8B
SPORTS
COMMENTARY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008
British pound dominates UEFA Champions League
Care to argue the superiority of the British pound? Look no further than the surviving sides in today and Wednesday's opening legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
Liverpool's Ryan Babel, left, reacts with fellow team members after scoring against Arsenal during their Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match at Anfield stadium, Liverpool, England. April 8.
Three of the four remaining clubs fighting for a spot in the
May 21 final in Moscow are English. Even more remarkable, the semifinals could have been an all-English affair had the draw not pitied Liverpool against Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
tical at this point. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are making their second consecutive appearances in the semifinals and though Barcelona missed out last
ASSOCIATED PRESS
power of the pound is on full display, but the only thing English is the currency. Lucrative marketing and television rights of the Barclay's Premier League overflow the already hefty coffers of foreign owners, attracting top international players and managers to the hectic British game.
season, the club was champion in 2006.
Make no mistake; the
Make no mistake; the power of the pound is on full display, but the only thing English is the currency.
European iants Manchester United and Barcelona follow that spectacle with one of their own Wednesday at the Nou Camp, in Barcelona, Spain; a match-up of two squads familiar
For the third time in the past four seasons Liverpool and Chelsea will clash in the semifinals at Anfield, in Liverpool, England. Fellow
The end result of the lavish spending and lagging grassroots player development are squads and clubs distinctly un-English apart from the supporters. Manchester United.
Chelsea and Liverpool counted only 12 total Englishman in their lineups for the second, and decisive, quarterfinal Chelsea and Liverpool
The development of the game in England suffers by embracing foreign talent and funding, but it seems the British have found the key to UEFA Champions League success nevertheless.
with this stage of the competition. In fact, the whole scenario seems oddly familiar. That's because last years edition of Europe's premier club competition was nearly iden-
did not even include one English player on their benches, and all three clubs counted at least nine nationalities within their squads.
Even the coachesguiding thoroughbreds like Spaniard
Fernando Torres, Argentine Carlos Tevez and Ivorian Didier Drogba learned the game elsewhere. Spanish mastermind Rafa Benitez leads the turmoil at Liverpool, Israeli Avram
Grant guides n and Scottish genius Sir AlexFerguson steers the helm at United.
The development of the game in England suffers by embracing foreign talent and funding,
It's a new era in UEFA Champions League football, one dressed in English colors but driven forward by players, managers and owners from around the globe.
from league success nevertheless. With three Barclay's clubs alive for the second consecutive season, there is no doubt the power of the pound has prevailed now, and will for the foreseeable future.
but it seems the British have found
Manchester United boasts a talented young core
composed almost entirely of South American and European talent, including the world's best player in Cristiano Ronaldo. Liverpool seems poised to ride the coattails of the prolific Torres to even more success with the backing of feuding American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Chelsea will go as far as Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich million-pound splurges take them.
Today and Wednesday millions will tune in to see many of the world's best players battle
for the most sought after prize in club football. In the process they will witness the power of the world's premier currency, and what could be the beginning of English dominance after only two Champions League victories in the past 23 years. It's a new era in UEFA Champions League football, one dressed in English colors but driven forward by players, managers and owners from around the globe.
— Edited by Patrick De Oliveira