History

The greatest Romanian footballer of all-time, Gheorghe Hagi, has still got it — the "it" in his case being all-seeing assists that are weighted like californium and the ability to absolutely crack one at the age of 57.

On Sunday at Cluj Arena, a large crowd gathered to salute the career of the country's other favored footballing son, Adrian Mutu, as a Romania Stars team took on a World Stars side coached by Cesare Prandelli.

To look at the history of American soccer is to look at a series of poor investments, aging player, and over-ambitious owners. They all had a vision of what soccer could be in the states, but most ended up in the graveyard that we currently stand on.

First came the NASL. Founded in 1968, it spent like a major league, and attendances occasionally reflected that, but its ambitions were not sustainable compared to its actual growth.

The Champions League — formerly the European Cup — is the premier club soccer competition in the world, annually anointing a new champion to the team in Europe able to navigate a gauntlet of matches to reign supreme. The Champions League list of winners is a history of club football at its best — the teams that defined eras as much as any World Cup winner. 

Four years ago, Gareth Bale scored a sensational bicycle kick to win his team a Champions League title under the lights of the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine. That sentence is as impossible as ever in 2022. Perhaps it’s worth looking back at the players who took part in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final and see where they are now.

2018 Champions League Final Players — Where Are They Now?

Liverpool 2018 Champions League Players

GK — Loris Karius