UEFA Champions League Final 2007

The 2007 final of the Champions League is a repeat of the 2005 final. We got to see AC Milan square it off against Liverpool again. But before I get on with the game I just would like to have a go that both teams don't deserve to be in the Champions League.

AC Milan finished second last year, then got points stripped for being part of the Calciopoli scandal. The points stripped wasn't enough to send them to Serie B but it was enough to keep them out of Europe. Like any normal club, they appealed the decision and they were given a reduction in the points stripped (from 44 to 30). With the extra 14 points they ended up third in the table and got through to the Champions League qualifier. They should have been banned from Europe altogether because of the Calciopoli scandal, so for me they don't deserve to be in the Champions League.

Liverpool finished third in 2006, 1 point away from 2nd place Man Utd and also got through to the Champions League via qualifiers.

So both teams were not champions, not even contenders and they get to play the final of the Champions League? That's not right. And even this year, both teams are nowhere in contention for their domestic league.

That's why I agree with Michel Platini that only 2 teams from big countries should play in the Champions League and then 1 from every other country in Europe. The champions from small countries deserve to be in the Champions League as well, not just the big and rich ones. If all goes well, in 2009 Platini will have this idea rolled out.

As for the final itself, Zenden and Pennant were useless and Pippo Inzaghi was born with four-leaf clovers sticking out of every hole he has. Milan was going to win anyways, especially after what happened 2 years ago in Istanbul.

Three English teams in the semi-finals and the other one won, haha.