2020 is almost over. It had it’s ups and downs. Some lived through triumph, some lived through sorrow. It was a year people all over the world will never forget. There was supposed to be European championship, Olympic games, everything was postponed. The world stopped for few months. But nevertheless it was an eventful year that changed our lives. Let’s see some of the most significant events that occurred during the strange year of 2020.
After relatively boring January, February came with the long awaited round of 16 in the Champions league and a rumor of a dangerous flu in China. Champions League debutants Atalanta made it to the round of 16 and faced Valencia. After a wild game in Bergamo the Italian side won 4-1. Atalanta were on of the surprises in Europe with their attacking style of play which was joy to watch.
The game that brought so much happiness for Atalanta’s supporters, so much joy, was accused to being catalyst of the catastrophe that the Chinese virus brought to Italy. According to virologists and doctors, the scenes of joy and gathering of so many people at that time was the reason the region of Bergamo being among the heaviest affected by COVID-19. For the second leg in Valencia the world already knew what happened with the virus and the game was played without audience, which didn’t stop Valencia’s supporters to gather in front of the stadium to support their team. Atalanta won 3-4 that night and went through to the quarters, but the damage have been already done and the Bergamas had to wait a couple of months to continue their European contest.
European champion Liverpool was drawn to face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in one of the most interesting clashes in the Round of 16. After great defensive display in Madrid, Atletico took 1-0 win to Anfield with the hope to dethrone the Champions. England was amongst the last countries to take measures against COVID and people were allowed to attend games.
After extra time and some defensive errors Atletico won the game and the tie. But again the aftermath of the game was terrible. According to the specialist that was the moment which helped COVID spread so much across England. Atletico were the next that had to wait 4 months to continue their European conquest. This was the last game played across Europe. The continent fell into a heavy lockdown. All sporting events were canceled, our lives stopped.
The only football that kept being played was the Belarus Premier league.
It was not the best quality of football, we couldn’t enjoy our favourite teams and players, but it was still the game we loved and there was the only bit of it we could watch. So for couple of months Belarus Premier League became the most watched football league in the world. A honour even the biggest Belarussian football fans didn’t expect. Even though the IHS pressured the premier Lukashenko to cancel the league, BPL kept going with people in the stands. Was this a good decision or not? Guess we will never know, because of the lack of information from Belarus and their policy of threating COVID-19 like just an ordinary flu. In mid April the Premier league made an announcement that all football fans around the world waited for so long. The league will resume on June 19. Then in the middle of June UEFA announced the other important decision. Champions league and Europa league will be resumed. 2nd tie of the game left to play will be played at the original venues then the final 8 will be hold as a tournament in the following countries. Champions league will resume in Portugal with the final taking place on 23rd of August at the “Luz” stadium in Lisbon. The Europa league will resume in Germany with the final taking place on 21st of August at the “Rhein Energie” Stadium in Cologne. Every game would take place without audience in the stands. The game we loved would come back almost as we know it. Meanwhile all football associations across Europe made their decision about the running season. Eredivisie decided to cancel the championship and call it void, meaning there was no Champion, who plays in Europe and who relegates got decided according to current standings. Belgium Pro League and French League 1, got cancelled and finished as they stand with champions crowned. German Bundesliga were the 1st league from the big ones to resume, they did it on 16th of May in front of empty stands. On 25th of June, after 30 years of wait, after few months of uncertainty, and after Chelsea defeated Manchester City it was all official: Liverpool were crowned Champions of England for the 19th time. Despite anti-COVID measures and government’s recommendations about avoiding group gatherings nothing could stop the kopites celebrate the one they were craving for so long.
Thousands gathered around Anfield, nothing could stop them from celebrating, the police didn’t even try to do that. It was a night when everybody forgot all their problems, even if it’s just for a night. Almost a month later, at the last home game of the season and after a fantastic win 5-3 against Chelsea, Liverpool received the long waited prize. Captain Jordan Henderson could again make the famous “Hendo shuffle”.
Meanwhile in the lower division, in Championship, a sleep giant awakened. In June 2018 Marcelo “El loco” Bielsa became the new head coach of Leeds. And in his 2nd season in charge, his “organized chaos” football brought success and Leeds won Championship. Which meant that they’ll be back to the PL from 20/21 season.
Back amongst the best in the country, back where they belong. After 16 long years in exile, they’re here to stay.
The return of the Champions League brought us a heavyweight clash between two 5 times European champions. Bayern Munich faced Barcelona in what was supposed to be concurrent contest turned into a nightmare for the Catalonian giants. Bayern were all over the place, outclassing their opponent. The score will echo in the eternity.
The consequences of this game were big. The unthinkable almost happened. Messi threatened to leave Barca. Just his enormous buyout clause saved Barcelona. No one was eager to pay 700 m € for a footballer, even though it’s Messi. So Messi stayed but their president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned after 6 years in charge. Meanwhile they lost La liga after the resuming despite leading before the league was interrupted.
For me the biggest surprise of the Champions League after the resuming was the reaching so further by the French teams. Categorized as “farmers” league” with only one French team winning the Champions league, two teams reached the semi-finals. Lyon beat Juventus at Round of 16, then won against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, only to lose to the future champions at the semis.
While PSG beat Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, and RB Leipzig to face Bayern Munich in their first ever CL final.
23rd of August “Luz” stadium in Lisbon. The final showdown of the Champions league 2019/2020, more than a year after the first rounds of the season began. German champions Bayern Munich faced French champions PSG. The battle for the treble. In a very competitive game and many heroics by both goalkeepers, PSG’s youth product Kingsley Coman scored the winning goal for Bayern. The Bavarians were Champions of Europe for the sixth time in their history and treble winners for a third.
You remember that during the pandemic the only football we could watch was the Belarussian. Let’s give it to them and the drama on the final day. On 28th of November before the last games of the season BATE Borisov had a point more ahead of their concurrent for the title Shakhter Soligorsk. In the final game BATE finished 0:0 in Minsk against the local Dynamo. While Shakhter Soligorsk were playing with the score 2:2 at home against FC Minsk. At the end of the 90th minute the score was 2:2 which meant that Bate would be champions. But then a deafening roar from the crowd game the host the power to keep attacking and the defender Roman Begunov scored the championship goal for 3:2 and minutes later Artem Arhipov legitimized the victory making the final scored 4:2.
Towards the end of the year bad news continued coming towards the world. We lost so many football legends, people that made so much for the game we love. First probably the best keeper England ever had Rey Clemence died on 15th of November at the age of 72. Just 10 days later on 25th of November football lost on of it’s biggest legends, Diego Armando Maradona. Probably the fast life he lived took it’s toll and he died of cardiac arrest at the age of 60. Few days later on 29th of November we lost the Senegalese legend Papa Bouba Diop only 42 years old. It only got worse because on 9th of December one of Italy’s finest forwards and the man who was the main reason for his country to win the 1982 world cup, Paolo Rossi lost his life at 64. A week later on 14th of December, one of Liverpool’s greatest managers Gerrard Houllier died 73 years old. All these legends might be dead, but they will live forever in people’s hearts, they’ll never be forgotten, may they R.I.P.. The year is almost gone. It brought us so much emotions, good, bad, doesn’t matter it’s almost gone. Let’s hope the world calms and we can enjoy the “Beautiful game” as we did in the past. Full stadiums, big celebrations, team bus meetings before the games, open bus parades celebrating cups and titles. I wish you all Happy New Year, and the year of 2021 be better then 2020.
Comments