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PSG gegen Bayern - ein Halbfinale der Superlative und Fußball vom Feinsten
In dieser Fußball-Sonderausgabe von The Ring nehmen wir ein Champions-League-Spiel auseinander, das als eines der besten aller Zeiten in die Geschichte eingehen wird. Neun Tore - kann Spitzenfußball wirklich noch besser sein? Unsere Experten sagen auch, was Europas beliebteste Sportart sonst noch bewegt.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/04/30/psg-gegen-bayern-ein-halbfinale-der-superlative-und-fussball-vom-feinsten
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In dieser Fußball-Sonderausgabe von The Ring nehmen wir ein Champions-League-Spiel auseinander, das als eines der besten aller Zeiten in die Geschichte eingehen wird. Neun Tore - kann Spitzenfußball wirklich noch besser sein? Unsere Experten sagen auch, was Europas beliebteste Sportart sonst noch bewegt.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2026/04/30/psg-gegen-bayern-ein-halbfinale-der-superlative-und-fussball-vom-feinsten
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NewsTranskript
00:00.
00:10Hello and welcome to our special Football Edition of The Ring.
00:14I'm Stephan Grobe.
00:16At Euronews, we usually don't cover sports events,
00:19but last night's semifinal between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich
00:23was a game for the ages.
00:25Reason enough to bring you this live debrief from Brussels.
00:28After a fantastic match that electrified the Parc des Princes and will go down in Champions League history, PSG secured
00:37a one-goal lead, having been up 5-2, but having also feared the worst.
00:43The second leg next week in Munich promises a huge one.
00:47So talk about what happened last night, what comes next and what else is moving European football these days.
00:53I'm joined by two big football fans and consummate Brussels insiders.
00:58Conor Allen, who manages government and external relations at a big company, and Petros Fasoulas, secretary-general of the European
01:06Movement International.
01:08Welcome to both of you and thanks for coming on the show tonight.
01:11Conor, I start with you. Did the better team win last night?
01:15Well, it was such an entertaining game. Who was the better team?
01:18You could say it's PSG, but I actually thought both of the defences were kind of crap, if I can
01:24say so.
01:24Manuel Neuer didn't have the best game, so probably, if you ask me, I don't really know who was the
01:32best team.
01:33I was so glued, so entertaining, but it was marked by individual elements.
01:37That's what it should be, right? Who are you rooting for, Petros?
01:40Well, neither of the teams are the ones I support. I'm an Olympiacos fan through and through.
01:45If I support anybody else, the world will end.
01:47But we were likely to be treated to top quality football by two really strong teams, representing two leagues that
01:54are, indeed, at the top of their performance.
01:57And as a result, choosing the best one isn't even necessary.
02:01You know, I think we enjoyed the game. We saw attacking football.
02:05As we haven't seen this season a lot, you know, things are becoming a bit more boring.
02:08And that in itself, I think, was a triumph.
02:09Yeah, on that point, nine goals in a Champions League semi-final. That's a record.
02:14What does it tell us about the team's qualities?
02:17Well, I think it illustrates the difference between PSG and Bayern.
02:20And so, PSG, they have such individual quality that when you kind of open the game up and you have
02:26that free-flowing attacking dynamic, the individual quality shines through a bit more.
02:32But then, once the game calms down a bit, Bayern are so strong with the structure they have, the kind
02:37of German discipline and order, that they really got back into it.
02:40I think it also reminds us the extent to which football has become this perfect machine now.
02:48You know, we have so much data, so much analysis on performance.
02:52Athletes get the best treatment to recover from injuries.
02:55They have trainers.
02:56They are able to reach a peak very early in their career and then spend years and years perfecting their
03:02talent.
03:02So, ultimately, when they reach that level, they can perform in an outside fashion.
03:06And the quality of both teams was rather on the same level, right?
03:11So, PSG coach Luis Enrique said that it was the best game he ever experienced as a coach.
03:16And later, he said that PSG merited to win, but also merited to end with a draw and merited to
03:22lose.
03:23Was he right, Conor?
03:24Yeah, I mean...
03:26So, was it just good luck?
03:29It wasn't...
03:30Maybe it was luck, because could you...
03:32And we just talked about this.
03:34Was there anything between the teams?
03:36I don't think there was.
03:37It was such...
03:38It was individual mistakes.
03:39Manuel Neuer, again, perhaps maybe should have saved two goals, beat him in his near post one time.
03:45So, I think it was really...
03:47When you talk about the quality of the players and the 1% that decides these games, I think it
03:51was this 1%.
03:52I don't think any team deserved to win, but that's the result we have.
03:56How important is this one-goal advantage for PSG heading into the second leg?
04:04I mean, it can be very important and it can mean nothing.
04:06We saw how quickly goals were scored last night.
04:09So, you can imagine one team going three and up after 15 minutes in a week's time.
04:15But at the same time, one goal gives you that psychological advantage.
04:18It makes you realise that, you know, you can beat the other team.
04:21It's possible that Bayern feels a bit more confident because, first of all, they came from behind and they nearly
04:26equalized.
04:27They really put PSG up against it.
04:29And, second of all, of course, they're playing at home.
04:31So, that one-goal advantage can disappear quite quickly.
04:3475,000, the Allianz Arena is tied.
04:37A cauldron, a cauldron, a cauldron, a cauldron, a cauldron, a cauldron in Munich.
04:40Bayern only lost three games this season.
04:43And they're hosting PSG at home.
04:46Does that make the final difference?
04:49It makes a lot of difference, doesn't it?
04:50And we've all been there in the football staging.
04:52We've got the fans going, something's on the line.
04:54You can cut the atmosphere of a night.
04:56It makes a lot of difference.
04:57And when we're talking about those 1%,
04:59and you've got your fans behind you screaming and shouting and going for PSG,
05:04I think Bayern have a strong psychological advantage.
05:07PSG will be out-screamed in Munich, certainly.
05:10There was one scene yesterday where one of the ballboys refused to give the ball to Manuel Neuer.
05:16Did you see that?
05:18And, obviously, Bayern was under pressure to score.
05:23That is something we don't want to see, right?
05:25As leads from somebody who has nothing to do with the game.
05:28Yeah, well, where I come from, this is quite regular.
05:32Everybody is trying to give their team a tiny bit of advantage.
05:34And, yes, holding on to the ball, if that makes a difference, why not?
05:38We've always had it, though, haven't we?
05:39I remember Chelsea about 10 years ago.
05:41Was it David Luiz kicking a ball boy because he wouldn't give the ball back?
05:44It's always happened.
05:45You're always going to have teams scrambling for a little bit of advantage.
05:48To make it more suspenseful next week,
05:51Hakimi, PSG player, was injured in the 88th minute or something,
05:56and then could barely make it to the end.
05:58He's probably not going to play next week.
06:01Is that a handicap for the Parisians?
06:03Yeah, I mean, so I think he's going to go in testing at the moment.
06:06And maybe he's back, but most likely not.
06:09Listen, I think the modern game relies so much on that role of the wing-back, right?
06:13And really attacking defenders, getting up and down the field.
06:17And Hakimi is one of the best in the game at that.
06:19So it's not the end of the world for PSG, but they will miss him for sure.
06:23They have such an amazing squad, so much talent.
06:26I think they can't replace anyone.
06:28Yeah, they have a...
06:30It's a pity that he won't be there because he's an exciting player indeed.
06:32Yes, indeed.
06:33Yeah.
06:35What characterizes both teams' equalities?
06:39Is it, you know, we said they were, you know, forward playing and no tactics.
06:43It's, you know, playing offense really.
06:47But can we detect some differences here?
06:52Well, it's interesting that you ask that because I think Bayern is a bit more muscular.
06:58They are a bit more dominant in the way they approach the game.
07:02PSG is famous for their fluid and fast game.
07:05They play a lot from the wings.
07:06They have this mentality of running the ball.
07:10But I think that is also where the difference could be in the second leg.
07:14Who will be able to assert themselves physically over the other,
07:18win over the mind games as well,
07:20and eventually get that extra edge?
07:22Because the competition is really strong and the two teams are hard to separate.
07:26Yeah.
07:27And you can really see with Bayern just the mentality and the grit they have.
07:32To go 5-2 down at one point and to fight back,
07:35to still be in it for the next leg,
07:37that shows true spirit.
07:39I think that shows tenacity and grit and resilience,
07:42which may be, you know, fancy flowing PSG.
07:44Maybe they won't have.
07:45I think maybe in the next leg,
07:47when we start to see Bayern coming for PSG,
07:49it's going to be a real test of PSG's mentality.
07:51But, I mean, still they lost, right?
07:53But did they merit a draw at that point?
07:56I don't know.
07:57I think PSG on the night,
07:59I mean, they probably maybe perhaps deserved it.
08:01I mean, they opened the game up.
08:03The game was played to PSG's strengths
08:05and not the other way around.
08:06And so I think there's something to be said
08:08for grabbing the green by the scruff of the neck
08:10and really going for it.
08:11But it just was really close, wasn't it?
08:13Yeah.
08:13One word on the referee.
08:16There were two penalty kicks,
08:19obviously contested.
08:20How important,
08:21I'm not going to, you know,
08:23enter this debate whether it was justified or not,
08:25but how important is, you know,
08:28the performance of the referee
08:29in a game like this?
08:30It can make a difference, of course.
08:32It can ruin a game.
08:34But then again,
08:35it's part of life.
08:36Mistakes are part of life.
08:37And I think in modern football,
08:39because so much is at stake,
08:40so much money,
08:41so much prestige,
08:42we're trying to scrutinize
08:44and every decision
08:45and avoid every mistake.
08:47That's not how life works.
08:49Sometimes people make mistakes.
08:51It's part of the game,
08:52the way it's part of life.
08:53Yeah.
08:53And I guess as professionals,
08:55you have to shove it, right?
08:57Yeah, yeah.
08:58I mean, you know,
09:00bad refereeing decisions
09:01have always been with the game
09:02and even with VAR,
09:03they still exist.
09:04I thought those penalty decisions
09:06were a bit weak, maybe.
09:07Maybe, I don't know.
09:09I don't know if you agree with me or not.
09:11But it's part of the game.
09:12You've got to live with it.
09:13And at the end of the day,
09:14it balances out.
09:15Yeah.
09:15Is either team now favored
09:17to win the Champions League?
09:19this year,
09:20regardless of what happens
09:21between Atletico and Arsenal?
09:23Petros?
09:23You know, I would say
09:24that this would have been
09:24an amazing final.
09:26You know,
09:26that these two teams
09:28deserve to go all the way.
09:29The way they have performed.
09:30Don't forget,
09:31I think they both have scored
09:32over 40 goals
09:33in this competition.
09:35And their performances
09:36have been high consistently.
09:38So,
09:39it would be a pity
09:40if one of them
09:40is not there
09:41because the way they play
09:43merits to reach the final at least.
09:46Now,
09:47who is going to make it
09:47is really hard to predict.
09:48and I'm not debating Man.
09:50Conor?
09:51I don't think either.
09:52I think Arsenal are going to win it.
09:53Arsenal's going to win it.
09:54Arsenal look electric.
09:55I think they are,
09:56I mean,
09:56unbeaten.
09:57Right?
09:58This comes from a Man United fan.
10:00I know.
10:00Exactly.
10:01It's quite a statement.
10:02On live TV.
10:03I don't think you're going to be
10:04allowed back to Manchester again.
10:05All right.
10:06So,
10:06we have Bayern from Germany,
10:09PSG from France,
10:10Atletico from Spain,
10:11and Arsenal from England.
10:14That is pretty balanced.
10:16There used to be a time
10:17when we had,
10:18you know,
10:18three Spanish teams,
10:19three English teams
10:20among the last four.
10:22Is the rest of Europe
10:24catching up?
10:25Is there more balance now?
10:27Is it even-handed?
10:28Look,
10:29there's still a few leagues
10:30that are dominating
10:31European competitions,
10:32whether we like it or not,
10:34because of television rights,
10:36foreign investment
10:37from very wealthy individuals,
10:39whether it's from the Gulf
10:40or the US
10:41or elsewhere.
10:42So,
10:42you know,
10:43we still see
10:44that a handful of leagues
10:45and a small number of teams
10:46dominate year in,
10:48year out.
10:48It's great
10:49that four nations
10:50are represented,
10:50the teams from four nations
10:52are represented
10:52in the semifinals.
10:53Certainly an improvement.
10:54It does get a bit boring
10:55when you have three Spanish teams
10:57or three English teams.
10:57Makes it more interesting,
10:59right?
10:59Conor?
11:00Yeah,
11:00it does.
11:00I think it's reflective of,
11:01in general,
11:02football is much more competitive
11:03across the game now.
11:05And if you look
11:06in the English league,
11:07within the Spanish league,
11:08within the German league,
11:09there's suddenly six or seven teams
11:10pushing for those
11:12Champions League spots.
11:13That raises everyone's game,
11:14apart from the French league,
11:15but that's still only one team.
11:16let me stop you right there
11:18as we're just getting warmed up.
11:25Now it's time for you
11:26to challenge each other directly
11:28and ask each other questions.
11:30So let's get started.
11:32Petros,
11:33why don't you kick us off?
11:34Well,
11:35I just remember
11:36a famous English striker,
11:38Gary Lineker,
11:38saying that
11:39football is a game
11:40played by two teams,
11:4111 players each,
11:42and the Germans always win.
11:44Is that true?
11:46A little time ago.
11:49It was once upon a time,
11:51but I mean,
11:52that sort of German dominance,
11:54I mean,
11:54is it really still there?
11:56I remember a time,
11:57you know,
11:57my defining moment
11:58as a fan
11:59was 1999,
12:00Manchester United
12:01scoring two goals
12:02in the last minute
12:02to beat Bayern Munich.
12:03I have to say that
12:04because Stefan's
12:05almost a Bayern fan.
12:07German dominance,
12:08it's more,
12:09they're certainly scary,
12:11but it's a myth,
12:12isn't it?
12:12Isn't it a myth?
12:14Yeah,
12:14I do play.
12:15Does this have something
12:16to do with governance
12:17of football in Germany?
12:19That's different?
12:20Because the ownership models.
12:23Because there's no big investor
12:23can buy a club,
12:24something like this?
12:25A little bit,
12:25a little bit.
12:26And I think,
12:26and this is a question
12:27I want to ask to you,
12:28when we look at teams
12:30these days,
12:31you have a difference,
12:32you have teams
12:32of real soul,
12:33real passion,
12:34and they're connected
12:34to communities.
12:35So,
12:36as a Man United fan
12:37and a bad United fan,
12:38but I'm going to say Liverpool,
12:39if you go towards the Kop,
12:41you stand in the Kop,
12:42it's such an electric atmosphere.
12:44Those fans love that club.
12:45If you go to Red Bull Leipzig,
12:47if you go to Chelsea,
12:48if you go to Manchester City,
12:49if you go to PSG,
12:50it's not the same,
12:51is it?
12:51Yeah,
12:51it's very true.
12:52I think,
12:54globalisation,
12:54the internationalisation
12:56of the game
12:56has made it,
12:57obviously,
12:58very exciting,
12:59as we were discussing earlier,
13:00performances are better,
13:02players are so much skillful,
13:03so skillful,
13:04but it's true,
13:05we've lost a little bit
13:06the connection with the community
13:07and I think that is a big risk
13:10for not just professional football,
13:11I think the same applies
13:12to all sports,
13:14especially those
13:14with a global profile.
13:16If we lose the funds,
13:18if we're turning too much
13:19into entertainment,
13:21too much into business,
13:22then the sport itself
13:24is going to suffer
13:25and ultimately the people
13:26who invested in it
13:27are going to lose their money.
13:28So,
13:28it is great
13:29that we have
13:29so many great teams
13:31and so many good players
13:32and so much interest
13:33to watch the game,
13:35but if the fans,
13:36the local fans,
13:37don't feel a connection
13:37with the club,
13:38the whole thing
13:39can fall apart quite quickly.
13:40Yeah.
13:41Pietro,
13:41there's another question
13:42to Conor.
13:43Well,
13:43you know,
13:43I struggle a little bit
13:45with this
13:46because I don't want
13:46the conversation
13:47to be very nerdy,
13:47but I'll ask you this,
13:48what would you prefer?
13:50Front row seats,
13:52World Cup final,
13:53or 90 minutes
13:54with Woden Leinen?
13:56It depends
13:57if it's on the ring
13:57or not.
13:59Question.
14:00No,
14:00I mean,
14:01the World Cup final,
14:01obviously,
14:02it's such a special thing
14:04to go to a World Cup final.
14:05I've never been
14:06to a World Cup final,
14:06I don't know
14:07if any of you lads have,
14:08but are defining moments
14:10in your life
14:11and people point
14:12to those World Cup moments.
14:13I have a question
14:15to you,
14:16Conor.
14:16Britain has
14:17four federations,
14:19four teams.
14:20Is that not dividing
14:21the power
14:22of British football?
14:23I mean,
14:24the last competition
14:24you won was in 1966,
14:27the year I was born.
14:28I remember that,
14:29against Germany.
14:30But,
14:31I mean,
14:31so what's your suggestion?
14:32That Great Britain
14:33should compete?
14:34Yeah, sure.
14:34As we do in the Olympics?
14:36No,
14:36because I think
14:37if you ask a Scottish fan,
14:38who do you truly support?
14:40A Scottish fan
14:41will say Scotland.
14:42They'll never root for England.
14:43And the same
14:44with the Northern Irish
14:44and the same
14:45with the Welsh.
14:45And that goes back
14:46to what we were saying.
14:47It needs to be connected
14:48to local communities
14:49and it has to be connected
14:50to,
14:50it needs to be natural,
14:52right?
14:52And so,
14:53if you compare it to golf,
14:54where we have a European team,
14:55it's bad.
14:56Nobody feels the tension to that.
14:57collective disappointment
14:58every four years
14:59because you guys
15:00never win anything
15:01because the power
15:02of British football
15:03is so divided.
15:04Well, you look at
15:05the next World Cup,
15:05it's coming home.
15:06Okay.
15:07All right.
15:08I've heard that
15:09sentence before.
15:10Conor,
15:10next question to
15:12Quetros.
15:12Well,
15:13we just,
15:13we kind of
15:14lapsed down
15:15into the national
15:17sport.
15:19maybe my question is,
15:21how is the health
15:22in your eyes
15:23of the national game?
15:24Is there
15:25still a huge
15:27amount of people
15:28who really get
15:29behind their nation
15:30and cheer
15:31or is it slipping away
15:32as these clubs
15:33and this club
15:34becomes so much
15:35more powerful?
15:36No, no.
15:36I think there is a lot of passion
15:37still in support
15:38of the national team
15:39in most European nations,
15:40at least the ones
15:41that are known for.
15:42And, you know,
15:42we are now in Belgium
15:43and as we all know,
15:45Belgium is a very
15:45divided country
15:46along linguistic lines,
15:48religious lines,
15:49political lines,
15:50but the one thing
15:50that unites them
15:51is the national football team.
15:53And we've seen this
15:54year in, year out,
15:55tournament in,
15:56tournament out.
15:57Even when they're not
15:57doing well,
15:58people are really
15:58coming behind them.
15:59So I think
16:00there is still passion
16:01in supporting the national team
16:02and it's also important
16:03to make sure
16:04that these big clubs
16:05that want to create
16:06their closed leagues
16:07and make sure
16:08that their players
16:08don't get injured
16:09playing for a national team,
16:11don't touch
16:12national federation,
16:13so don't touch
16:14the national team.
16:15I like that
16:15unifying theme.
16:17We'll come back
16:17to it in a minute.
16:19We now want to hear
16:21the view from
16:23a new person,
16:25a new voice,
16:26and here it is.
16:28We're going to bring in
16:32EU Sports Commissioner
16:33Glenn Mikalev now
16:35from Malta.
16:36He watched the game
16:37last night
16:38and told us the following.
16:39The semifinal
16:40showed football
16:41at its very best.
16:43That's what
16:43European sport does.
16:45It brings people
16:46into the same moment.
16:47Footballers are ambassadors
16:49and role models
16:50people look up to.
16:52They inspire
16:52and connect
16:53millions of people
16:54and the Champions League
16:55together with
16:56Europe's domestic leagues
16:57gives them
16:58the greatest stage
16:59to do exactly that.
17:01Do you agree,
17:02Conor?
17:03I absolutely agree.
17:04You look at
17:05footballers have always
17:06inspired young men
17:08and women.
17:08I remember
17:09my role model
17:11as a child
17:11it was Eric Cantona.
17:13Of course,
17:14as a kid
17:15you want to look up
17:16to these role models,
17:17these people
17:17who are the best
17:18in the world,
17:19elite athletes
17:20who put in so much
17:21training and sacrifice
17:23and you really see
17:24the results of that
17:25on the pitch.
17:25I absolutely agree
17:26with Commissioner Mikalev.
17:27So that unifying element
17:29here,
17:30does it exist
17:30and can it help
17:31us as society
17:33to overcome
17:34other divisions?
17:36Yes, absolutely.
17:37One step back,
17:38sometimes we put too much
17:39on the shoulders
17:40of these young men
17:41and women,
17:42these athletes generally.
17:44We're talking about
17:44men's football
17:45in particular here.
17:46They're in their
17:47early 20s,
17:48some of them
17:48in their late teens
17:49and they perform
17:51at the highest level
17:53in front of thousands
17:53if not millions
17:54of people watching on TV
17:55and then if we expect
17:56them also to function
17:58as role models too,
17:59especially ones
18:00that are supposed
18:01to unify a society,
18:03there is a lot
18:03of pressure there.
18:04Having said that,
18:06there are examples
18:07where people have
18:07really grasped
18:09that opportunity,
18:10the spotlight
18:11and they're used
18:12to speak about
18:13issues that are
18:14separate to football
18:15and I embrace this
18:16because I think
18:16football is part of society
18:17and they need
18:19to have a voice
18:19in that society
18:20but sometimes I think
18:21we put too much pressure
18:22on them
18:22and then all the PR
18:23comes around
18:24and they end up
18:25sounding like robots
18:25because they're
18:26too careful
18:26to say the wrong thing.
18:27Can I challenge you
18:28on that?
18:29Why should footballers
18:30who, okay,
18:31yes, I accept
18:31they are role models
18:32but they're multi-millionaires,
18:33they are so detached
18:34from the issues
18:37of the common person,
18:38why should these footballers
18:39be speaking
18:40about anything
18:40in the sport?
18:41You know,
18:42not everyone
18:43is detached.
18:43It's true,
18:44there are some
18:44who have become
18:45too rich
18:46and obviously
18:47they're completely
18:47from a different world
18:48but you know,
18:49not everyone
18:50is detached
18:50and I mean that
18:51also about those
18:52that are not role models.
18:54you know,
18:54the guy
18:54who we saw
18:55an English football player
18:56recently getting
18:57really intoxicated
18:59in a bar
18:59in his local town
19:00and falling asleep.
19:02You know,
19:03by the way he makes
19:04he's like a normal lad.
19:05I think he has a point.
19:06how can multi-millionaire
19:09football players
19:11be role models
19:12for kids
19:13who grow up
19:14in suburbia
19:15under very,
19:15very modest circumstances?
19:17It can be an inspiration,
19:18especially for those
19:19who are coming
19:20from disadvantaged backgrounds
19:21to see someone
19:23who is coming
19:23from their own
19:25context
19:26and becoming
19:27really successful,
19:28wealthy even,
19:30doing something
19:30that they care for.
19:31I think that can be
19:32the difference
19:33between pursuing,
19:35playing a sport,
19:36being physical,
19:37being healthy
19:38and doing drugs
19:40or falling into it.
19:41All right.
19:41We'll talk about
19:42the dark side
19:42of footballs now.
19:43Let's go to the next round.
19:48So, UEFA reports
19:51show that
19:51hundreds to thousands
19:53of posts
19:53are flagged
19:54during tournaments.
19:55Between 5 to 65%
19:57of flagged content
19:58is classified
19:59as racist,
20:00depending on
20:00the competition
20:01and stage.
20:02Racism is consistently
20:03listed as a major
20:04category of discrimination
20:05in European football
20:07monitoring systems,
20:08according to UEFA.
20:10Conor,
20:11do these numbers
20:12surprise you?
20:13The numbers
20:14don't surprise me
20:14and anyone
20:15with a Twitter account
20:16will know
20:17when a match day is on
20:18you will see
20:18some awful stuff.
20:20But you also have
20:21to realise
20:21you can't police
20:21the world,
20:22right?
20:23A lot of these
20:25comments originate
20:26from places
20:27outside European
20:28jurisdiction.
20:29I don't think,
20:31and we all grew up
20:32in the 90s
20:33and for you guys
20:34the 80s,
20:35sorry to say,
20:36where racism
20:37was really rife
20:38in football.
20:38It was really nasty
20:39and it was really
20:39visible and present.
20:40That's not the game
20:41today.
20:42Today,
20:42a black person
20:43can take their family
20:44to a game
20:45in full safety
20:46and full security.
20:47More or less.
20:47We're still hearing
20:50bad comments
20:52about black players
20:54in stadiums
20:55as soon as the player
20:56approaches the sideline
20:57or gets the ball
20:59from the ball boy.
21:00We've seen awful scenes
21:01here, right?
21:02Yeah, football is...
21:03Even in national leagues.
21:04Football is a reflection
21:05of our society.
21:06It doesn't operate
21:07in a vacuum.
21:08It's not just a script
21:10that we put together
21:11to present an idealized
21:12version of our everyday reality.
21:14Unfortunately,
21:15our society is divided.
21:16There is racism,
21:17bigotry,
21:18and as a result,
21:20that spills over
21:20into football as well.
21:21The same way it spills over
21:22in every side of society.
21:24We need to fight
21:25this kind of division,
21:27especially racism,
21:29across our society.
21:30And when we manage
21:31to educate our people,
21:33then they will be able
21:34to behave better
21:35as human beings
21:36and as fans as well.
21:37Who should manage?
21:38Who should do this?
21:39Well, I mean,
21:40if I can push back on this...
21:42Sure.
21:44Yes, so when you hear
21:45those words in the stadium,
21:47those people get lifted.
21:48They get stadium bans, right?
21:50I don't think Europe itself
21:52has a massive problem
21:53with racism in football.
21:54There are clear punishments,
21:55and we see those punishments
21:57being enacted all the time.
21:58Your citation for
22:00why there's so much racism
22:02in football
22:02was online comments on Twitter.
22:04We don't know the origin
22:05of those comments.
22:06They could be from anywhere
22:06in the world.
22:07And so, you know,
22:08I don't think we should give Europe
22:10the power to please the world
22:11in that.
22:12Well, unfortunately,
22:12we just have to accept it.
22:14Well, there's like,
22:14coming back to last night's game,
22:15there is this story
22:16that probably only football
22:17can write,
22:18and this is the friendship
22:19between Dembele from PSG
22:21and Opa Meccano
22:23from Bayern Munich,
22:25who have been friends
22:26since kindergarten,
22:28and now they're playing
22:29on both sides,
22:29you know,
22:30in good football jobs.
22:32Is this an inspiring story?
22:34Should we tell these stories
22:36more often?
22:38It's inspiring,
22:39and it's not.
22:40And I think, you know,
22:42the game should be about
22:43competition,
22:43fierce competition,
22:44and the best athletes
22:45in the world
22:46going at each other
22:47and doing everything
22:47they can to win.
22:49And, you know,
22:50I always remember
22:50what Roy Key's saying
22:51of the Pogba brothers.
22:53Are they really going
22:54at each other
22:54as hard as they can
22:55when they go for halftime
22:57and they're embracing
22:57and holding hands and stuff?
22:59No, no, no.
23:00You need to be out there
23:01to win.
23:02All right,
23:02so it's not 11 friends
23:03playing against
23:05other 11 friends.
23:06You know,
23:06what they say,
23:08football is not a matter
23:09of life or death.
23:10It's much more important
23:10than that.
23:11Of course,
23:12when people go into the pitch,
23:13they only see an opponent
23:14and they want to win.
23:16They want to dominate
23:17that opponent
23:17and win the game,
23:19win the championship,
23:19win the cup.
23:20But I think it's,
23:21I see some beauty
23:22in this,
23:24where two friends
23:25can compete
23:26and at the same time
23:27leave the pitch,
23:29exchange their shirts
23:29and go and have
23:30a drink together
23:31because they come back,
23:32they go back a long time.
23:34So yeah,
23:34it doesn't compromise,
23:36I think,
23:36at all their sense
23:37of competitiveness.
23:37To reach that level,
23:39you should be able
23:40to play through anything,
23:41including friendship.
23:42Be fat.
23:42All right.
23:43Off the pitch,
23:44but on the pitch,
23:45be enemies.
23:46That's a perfect conclusion,
23:47but we're not yet there
23:49at the end.
23:49Now it's time to move on
23:50to our fifth and final round.
23:55where we want to do
23:56something different.
23:57I'm going to ask you
23:58a set of questions
23:59and you can only answer
24:01with one word.
24:03Okay?
24:04Petro,
24:04start with you.
24:05Who will win
24:05the Champions League
24:06this year?
24:07I think it's going
24:08to be Piersi.
24:09Aston.
24:10Aston.
24:11All right.
24:11Who should we consider
24:12the best player
24:13of the Champions League
24:15this year?
24:16Kane.
24:17Kane?
24:19I agree.
24:20He's a bit biased.
24:20Okay.
24:21I will give you that.
24:22I've never been
24:23a big fan of his,
24:24but the way
24:25he's played
24:25for Bayern
24:26has exceeded
24:27my expectations.
24:28So I'll give him
24:29an extra point for that.
24:30Okay.
24:30Who should we consider
24:31the best coach?
24:33I really like Enric.
24:35I think he's a great guy.
24:36I love his style.
24:38Even though Kompany
24:38is an exciting young man,
24:40you know,
24:41from Belgium,
24:41of course,
24:43played in the UK.
24:44I think Enric
24:45is the best guy.
24:46Okay.
24:46Now I'm going to ask
24:47a question
24:48where you can only
24:48answer with yes or no
24:50to make it short.
24:52Connor,
24:53should the Champions League
24:54be on free TV?
24:56No.
24:57Yes.
24:58Okay.
25:00Let's move on
25:01to the World Cup.
25:02Who wins
25:03the World Cup
25:04this year?
25:05Oh my goodness,
25:06that's very,
25:07very difficult.
25:09You know what?
25:10Greece is not there,
25:11so I'll have to
25:13choose somebody else.
25:14Let's see.
25:14This is controversial.
25:15You can say England
25:16if you want.
25:18Yes, you know what?
25:19I'll say England.
25:20What do you think
25:20about it, Connor?
25:22England, of course.
25:23Okay.
25:24It's coming home.
25:25Should we have
25:26a Europa League,
25:28a real Europa League
25:30with only the best clubs,
25:31a project that has been,
25:33you know,
25:34floated in the past?
25:35Like a closed league?
25:36Yes.
25:36Like in the US?
25:37No?
25:38No.
25:39All right.
25:40Letting three countries
25:41host the World Cup,
25:43is that a good idea?
25:44No.
25:44No.
25:45Yes.
25:46Okay.
25:49Inventing the FIFA Peace Prize
25:51and awarding it
25:52to Donald Trump,
25:53is that a good idea?
25:54Terrible.
25:55Not a good idea.
25:57It's a nuanced answer.
25:59No from the perspective
26:00of credibility.
26:01Yes from the perspective
26:02of getting Trump on board.
26:04Okay.
26:05I'm getting the game.
26:06In this World Cup,
26:07there will be a record number
26:08of 48 participating teams.
26:11Too many?
26:12Yes.
26:13No.
26:15Okay.
26:16Iran qualified
26:17for the World Cup.
26:19Should the country
26:20participate
26:21or be kicked out
26:22as the Trump administration
26:23suggested?
26:24Participate.
26:25Participate.
26:26Okay.
26:27And are tickets
26:29generally too expensive?
26:31Oh, yes.
26:33Oh, yes.
26:34Outrageous, yes.
26:35Would you guys,
26:37you know,
26:38earn some money
26:38consider
26:39going to the US
26:41and buy a ticket?
26:42If you're inviting,
26:43sure,
26:43but I don't think
26:44I can afford it.
26:45Okay.
26:46Yeah, no,
26:46I can't afford that.
26:47Not on my salary.
26:49Listen, that's it.
26:50That was the final answer
26:52that brings us
26:53to the end
26:53of this special
26:54live edition
26:54of The Ring.
26:55Thanks again
26:56to Conor Allen
26:58and Petrus Fassoulas
26:59for a lively conversation
27:00here from our studio
27:01in Brussels.
27:02Thanks to our audience
27:03at home.
27:04If you like,
27:05you can continue
27:05the conversation
27:06by sending us
27:07your comments
27:08to thering
27:09at euronews.com.
27:10We'd love to have
27:12your feedback.
27:13That's it for today.
27:14I'm Stefan Grobe.
27:15Take care
27:16and see you soon
27:17on Euronews.
27:22We'll be right back.
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