Paris proved the Champions League should be just that - a League for Champions
Push for money has devalued the European Cup
The Haves served up a thrilling nine goal semi-final first leg in Paris last night while the Have-Nots get the chance to do the same in Madrid this evening - but not on equal terms.
The Haves, in case you were watching Coronation Street, are PSG and Bayern Munich who managed to entertain us with one of the great European matches at the Parc Des Princes, the home side just winning out on a 5-4 scoreline.
PSG led by three goals at one stage of a breathless performance from Dembele, Kvaratskhelia and Doue. Bayern produced a breathtaking late revival, capped off by a Luis Diaz goal inspired by a quite brilliant assist from that grandson of Galway, Harry Kane.
Between them, The Haves from Paris and Munich served up a treat that would have graced any European Cup final on any given day.
And I use the European Cup term deliberately, being of an age that remembers well when the tournament that we now ironically call the Champions League was restricted to the champions of each UEFA member state.
Founded in 1955 as the European Champions Club’s Cup but more commonly known as the European Cup, the competition was a just reward for being the best team in your country.
Alas, that all changed in 1998 when multiple entrants from member nations were allowed in to make even more money for themselves and UEFA while the champions from lower ranked leagues like the League of Ireland were forced to make do with the qualifying rounds.
That’s why I refer to last night’s protagonists as The Haves and tonight’s entertainers, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, as The Have Nots.
PSG won the French title last season and are on their way to winning it again this term. Bayern Munich have already retained the Bundesliga crown for the 2025-26 season and remain on course for a treble.
Both PSG and Bayern are their national champions and played like it last night. Atletico were third in Spain last season when Arsenal finished runners-up, again, in England.
In my book, Atletico and Arsenal just shouldn’t be in the Champions League. The Europa League would be good enough for them just as the UEFA Cup was good enough for the title also-rans back in the day.
Would that make a difference to Irish clubs given that Shelbourne went out to Qarabaq from Azerbaijan in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League this season and Shamrock Rovers were knocked out by Sparta Prague last season? Maybe not.
Would television pay as much if only 55 champions played in the Champions League instead of the 82 teams from 53 countries who qualified for this current version of the competition? Probably not.
So Irish teams would lose out on valuable UEFA solidarity revenue if champions only played against other champions? Yes. But at least then the Champions League would actually live up to its own name. And the honour of representing your country would be earned by winning your national title - not by finishing sixth in the Premier League or fourth in Italy, Spain, Germany or France.
Will the competition ever revert back to former ways and make this grumpy old man happy? No. But at least the champions of France and the champions of Germany did the European Cup proud last night.
And maybe, Atletico and Arsenal will surprise me tonight by matching the intensity of the 5-4 Paris match. I doubt it but I’d love to be wrong.