Saturday, May 25, 2013

Champions League Final - Does Anyone Outside Germany Really Care?

Tonight sees Bayern Munich take on unlikely finalists Borussia Dortmund in the final for the world's most prestigious club competition. Like the majority of the world, I too am disappointed.


I haven't been this disinterested in a Champions League final since Porto met Monaco in 2004. In fact, I'm more excited at the 8-pack of mixed meat hot dogs that awaits me in my fridge for dinner and cost 1 euro at the local supermarket.


Outside of Germany, I imagine most football enthusiasts feel the same.


Both teams field exceptional talent and play an entertaining brand of football, however the final isn't the same if two continental juggernauts don't meet in the end.

In addition, it's not the same if the final is a match that is played twice yearly in the less glamorous Bundesliga. The whole allure of Champion's League is watching two elite teams play a match of extreme importance when they otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to meet each other in competitive play. The only exceptions are if two eternal rivals meet in the final such Barcelona and Madrid, or Manchester United and Liverpool due to their rich history of hating each other.



A final that could just as easily be a German cup matchup will yield as much excitement as the most intense German cup matchup can muster - very little. I don't even know what the German cup is called. That should tell you how awesome the German cup is.


Regardless, I'll still watch the match and eat my cheap but delicious hot dogs with little enthusiasm, unless of course someone runs onto the field with a funny t-shirt or no t-shirt at all; that's always fun.


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