UEFA Champions League - Soccer Wiretap

Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium To Host 2017 Champions League Final

Jun 30, 2015 1:57 PM

UEFA has confirmed that Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium will host the 2016-17 Champions League final.

The final has never previously been played in Wales.

The 2016-17 Europa League final will be held at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, while the National Arena Filip II in Skopje, Macedonia, will hold the 2017 UEFA Super Cup final.

Cardiff’s second-biggest stadium, Cardiff City Stadium, hosted the 2014 Uefa Super Cup, in which Real Madrid defeated Sevilla 2-0.

The 2016 Champions League Final will be played at the San Siro in Milan.

The Guardian

Tags: UEFA Champions League

Discuss
Ten Barça Players Headline UEFA's Champions League Squad Of 14-15

Jun 10, 2015 2:21 PM

UEFA has announced their Champions League Squad of the 14-15 season.

Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)

Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Jordi Alba (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Neymar (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Barcelona had 10 representatives on the squad with only Dani Alves omitted. 

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Barcelona, UEFA Champions League

Discuss
Barcelona Beats Juventus 3-1, Completes Treble Season

Jun 7, 2015 5:59 PM

Barcelona defeated Juventus 3-1 to win the Champions League and complete their treble season.

The first goal came in the fourth minute when Lionel Messi crossed the ball over the top of Juve's defense from right to left to find Neymar who found Andres Iniesta on a run into the area, who then slid the ball over to Ivan Rakitic. Barcelona had started the match shaky in the back and the goal had come after a seemingly innocuous build-up in which every player touched the ball except for Luis Suarez.

Barcelona had several more high quality chances in the first half, but Gianluigi Buffon kept Juve in the match until they came back out in the second half on more solid footing.

In the 55th minute, Claudio Marchisio had a sublime back-heel to Stephan Lichtsteiner who crossed it to Carlos Tevez. Marc-Andre ter Stegen blocked the Tevez attempt, but Alvaro Morata was in a perfect position to convert the rebound.

A somewhat sleepy final in which Barcelona was playing around with Juventus had awoken.

But Messi's run in the 68th minute following a non-penalty kick call when Jordi Alba brought down Paul Pogba setup Suarez for the matchwinner off the rebound. Suarez was clinical in finishing the rebound, rounding out a 12-month redemption story following last year's World Cup.

Juventus had a few low leverage attempts to equalize and remained in the match after a disallowed Neymar goal, though he eventually killed off the match in the 6th minute of stoppage time.

In what was Xavi's final match with Barcelona, the club had a combination of their old possession style and their new direct identity in their goals. It was also fitting that the three scorers have been acquired by Barcelona in the past two seasons in Neymar, Suarez and Rakitic.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Barcelona, Juventus, UEFA Champions League

Discuss
Giorgio Chiellini Out Of Champions League Final With Calf Injury

Jun 4, 2015 11:51 AM

Giorgio Chiellini will miss the Champions League Final against Barcelona with a calf injury.

The center-back pulled up in training dealing a blow to Juventus' chances of thwarting Barça’s attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez.

Chiellini is now unable to line up against Suárez for the first time since the Uruguay international was banned for four months for biting him at the World Cup finals in Brazil last year.

The Guardian

Tags: Juventus, Injury, UEFA Champions League

Discuss
Allegri: 'Practically Impossible' For Juve To Man-Mark Messi

Jun 1, 2015 1:53 PM

Massimiliano Allegri says it will be "practically impossible" for Juventus to man-mark Barcelona's Lionel Messi in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Messi scored a brilliant goal on Saturday in the Copa del Rey, escaping a three-man trap on the sideline before running past a fourth defender.

"What did I feel when I saw Messi's goal against Athletic? What he did on Saturday was exceptional," Allegri said.

Giorgio Chiellini, however, said Messi would find scoring such a goal difficult against Serie A defenders.

"Messi would not be able to score goals like that in Italy," Chiellini said. "At the moment he is the god of football. The offensive play in Spain is great but we defend better here in Italy."

"Man-to-man marking of Messi while he's on the move is practically impossible. We need to have conviction and anticipate his moves," said Allegri.

Allegri also said Juventus were preparing for the talent of Andres Iniesta in midfield.

"We're aware of the quality of Messi, Neymar and Suarez and especially that of Iniesta," Allegri said.

He added: "We know that Barca are a quality team and play a brand of football that is unique. We want to show and prove to the rest that we can compete against this Barcelona team. Messi and Neymar play in a different way to any other forward pairing in the world. We need to play a tight game."

ESPN

Tags: Barcelona, Juventus, IQ, UEFA Champions League

Discuss