European Football Thread

[Baddar]

That run from James for the 2-2 was great. And I didn't doubt Messi for a second as the ball dropped to him for the winner. Very good game, but Real will still win the league. 

[MDK]

9 minutes ago, Baddar said:

And I didn't doubt Messi for a second as the ball dropped to him for the winner.

I'd have bet my dog on him putting that away. Nice moment when he took off his shirt and showed it to the fans.

[Lineker]

Pescara's Sulley Muntari walked off the pitch in protest when a referee booked him after he claimed he was being racially abused during a league match.

The 32-year-old former Ghana midfielder asked Daniele Minelli to stop Sunday's Serie A game at Cagliari.

But he was instead booked for dissent in the 89th minute, prompting the former Portsmouth and Sunderland player to leave the pitch in protest.

He angrily confronted Cagliari fans, shouting: "This is my colour."

Pescara boss Zdenek Zeman, whose side lost 1-0, said: "He asked the referee to intervene, but he [said he had] neither heard nor seen anything.

"Muntari was right, but he shouldn't have left the pitch."

Muntari was at AC Milan when then team-mate Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the pitch because of racist chanting during a friendly with lower-league side Pro Patria in January 2013.

It prompted a wave of support on social media. Fifa, football's world governing body, applauded Boateng's principles, but said it did not condone his decision to walk off.

Pescara are bottom of Serie A and have been relegated to Italy's second tier.

[Lineker]

Former Norwich City striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored two late goals as Vitesse Arnhem beat AZ Alkmaar 2-0 to win the Dutch Cup final in Rotterdam.

It is Vitesse's first major trophy in their 125-year history.

Striker Van Wolfswinkel, 28, headed home his first after 80 minutes and followed it up with a second two minutes from time.

Vitesse, who sit sixth in the Dutch League, qualify for the Europa League group stage next season.

Their cup final team included three players on loan from Chelsea - Brazilian midfielder Nathan, 21, United States defender Matt Miazga, 21, and 22-year-old midfielder Lewis Baker.

AZ Alkmaar's team included goalkeeper Tim Krul, 29, who is on loan from Newcastle United.

Congratulations @stokeriño!

[stokeriño]

No way are Nathan or Miazga getting anywhere near the Chelsea squad again, but maybe Baker one day.

Also, props to my-boy-who-I-signed-once-on-FM-maybe-five-years-ago-or-maybe-longer-but-who-the-fuck-even-remembers-for-what-team, RVW.  

[Lineker]

Roma are saying that Totti will retire at the end of the season. 

[Lineker]

 

[MDK]

Crazy to think that Messi has been playing this well while serving a 21 month prison term. I wonder how Neymar will fare? 

[MDK]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39826269

Sully Muntari has had his ban for being a victim of racism overturned. Very well handled by the Italian FA, kudos to them. 

[Baddar]

Feyenoord are 2-0 down so it looks like they'll need to win their final game to secure the title.

[EddieG]

@Lars Kuyt  

[The Lusophone]

The top 6 in Ligue 2 are separated by just 3 points going into the final round of fixtures.

[Lineker]

19 minutes ago, Mad Jack said:

The top 6 in Ligue 2 are separated by just 3 points going into the final round of fixtures.

I read that too!

[Adam]

Are any of them playing each other? That is mad.

[Lineker]

8 minutes ago, Adam said:

Are any of them playing each other? That is mad.

Final-round fixtures (Friday 19:30 BST)

Strasbourg v Bourg en Bresse (14th)
Reims (7th) v Amiens
Sochaux (11th) v Troyes
Lens v Niort (10th)
Brest v Ajaccio (13th)
Laval (20th) v Nimes

[DavidMarrio]

Goal difference as well is pretty close 

[Lineker]

Bibiana Steinhaus will become the first female to referee in the Bundesliga.

The 38-year-old police officer has been named as one of four new referees in Germany's top flight for 2017-18.

Steinhaus has refereed second-tier games for six years.

[Colly]

19 hours ago, Lineker said:

I read that too!

In an absolutely thrilling turn of events they all won against teams with nothing to play for and it finished exactly the same as it started...

[MDK]

Remember John Bostock? He's at Lens. 

[Colly]

Who's Len?