25 April 2026; Cian O’Callaghan of Munster FA in action against Jonathan Ayoola of Leinster FA during the FAI Youth Inter-Provincial Tournament match between Leinster FA and Munster FA at Drom, Salthill Devon in Galway. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Paris proved the Champions League should be just that - a League for Champions
Push for money has devalued the European Cup
Cathal Dervan, Editor
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.
Champions in action - Shelbourne in Baku against Qarabag FK last July.
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.
FIVE2FOLLOW
History time for the Gunners
Keane to talk
Dreams of Stones
Mad stuff for Conor
Reds for cover warning
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.
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LOI football reporter Darryl Geraghty and editor Cathal Dervan look back at another dramatic weekend in the League of Ireland's Premier Division as St Patrick's Athletic took top spot.
Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard say Arsenal are ready to make history ahead of Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid
Arsenal will bid to prove their Champions League credentials in Madrid tonight and show the world they are good enough to go on and lift the old European Cup when they face hosts Atletico in the first leg of their semi-final.
Manager Mikel Arteta and captain Martin Odegaard insisted at their pre-match press conference that the Gunners are ready to reach only their second even CL final and win it for the first time as they juggle Euro ambition with their Premier League bid back in England.
Asked if Arsenal can enjoy their double trophy hunt, Norwegian midfielder Odegaard responded: “How can you not enjoy it? We’re playing in probably the toughest and most competitive league in the world and we’re at the top fighting for the title.
“We’re in the semi-final in the Champions League. For me, it’s hard to understand how you can’t enjoy that.”
With only two wins in seven games behind them going into tonight’s Madrid semi-final, Arsenal will start as underdogs but don’t seem bothered.
Having reached back-to-back semi-finals for the first time, boss Arteta commented: “This is the stage that we want to be on and we have earned it through incredible work, passion and quality in the last nine months.
“Now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are, how much we want it and make it happen. The opportunity is in front of us and we have to attack it.”
Arteta added: “I don’t take it for granted because a very short time ago, this club had seven years without the Champions League. So, in those very short periods of time, what we have achieved is remarkable. And we know the difficulty of it.
“It’s a massive privilege to be here again, two years in a row, in the semi-finals of the Champions League, representing our club.
“What an opportunity. We are going to grab it with both hands. You are going to see a team that wants to be dominant, that wants to win it, and wants to start and decide the tie on Wednesday.”
Atletico boss Diego Simeone meanwhile has confirmed that Arsenal are in the running to sign his €90million rated Argentina striker Julian Allvarez with PSG and Barcelona also keen.
A former Hearts manager with an inside knowledge of Hungarian football has thrown his opinion into the Robbie Keane for Celtic debate - and Csaba Laszlo believes Champions League qualification will decide the future of the Ferencvaros boss.
Keane’s side are currently two points behind Gyor with just two games remaining in the Hungarian league season while Celtic are chasing Hearts for the Scottish title.
One time Hearts manager and Hungarian native Laszlo believes Keane could be swayed either way by the lure of Champions League football next season.
The Scottish and Irish editions of the Sun report that Laszlo said: “If the Scottish green and whites win the championship, they can start in the Champions League, which would bring significant financial income. That will fundamentally influence Keane’s future vision.”
Laszlo confirmed that former Celtic captain Scott Brown met up with Keane in Budapest last week but Browne was there, alongside former Irish international Jonny Hayes, as part of a Scottish FA coaching course group.
Laszlo said: “Brown met Keane, which is not surprising, as they once played together at Celtic. He still has a good relationship with Brown, who became acquainted with Ferencvaros’ football background as a student of the UEFA Pro-licence coaching training, which is why he visited Budapest.”
John Stones will leave Manchester City with no regrets when his contract runs out at the end of the season and the curtain comes down on a 10 year spell that has already seen him win six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, the Club World Cup and the Uefa Super Cup.
Confirming his departure, the BBC reports that Stones said in a social media post: “It has been my home for the past 10 years and it will be my home for the rest of my life.
“It has been a rollercoaster in many ways. I came as a kid and now leaving as a man - becoming a father, a husband and, on the pitch, a very fulfilled player.
“I lived all my dreams out and lifted all the things that I came here to achieve. At the start of my career here I never would have thought I would be in this position. Firstly, to achieve everything but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.”
Irish football journalist Conor McNamara has been named as the winner of the Commentator of the Year award by the UK’s Sports Journalists’ Association.
The LImerick native finished ahead of BBC Radio 5 Live’s John Murray and Sky Sports’ Peter Drury in the voting according to the Irish Examiner.
Taking to social media, McNamara posted a video under the message; “Thanks to Sports Journalists’ Association for the Commentator of the Year award.
“Honestly so pleased just to be nominated alongside genuine heroes of mine. To win is mad stuff altogether.”
Red cards await any player who covers their mouth when speaking to opponents during confrontations at this summer’s World Cup finals.
The International Football Association Board voted to introduce the new rule at their meeting ahead of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada.
The BBC reports that the meeting also ruled that players who leave the pitch in protest at a referee’s decisions could also now face a red card. This ruling comes after the ugly scenes at the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
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