Champions League Final Thread

[FLiam]

At WHAT ponit did ANYONE say ANYTHING about Arsenal??

I'm confused, just because the final was dull you start bitching about Arsenal? Fine, if you really want.

It was a dull game end of story. I was hoping for a bit more goalmouth action.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

No you started to bitch about how it was so awful and stuff, which has nothing to do with this topic as this is not a Juve/Milan thread, so what harm does me saying I think Arsenal are no better at putting on amazing matches do?

[Turbo Yannis]

What was up with Mourinho? He didn't even celebrate at all and seems like he was in the huff during the post match interviews. Very odd.

Here's hoping that he's on his way to Chelsea.

[Big Red Fury]

I personally don't like Man U or Arsenal because they both take large amounts of cheap dives.

[G-O-D]

What was up with Mourinho?  He didn't even celebrate at all and seems like he was in the huff during the post match interviews.  Very odd. 

Here's hoping that he's on his way to Chelsea.

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Well, because he's leaving Porto for an English club.

Porto's Champions League-winning manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed he is set to leave the club and will 'almost for sure' be moving to England.

Mourinho, who guided his side to a convincing 3-0 win over Monaco in Europe's premier club competition, is the top target for Chelsea, whose manager Claudio Ranieri has been working under the threat of the sack for most of the season.

And that prospect increased immediately after the final whistle in Gelsenkirchen as Mourinho left the celebrations early to meet up with his family and revealed he was to quit the Portuguese champions.

'It is almost for sure my last match. We made history but I have to keep working and try to get success in my next step,' he said.

'This is the best way to finish my career with Porto. In two and a half years we have won everything.

'The club was sleeping a little bit [two and a half years ago] and it has woken up very, very well.

'I am very proud in what we did but the time to leave has arrived. You will find out in the next few days, I will decide everything.

'I have to speak with the club (Porto) because I have a contract with them and I desire to leave.'

When asked if he would be heading to England he told Sky Sports: 'Yes, it is the country I would like to go to. I have a few contacts with other countries, especially Italy.

'I will be almost for sure [in England].'

Mourinho was pressed on whether billionaire Roman Abramovich had tempted him to Stamford Bridge.

'I think in the next [few] days everything will be clear,' he said.

'The persons have had serious conversations with my agent and little conversations with me.

'The club I gave my word [to] I would be favourite to go - I don't change my mind.

'I think every club has a motivation. When you have money to spend you must spend well. When you don't have money to spend you have to go for the formation. The best way is to do both things.

'When clubs decide to change their manager they believe something is not the way to be so I want to work and enjoy my life as a manager.

'I love football and I love to work. The club, the board and supporters [must know] I go with all my heart and give everything to improve the club.

'I decided I would like to go when I felt in Portugal there was nothing more to win, the challenge was not big enough for me.'

Mourinho said: 'I cannot speak about Chelsea because I really don't know, but I know that my agent has a few things in his pocket, and he has showed what's in his pocket to the Porto board and what the choices are.

'The country where I want to work next is England, and I haven't changed my mind about that.

'I still have a contract for two years but I would like to leave Porto, I am being completely frank and I want to talk to my chairman, to my board. I am going to open up to my chairman to try and sort out my professional career'.

Porto striker Benni McCarthy was downhearted on hearing that Mourinho was to leave.

'That's a real kick in the butt, we're losing a great trainer, a great man, a real gentleman,' he said.

Earlier in the evening Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon admitted his admiration for Mourinho - but refused to be drawn on whether he would be the next boss at Stamford Bridge.

Speculation has been rife for months that current Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri will be sacked in the close season with Mourinho emerging as the hot favourite to replace him.

Kenyon, in Gelsenkirchen to watch the Champions League final between Porto and Didier Deschamps' Monaco, refused to comment on the current managerial situation.

However, he did concede to an admiration of the talents of the respective coaches who guided their sides to the final, with Monaco reaching their destination at the expense of Chelsea.

'What you have got tonight are two of the best young coaches in Europe,' he told ITV1.

'They have done tremendously well to get here.'

Kenyon, responding to newspaper reports stating Mourinho was England-bound, added: 'There is lots of speculation; Claudio is our manager and remains our manager until that changes.

'There are more teams than Chelsea in England right now - and you know what has happened at Liverpool (who have just parted company with Gerard Houllier).

IMO, there are only three clubs he could be moving to. Chelsea, Liverpool, or Spurs.

[Turbo Yannis]

Well, because he's leaving Porto for an English club.

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I already knew that, but it still seems weird that he'd not even celebrate winning the Champions League or even look at all pleased.

[Johnny Latino Heat]

Just. Fucking. Great. I hate Porto, always have and always will. I hate them so much that I don't even care they're portuguese, I wished Monaco would win. Their ego is massive and they're arrogant as fuck, Mourinho included. I couldn't stand them before and now they'll be even more unbearable. God dammit. Oh well, at least Benfica beat them for the Portuguese Cup, so technically, they beat "the best in Europe", so that makes Benfica the best in Europe (also, when this happened, everybody, even in the media, said it was the arrogance of Porto that caused them to lose the game. EVEN THE FRIGGIN' MEDIA ADMITS THEY'RE ARROGANT FUCKS! GOD, I HATE THEM! :@)

[Guest Takayamanofear]

UEFA, FA and CL were all pretty much one sided. Oh well hopefully next year will not be so anti climatic.

[ADG]

Interesting fact: Your fact is wrong. Last year was a 0-0 draw after extra time. That's 180 minutes without a goal. This year the goal came in the 39th minute. That's 219 minutes. Research shows that the last goal in the 2001/02 final betwwen Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen was scored by Zidane in the 44th minute. That means there were 46 minutes in that game after the last goal was scored.

2001/02 - 46 minutes since goal.

2002/03 - 180 minutes without goal.

2003/04 - 39 minutes until goal.

That's 265 minutes without a goal. Don't spout crap trying to look smart.

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That's only 120 minutes. Extra Time is only 30 minutes. So it'd be 46+120+39=205 so G-O-D was close.

Edited May 27, 2004 by ADGray

[TheArsenal]

Meh.....so my maths is shite.....I was still right that it wasn't 200