Europa League

The 2018-19 AC Milan Europa League campaign is back in business thanks to a ruling Friday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But now it has us wondering if this spells the end of Financial Fair Play in Europe. 

AC Milan qualified for the Europa League based on its sixth-place finish in Serie A. However, due to Financial Fair Play improprieties, the club was banned from European competition. But now it appears FFP is meaningless in the wake of the CAS ruling. 

As most everyone expected, Antoine Griezmann and his Atletico Madrid teammates to comfortably disposed of Marseille in the Europa League final in Lyon. After Marseille attacker Valere Germain scuffed an early chance from 10 yards out, the writing was on the wall.

That was Marseille's opportunity to make it interesting, as Atletico eased to a 3-0 win behind a Griezmann brace and its stingy defense. 

In attendance was a pair of Atletico fans who had traveled to Lyon 32 years prior to see the 1986 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final between Dynamo Kyiv and Atletico.

Arsene Wenger is on his way out at Arsenal and it seems the Gunners don’t want to quite give up some of the old Wenger ways. Slapstick defending that harkened back to Arsenal’s worst years under Wenger cost Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid in the semifinal first leg in the Europa League on Thursday at Emirates Stadium in London. 

Oh sure, the little Champions League was kinda entertaining this week, what with Roma beating Barcelona and Real Madrid holding off Juventus. But the 6-5 FC Salzburg comeback against Lazio in the Europa League on Thursday made all the drama from Tuesday and Wednesday look like child’s play. 

Let’s just get this straight — we don’t know what we just saw, but we know we liked it. Arsenal cruised to a 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow in the Europa League quarterfinal first leg on Thursday thanks to an absolutely absurd Aaron Ramsey goal.

To set the stage, Ramsey had already put the Gunners ahead with a goal in the ninth minute only for Aleksandr Golovin to equalize six minutes later with a brilliant free kick. Alexandre Lacazette restored Arsenal’s advantage with a penalty kick but the Gunners weren’t done.

Add another zero to Antoine Griezmann’s transfer fee. After the Atletico Madrid forward leads France to 2018 World Cup glory while winning the tournament’s Golden Boot, he will now cost either Barcelona, Manchester United or PSG roughly sixty-eight trillion dollars. 

It’s a princely sum to pay, but as showcased here and on the evidence of last five years of European football, it’s totally worth it. The Greasy Spice is the man your club needs, the man your father wishes you were and the boyfriend everyone wishes they had.