for us next season? Yay!

Ah, in that case it wasn't so clear cut - there was a man rushing back to cover. Remember, Billy Gallas, the one what booted it off of the line... (flounders in pit of own making).

I do genuinely think there's a difference between a keeper rushing out and misjudging and taking out the striker in the process, and one what reaches out a hand to grab the ankle of the dude that's just sped past him.

anyone who's mad
must get mad at Jens himself,
no one's said that yet

"professional fouls"
and fans' passive acceptance
are equally dumb

And, in looking this up, I discovered that Juve beat PSG 9-2 on agg in the Super Cup final that year (6-1 in Paris!) I don't remember this at all.

There must be a VHS of this somewhere on eBay with Brian Moore commentary.

boy is my face red :(

What a muppet! Or, should I say "moppet"? Har har.

Tony Parks once of Spurs:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/345000/images/_347906_parks150.jpg

Tony Parkes once of Blackburn:
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40055000/jpg/_40055594_parkesind.jpg

http://www.thfc1961.fsnet.co.uk/henrypriceless.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/lomographer/teehee2kk.jpg

Chim Chimenee Chim Chiminee
Chim Chim Cheroo
Nayim from 50
Beletti from 2