Soldato
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Should be 2 very good finals, would say Atletico are favourites against Chelsea tbh.
UEFA Champions League/Europa League Semi-Final Draw – 11th April
- Thread starter Cosimo
- Start date
Good set of draws, Bayern and Real and Chelsea and Atletico. Seems like UEFA have backed Atletico and Courtois should play but knowing how Mourinho likes to have the upper hand...no doubt Chelsea will ask for the money if Courtois plays against them
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Fingers crossed Atletico get past Chelsea, i think they will with Costa scoring a hattrick against his possibly new team for next yr lol.
Bayern and Real should be another good one but i expect Bayern to win that pretty easily.
Wouldnt mind seeing Atletico get to the final to win it though, they really have been impressive all season long both in the cl and la liga.
.Fingers crossed Atletico get past Chelsea, i think they will with Costa scoring a hattrick against his possibly new team for next yr lol.
Bayern and Real should be another good one but i expect Bayern to win that pretty easily.
Wouldnt mind seeing Atletico get to the final to win it though, they really have been impressive all season long both in the cl and la liga.
The Courtois situation is interesting...
Regarding UEFA's recent statement that any contract agreement would be "null and void", they said pretty much the exact opposite last year regarding Mo Bangura with Celtic and IF Elfsborg:
link
If Chelsea took UEFA to the court of arbitration for sport there is no guarantee that UEFA would win - particularly as the player contracts were already approved, and contradictory statements have been made by UEFA in the past.
But anyway, more than the legal aspect, there's the question of integrity (or perception of integrity). While I'm sure Courtois would simply do his best no matter who he's playing for - imagine if he has a howler and accidentally lets in an easy stop, allowing the team that pays his wages to progress to the final? There will always be some people who would think he was sandbagging. It's a risk that Atletico will need to consider...
Regarding UEFA's recent statement that any contract agreement would be "null and void", they said pretty much the exact opposite last year regarding Mo Bangura with Celtic and IF Elfsborg:
link
If Chelsea took UEFA to the court of arbitration for sport there is no guarantee that UEFA would win - particularly as the player contracts were already approved, and contradictory statements have been made by UEFA in the past.
But anyway, more than the legal aspect, there's the question of integrity (or perception of integrity). While I'm sure Courtois would simply do his best no matter who he's playing for - imagine if he has a howler and accidentally lets in an easy stop, allowing the team that pays his wages to progress to the final? There will always be some people who would think he was sandbagging. It's a risk that Atletico will need to consider...
I hope something is worked out for Courtois
Why? Even if I didn't support Chelsea, I'd still prefer them to win over any other team left, so Atletico having a player problem is good news.
From BBC:
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay confirms that the club will allow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, on loan at Atletico Madrid, to play against his parent club in the Champions League semi-finals.
Before the draw was made, Uefa released a statement to clarify that it expects the Belgium international to be free to face the Blues in both legs.
"The loan was arranged back in the start of the season. He can play against Chelsea, that's never in doubt," Gourlay says.
"Regarding the Uefa statement we'll evaluate that in due course. As far as we are concerned we will comply with loan rules. He can play in both ties against Chelsea if selected. That is fact."
It was always the case, sounds like we will still charge atletico! Funny how uefa always change their tune when it suits them. Like Duff-Man said, they've set a precedence with Celtic.
I am all for a British team progressing but I also like AM and would them to play at full strength rather than at the end of a [contract] barrel
Even as a Chelsea fan, I'd prefer (in principle) to play against a full-strength side. Having a major opposition player miss out due to a legal technicality just seems a bit off.
That said, it puts Courtois himself in a difficult position. If he has a bad game, or if he makes some game-changing saves, then either way he's in a very awkward position - particularly since it seems likely he's coming back to be Chelsea's #1 keeper next season. The only way he will escape any criticism from fans of one side or the other is if he has an "average" game in both legs. Or if one team absolutely dominates the game.
It's ridiculous how UEFA just make stuff up on a whim, surely they must know what statements they've released in the past.
No and no. The loan agreement will stipulate that chelsea can't recall him during the season. And UEFA rules only apply in UEFA competitions, not in the premier league.
But the agreement also says Madrid would have to pay Chelsea if Courtois was to play against them. If the contract doesn't hold up then Chelsea might as well cancel it anyway. Madrid agreed to it then they should honour it whether UEFA says otherwise.
will UEFA have seen the loan contract? I wouldnt have thought so.
If Chelsea have given an illegal contract (in respect to the competition being played) then it shouldnt be Atletico's issue, tough **** to Chelsea
Let him play without any charge as per UEFA rules - and Chelsea win either way (they either win the match, or they have a better player at the end of the loan with experience of a CL final)
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