Comments on: Is There Any Room for Mercy in Football?

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:28:21 +0000

I feel for Sporting, I do … it sucks for their fans to see their team dismantled. But that’s the risk of the highest level of competition. Along with the glory comes the humiliation of losses like this. If I was on the losing end of this one, the only thing more humiliating than losing 12-1 would be to be rescued by a mercy rule. There are mercy rules in my Sunday indoor league, and at that level perhaps it makes some sense – not for the Champions League. I say good for Bayern (and the lucky Bayern fans that saw it), and hopefully Sporting will do better next time.

By: Juliet

Juliet — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:59:24 +0000

I think this topic has come up because Sporting is new to the CL and not a European powerhouse. No one really dislikes Sporting because they’re not so well known — so it’s easier to feel a bit sorry for them. If Bayern had done this to Inter or ManU, I don’t think we’d have felt as bad for the other team, and certainly some people would be overjoyed. :)

Though I do feel bad for Sporting, regardless of who they are, both teams have a responsibility to take their jobs seriously. ManU and Roma took their jobs seriously a few years ago, and Roma ended up on the wrong end of 7-1, but I don’t remember a mercy discussion around that result.

Bayern had stated that the game was a sellout and they didn’t want to cheat their fans of their money by sending out a complete B team. The XI was a mix of regulars (Klose, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Van Bommel) and benchwarmers (Butt, Van Buyten). They did take out some of the first-teamers to sub in more benchwarmers — such as the young (excellent) Muller for Schweinsteiger. Landon Donovan has already returned to the U.S., so he couldn’t have played and I’m not sure he was registered for the CL, anyway.

By: Jose

Jose — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:41:56 +0000

It would have been dishonest for Bayern to play anything less than their best…

By: SP

SP — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:38:51 +0000

football is about the fans. the fans come to watch football. bayern played football. sporting deserved what they got so i don’t see how bayern are to blame in this.

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:36:27 +0000

Nobody’s mentioned that whatever many thousand fans payed for a knockout Champions League match, which I suppose is a lot for some people. I don’t care if my team is already 5-0 up, I wouldn’t want to see them play eleven men behind the ball for ninety minutes because they’re already through.

By: Jan

Jan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:53:32 +0000

I’d like to point some things:

1. First and foremost: Bayern put Lell and Ottl into their starting line-up which is the equivalent to a “mercy rule” for the opponent in my opinion.

2. If there is one player in football, who could actually benefit from proving his “manhood” a little more then it’s Klose. He usually spends the whole season in the kitchen cooking for Luca Toni and now Toni doesn’t even like his meals any more and refuses half of them. It’s time for a bit of male-emancipation.

3. Donovan was either on a plane to or already in LA taking checking out his new watch.

4. Bayern basically used up any player available in their squad who wasn’t injured or rested. They have a small 21 man squad, Toni, Ribery, Kraft, Altintop were out injured and Rensing, Oddo and Demichelis were rested while Tim Borowski (as many Bayern fans will tell you) doesn’t deserve to play for Bayern and thus was also “rested”. Every other available player was on the pitch yesterday, whether you call it a B team or not.

5. Between four or five of Bayern’s seven goals were directly and indirectly scored by Sporting players, there was nothing Bayern could do about that.

6. I’m not a fan of this club, so as far as I’m concerned they don’t really need to win games. But if I channel all my empathy and put myself into Bayern’s current position, then they actually needed this. Klinsmann/Bayern were under big pressure ahead of the first leg against Sporting, the pressure slightly eased after the game, but following once again disappointing league and cup performances the pressure was even stronger. So the club actually needs to get some positive momentum going.

By: Shadi

Shadi — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:42:04 +0000

If Sporting feel they are not up to the champions league level they shouldn’t participate from the beginning,end of story.

By: Abby

Abby — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:02:04 +0000

They have plenty to prove in the league, though, Al. (Not that I want them to.) The Bundesliga is incredibly tight, Bayern are struggling, and they need this sort of confidence boost.

By: Al

Al — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:39:25 +0000

That definitely wasn’t a Bayern B team playing the match. I agree with the previous poster: they had nothing left to prove. They could have been nice and played Landon Donovan instead of Poldi, that would be enough mercy for Sporting, two goals less scored.

By: Revalesq

Revalesq — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:20:15 +0000

The key is- Klose scored one of the final goals- etc. To keep top people in and risk injury just so they can prove how hot they are is disgraceful. Not a little kids game- huh? Sticking your tongue out at the other side to show how manly you are is definite 5 year old behavior. When they lose the Bundesliga I will laugh. Perhaps one day they will even be able to defeat San Marino- congrats!