#ucl 2017

[flyhighisco]

casemiro scored a classic casemiro goal today

[meowmeowmessi]

[getting-messi]

How did you find out Messi was leaving Barca ??? I know in general that was a bad day Messi fans

glad you asked dear friend😗

it was TRULY a dark day omg. So basically other than my older brother and I, nobody else knows/cares about football but just knows that im SUPER obsessed with Messi. And unfortunately….my brother is a ronald mcdonald fan🤮 (trust me, im extremely ashamed to be associated to him). So basically, i remember it SO clearly, the news dropped on like the first week of august on a thursday afternoon. 

I remember his contract expiring for the first time since he CAME to Barca in July and barca fans making jokes like “hahaha, greatest player in the world is a free agent, haha what a steal that we’re going to get him” like things were RELAXED AND CHILL. NO ONE could have expected what was going to happen. I do not like being deep in transfer rumours because it just peaks my anxiety so i stay out of it until things are official. But I did know that Messi’s dad came to Barcelona a few days before him to meet with Laporta and the board about his new contract and that it was announced he was taking a 50% pay cut. Then Messi came back to Barcelona after his vacation (he couldnt even enjoy his Copa victory for that long😖) and that he was coming into training EARLY to be with the team during pre-season and that his contract was going to be announced any day. 

NOW TO THE JUICY PART! I was working from home by myself, everyone was out, and i had just gotten out of a meeting and was going to get myself a lil iced coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day, i was in the best mood and right before i leave, i see a text from my brother and he sent me a tweet that was a Marca headline being like “BREAKING - Barcelona is planning to unexpectedly cut ties with Messi and he is leaving the Catalans” and i’ll be so honest with you - i didn’t even break a sweat. It didnt even make me flinch because at this point i didnt believe it. I was thinking “Marca have been wrong a lot, they are a madrid based news outlet, Messi is literally in Barca, like no way”. Just to be sure, I went to my trusted barca twitter pages and ALL of them were like “this is BS, dont believe it, Messi is signing a new contract, like WE ARE GOOD”. So i was like calm, amazing texted my brother not to send me BS reports and then off i went to get my lil drink of the day. I went and got it and on my way back, idk WHY but my phone wasn’t on Do not disturb but i also dont get too many notifications but it was going CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYY. Keep in mind, this was like 10 minutes after my brother sent me that tweet. I’m like what is going on???? and then right as i get to a red light and im about to check my phone, i see that my cursed brother is calling me and i answer and im like whats up, whats going on. Tell me why he was like “where are you and what are you doing”. Im like im in the car just coming back from getting a drink. He was like pull over. At this point my heart is in my throat and i literally thought a family member had died. So im like ok, and i pull over and literally itching with anticipation. And he was like, you didn’t believe that tweet i sent you, well look at what i just sent you now. And so while he’s on the line, i go straight to his texts and its a screenshot of the Barca IG page and my mind went fuzzy. I was like oh my god. If this was an extension announcement, it just would’ve been a picture of Messi. But instead im looking at this long text and my brothers like are you reading it. And im like literally numb parked on the side of the road. And I read “……mutaul agreement that Lionel Messi will be leaving FC Barcelona”. And i kinda just dropped my phone. My brother is talking to me kinda being a troll and i just hung up. And then im like reading my notifications and my friends and family who dont even WATCH football are being like “yo are you okay, is he actually leaving”. I couldnt even think, SO WHILE I AM STILL IN THE CAR, im like going to my barca twitter pages and theyre out here freaking out like i am, obviously those conspiracy theories were going around that it was just a stunt that Laporta and Messi were doing to get Javier Tebas to let Barca get away with this signing despite our financial mess. People were talking about how none of the barca players posted about it and i truly failed to believe it for the longest time until I think Busquests was the first to post a good bye and it just kinda sank in. 

But i just remember sitting in my car in silence for so long before driving back home. I usually listen to music or a podcast but i literally was just in silence as I got home feeling completely numb.

After i finally accepted that he would be leaving Barca and it was announced in a shitty IG post and the most pathetic 7-minute youtube video, i knew he was going to PSG. I think Grealish’s signing was actually announced the same day a few hours earlier before Barca posted the statement. But I couldn’t believe that they’d betray their most important player like that. It’s still shocking to think about. Like i actually think about how emotional Messi was at the press conference and it really says it all. He’s never cried like that EVER. Even after Copa ’16 when he lost the final and missed a pen and even RETIRED internationally, it wasnt as bad as it was during the press conference. You could really see how heartbroken he was. Especially after the Buro-fax situation that happened the season before and imagine that the world’s greatest player actually taking a 50% pay cut just to stay at your club. And keep in mind these are later years of his career and he was wiling to stay at a struggling Barca that he was single-handedly keeping in UCL and competitive in La Liga. Like he was willing to waste the last good years of his career during the rebuild period for Barca.

Someone said it in my previous answer, apologizing isn’t enough, Laporta REALLY needs to like drop dead or something. I thought I couldn’t hate anyone as much as I hated Barto and look at that🥴

[prayforleonardo]

Roma vencio al Barcelona en la vuelta de la UEFA Champions League 2017/18

Never change, Champions League 👊

When Kostas Manolas made history & became a Roma legend 💪

Meanwhile, in Rome… Lionel Messi😳

Joint-second biggest comeback in history ✔️ First European Cup/#UCL semi-final since 1983/84 ✔️ Roma legends ✔️

⏰ RESULTS ⏰

A stunning second-leg comeback sends Roma to the semi-finals; Liverpool reach last 4 for the first time since 2008. 🎉🎉🎉

Roma win on away goals

⏰ Final whistle Roma 3-0 FC Barcelona (4-4 agg, Roma go through on away goals) ⚽ Dzeko, De Rossi and Manolas

🟡🔴 #OTD in 2018, an epic quarter-final comeback sends Roma through on away goals!

🤯 Roma 3-0 Barcelona (agg: 4-4)

RomaBarça | #RomaBarcelona

UCL | #ASRFCB | April 10, 2018

[footytea]

About the presentation thing, jude did get one but it was a normal, smaller one

Kylian got a bigger one because he came to the club with a big achievement (world cup) to his name already (and probably also because they’ve been after him since like 2017)

Similar to how CR7 got a bigger presentation as well because he already had a ballon d’or and a UCL

.

[cincydrawing]

I do not like to blame the referee for a match loss. However, I saw some RM fans taunt Thomas as a sore loser, which is unacceptable.

Bayern lost to RM in 1-2, not 1-3, because of a wrong judgment that sacrificed their chance. Also, this is the UCL semi-final, not a random match; the importance is extremely high. Plus, Thomas experienced two offside goals from RM in 2017. I believe every Bayern fan who watched that match could not forget that sorrowful feeling. Again, this time, the debate is related to an off-side goal.

Thomas mentioned this point after the reporter asked for his opinion about Manu's mistake. He tried to protect Manu. He mentioned this topic to distract others' attention from Manu.

If you remember, Bayern lost to Atletico after Thomas missed the penalty. Even though we cannot blame the loss on a single player, Thomas suffered hard then. He barely shoots any penalty after that match. He knew how Manu feels today.

[akhret]

Malachite

The color green was associated with life and vegetation. Which is why malachite represented new life and fertility in Ancient Egypt, due to its rich green color. Malachite white was most predominantly found around the Sinai peninsula and the eastern desert, which associated it with Hathor as the patron of miners.  

This was commonly used to make paint pigments and eyeshadow (Udju).

When it came to makeup, the malachite and galena were crushed and mixed with gum or water to make a paste, it was then applied over the eyelid and underneath the brow bone. Makeup had its own protective qualities to it, as it was thought to help ward off evil, flies, and the harsh rays of the eyes; which is why it was worn by both men and women in Ancient Egypt.

As for paints, Osiris, for example, was almost always depicted as green or black- both colors representing the fertility of the Nile and thoughts about the afterlife. The malachite mixture was used to paint on the walls of the tombs and temples. For the elite, this was used to paint coffins to symbolize the life after death.

Main properties: life, vegetation.

Main usage: pains, makeup.

Associated with: Osiris, Hathor.

Found: Siani peninsula, eastern desert.

Image: https://geology.com/minerals/malachite.shtml

About Malachite. (2021, June 14). Mama’s Minerals. https://www.mamasminerals.com/blogs/mamas-minerals-blog/about-malachite/

Chris, & Chris. (2017, March 3). Missed Connections: Malachite and the Ancient Egyptians | BEYONDBones. BEYONDbones. https://blog.hmns.org/2017/02/missed-connections-malachite-and-the-ancient-egyptians/

Plante, A. (2019, August 5). Malachite: Eternal paradise in shades of green. Market Square Jewelers. https://www.marketsquarejewelers.com/blogs/msj-handbook/malachite-history-properties-symbolism#:~:text=Malachite%20has%20been%20used%20by,the%20%E2%80%9CField%20of%20Malachite%E2%80%9D.

The Global Egyptian Museum | Malachite. (n.d.).

https://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/glossary.aspx?id=232

Ucl. (2019, March 6). Colours of Ancient Egypt – green | UCL Researchers in Museums. https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/researchers-in-museums/2019/03/06/colours-of-ancient-egypt-green/

Wikipedia contributors. (2023, August 13). Beauty and cosmetics in ancient Egypt. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_cosmetics_in_ancient_Egypt#:~:text=The%20two%20main%20forms%20of,galena%2C%20a%20dark%20grey%20ore

[cant-get-no-worse]

So, I'm a relatively new FCB fan and I've been doing some research about why the club had a downfall. What I understood was that everything went to shit since Neymar left. Plus he didn't even have any legit reason to leave apart from more money being offered by PSG. People say he left because he was in "Messi's shadow" but that's not true. All I saw was love and appreciation for him by the fans and his fellow players. Especially Messi. He treated him with so much love and respect. Even now, after going through so much shit at PSG, Neymar doesn't seem to want to leave that club. In my opinion, he is one reason why Barcelona went downhill. The club spent so much money on his replacements which all ended in failure. I think if he hadn't left at that time, Barcelona would be in a relatively better place right now. Maybe I'm wrong but that's what I interpreted. Please correct me if I'm getting it wrong or if I missed some important thing amidst all of this. I have nothing against Neymar, he's a wonderful player, but I can't help but put a little blame on him.

Hii ! I love ranting about this stuff, so warning: long ass ramble, I'm putting it beneath.

I think it's fairly common for people to assume Neymar's departure in 2017 was the thing that started FCB "downfall" (which is a pretty dramatic term in of itself), because it's such a public move that made everyone talk. It's a transfer whose consequences on the market value of players and the way we appreciate those is still underappreciated; genuinely, that Neymar saga is mad, it changed everything (to me, for the worse). But the decline of FCB, the institution, began way earlier than 2017. 2017 is kind of, the first most visible consequence of every prior stuff.

Everything was a mess by 2006/2008, for the team & institutionally wise. It got better from 2008 - 2012, under Pep Guardiola (coach) & Laporta/Rosell (presidents, although both not v good men) & which is now commonly referred to as the "golden age" of FCB's recent History. Then, from 2012 on, everything kind of started to decline. It's not very visible since we won the treble in 2014-2015 (KING SHIT VISCA BARÇA VISCA CATALUNYA etc. etc.) , but already behind the scenes it was rocky as hell. Political stuff, power struggles within the board, etc. Even that 2014-2015 "golden" season was a mess, what with the breach of the Transfer Regulations (we couldn't sign players until 2016), firing of our sporting director, firing of medical/staff members, lies about state of finances, restriction of said finances, Messi/Enrique/Chelsea conflict, etc. That 2014-2015 team winning the Treble effectively masked to posterity & the general public how fucked up the club's politics were at that time. But on the long run, that bad gestion did end up affecting that team that arguably should've gone on to win way more in 2016 - 2017, what with the bunch of talents we had in hands.

Then there was the Neymar stuff in 2017, Iniesta leaving in 2018. Of course, by then the mess that was the cub began to reflect on our style of play; by 2017/2018 already we weren't playing as good as we had. There were moments of brilliance of course, games to remember, iconic ones, but still. It was already falling, there were ovious issues, weaknesses, boring times, some alarming performances. I think that 2018-2019 UCL campaign symbolizes everything that had changed since that 2015 UCL ; we didn't have a team, we had one guy, surrounded by too unstable performances from players around. As football proves times and times again, you can have the current best player in the world, if he's alone, you'll never win shit. You'll win games, not competitions. That's the beauty of the sport, you need a team, or you'll go nowhere. Ultimately that "downfall" confirmed itself by more harsh and evident results, with the 2019-2022 period being rock bottom. Jesus Christ that period.

As for that Neymar stuff: it's so real complicated. And not as black/white as it appears. As a FCB supporter, when he left, I despised his guts for a bunch of years, genuinely. Many still do, just look at the comments under the rumors of his comeback; large portion of culers don't want him there, because we really saw it as a treason. A guy who left for money and some more fame. I guess you can say the fact that most culers still haven't swallowed that pill six years later is a testament to how much we loved him.

First, let me state that it's fucking tragic, for him as for the club. He left at his prime and, arguably, wasted it at PSG (tell anyone from 2015 that Neymar Jr doesn't have a single Ballon d'Or to his name and they'll rightfully laugh at your face) ; while Barca drowned as well, failing to find a proper replacement (FCB players were upset with the board at that failure), as you said. Had he stayed, as Pep said, and had the club managed itself better (but that in itself prompts the argument of: could they really? After all the decline started in 2014?) we could've won at least one, if not two UCLs. Honestly, now that we can take a few steps back and reflect, it seems none of the parties (except PSG, who propelled itself forward on the European scene) benefited from that move. But in truth, there can be a million reasons he left. We don't know if it was a personnal initiative or one of his family. We don't know how the Remontada and the aftermath really affected this decision. We don't know if he's the one that wanted to step out of « Messi's shadow » or if his father/agent pushed him to. We don't know if it's because Barcelona rendered public some elements of his contract, effectively breaking the trust his side had towards the club. This mess is a mix of money, ego, power, ambition, personnal relationships, psychological stuff in the brain of a 25 years old and his surroundings, Barcelona being Messi's club (whether you want it or not, it has been true since 2009. Barcelona and Messi were (still remain) synonymous, and that in itself paused a problem later on), PR/image manipulation/communication, and background stuff we'll probably never know of/or much later. The guy even pushed to comeback to Barcelona a mere year or two later. The whole Messi part is a theater play in of itself, between a starstruck kid who went on to play with his idol, who became friends and formed the most successfull Trident of the decade with him, who upon each occasion praises him and rambles about their friendship/love for each other, yet leaves. I mean, the guy reportedly told others he was leaving the club on Messi's wedding, without telling Leo - if that doesn't indicates you how fucked up/messy it was in his own head, Jesus. And yet the friendship Neymar had with other FCB players showed through the very summer he left, what with them posting a pic together following the legal actions of FCB against him. So yeah.

I think part of why he stayed at PSG after they retained him from going back to Barcelona is because he's, like every great player, a winner, he wants to get everything, he genuinely wants to give Paris what he came to do, but also cause, in the long run, he's trapped himself there. The more time passed the more it became that kind of need: he wanted/needed his move to mean something, he wanted that UCL so he could feel like he didn't waste so much time and talent and prime there. All in all, it's a bit tragic, I could ramble about it for hours but I'm gonna cut it short now cause that's not your ask lmfao.

Conclusion to the essay: Neymar's transfer to PSG didn't start anything, rather was the consequence and the accelerator of a decline that began years prior in the institution's background. Hope it helped bring some elements to the table, anon! ❤️

[beardedmrbean]

A British-educated businesswoman has denied allegations of manufacturing the pagers used in an audacious attack against Hezbollah.

The handheld devices killed at least 12 people and injured 3,000 after they simultaneously detonated across Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday afternoon in a suspected Israeli operation.

The Taiwanese company whose branding was on the technology claimed Budapest-based firm BAC Consultancy made the devices under a three-year brand licensing agreement.

But University College London (UCL) graduate Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, the CEO of BAC Consultancy, said she was just a link in the supply chain and did not make the pagers.

“I do not make the pagers. I am just the intermediary. I think you got it wrong,” Ms Barsony-Arcidiacono told NBC News.

Around three grams of explosives are reported to have been placed into the AR-924 pagers in a sophisticated supply chain infiltration.

A Lebanese security source claimed Israel’s spy agency Mossad planted explosives in thousands of the devices months before they exploded, and one US official told Axios news the Israeli military moved to detonate the devices because it feared the sabotage plot had been exposed.

The Iran-backed militant group has vowed to retaliate against Israel, whose military declined to comment on the blasts.

Ms Barsony-Arcidiacono studied for a physics PhD at UCL between 2002 and 2006, according to her LinkedIn page.

She then went on to study at the London School of Economics and the University of London for various postgraduate qualifications between 2009 and 2017.

She also recently worked with the European Commission as an “evaluation expert” and as a “groundwater resource manager” for Unesco.

On her company’s website – which went offline on Wednesday morning – her work was described as “bridging technology and innovation from Asia”. The firm’s address was registered to a residential-looking two-storey building in Budapest, with its name posted on the glass door on an A4 sheet.

Hezbollah, which controls southern Lebanon, forms part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance”, which opposes Western and Israeli influence in the region.

A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the detonation of the pagers was the “biggest security breach” the group had been subjected to in nearly a year of war with Israel.

The group opened a second front against Israel a day after the war in the Gaza Strip began, triggered by a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October.

Hamas, also backed by Tehran, killed around 1,200 people, with another 251 taken hostage. In response, Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air and ground.

[horriblehistorieschild]

First ucl goal since 2017

[thewiseaustralain]

Some, mostly men, complain that "womens football isn't as competitive because one team always wins" like the same thing doesn't happen in the mens game.

Like, yes, in the last 15 years only two clubs have won the French womens league, PSG for the 2020-21 season then Olympique Lyonnais the rest of the time.

But it's like Barca mens at their peak, or like how the fact that Real Madrid men have won 6 UCL titles in the last decade because that apparently doesn't count.

Admittedly there are some teams that are so good it looks "unfair" like Lyon, Barca and for a long time Germany. Because in the last 30 years 3 nations have won the Women's Euros. England in 2022, The Netherlands in 2017 and Germany who won 6 times in a row from 1995-2013. So basically last 30 years either Germany or whichever team that Sarina Weigmam is coaching has won the Euros. Wonder if that statistic will still hold up next year with Spain as good as they are right now.

[epuiseeparmedia]

Idiots: Cristiano shouldn’t have left RM! He left for ego and look what happened!

Me: The Las Vegas accusation was creeping up in 2017-2018 and literally exploded in September 2018. If you think Perez who didn’t back him for something as simple as tax evasion, and was eyeing Neymar, would have backed Ronaldo for a SA allegation, you’re an idiot. He’d have his contract broken up and 1984ed CR7 out of RM history. Besides Marcelo not one of the people who played with him, or Perez, and known him for years went out and stood by him. Playing friendly years later is a cop out.

How people wilfully ignore context is how we have morons mocking Sancho for losing a UCL final over Ten Hag who got United dead last of the group. “Muh FA Cup” you’re idiots with limited attention span and limited critical thinking skills.

Lots of people, even Ronaldo fans, are leaving vicariously through stars or clubs. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Them crying about “legacy” and “records” is funny: dude keeps telling you records follow him and not the other (he would have signed city like Henry signed for Barca but shhhh Henry is a “legend” 😂) but they think getting a ucl while being benched half the season, or whole season like Bale or Haazard, to check a box is what Cristiano Ronaldo is about. Ronaldo keeps telling you the moment he quit, we will never hear from him again, and people think he’s joking.

I am not pretending to know what Ronaldo is thinking, but every decisions he took made sense to me and I respected him and Neymar a hell more for leaving their comfort zone and try and compete with other clubs than cowards who won’t leave successful clubs because they know they’ll lose withouT it.

[soggycheeseuwu]

The year is 2017, times are about to get vulnerable, Gerrard has left, Coutinho's about to leave, shaky team altogether but Klopp has something in mind. In comes a young 25 years old lad from rome, Salah he is. The guy scored and assisted 10+ goals in his last season for roma. A promising youngster and a decent striker. Can he fit in the PL? You bet he can.

Mo, I remember watching you in the first season, doing what debutants do, running from the wings, dribbling exquisitely, megging and shaming defenders. Then you win the record breaking Golden boot in your first season and reach the UCL final (hard luck that time) I've started to like you now.

Then comes the season where you play when the team is at its best. You're the man now you're becoming the next big thing. Klopp has put his faith in you. You're ready for the next big thing.

2019, you're the man now. Coutinho has left. New transfers are in. You are the official face of Liverpool now. You have a place in my heart now. You absolutely nailed that season. You are the real intimidating force in the PL. The greatest thing about you this season is that you've grown now, you're mature, you've learned how to carry the team. You are the playmaker, the finisher. You've earned the role and you fulfilled it. Congratulations you're the best in PL now.

2020, You win the premier league, bringing back what's been missing from the club for the past 30 years. You're an English champion, a European champion, and a WORLD champion.

I'll just skip the 2020/21 season. "OnE SeAsOn WoNdEr" is the only word coming from critics who have been dead since forever. Anyways, you saved football by thrashing the trash of Manchester right out of the title race.

21/22 you've bounced back better than ever. You've started to show that Liverpool is because of you. You're the one man. You're scoring week in week out. There are speculations about you leaving us but I know it's not happening anytime soon. Another golden boot in the bags.

22/23 you are incredible, the team not so much. You're amazing, the team is not. You have done everything for the team. You've worked so hard. You've changed your positions putting interests of Liverpool ahead of yours, and yet the team fails to deliver.

23/24 This probably is the last season with Klopp. You've scored so much you've assisted so much. You are the only player to score 10+ goals and assists in the league five times, ending up in the same category as the likes of Henry. You've been amazing this season. I've loved you more than ever. You literally singlehandedly carried the team to top 4. That's one job done. You've won the Carabao cup, that's the second job done.

[leonsliga]

I can't support RM after THAT ucl match against us in 2017. 😞 How do you do it?

(Not blaming you, just curious)

I totally get that! And it’s a very good question! I sometimes wonder myself if I’m honest 😵😂 I think what it comes down to is that I found Real Madrid first. If it had been the other way around and I started following with Bayern first, I’m not sure if I’d feel the same way.

I think I felt a different type of love for Bayern compared to Real Madrid. With Real Madrid, it was instant passion. With the help of some of my mutuals and a trip to Madrid, I fell head-over-heels, whether I wanted to or not. There’s something about their relentlessness in pursuing their goals that really struck me; they will truly fight to the bone until that final whistle blows, and I think that’s a quality that both clubs share (albeit, RMA adds a bit more shithousery spice to it).

With Bayern, it was a slow burn. Initially, and maybe this will come as a shock, but I didn’t want to like Bayern. At least in La Liga, when I first started following it, there was an illusion of competition, even if it was mostly Barça and RMA vying for the title (with Atleti occasionally nipping at their heels). With Bayern, they’d all but dominated the Bundesliga for years, and sure, BVB was always somewhere in the mix, but Bayern just always had that edge. So I came into the Bundesliga as a neutral. I didn’t want to like Bayern because they were so dominant. Ironic, considering I’m also a Madridista, I know, but I never claimed to be logical 😂

From the outside looking in, they seemed so easy to hate. But that was before I really knew Bayern, or the Bundesliga as a whole. My opinions began to change when I read up on the things that made the league so special, like the 50+1 rule and about the way fans are so integral to German clubs. Bayern is no exception, with their annual fan club and board meetings and their players’ visits to fan clubs.

Honestly, the closer I looked at the club, the more I noticed facets of my other two football loves, RMA and Manchester United (at their best, anyway). I saw the same scrappiness, the same hardwired will to win, that Real Madrid and Man United were also built on. I started to understand that above all, Bayern’s dominance comes from a core philosophy, a shared mia san mia, that forges a bond between player and club stronger than any wad of cash can. Our club is a family—dysfunctional and dramatic at times—but always a labor of love, for the players as well as the fans. There’s a real fire there, a passion that unites us all, but more than that, there’s our creed: mia san mia—we are who we are, and we will never be ashamed of that.

And the more I learned, the deeper I fell. I reminded myself the caliber of players—the living legends—that have infused themselves into Bayern’s DNA: Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer, Arjen Robben, Frank Ribéry—players I’d watched from afar but greatly enjoyed and admired. But even more than that, I loved that the club wasn’t just a handful of incredibly talented individuals. They were a team—a well-oiled machine. And then there was Bayernblr, this wonderful community of football-loving freaks I’m proud to be a part of. Idk, I found a home here, and I wouldn’t change it. My love for Bayern may have been a slow burn, but I think I can honestly say that it now burns the brightest :)

As for how I manage to support both, I truly don’t know. I think it helps that there’s a lot of overlap in their core philosophies. What I will say is it definitely gives me a unique perspective on matchups between Real Madrid and Bayern; no matter the result, I won’t be completely disappointed. Although truth be told, if I were to answer honestly, I think I’d prefer a Bayern victory ❤️🤍

[ikram1909]

Since 2017, the only UCL we couldnt have won was the one against Juventus, the rest of them couldve been won easily if it wasnt for bartomeus shit management, cuck defense and clueless manager. Man, we should have at least 10 ucls in our museum but we always fumble in the most hilarious and ridiculous wau possible

And we can't just lose normally that's what gets me 😭😭

[neyxmessi]

i’m curious to know what ur theories are omg!! (on why ney left) but yes, we’ll truly never know it really did seem to come out of nowhere

Okay we’ll start off with my most probable theory:

1) the PSG game. Oh the Barca v. PSG comeback game. The Remontada. That game still makes me sick lol. It was a spectacular game. Arguably one of, if not, the biggest comeback in UCL history. Leo scored a penalty, but Neymar was the true genius of the game. Neymar scored an amazing free kick and penalty (which it’s so interesting that he took them too btw when normally Leo would take them). And he also provided the amazing assist to Sergio Roberto in literally the last minute to secure the win. However, that one photo of Leo went VIRALLLLL and he seemed to be getting all of the credit for the game. Part of me thinks that really pissed Neymar off, and he was literally in his prime if not getting to be there, and maybe he realized the only way to prove his greatness was to get out of a club with Lionel Messi there. So while he truly did love Leo as a person/teammate/idol, he was the one person standing in his way to achieving ultimate greatness. I think in the beginning he was truly about the team mentality and wanting to help Leo be the best (he literally said that in his debut), but Neymar isn’t the type of person to only strive to be that. He wants to the best (he’s always been quoted saying this too lol), and he wants to WIN. Him being the leader? Even better. If this was the reason, I don’t really blame him too much. I wish he never left, but underappreciation can really drive someone up a wall.

2) there is a chance that this move could’ve been prompted even earlier than when Neymar had left. Dani Alves joined PSG in 2017, and it was no surprise that he had urged Neymar to join him. He was even quoted once saying that the only way for Neymar to be the greatest was to get out of Leo’s shadow at Barca. I’m not saying he instilled the idea into his brain, but it seems like he was thinking what some other people were too.

3) the money. €222 million buy out clause is insane, and the wages PSG was paying Neymar was out of this world. Literally his move broke the market. There’s a chance that maybe that’s why he left (although I doubt it. Mans was making enough) unlesssssss his father had something to do with it.

4) the father. While Neymar’s dad said he never wanted Neymar to leave Barcelona, there’s a part of me that thinks that maybe he helped push the decision. He could’ve either wanted it for money, orrrrr there’s a chance that he could’ve pushed the idea into Neymar’s head that he needed to be the greatest. Potential constant comparisons between him and other players that made him feel like he wasn’t good enough. That he had to leave and bring a team to its first UCL to prove his worth. I’m not sure.

5) this is my delusional ass fanfic ass brain that should be taken LIGHTLY. But Neymar announcing for the first time he was thinking of leaving Barca for PSG at Leo’s wedding??? Um??? Who does that? At a wedding? At Leo’s wedding?? It’s interesting is it not? And the Instagram pictures he posted of the wedding afterwards and the caption… it was just iffy and unusual to me. Maybe the pain of staying would’ve been too much. I don’t know. (AGAIN TAKE THIS VERY LIGHTLY THERE IS A REASON WHY IT IS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST 😭😭 — delulu brain over here okay I am claiming absolutely nothing) Also, around this time Leo was getting REALLY close to Suarez. I wonder if Neymar felt abandoned somehow and that also made him want to leave too.

6) maybe he just didn’t believe in the team that much anymore? The 16/17 season was really bad in comparison to the prior one. Maybe he foresaw Barca’s downfall and wanted to get out before his reputation could’ve been ruined because of it.

Anyways these are all my dumb little theories. Take them with a grain of salt. I don’t know anything nor claim to know anything. But these are the best theories my brain could conjure up 🤷‍♀️