Breaking the Offside Trap 05.06.08: From Russia With Love

Posted by Matt Snelling on 05.06.2008

The former capital of the USSR and the bastion of Communism is set to play host to the capitalist multimillionaires of the Premier League on May 21st for the 1st ever all English Champions League final. Yet this has led to moronic and ignorant calls for the final to be moved away from Moscow, something that should emphatically not be allowed to happen



As the final whistle sounded at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea players jumped in delight at the prospects of a first Champions League final in the club's history, it was intriguing to think what the clubs billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was thinking given that the final on May 21st will be held in his native Russia. The fact that their opponents in Moscow will be Manchester United, with whom they are locked head to head with at home as well as abroad makes things more intriguing still. There has been much for the Premiership to be proud of then this season, what with three quarters of the semi final line up coming from English waters yet strong and moronic cries from some quarters, including many at the Premier League and FA themselves for the final to be moved to Wembley show how perceived dominance can also lead to ignorant elitism.

Moscow was chosen to stage the final of Europe's premier club competition around two years ago, and ever since has been working hard to try and ensure that when the eyes of the world are upon them, that they can be an effective host. The staging of the game in Russia is further evidence of the desire that countries from all across Europe should be able to enjoy and embrace the experiences that seeing the superstars of world football brings. In recent times the cities of Istanbul and Athens have hosted finals, moving us away from the traditional centres of the west. UEFA president Michel Platini is conscious of the power being concentrated in the hands of the few, and while the staging of the final in Moscow will clearly not mean that next year we will see two Russian sides contesting the show piece event, it works on a level to show the game is truly global and seeks to be competitive.

The one argument that is understandable with the calls for the final to be switched to Wembley is the thoughts for the fans – for their wallets. Football is an expensive game for a supporter, the costs can be astronomical if you wish to see your team play home or away or if you want to take your family to the game. Indeed the rising costs of tickets, as well as all the other paraphernalia surrounding the sport means that many a fan has been priced out of going to games and can no longer afford to go and watch. You can empathise then with the argument that two sets of English fans having to spend a lot of money on plane tickets and hotel costs is going to be a lot of money. Yet whilst I appreciate the sentiment behind this argument in general terms, the pricing of ordinary fans out of the game is a very serious and pressing issue, being used in this case is so, so far of the mark.

For if it was just one English side that had reached the final, and they were travelling to Moscow would this issue of come up? How many commentators in the press would have been championing the course of the common supporter having to pay ‘too much money' for travel and accommodation then? This argument seems very hollow to me. Yes it would be decidedly easier for all the Manchester United and Chelsea fans to get to Wembley, although anyone's who's experienced a game at the new stadium may disagree, and yes the cost of travelling will be cheaper, although once again given the cost of some train tickets in this country now that's another moot point, but this is meant to be the European Cup. It's meant to take place in Europe. Clearly England is a part of Europe, and in the future the new Wembley would be a fantastic venue for the Champions League final, just as the City of Manchester Stadium will be for this years UEFA Cup version. Yet this season it is Moscow's chance.

This year, the Premier League has been dominant in the Champions League. Its premier clubs have knocked all aside, and in the second legs of the quarter finals and semi finals respectively we have seen two titanic struggles between English clubs. Yet if we were to just simply demand that the final be played in England this year because of the presence of two English teams it begs the question of why we even bother entering the tournament in the first place. The tournament is designed to bring the best teams from all over the continent, together with the world's best players to produce an exhilarating competition of high drama and high quality. The key appeal that has contributed to the immense success of the Champions League has been its uniqueness, and its diversity. This is where you get to see Manchester United play Barcelona, Liverpool take on AC Milan, Bayern go toe to toe with Real Madrid – things that are rare and special. Teams, players, fans and the media from all over the continent get to travel and experience different cultures, languages and lifestyles. Why then are we so keen in this county to homogenise things? If we are to demand that this year's final be moved to Wembley, then why don't we just have our own private competition without the rest of Europe, presumably just between the top 4 and then hold the final at Wembley? Oh wait we already have the League Cup.

The Champions League final is the showcase of the European club season, watched by millions worldwide. The time and effort that goes into the hosting of the event requires years of planning and hard work on behalf of the organising committee and staff. Because of this the venue for the final is decided years in advance; we already know that next year's event will be in Rome, the year after at the Bernabeu. We now have around 3 weeks to the final and the logistical and financial costs involved with changing venue don't bear thinking about. What's more, moving the tournaments finale from Moscow would be a huge slap in the face to all those in Russia and at UEFA who have no doubt worked incredibly hard since the announcement was made to make sure they are successful hosts.

In 2003 the final was held in England, at Manchester United's Old Trafford. The game was contested by two Italian sides, AC Milan and Juventus yet I don't remember any Italian claims that the game should be moved to Rome. Can you imagine the reaction in England if this had been the case? There would have been an outcry and that English football was receiving a slap in the face. Similarly I don't remember claims in Spain in 1999 that Valencia and Madrid should switch the final away from the Stade De France to a venue more local to them. Indeed should it have been switched to Spain, controversy would no doubt have raged when potential new venues would need to be found – surely the Bernabeu or the Mestalla in Valencia would have been out of bounds. The Nou Camp? You can imagine the reaction in Madrid. The switching of venues midway through a competition could lead to all sorts of controversy, issues of impartiality and a dangerous precedent being spread.

The argument being made, that there should be provisions in place for the final to be switched to a more local venue if a situation arises where two teams from the same country meet one another has some basis of logic. Certainly in terms of travelling it makes sense. Yet logistically it will never be feasible – you will potentially only know the nationality of the participants a month or so before the final and it would be very hard to switch venues. The whole issue being raised however, outside of logistics and organisational details potentially reveals deeper, more elitist and short sighted feelings.

English football certainly has much to boast about at the moment, but the comments about how the final should be taken out of Russian hands appears to reveal an overwhelming feeling of smug superiority – that Moscow somehow doesn't deserve the final. In these days of big money, the dominance of big clubs and the wealth being concentrated firmly in the hands of an ever increasing few, any move that works to bring some sort of distribution, equality and variety to football should be applauded rather than stifled. If the Manchester United, Chelsea clash was to be moved to London you would have only the iconic Champions League anthem to separate it from the FA Cup final of last year, and we all know how that turned out.

It may not be often that the latter stages of the European Cup that we have today features sides from outside of the dominant trio of Italy, Spain and England but there is a whole other footballing world out there that needs it's time to shine as well. Any attempts to diversify and spread football, the one true global sport should be applauded and encouraged. The Champions League final should be the centre piece of the European club season, the special denouement following multiple twists and turns, something special that the whole of Europe will be watching. That's Europe as a whole. Supporters from countries all over the continent deserve the chance to see Europe's best in action; all deserve respect and recognition for the part they play in this great sport. Come May 21st we will witness a titanic struggle between Chelsea and Manchester United – 2 clubs already bitterly locked at the top of the Premier League. It will no doubt be an enthralling final, with two of the strongest teams in Europe doing battle with a multitude of the sports brightest stars set to shine. Yet it is the backdrop of the Kremlin, Red Square and Gorky Park that will make the event that much more special with the ultimate exponents of Western capitalism crossing the border into former communist domains to give us a truly unique and breathtaking spectacle. Why try and spoil that?




And on an unrelated note, I am just going to briefly take a moment here to say that on Sunday I was happy to be at Selhurst Park to see the team that I support, Crystal Palace achieve an unlikely playoff position against all the odds. Way back in October when Neil Warnock took over the club we were 23rd in the Championship, 1 place off the bottom, yet now following the end of the regular season we have managed to an incredible charge into 5th position and a chance at promotion to the Premier League. 3 games, 2 legs against Bristol City and then potentially a showdown with Watford or Hull at Wembley stand between us and a place back amongst the elite. My full congratulations to all the players, staff and fans that have got us this far and to the brink of the Promised Land again. Fingers crossed that in a month's time I am able to write a short (and indulgent) piece on the successful cap to an amazing season.