|
|
[이데일리 스타in 이석무 기자] After 15 years, the quarterfinals of the European Football Federation (UEFA) Champions League (UCL) without Menaldo (Mesh + Ronaldo) were reached. The era of the two players, who have dominated world football for a long time, is also gradually coming to an end.
FC Barcelona (Spain), led by Lionel Messi, drew 1-1 in the 2nd leg of the 2020-21 UCL Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG, France) held at Parc des Princes in Paris, France on the 11th (Korean time).
Barcelona needed to win more than three goals to advance to the quarterfinals, but the match didn’t work out as desired. Rather, Killian Mbafe (PSG), who allowed a hat-trick in the first leg, scored the opening goal with a penalty kick in the 31st minute. To make matters worse, in the extra time in the first half, the penalty kick filled with Messi was blocked by PSG goalkeeper Keyler Navas.
Barcelona, which reached the UCL quarterfinals for 13 consecutive seasons before this tournament, failed to cross the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Messi, who has been active only in Barcelona since his professional debut, also resigned early from the’Stars Feast’ for the first time after his debut in Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team Juventus (Italy) was also caught in Porto (Portugal) and tasted the bitterness of the dropout. Juventus won 3-2 in the home game of the second leg of the round of 16 held the day before. However, losing 1-2 in the 1st game expedition ended up getting an ankle. The first and second games totaled 4-4, but Porto won the quarter-final ticket according to the principle of multi-scoring away.
In particular, Ronaldo finished the contest bitterly in the second leg of the round of 16, receiving criticism for his passive defense that turned his back on the opponent’s free kick. It has been 16 years since the 2004-05 season that the UCL quarterfinals will be played with both Messi and Ronaldo missing.
It is no exaggeration to say that Ronaldo and Messi are the history of UCL. Ronaldo scored 135 goals and Messi scored 120 goals, ranking first and second in his career. Ronaldo has won the UCL five times and has been the top scorer seven times. Messi wore a Barcelona uniform and reached the top of the UCL four times. The only time in the history of the tournament has been scoring for 17 consecutive seasons since 2005.
However, no matter how best I am, the passage of time cannot be helped. Messi was born in 1987 and is 34 years old, and Ronaldo is born in 1985 and is 36 years old. In terms of age alone, it is no exaggeration to say that both players have long passed their heyday as soccer players.
Young and new stars are rising on behalf of Messi and Ronaldo, who are already in their mid-30s. 23-year-old Mbafe (PSG) and 21-year-old Erlan Holland (Dortmund) scored goals, leading their team to the quarterfinals.
Holland scored four consecutive multi-goals in the match between Club Bruges (Belgium) and UCL Group F in Group F in Group F in November of last year, and has established itself as the leading role of the new UCL. He scored a whopping 10 goals in six UCL matches this season, leading the goal alone.
Mbafedo scored a hat-trick in the first leg of the round of 16 against Barcelona, followed by a penalty kick in the second leg, leading Messi’s departure directly. With this goal, he broke the record held by Messi (22 years and 286 days) at the age of 22 and 80 days and achieved the youngest UCL goals ever.