< I just edited this after the bar. No baby yet. Bday tomorrow and very pregnant wife said lets go to the bar (not for her drinks), blah blah blah you don’t want to hear it>

Welcome back (the futbolistas) from an entertaining if not incredibly frustrating quarterfinal round. The side I support in the Champions League got smoked in Italy by Juventus putting on a clinic on how to hold a lead, they waltzed right through Barcelona. The scum from Madrid beat Bayern Munich; which I didn’t like, nor did I think would happen. Albeit the refereeing was horrible but Vidal is a lunatic and should really be playing in prison where he would fit right in. The only solace to that result is Barca beating them on Saturday in La Liga where Ramos got sent off and Don T exploded in Puerto Rico.

Foxy footy had a chance to beat Athletico but the superior side came through and it was very deserving. The biggest surprise for me is how damn good Monaco is. I had no idea how fast and skilled they were. They are young minus Falcao who has made an incredible comeback in my opinion and they are faster than most teams I have watched in the past few years. I will 100% be behind them in the next round and going forward.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA]

Falco made a comeback?

The only thing I wanted in the semifinal draw was that Monaco avoided Real and I got what i wanted. My buddy who is a madridista told me on Saturday that he wanted Real to draw Athletico as he thought that Juve is too classy, and that Monaco would run right by them. Well bud, you also got what you wanted.

Athletico Madrid v Real Madrid.

Hoo boy would I love to be in that city for those 2 weeks because umm, read Balls’ thing would ya?. I have been to a few derbies in my time and most were as crazy (2 broken ribs!) as advertised but never on the level that this tie will be. Yes they played in the final last year, but that was in Milan. These two games will be in the home city and luckily the Spanish arent as crazy with fire. As far as derbies go I once asked my grandfather at the dinner table whether he supported Dundee FC or Dundee United as a boy. He threw down his for and stated he wouldn’t cross Tannadice Street if a United fan was on fire. Seriously, Their stadiums are across the street from each other. In Madrid the Vincente Calderon (Athletico) and the Bernabeu (Real) are  bit further apart but that whole city will be en fuego during matchdays. It will be so epic.

Support Athleti as Real belongs in the axis of evil and because Athleti’s coach is a certified lunatic.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WxrkrFyX4k]

Simeone is tipped to take over Arsenal when they finally sack Wenger and that will be a shame for La Liga. It has been nice to have more than the 2 giants in contention every year. If Simoene leave then I have to think that Griezmann, Carrasco, Koke, and Gameiro will be soon to leave. Real is Real and they are stacked as usual, but let me tell you Ascensio is the real deal who will be terrorizing Europe for years to come.

Juventus v A.S Monaco

In the other matchup it is the Old Lady vs the young up in comer. Gigi Buffon just keeps on going and shows no signs of slowing up. At the pub on Sunday we had the conversation of who is/was the best keeper in the world. The usual suspects were mentioned but we all agreed that Gigi Buffon may not have all of the trophies that Neuer, Casillas, Kahn have but he is the best period. Juve has pretty much wrapped up Serie A, are in the Coppa Italia Final and have made it this far in the Champions League, quite a season thus far.

Monaco is Falcao and a bunch of guys that an average futbol supporter would not recognize if they walked past them on the street. They have had a phenomenal year thus far as no one saw them progressing this far in the Champions League and they are neck and neck with PSG in Ligue 1. Usually they would sell off all of their players after a sseason like this and cash in but their owner Dmitry Rybolovlev is awash in dirty Russian money and I am sure he would love to be the oligarch to have the trophy in his possession. He is divorced now but he seems nice.

“Elena Rybolovleva filed for divorce on December 22, 2008,^[77] citing in her divorce petition the “serial infidelity^[78]” of her husband, who used to “share his young conquests with his friends, and other oligarchs^[79]” on his private yacht, and being “sick to the back teeth of his fondness of other women^[78][80]“. At the same occasion, Elena Rybolovleva officially asked the Geneva State prosecutor for protection from Rybolovlev.” Wikipedia.

I would love to see either of these teams beat either Madrid side. Basically ABM to hoist the trophy in my mind.