Football | Rule, Britannia! How England dominates the European Cup
It's not as if the thrilling semifinals of European cup competitions took place entirely without German participation. Felix Zwayer puffed out both cheeks when the referee from Berlin blew the final whistle for the Champions League semifinal between Paris St. Germain and Arsenal (2-1). Even though a handball penalty, which was determined with the help of VAR, was somewhat controversial, the bottom line was a decent performance in the Parc des Princes in Paris. "Good, generous line, clear body language," was the verdict of the specialist magazine "Kicker."
German international Yann-Aurel Bisseck seemed even happier in Milan. Even though he ended up on the bench as his Inter Milan teammates achieved a historic resurrection against FC Barcelona (4-3 after extra time), the Cologne native was in the thick of it rather than just watching. Or, as the 24-year-old put it: "Everyone was there at 110 percent." The intelligent defender will be the only German to appear in all three European Cup finals.
The epic clash at the San Siro revealed just how far behind the Bundesliga has fallen. It will go down in history for its incredible blend of power, finesse, and drama. It was due to incredible goalkeeping saves by Yann Sommer, who was given little trust at Bayern, which is why the impeccable goalkeeper from Switzerland moved on to Serie A in 2023. It was due to electrifying individual talents like Lamine Yamal, whose fantasies are unmatched by any earthly opponent.
If any further evidence was needed as to why Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund fell short on the threshold of the semifinals, it was the encounters between Italy's and Spain's best teams. The two German representatives from the Club World Cup were certainly not missed among the last four – even though Bayern narrowly lost to Inter in the quarterfinals (1-2, 2-2).
The fact that Munich will have to limit itself to hosting the final on May 31st is a pain for Bayern's management, but behind this lies the realization that the Bundesliga has lost touch at the top. Incidentally, this is a situation that is certainly troubling Axel Hellmann, CEO of Eintracht Frankfurt. Lessons must be learned if the league is to secure a fifth Champions League berth via the UEFA rankings, as it did last year. "Fifth place is of paramount importance to us." This bonus is awarded every year to the two nations with the highest points: England and Spain are the beneficiaries this time. Germany has been hit hard by the at times abysmally poor results of RB Leipzig in the Champions League and TSG Hoffenheim in the Europa League, as well as VfB Stuttgart's early exit.
Eintracht Frankfurt, the last German team to reach the Europa League, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Tottenham Hotspur (1-1, 0-1). The fact that Tottenham now prevailed in the semifinals against Norwegian underdogs FK Bodö Glimt (3-1, 2-0), just as Manchester United did against Athletic Bilbao (4-1, 3-0), proves that even teams ranked 15th and 16th in the Premier League still have enough substance to give the rest of Europe a run for their money.
Bilbao, the venue for the final on May 21, will therefore be entirely in English hands. This was last the case in 2019, when Chelsea and Arsenal met in Baku, Azerbaijan. England's teams are also making the most of their financial superiority in sporting terms. This hasn't always been the case.
A change of heart has begun, especially for the competitions in the shadow of the Champions League, where a seemingly absurd €2.467 billion is distributed. Although there is less to be earned in the Europa League (€565 million) and Conference League (€285 million), appreciation has increased. One reason: the Europa League winner advances to the Champions League. This offers Spurs and the Red Devils their last chance to save the season. Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admitted on Thursday evening: "I'm already stressed about the final. Because if you don't win it, it's worthless in the end. Let's see."
Tottenham previously won the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1984. The final between the Premier League clubs confirms that England will field six participants in the Champions League for the first time in history. This will generate additional UEFA revenue for the world's richest league. And Chelsea FC is a third prestigious brand in a final: The Blues will play Real Betis in Wrocław on May 28, having beaten AC Fiorentina in a dramatic Conference League semifinal (2-1, 2-2 after extra time).
On the losing side, Robin Gosens, a deeply disappointed German international, was on the receiving end: "My heart is crying so much. We desperately wanted to bring home this final. We gave it our all, but one detail decided the game. I feel empty," said the 30-year-old, who had fueled Fiorentina's hopes of a third consecutive final with two goals. There couldn't have been more of a German touch.
Europa League, semi-finals, return matches:
| FK Bodö/Glimt | – | *Tottenham Hotspur | 0:2 (0:0) | First leg 1:3 |
| *Manchester United | – | Athletic Bilbao | 4:1 (0:1) | First leg 3:0 |
Conference League, semi-finals, return matches:
| AC Florence | – | *Betis Sevilla | 2:2 after extra time (2:1,2:1) | First leg 1:2 |
| *Chelsea FC | – | Djurgårdens IF | 1:0 (1:0) | Away 4:1 |
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