All week we’ll be hearing from the managers involved in Champions League Manager which kicks off on Friday. Over to Nick with today’s introduction…
Happy Monday everyone! Here’s one of the newest members of our blog team, Zak Brockman (@cornishzak) with his take on Marseille 1993. You will know Zak from his Re-United CM01/02 blog, and for his great work in helping Dave with the second CM97/98 Lockdown Challenge. Over to Zak…
The 1992/93 season saw not only the birth of football in England (Premier League), but also UEFA’s premier club competition, the European Cup, got a revamp and rebrand as the UEFA Champions League.
The first of those Champions League finals would see heavyweights AC Milan take on the controversial French Champions Marseille (more on the controversy later). The Milan team contained champions league winners; Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini, Rikard, and Van Basten. The younger Marseille side contained world-cup winner Rudi Voller and future winners Barthez, Desailly and Deschamps.
The game on 26th May 1993 saw sweeper Basile Boli score the only goal – a 43rd minute header from an in-swinging corner -as Marseille produced a stunning upset. This was also the last competitive fixture for Milan legend Marco van Basten, as an injury in this game effectively ended his career. You can see the Boli goal here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb5Eget-060
The controversy surrounding the win continues to get traction and media coverage today. Firstly, the corner which proved the goal should never have been. Whilst linesman and refereeing misjudgments are nothing extraordinary, this setagainst the backdrop of a French Football Federation (FFF)ban for bribing officials in a league game. This league game was against already-relegated Valenciennes 6-days before the final. Marseille were subsequently charged, stripped of their 1993 Ligue 1 title, and relegated the French Second Divisionafter being found guilty of the crime.
A quick dive into the world of online conspiracy theorists will talk of Marseille players being forced to take drugs, opponent’s drinks being spiked (CSKA Moscow), players forced to play through injuries, and even alleged bribe to Ranger’s Mark Hateley.
Despite the ban (and much to Milan’s disgust) Marseille remain written in the record books as the 1993 Champions League winners. I’m looking forward to taking the reins the winning in the right way! Allez l’OM!!
If you’re a CM97/98 fan and you’ve not heard of Dave Black, are you even a CM97/98 fan? This man needs little introduction, and after all his hard work and dedication to keeping the game alive, I thought I’d give him a break from organising and let him relax and play the game for a change. So here he is with his verdict on AC Milan 1994…
I thought I’d give Nick a rest and do my own preview. I’ve ran a lot of tournaments over the years and rarely partake in them myself, but seeing as Nick is doing the legwork here it would be rude not to make the most of his hard work. It is incredible work – I’ve been loathe to launch any old league, it would have to be right and unique to set it apart from the other offerings out there and this ticks so many of the boxes. I just wish I hadn’t drawn AC Milan.
They’re not a bad side at all. When they won the 1993/94 Champions League, they didn’t lose a single match. They came through the group stages scoring a massive 6 goals in 6 games but if you think the success was built on a solid foundation and nothing else, you’d be wrong. Monaco were dismantled 3-0 in the semis and Barcelona shipped four in the final. Clearly, it was a formidable side but is it still?
With Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta and Panucci to pick from at the back, we’re clearly in good shape there. Simone, Papin, Laudrup and Lentini will have goals in them and Boban and Albertini are a useful midfield pairing. However, I worry about Rossi in goal. Maybe it’s because I played a season through on 96/97 with this Milan side and Rossi had crisp packets for hands but I don’t trust him. I don’t know much about Ielpo, his understudy, but he might need to be prepared.
My formation of choice has been 2-3-1-2-2 for a while now but this team doesn’t really lend itself to that formation. I’d have to use Panucci and Maldini as wingbacks which isn’t great news. A change is likely needed and I’ve got some figuring out to do before the season starts. I expect a lot from Papin, if his regen is anything to go by. If all else fails, it’ll be Florin Raducioiu….do do do, a train across the floor, do do do. My ace in the hole.
I don’t think we’ll win it but I do think it’ll be quite a close run thing between a few teams. I can’t see any one team running away with it but we’re in unprecedented territory, so let’s just see what the game delivers.
Join us again tomorrow where Dean and Matt will run the rule over their teams, Ajax 1995 and Juventus 1996.