The Champions League is a wonderful competition, is not it? While an underdog as an unexpected team sometimes reaches the semi-finals – as is the case with RB Leipzig and Lyon this year – it is rare that they reach the final. That was the case yesterday when Leipzig lost to PSG. And Bayern will spoil the party for Lyon tonight.
The Champions League final is simply no place for underdogs. Well, at least not normally.
I can understand the appeal of rooting for Lyon last night. And if they do get through – a big question – I will hope they lift Ol ‘Big Ears against their domestic rivals.
Bayern, however, represent the best chance to stop oil-rich PSG from getting their hands on the trophy. That I will root for them tonight, and if they come through, I will be the biggest Bayern fan on 90 or 120 minutes on Sunday.
Of course, Bayern are not underdogs. They are European royalty. They have been to a Champions League / European Cup final 10 times – once more than Liverpool – and they have lifted the trophy 5 times.
Some Liverpool fans will not be great at making Bayern equal to our third best 6 European Cups, but honestly I am not that blunt. The Champions League is a tough competition to win. And on par with Bayern (or rather, Bayern have catch up for us!) only marks how massive our own historical and recent achievements are.
Winner of a Champions League promotes a club. Only 22 clubs have won the competition, and only 12 have won it more than once. It is an elite league for elite clubs. And personally, I would keep PSG happy and all other sportswashing PR arms of petrostates away from the biggest trophy in club football.
A natural annoyance from PSG / Manchester City apart, there are other reasons why we should support Bayern. First of all, they are a real club, with real fans. On this note, I am probably a little biased; I lived 2 years right next to Allianz Arena. But seriously, they are good people. Strangely obsessed with liters of beer and leather pants, sure, but good fans.
Also, they usually all wear red! That’s fun!
There is also the bonus of seeing Philippe Coutinho get a medal from the Champions League winner after suffering pain at Barcelona. That would be hilarious. Double bonus: Barca fans would smoke more than they already do if they were left with “just” 5 European Cups, behind us and Bayern. Sorry.
Speaking of Coutinho and bonuses, there are reports that Barcelona would have to pay an extra € 5 million to Liverpool if he wins the Champions League. Oh, that would be nice.
Finally, maybe, just maybe, Kylian Mbappé realizes that he will never win a European Cup at a plastic club. And that he needs strength from Jurgen Klopp. And the warm embrace of 55,000 lunatics in red on Merseyside.
# Mbappe2021.
Up the Bavarian Reds.
