Inter have just drawn Chelsea in the first Champions League knockout round, and Manchester United have drawn A.C. Milan. In case years of overexposure to the media haven’t ruined your brain in such a way that the mere mention of these pairings caused the fact to come spinning out of the computer screen in giant letters of fire, this means that José Mourinho will be making his return to Stamford Bridge and David Beckham will be going back to Old Trafford.
So…nice quiet little story, eh? Casual mention near the bottom of the sports page. They’ll probably just walk in through the front gate; I can’t see anyone wanting to make a fuss. I only wonder what substantive issue people will find to talk about for the next two months. Personally, I plan to spend some time thinking about the tactical subtleties of the Olympiacos – Girondins Bordeaux match.
Read More: Champions League
by Brian Phillips · December 18, 2009
I’m still holding out for some incredibly shady Chelsea transfer business that causes them to be demoted to the Europa league as a punishment.
And then, come April, in the semifinals, they will face….
And here I’ve been escaping relentless Tiger Woods coverage by reading the English football papers. Time to head further east in my media consumption. Can anyone point me toward some good “Mandarin for Dummies” type study guides?
Thinking about it, though, this could be Mourinho’s biggest challenge as a media figure in England. This is a long time to keep coming up with witticisms and sharp, headline-friendly comments while nothing fundamental changes in the main story. It’ll take at least as much preparation as figuring out how Inter can keep it close yet still lose to Chelsea over two legs without ever really threatening to win the round – which is what will happen.
Football governing bodies crooked? No!!! Perish the thought!
We want more, we want more, we want more!!
….theres no form of riggin in d fixtures…..though im passionate about chelsea nd mourinho.any way it turns,no qualms
It looks even more rigged looking at the fixtures now. An all-French game and two Final replays.