UEFA Champions League - Soccer Wiretap

Gareth Bale Ruled Out Of Champions League Semifinals

Apr 26, 2017 12:24 PM

Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Real Madrid's Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid with a calf injury.

Bale started Sunday's Clasico but came off with the injury. Tests have now shown a Grade 2 problem.

Bale has had 17 different injuries during his four seasons in Spain.

"[Bale] is the first one unhappy with what happened, but he told me he was at 100 percent, that the two training sessions before the game were perfect, with no problems at all," Zinedine Zidane said. "I trust everything my players tell me.

"Then this has happened. We cannot avoid it. The player wants to play. When you have a very long injury, when you return it is difficult. Maybe at the start you are good, but when you train every day you pick up another problem.

"It is not a big injury. We hope we have him back soon, before the end [of the season]."

Dermot Corrigan/ESPN

Tags: Real Madrid, Injury, UEFA Champions League

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UCL Semifinals: Real Madrid/Atleti, Juve/Monaco

Apr 22, 2017 1:07 PM

For the fourth straight year Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will meet in the Champions League as they have been paired in the semifinals.

The Madrid clubs have met in two of the past three Champions League Finals (2014, 2016) as well as the quarterfinals of 2015. Real Madrid has come out victorious in all three previous matchups with the final in 2014 being decided in extra time and the 2016 final decided in penalty kicks.

Juventus will play Monaco in the other semifinal.

Real Madrid will host Atletico on Tuesday, May 2nd with the return leg at the Calderon on Wednesday, May 10th.

Monaco hosts Juventus on Wednesday, May 3rd with the return leg in Turin on Tuesday, May 9th.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Monaco, Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League

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Thomas Muller: Bayern Had To Play '10 Against 14'

Apr 19, 2017 12:28 PM

Thomas Muller said he felt his side had played "10 against 14" in their Champions League defeat at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

 

Bayern were angered by several key decisions by referee Viktor Kassai, feeling that the sending off of Arturo Vidal was unjust and that two of Cristiano Ronaldo's three goals were offside.

Muller told reporters: "If you look at the way things went, it is extremely difficult when you are playing with 10 against 14.

"The [goal that made it] 2-2 was the worst situation -- the assistant referee had a great view. That killed us."

Mark Lovell/ESPN

Tags: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League

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Neymar Believes Barcelona Can Complete Another UCL Comeback

Apr 17, 2017 5:22 PM

Neymar is optimistic Barcelona can mount a comeback against Juventus as they did against Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16.

Barcelona enters the second leg trailing Juventus 3-0 on aggregate.

“We have to believe we can do it,” Neymar said in an interview with the Brazilian television channel Esporte Interativo. “The other day my father told me one thing which has stayed in my head, and I think it’s true. In front of us we have a different team, but Barcelona is the same. And we can do it.”

Neymar was excellent in Barcelona's comeback against PSG.

“We did it once and we can do it a second time. We have to give our absolute maximum. If everything goes well, there will be another comeback,” Neymar said. “I believe in the team and in our power. Everything is lost [already], so we have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Reuters

Tags: Barcelona, UEFA Champions League

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Thomas Tuchel Criticizes UEFA For Treatment Following Attack

Apr 12, 2017 7:02 PM

Thomas Tuchel criticized UEFA for postponing Borussia Dortmund's match against Monaco by just one day following an attack on their team bus.

"We were never asked; we were informed by a text message that the UEFA made a decision in Switzerland. It felt lousy. And that sticks with us," Tuchel said at a news conference.

"Minutes after the attacks, the only question was whether the game could go through or not. We were treated as if a beer can was thrown at the bus. It gives you a feeling of impotence.

"It will stick with us that we have to function and that everything else plays no role. We are outside of the bus, Marc [Bartra] gets driven away in an ambulance, and we are informed about the decision. It does not feel good."

Tuchel then explained how Dortmund had taken the decision over who would play in the game.

"We left it open to every player if he wants to play," he added. "We realised this morning that training is a distraction. Every player, every human, and this attack was on us as humans, can be scared stiff by this. But all of them wanted to play.

"We would have wanted to have more time to digest all of this. We did not get this time. We have to live with the fact that the match was scheduled. It's about our dream, our big dream, and the squad did not have the feeling they could make the difference in the small situations.

"Later in the afternoon, we encouraged the players to go into the match."

Tuchel admitted that he couldn't even field a full squad.

"We weren't even able to fill up our squad; all of our youth players from the B-list were injured as well," he said. "It's not done by playing the match. The match itself was a distraction from coping with the events. We just had too little time.

"Every one of us has to cope with the incident by himself. The thoughts will continue to circle around the events. Time helps. But ask me prior to the match next week if we are ready. There's no recipe for this."

Stephan Uersfeld/ESPN

Tags: Borussia Dortmund, UEFA Champions League

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Targeted Attack On Dortmund Bus Postpones UCL Match

Apr 11, 2017 5:35 PM

An explosion occurred near the team bus of Borussia Dortmund as they were leaving their hotel ahead of their Champions League match against Monaco. Police say it was a targeted attack.

Police confirmed there were three separate explosions near the coach, bursting the vehicle’s windscreen and injuring one player, identified as defender Marc Bartra.

The match will played on Wednesday.

Police and Borussia Dortmund officials assured supporters that they were not under threat at the stadium and that they should “stay calm” while leaving the stadium.

Philip Oltermann/The Guardian

Tags: Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, UEFA Champions League

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