A blitz on the boots

The Champions League, a league considered ‘the most premier’ football league across the globe, has reached its business end. We are now down to the quarter-finals after more than six months of gruelling football matches. For those of you who haven’t followed the league, let me put it this way for a better insight into the competitiveness of the league: GNK Dinamo Zagreb (a professional football team from Croatia) astonished the footballing world with a 1-0 victory against two-time champions Chelsea in the 2022-23 Champions League opener in September.

Even someone of the stature of Pep Guardiola, who has attained the pinnacles of football as a gaffer, acquiesced in what it means to win the Champions League. After he arrived at Manchester City from Bayern Munich in 2016, they have become one of the most reckoning powers of football in the modern era. With him, the worst that City has fared in a Premier League season is a third-place finish in 2016! Since then, either winners or runners-up! Guardiola admits his Manchester City reign will be defined by success in the Champions League no matter how many times his side wins the Premier League.

The season did have many jaw-dropping moments of which Napoli’s qualification into the quarter-finals for the first time was one of the many instances. But what caught the eyes of people across the globe was not the mere victory; it was the violence that erupted in Naples before and after the 2nd-leg Round of 16 clash between Napoli and German club, Eintracht Frankfurt.

Where and how did it start?

Italian authorities banned Napoli from selling tickets to Eintracht Frankfurt fans following reports of violence in the first leg of the tie at Deutsche Bank Park in Germany. Despite the ban, many ‘managed’ to buy tickets to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and resorted to violence as they were upset with the Naples’ authorities. Smoke bombs and flares, chairs, bottles and metal poles were thrown at the police, injuring six officers, who then responded with tear gas. Upon investigation, three German football fans and five locals were arrested, with more to be added to the list in the coming days.

Talking about Italy, no country has more clubs involved in the Quarter-Finals — Napoli, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Though this is not the first time three Italian clubs had made it to the Top 8, this is some sort of renaissance for Italian football in the European arena. It was way back in 2003, 2005 and 2006, when Italy had three teams in the last eight — AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus. It is for the first time since 2006, both Inter and AC Milan have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli has made it to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history with their recent form being a big surprise for many. They have defeated teams like Liverpool, Juventus, AC Milan and Ajax in recent times across all competitions.

The remaining five teams include one team from Spain (Real Madrid), Germany (Bayern Munich) and Portugal (Benfica) each while England has two (Manchester City and Chelsea). In the quarter-finals, Benfica will play Inter Milan, Manchester City will be up against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid against Chelsea and Napoli will be playing AC Milan.

Haaland affect

Off late, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been in ‘ridiculous’ form! No doubt he has been scoring goals in almost every game, but there was a point last week when in two hours of football he played for Manchester City, he scored 8 goals! These games are not mere league games — a Champions League round of 16 match and an FA Cup quarter-final. Nobody expected it, but nobody should be surprised either — scoring five goals in a Champions League game, Haaland is only the third player to achieve the feat in a single Champions League game after Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk vs BATE Borisov, 2014) and Lionel Messi (Barcelona v Bayer Leverkusen, 2012).

Not just that, Erling Haaland has become the fastest player to reach the 30-goal mark in the Champions League (in 25 games). The record had been long held by Ruud van Nistelrooy. He is also the youngest player to achieve the feat; another feat long held by another great, Leo Messi. City’s Number 9 has been one of the very few remaining ‘pure’ strikers who just had 30 touches of the ball during his five-goal spree against RB Leipzig — a goal in every six touches! He is doing what Ronaldo and Messi were doing during their prime; upping the benchmarks. What lies between Manchester City and a semi-final berth, is German powerhouse Bayern Munich.

Portuguese Touch

Another interesting aspect of the remaining eight teams is the number of Portuguese players involved. Except for Real Madrid and Inter Milan, all other six teams have prominent Portuguese players who have had an impact so far.

João Mário is having a season of a lifetime. He has been the heart of Benfica’s attack and Mario Magic has been responsible to a large extent for Benfica’s impressive run. Midfielder Florentino Luís, centre-back António Silva and sparking forward Rafa Silva too have been special in making the move into the quarter-finals. Striker Gonçalo Ramos who rose to fame during the last World Cup upon being selected into the Playing XI ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo against Switzerland has been equally responsible too. Chelsea’s recent signing, João Félix, has shown signs he is getting back to his brilliant best since switching to the London club from Atlético Madrid. Bayern Munich, who many are expecting to be the champions, has the services of Cancelo. AC Milan striker Rafael Leão has over the years looked like a promising young prospect for any team. Manchester City has two of their greats, Bernardo Silva and Rúben Dias, and Napoli has Mário Rui. The number of Portuguese players involved today in the Champions League shows us how Portugal has emerged as a football powerhouse.

With only a handful of matches remaining, it calls for unpredictable days ahead as we have both first-timers as well as champion teams. Can Real Madrid defend their title? Or will Gurdiaola’s men finally win their eluded possession? Or will there be an underdog story of Napoli emerging victorious? Only time will tell.

The writer is the Assistant Editor, Millennium Post. Views expressed are personal