Lionel Adams is one of the most promising Russian footballers. The young player has already managed to declare himself in big football.
The defender has repeatedly entered the field in decisive matches Russian Premier League and demonstrated excellent play. Now it is under the close scrutiny of breeders of top domestic and foreign clubs.
Lionel Adams: biography
Was born in 1994 in Moscow. His father emigrated from Nigeria back in the days of the Soviet Union, when there were allied agreements between these countries. As a teenager, Lionel's father was fond of football and even played for a local club. However, moving and adapting to life in a new country and cultural environment forced him to give up his hobby. After marrying a Russian girl, he had two sons. Since childhood, both have been instilled in a love of sports. The eldest son Lukman has become a fairly successful athlete, performing at distance distance. Lionel Adams followed in his father's footsteps and started playing football.
As a teenager, he was admitted to the children's and youth sports school of the capital CSKA. The young man shows excellent results, and the double coaches pay attention to him. At the age of eighteen, Lionel Adams plays for the reserve team of CSKA. Playing on a par with his older teammates, he consolidates his place in the main squad. The footballer is attracted to the youth national team of Russia.
First transfer
However, the huge competition in the leading club of the country did not allow the young guy to break into the main team. Therefore, in 2014 he was transferred to the lease of the Krasnoyarsk club "Yenisei", which plays in the second league of Russia. But in the new team, Lionel Adams does not stay for long. He failed to adapt to the attacking style of Krasnoyarsk. Therefore, in 2015, he again changes the club, moving to the Tver "Volga". In the blue and white uniform, the young man played five matches, showing a good game.
Lionel Adams plays as a center and right-back. His signature "trick" is tough selection. Many football commentators compare Adams to the British "rock" However, in addition to the positive aspects, such an uncompromising play on the field also brings negative results. In the game against the “Textile” Adams earned two “yellow cards” per game and was sent off the field before the end of regular time, letting down his team.
Second league game
In the summer of 2015, "Volga" begins financial problems, and Lionel Adams leaves it. The footballer becomes a free agent. Until the end of the transfer window, he could not find a club suitable for his ambitions, so he signed a contract with FC KAMAZ.
During the season, he played only two meetings. The career seemed almost over. However, during the winter off-season, the breeders of the Armenian club "Banants" pay attention to him (the photo below shows his stadium). “Black and yellow” play in the first division and occupy a leading position in it. Lionel Adams stands for the double. Nevertheless, Armenian experts predict a great future for the young man. His aggressive play fits the Banants style.
In addition to his ability to steal the ball, Adams is a fairly fast footballer.
"They handed over bottles to buy bread." The difficult fate of a CSKA student
He started the year in Armenia, continued in China, and ends in Spain. The adventures of the Russian Nigerian continue.
Against the background of his peers from CSKA, he was distinguished not only by his height and plasticity, but also ... by his skin color, atypical for the youth championship. The fans wondered: "What kind of Adams is this, just another legionnaire?" It turned out to be his own, homegrown: a native of St. Petersburg, a graduate of the "army" school. The Russian-Nigerian defender showed promise, was tested by Slutsky, but did not reach the first team. Having thoroughly studied the lower leagues of Russia and the higher one of Armenia, now he is mastering the third division ... of Spain.
"I would sing" Katyusha "!"
- Leo, how did you get there?
- Serceda's coach Tito Ramalho knew me from Armenia. He returned to Spain a year ago, and last summer he called and offered to continue cooperation. I thought, "Why not?" The contract with Banants expired, there were no interesting offers from Russia ...
- Did you wait?
- I waited. In a year and a half I got in good shape, I was in good standing with the coach, I hoped to show myself at least at the level of our first league. Unfortunately, desires do not always coincide with opportunities. Only Ramalho is saving so far.
- There is another one from Banants at Cerced.
- Claudio Torrejón played for the youth national team of Peru, spent six months more than me at Banants. Before accepting Serceda's offer, I made inquiries about the club, city, and league. I understood that it would be difficult in terms of language, communication, but sometimes I had to leave the comfort zone.
- I heard that the homeland did not let go for a long time.
- You yourself know what kind of bureaucracy we have. I had to run around in St. Petersburg by authorities - to issue a police clearance certificate and other papers necessary for a visa. The contract was signed before the closing of the transfer window, and only reached Spain on September 30th. I missed four rounds because of this red tape, all my nerves were frayed. Then I was gaining more shape - it was hard to do it alone. I ran, I went to the gym, but without the ball it’s not the same.
- “Cerseda” has thoroughly prepared for the debut in Segunda-B - they have scored almost two dozen newcomers. How long did you remember each other by name?
- I have a good memory - I got to know everyone in a week. I learned some football slang too. There are no problems on the field - only in everyday life it is still difficult. In Spain, people are not particularly friendly with the English language - even in Russia, it is easier for a foreigner in this regard. But the people for the most part are open, friendly - this is a plus.
- According to midfielder Agullo, you are making progress in Spanish.
- Every day I learn something new, but all the problems - linguistic, everyday, professional - cannot be solved at the same time. Now I am focused on the ball - I hardly ever go even to the city. I walked a couple of times, the rest of the time I train, recover, rest. I think to seriously study the language after the winter break.
- Have your teammates played on linguistic grounds yet?
- We tried. Okay, Spanish is international, I've heard some obscene phrases before. The guys insinuate: tell the waitress something. I answer: "No, no, no, I know what this means!"
- Puta madre?
- And that too. So far, I have not fallen for the bait, but I keep my ears open.
- Was there a rite of passage as a beginner?
- "What is your name?" - that's the whole rite. I didn’t sing songs. Although if he did, maybe they would like it.
- For example?
- "Katyusha", the personification of our homeland.
"Real Madrid's double is the level of our Spartak-2 or Zenit-2"
- In the first four matches with your participation, Cerseda did not score a goal. What is so?
- There are many moments - there is no implementation. We get a goal in the first minutes and only then we wake up and start playing. The championship is specific: whoever misses first can count on a draw. Crazy comebacks, when the team flies 0: 2 and wins 3: 2, do not happen.
- You recently lost to Real Madrid's understudies. Feel the "royal" breed?
- It seems to me that the current generation is much weaker than the one from which Morata and Carvajal came out. Now in "Castilla" there are guys born in 1996-98 - the level of our "Spartak-2" or "Zenith-2". The set game is not traced - there are more individual actions, even foppishness.
- What is Segunda-B?
- The level of the game is about the same as in the FNL, some teams will be even more interesting than ours. "Fuenlabrada" against the base of "Real" one and a half times held in the Cup. There are several second teams - Atlético, Celta, Deportivo, Real.
- Do Serceda have a base?
- We are based at the stadium. The main field, a couple of training sessions, a gym - the conditions are not luxurious, not Vatutinki, but good by the standards of the second league. There are almost no locals in the team - most of them are newcomers, they live in rented apartments. And it's more convenient for me at the base: nothing interferes, they feed, watered.
- Are all exits by bus?
- Yes, the farthest - to Madrid - takes seven hours. After such a trip, the guys groan, hold on to their backs, and I smile. With "Yenisei", it used to take five and a half hours just to Moscow, and then a couple more to the conditional Tyumen. When I told them how much "Luch" was in the air, they looked at me with disbelief. It is hard for the Spaniards to imagine that this is possible! In Segunda-V, the average departure time is an hour or two by bus.
- How do you while away the travel time?
- In this regard, the entire football world is the same: maps, films, books - a standard set. I prefer to read. Now for "A Farewell to Arms" Hemingway took up.
"I would like to play football, and not sit on the ass exactly!"
- Are they paying tolerably?
- Approximately like in PFL. The average salary is around 1000 euros.
- Compared to Armenia, lost in money?
- Not much. $ 500 more, $ 500 less - it doesn't matter now. For food and home to throw off a little - enough. It is more important that the level of the championship is higher than in Armenia. I would like to play football! If it doesn't work out in Russia, you have to show yourself here.
- A year and a half at Banants is not a waste of time?
- Useful in terms of playing practice. The transfer to Yenisei after CSKA knocked me down: I lost a year of football. The defender's position is specific: you always have to play. If a striker comes out and scores, the next three or four matches will almost certainly be in the lineup. And when, in your position in defense, an experienced person comes out and manages without injuries, you rest in reserve without a break. I sat in Krasnoyarsk, I sat in KAMAZ - how long can I ?!
- Why didn't it work out in Yenisei?
- Apparently, the coaches thought they were not ready. Some people still think that I have problems with discipline - so if you want, you can write such nonsense about any player.
- And there were no problems?
- It depends on what to invest in this concept. I was never seen in nightclubs. Maybe the whole point is that I am by nature a cheerful, positive person, I like to joke, laugh.
- Parties?
- If I were a regular in entertainment establishments, I would have ended my career without really starting. Even before graduating from CSKA school. If you went to Spain for a pittance, not knowing the language, this probably means one thing - a person really wants to play football, and not sit, excuse me, on his ass and wait for a chance in Russia. For this reason, I also went to Armenia, and not because they offered a billion euros.
- Do Oleg Mkrtchan and Dzhevan Cheloyants have anything to do with Banants?
- Mkrtchan seems to be gone, but Cheloyants, while I was playing, had.
- He called?
- Roman Askhabadze was engaged in the recruitment. The task was completed - they took the Armenian Cup, entered the Europa League. But then everything fell apart. Askhabadze left, a few months later - Ramalho's coach, and then the turn came to the legionnaires. In the second half of the season, only two foreigners remained - me and the Macedonian Drobarov, now playing in Cyprus.
“It's hard to compete with the Berezutskys and Ignashevichs at the age of 17”
- Slutsky took you to the training camp with a base five years ago. What do you remember?
- First of all, the professional attitude of people to the game and to themselves. There was no hazing, everything was friendly. Wrong - they will prompt, help. The legionnaires were of the highest class - Doumbia, Musa, Sekou, Honda. Objectively, I fell short of this level - that's why it all ended with training camps. It's hard to compete with the Berezutskys and Ignashevichs at the age of 17.
- Did your legs give way from excitement?
- Excitement could have been before the official matches, but I only played friendlies. And in training, you do not need to jitter - you need to train.
- Did Wernbloom get it?
- Only on standards. He is a tough guy, he loves to fight.
- Did you stay together with Musa?
- Why?
- He is Nigerian, you are half, both are newcomers.
- I stayed with the young - Serder Serderov, Petya Ten, Kostya Bazelyuk, Semyon Fedotov. From the clip, I talked more with Zhora Shchennikov and Pasha Mamaev. Alan Dzagoev is a very good guy.
"Fedya always scored, but they didn't believe in Timur." Team of Grishin's pupils
Summing up the seven-year period of work of Alexander Grishin in the CSKA double, we made the national team of his pupils, and the coach commented on it.
- Did you get along with Grishin in the youth team?
- Alexander Grishin is one of the strongest specialists in my life. He will find an approach to everyone! He has "the silence of the lambs" - the footballer does not play, and the coach puts an end to him - it is impossible. He always lucidly explained: why you are not included in the squad, what to do to correct the situation. Therefore, the atmosphere in the team was excellent, and the results were good. Looking back, I understand: I shouldn't have listened to Sergeevich sometimes - youth hit my head ...
- He's also a noble joker.
- Before the games at the base, we went to the bathhouse. They talked, joked. Any topic could be discussed with him. Who are we to him? Boys, 17-18 years old. But in the doubles distance it was not felt at all. At the same time, the level of respect for the coach was such that no one even dared to snap back during the training process.
- In your presence, Grishin kicked out the guy who kicked the maid out of the foreign training camp?
- It seems not, but I'm not surprised: the discipline was at the highest level. It is not for nothing that Sergeich now heads the youth team, and Zhamaletdinov, Kuchaev, Makarov, Golovin play at the heart of CSKA. Everyone went through it.
- Who was considered the coolest in your "youth team"?
- In 1993-94, probably Gela Zaseev. He was a very promising player, with technique, with a pass, with "football" brains, character. But I left for "Alania" and faced exactly the same problems as me - distrust of young people. The man missed a year, lost his condition, confidence and in the end received a serious injury, after which he did not return to the previous level.
- Was Golovin in the "youth team" absolutely feeble?
- There was a noticeable perspective in him, and it's good that he was given a chance. Sasha quickly went up: he won the youth Euro with the national team, got into a double. Looking at him, one might think that he did not come from Siberia, but for many years he studied at the best academies in Russia. There were a lot of young people in CSKA before, but few of them grew together: leases, injuries. I am very glad that Golovin started playing and the other guys from the double are now getting chances in their home club.
10 coolest students of CSKA
We remember the most successful pupils of the CSKA school over the past 20 years.
- Did many of your classmates quit football?
- From school - 80 percent, and from a double, many are already at the end of their careers. At 23-24 years old ...
- Where are they going?
- Most are still running somewhere - some in the LFL, some in the second league. I do not know of such examples for someone to get a prestigious job.
"Sometimes they cut from the shoulder and don't give a second chance"
- On whose initiative did you leave CSKA?
- The agent said that there is an option with "Rostov". I was sure that everything was discussed with the leadership of CSKA. It turned out - no. As a result, I did not fly to the training camp with the “army” youth team, nor did I go to Rostov. I got to the Yenisei.
- For rent?
- No, I broke the contract with CSKA. Parting with the home team was not pleasant.
- Are you sorry?
- There are many things to regret. If I had acted differently somewhere, perhaps they would have treated me differently, entered into a position. And sometimes they cut from the shoulder and don't give a second chance. Also, sticks can be inserted into the wheels in advance ...
- Have you been inserted?
- I don't want to develop the topic, but I think that I could already play in Russia at a higher level. However, I don't play.
- How did you get to the Universiade?
- I was looking for a club when the Strogino coach called and offered to play. Naturally, he agreed - not every day is the honor to represent Russia at a major tournament.
- What university did you present there?
- MGAFK. But in general, the institute binding was conditional. The Uruguayan national team, for example, had an average age of 26, the Italians were all from Serie C, the third professional league.
- Have you had any adventures in Taipei?
- In this heat, you only think about recovery: you lose three kilograms per game and then you sleep off for a day. There was nothing funny. I remember only the opening and closing - as if I had been to the Olympic Games. Very cool!
- Did your friends urge you about victories over Argentina, Brazil, Italy?
- They joked that this team should be sent to the World Cup ( laughs). Dreams Dreams…
"Father abandoned us when I was five years old."
- Do you know Brian Idovu?
- Since childhood. He also started in St. Petersburg's Smena, two years older, our parents were in contact for some time. I will not say that we are friends, brothers, but we communicate. Congratulated him on his debut for the Nigeria national team and a goal for Argentina.
- Have you ever faced such a choice - Russia or Nigeria?
- In order for it to appear, you need to light up at a high level. I don't think Nigeria has heard of footballer Adams from Russia.
- Do we have communities of Russian Nigerians?
- Yes, but I have never looked for friends "by blood".
Photo: from the personal archive of Lionel Adams
- How did your parents find each other?
- My father came from Nigeria to St. Petersburg to study. We met at the medical institute.
- Are they your doctors?
- Yes, my mother works as a nurse.
- And the father?
- He left us when I was five years old. Where is he, what is he, I'm not interested.
- Did your mom raise you and your brother alone?
- Yes, and I am immensely grateful to her for that.
- It seems that childhood was not cloudless.
- Yeah. It is not easy for us even now. Brother for a year and a half "out of the game" because of McLaren's report (Lucman Adams is the first black athlete in the history of the Russian national team; specialization - triple jump. - Approx. "Championship")... I missed all the main starts - the Olympics, the World and European Championships. And no progress. People just sit and wait ...
- What hardships did you experience in childhood?
- I played in torn boots for a year - there was no money for new ones. But the hardest thing, of course, was for mom - to pull two dark, wild-growing guys for a modest salary.
- Did you help?
- My brother handed out leaflets near the metro. Together they handed over bottles, waste paper to buy chewing gum or a loaf of bread after a day of running around in the yard.
- How did peers in St. Petersburg react to the swarthy boy?
- Children attack those in whom they feel vulnerability. And since I never made myself weak and was generally quite a strong fellow, no one bullied me. Fortunately, in my adult life, I also did not come across violent manifestations of racism or nationalism.
"Television zombies and incites hatred"
- Do you feel more like a Russian or a Nigerian in your soul?
- I was born here, grew up, got an education. Of course, I have the mentality of a Russian person.
- For the Spaniards, when meeting, I suppose, the pattern breaks.
- Many are surprised: how is it, from Russia - and suddenly a black man ?! Situations can be funny.
- What do they say?
- They are just joking, absolutely harmless. In Europe, Russians are generally treated well. This television zombies and incites hatred on one side or the other, but people are the same everywhere.
Olympiastadion (Munich, Germany). Opened in 1972. Accommodates 69,250 spectators.
The final match of the first UEFA Champions League draw of the 1992/93 season took place at the Munich Olympic Stadium. “Marseille” and “Milan” fought for the trophy. The meeting, which took place on May 23, 1993, ended with the victory of the French team with a score of 1: 0.
The Munich arena hosted the second final of the main club tournament in Europe in 1997. In that match, Borussia Dortmund beat Juventus 3: 1.
Olympic Stadium (Athens, Greece). Opened in 1982, renovated in 2002-2004. Accommodates 69 618 spectators.
The Olympic stadium in the capital of Greece can be called a lucky one for Milan. After losing in the final of the 1992/93 season, the Italian club again reached the decisive stage of the tournament the following year, where they defeated Barcelona 4-0.
Thirteen years later, the Rossoneri again entered the Athens Olympic Stadium as a trophy contender, and again they managed to win, this time over Liverpool - 2: 1.
Ernst Happel Stadion (Vienna, Austria). Opened in 1931, reconstructed twice - in 1986 and 2008. Accommodates 55,665 spectators.
The arena in the Austrian capital hosted the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League final, with AC Milan competing for the third time in a row. Like two years earlier, the Italians lost 0-1, but this time to Ajax.
"Stadio Olimpico" (Italy, Rome). Opened in 1937, the last reconstruction was carried out in 1989-1990. Accommodates 72 698 spectators.
In the 1995/96 season, Ajax arrived in Rome as the current winner of the Champions League, but the Dutch club failed to defend their title. Already in the first half of the match with Juventus, the teams exchanged goals, after which they brought matters to a penalty shootout. “Bianconeri” were more accurate and won the main club trophy in Europe.
The Olympic Stadium in Rome won the right to host the 2008/09 Champions League final again, but this time the local teams failed to make it to the decisive stage of the tournament. The trophy this year was won by Barcelona, beating Manchester United 2-0.
"Amsterdam Arena" (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Opened in 1996. Accommodates 54,990 spectators.
The stadium, which now bears the name of Johan Cruyff, hosted the Champions League final just two years after opening. In May 1998, Real Madrid and Juventus met at the Amsterdam Arena. The match ended with a score of 1: 0 in favor of the Madrid club.
Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain). Opened in 1957, reconstructed twice - in 1995 and 2008. Accommodates 99 354 spectators.
Barcelona's stadium has seen many memorable matches, but the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League final stands alone. That meeting between “Bavaria” and “Manchester United” can be called legendary without exaggeration. The Germans took the lead already in the 6th minute and controlled the course of the game until the last minutes, but two goals scored by the Mancunians in stoppage time in the second half brought the victory to Manchester United.
"Stade de France" (Saint-Denis, France). Opened in 1998. Accommodates 81,338 spectators.
The arena, built on the outskirts of Paris, was the venue for the Champions League final for the 1999/2000 season for the first time. Meeting “Real” and “Valencia” ended with a confident victory of the Madrid club with a score of 3: 0. This was the first time in the history of the Champions League that clubs from the same country played in the final.
6 years later, in the 2005/06 season, Barcelona and Arsenal competed for the trophy at Stade de France. Londoners, from the 18th minute playing in the minority after the removal of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, but in the second half goals from Samuel Eto “O and Juliano Belletti brought victory to the Catalans - 2: 1.
"San Siro" (Milan, Italy). Opened in 1926. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1989. Accommodates 80,018 spectators.
Stadium "San Siro" was renamed in honor of Giuseppe Meazza in 1979, but the historical name of the arena remains the most popular and recognizable all over the world. The Champions League final has been played here twice.
In the 2000/01 season, Bayern Munich and Valencia played a dramatic match in Milan, in which the 11-meter kicks played the main role. Already in the 2nd minute, Gaisk Mendieta brought the Spaniards ahead from the penalty spot, and after 4 minutes the goalkeeper of the “Bats” Santiago Canisares deflected the 11-meter kick performed by Mehmet Scholl. At the beginning of the second half, Stefan Effenberg equalized the score from the penalty spot, and the fate of the match was decided in a series of post-match strikes, in which Bayern's players were more precise.
15 years later, in May 2016, Real Madrid and Atlético in the same arena almost exactly repeated the scenario of the game of Bayern and Valencia. Regular time also ended with a score of 1: 1, in extra time the teams failed to distinguish themselves, and the “Royal Club” won in the penalty shootout.
Hampden Park (Glasgow, Scotland). Opened in 1903. Renovated in 1999. Accommodates 51,866 spectators.
Real Madrid and Bayer 04 entered Hampden Park in the Champions League final in May 2002, and six months later the arena celebrated its 99th anniversary. The match itself ended with a score of 2: 1 in favor of “Real” and was remembered for the most beautiful goal of Zinedine Zidane from the penalty area.
Old Trafford (Manchester, England). Opened in 1910. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2006. Accommodates 74,879 spectators.
The second final in modern UEFA Champions League history involving teams from the same country took place in the 2002/2003 season. V decisive match tournament, which took place in Manchester, met Milan and Juventus. The main and extra time ended with a score of 0: 0, and in the penalty shootout, Milan won the victory with an accurate shot from Andriy Shevchenko.
"Veltins-Arena" (Gelsenkirchen, Germany). Opened in 2001. The last time the capacity of the stadium was increased in 2015, today it is 62,271 people.
The arena has been bearing its current name since summer 2005, earlier it was called Aufschalke Arena. The stadium hosted matches of the World Cup and ice hockey. Since 2002, the annual Christmas Biathlon Stars Race has been held here.
The 2004 Champions League final, held in Gelsenkirkhin, is one of the most memorable for Russian fans, as one of the goals was scored by Dmitry Alenichev. The Porto midfielder has set the final score of the match against AS Monaco (3-0). The Portuguese team at that time was led by Jose Mourinho, who became the youngest head coach in history to win the main club trophy in Europe.
Olympic Stadium (Istanbul, Turkey). Opened in 2002. Accommodates 80,500 spectators.
The stadium in Istanbul was built for the alleged holding of the 2008 Summer Olympics, but Turkey's bid did not receive the required number of votes, and the Olympics took place in Beijing. Currently, the arena in Istanbul is named after the first President of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and is the largest in the country.
The 2005 Istanbul Champions League final is arguably the greatest in tournament history. In the decisive match, Milan beat Liverpool 3-0 after the first half, but goals from Gerrard, Schmitzer and Alonso turned everything upside down in the second half. There were no goals scored in extra time, and the British club turned out to be stronger in the penalty shootout.
Luzhniki (Moscow, Russia). Opened in 1956. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2017. Accommodates 81,000 spectators.
For the first time, Russia won the right to host the 2007/08 Champions League final, and this honorable mission was entrusted to the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United fought for the trophy, the first time two English teams faced off in a Champions League decisive match.
The game caused great excitement among fans both in England and in Russia, more than 67 thousand spectators were present in the stands. In the middle of the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo brought Manchester United forward, but just before the break, Frank Lampard equalized the score. The second half and extra time passed without goals scored, and in the penalty shootout, the Mankunians were more precise.
"Santiago Bernabeu" (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1947. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2001. Accommodates 81,044 spectators.
The home arena of one of the most successful clubs in modern football has hosted the Champions League final only once - in the 2009/10 season, but this so far only match has gone down in history.
In the Madrid final, Inter and Bayern Munich met. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the Italian club, and Jose Mourinho, who was working with the Nerazzurri at the time, became the third coach in history who managed to win the Champions Cup with two different teams (now there are five of them: in addition to the Portuguese Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti).
An interesting fact is that in the final of 2010 there was only one Italian in the Milanese - Marco Materazzi, and even he appeared on the field in the 90th minute of the match.
Wembley (London, England). Opened in 2007. Accommodates 90,000 spectators.
The new Wembley is built on the site of the legendary arena that hosted the matches of the World and European Championships, Olympic Games and many European Cup finals.
The 2010/11 Champions League final, which took place at the new Wembley, was in some sense a home for Manchester United, but it didn't help the Mancunians win the trophy. Barcelona, led by the trio Xavi - Iniesta - Messi, won 3-1.
In 2013, Wembley hosted the first German Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The victory and the cup were brought to the Bavarians by the accurate blow of Arjen Robben, who in the 89th minute set the final score - 2: 1.
Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany). Opened in 2005. Accommodates 67,812 spectators.
The decisive match of the 2011/12 Champions League season was the first final of the tournament, which took place at the home stadium of one of the participants in the meeting - Bayern hosted Chelsea in Munich. The account was opened only in the 83rd minute after hitting the hosts striker Thomas Muller, but five minutes later the leader of the attacks of Londoners Didier Drogba restored the balance.
The fate of the trophy was decided in a penalty shootout. “Bayern” again took the lead after an accurate shot by Philip Lam and a miss by Juan Mata, but then the players of the guests realized all their attempts, while the players of the German team made two misfires. Thus, Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Millennium (Cardiff, Wales). Opened in 1999. Accommodates 73 930 spectators.
The home arena of the Wales national team was opened at the turn of the millennium, having received the corresponding name, but in 2016 the stadium received a new name - Principality Stadium, which, with a certain amount of imagination, can simply be translated as "Princely Stadium", since Wales is part of the United Kingdom, and the Queen's son Elizabeth II Charles bears the title of Prince of Wales.
But back to the Champions League. The final of the main club tournament in Europe took place here in 2017, with Real and Juventus participating in that match. Madrid won 4: 1 and won the second Champions League title in a row, and football fans will remember that meeting with the super goal of the Turin striker Mario Mandzhukic.
Metropolitano (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1994. Renovated in 2017. Accommodates 67,700 spectators.
Liverpool and Tottenham met in the 2019 Champions League final. The final was the first in history for Tottenham and the first since the final in 2013, where at least one Spanish club did not play. Liverpool, reaching the final for the second time in a row, won the match 2-0. Jurgen Klopp won the trophy in his third Champions League final as head coach.
