Europa League 2014-2015

**Ishoss** · March 25, 2015, 05:28 AM

Dynamo Kiev v Zenit in the final. Dynamo to win (Y)

**Petrucci** · May 07, 2015, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Petrucci

Wolfsburg gonna lift the trophy.

Originally Posted by Ishoss

Dynamo Kiev v Zenit in the final. Dynamo to win (Y)

We know nothing Ishoss

Originally Posted by Treva, the Renewer

Maybe, but I'd wait for Sevilla and Napoli to do some tricks.

On the other hand, congratz to Treva on his remarkable forecast .

**Petrucci** · May 15, 2015, 08:20 AM

Total craziness in Europa League. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the finals. Still can't believe they knocked out Napoli. I wond another will Benitez stay one more season. Looking forward to the finals. It would be awesome if Dnipro, underdog could lift the trophy.

**Mary The Quene** · May 15, 2015, 02:32 PM

Meh not a fan of Dnipro, boring gamestyle

Looks like i'll skip the final.

**Petrucci** · May 15, 2015, 06:10 PM

First time I've heard of them was two/three weeks ago. Still don't know any of their player, but it's kinda cool story.

**HigoChumbo** · May 16, 2015, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Petrucci

Total craziness in Europa League. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the finals.

I have not seen a single match and I never heard of that team, but seeing where they come from and their not preciselly impressive international record... it left me wondering, could a pro-European political move have anything to do with that? (And if that's the case, well, I'm sorry Sevilla, you guys are screwed).

Maybe I'm too paranoid and they are just motivated. Who knows.

**Petrucci** · May 16, 2015, 07:39 PM

I think you are too paranoid. Underdogs occasionally manage to steal the show. Like Porto did 2003. I looked up some statistic and Dnipro was at least 4th in domestic league for last five years and there is constant progress made in Euro competitions. They played in play-off 2011 and 2012, Round of 32 ,2013 , 1/16 finals 2014, and now they reached finals. And they have some history, they won Soviet Union league in 80s two times, more league trophies then Sevilla

**HigoChumbo** · May 17, 2015, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by Petrucci

more league trophies then Sevilla

Well, the Spanish League is considerably harder to win than the Ukranian Premier =)

I don't know, it's just weird that they had never gone past 1/16 finals and then they go straight to the final in the middle of the Ukranian conflict, where both Russia and the EU are trying to attract ukranians to their cause. Manipulation in Fifa/Uefa is not so uncommon. Remember South Korea in 2002, or the fact that are we going to watch a World Cup played in Qatar.

Oh, and Porto had a pretty good team (Deco, Carvalho, Ferreira, Maniche,...) and was coached by a really annoying yet very capable guy named José Mourinho. I agree that the best doesn't always go through (without going any further, Monaco was the other finalist that year with a way less impressive team), but for Dnipro it certainly feels like a huge, very timely and convenient qualitative jump.

Just want to have all the possibilities on the table, I know that me being proven too paranoid is the more probable outcome

**Sir Adrian** · May 19, 2015, 04:27 AM

The only reason Dnipro is in the finals is because they were helped by the refs from the group stages, this has nothing to do with underdogs making it. Take thier home goal against napoli, if you look at the highlights you can clearly see the scorer holding the Napoli defender and preventing him from jumping which is an attacking foul but the ref turned a blind eye to it.
The same thing is going on in Ukraine with teams from pro-western parts of the country being helped to higher league position to the detriment of teams from rebel occupied areas like Shaktar

Hopefully they'll have the same fate as the last team which cheated its way to the final - Middlesborough.

**HigoChumbo** · May 19, 2015, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Doctor Shuu

The only reason Dnipro is in the finals is because they were helped by the refs from the group stages, this has nothing to do with underdogs making it. Take thier home goal against napoli, if you look at the highlights you can clearly see the scorer holding the Napoli defender and preventing him from jumping which is an attacking foul but the ref turned a blind eye to it.
The same thing is going on in Ukraine with teams from pro-western parts of the country being helped to higher league position to the detriment of teams from rebel occupied areas like Shaktar

Hopefully they'll have the same fate as the last team which cheated its way to the final - Middlesborough.

So I might not be so paranoid after all

**Knight of Heaven** · May 20, 2015, 01:47 AM

It sounds to me a conspiracy theory to be honest. What is to be gained from doing something like this, other then Moral victories? it makes no sense.

Oh, and Porto had a pretty good team (Deco, Carvalho, Ferreira, Maniche,...) and was coached by a really annoying yet very capable guy named José Mourinho.

Yeah true it had a very talented team. But it is easy to say this after the deed is done.

Before that , i dont remember Porto getting that much credit, or their players for that matter, other then the usual very talented players like Deco ( wich was in Porto since 1997 so yeah).

Lets see The ferreira brothers played for years in V.Setubal before Mourinho picked them up for Porto. Carvalho played in Alverca ( another second rate team usualy playing in Second league) for some time before going to Porto, Nuno valente, and Derlei played for years in Leiria, valente was even team captain, and this was a team that used to be in second division. Mourinho brough that team to 5th place and a spot in UEfA cup before going to coach Porto.

Maniche was doing dues in Benfica B team, before Mourinho pick him up at zero cost if im not mistaken.

oh that was sweet.

Tell me again about the talented players Porto had?

Costinha was a previous French champion with monaco, but no one would give him the due credit. To any of them before Mourinho won everything that had to be won both domesticaly, and internationaly in two years or so.
Benny mccarthy? was on loan from Celta de Vigo in the earlier year if im not mistaken.

Yes it was a very talented and great team, but lets not pretend anyone would give a rats ass about those players before Mourinho came arround and they actualy won something.

Most of them before that they wouldnt even be called for the national team as regulars. ( talking about ferreiras, Nuno valente, Pedro mendes, Costinha, Even maniche, even Deco wasnt realy a regular if you belive that)

And lastly for me the best player i was fortunate to see play in Porto since ever in its history, curiously enough, only stoped playing football this year ( well last year, but you get what i meant).
He had a memorable celebration match where we all could say goodbye to the legend. Amongst legends i might say.

was lucky to be there.

Did you see how Fat Andrade is? chasing after messi

**Sir Adrian** · May 20, 2015, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by Knight of Heaven

It sounds to me a conspiracy theory to be honest. What is to be gained from doing something like this, other then Moral victories? it makes no sense.

That's because you don't understand the communist MO of "conquer their minds by any means". Dinamo Kiev was guided to the championship title so that the rebels can be put down as crap, non-entities, bad at everything including sports whereas civiliznas in the rebel area will be told "see, when youy were part of Ukraine you won the title, now that your Russian buddies are here you don't".

Dnipro received support in order to show to the average Ukrainian fan that they belong and have a place in Europe. There's also a lot of money involved, money which could be used to support more actions against the rebels.

**Knight of Heaven** · May 20, 2015, 05:48 AM

Yeah Shakhtar Donetsk was pretty trashed in CL though?

**HigoChumbo** · May 20, 2015, 07:21 AM

It sounds to me a conspiracy theory to be honest. What is to be gained from doing something like this, other then Moral victories? it makes no sense.

Well, it is by definition a conspiracy theory xD What I believe could be gained from that is a feeling of "europeanness" amongst Dnipro fans. And in the Ukranian conflict, to simplify it, the concepts of "europeanness" and "russianness" seem to have quite a lot of importance.

You would be suprised about how often apparently simple things such as the fact that Barcelona plays in the Spanish Liga are used as arguments against a possible Catalonian independence.

Yeah true it had a very talented team. But it is easy to say this after the deed is done.

I agree, I should have said that "even when no one knew them back then, it turned out they actually had a pretty good team".

**HigoChumbo** · May 27, 2015, 02:19 PM

Well, Sevilla won the final. Great match by them. I have to say it's been the first time I see Dnipro play and they are actually good, so I guess my conspiracy theories migth have been somewhat unfounded

Their number 10 was great.

I don't know if there are Sevilla fans around here, congratulations. Oh, they have just become the first and only team ever to win 4 Europa Leagues.

**Mausolos of Caria** · May 31, 2015, 02:22 PM

Jeez, conspiracy theories

I agree with Chumbo, the final was very decent and at least the first half showed that Dnipro are a good side and got their on merit, having troubled the best team in the competition for long spells. So congrats to both teams on a very good season in the Europa League