Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has hailed the domination of German teams, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, over current powerhouses in European football, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in the semifinal matches of the UEFA Champions League at the Heineken Champions Planet in Lagos.

Many of the guests viewing the semifinal matches at the Heineken Champions Planet were surprised by the scores but the former Super Eagles striker noted to the large gathering during the interactive session that, “It is a power shift from La liga to the Bundesliga.”
He further stated that “The combined final score in those two first-leg fixtures tells a tale of German greatness, Spanish stagnation and a significant shift in power among Europe’s elite on the football field. The Bundesliga has handed a harsh lesson to the Primera Division today and it is now Bayern and Dortmund who look set to rule on the continent, not Barcelona or Real Madrid,” said Siasia.

Like it happened last season, when the semifinal draw was made earlier in the month, most guests to the Heineken Champions Planet were quick to predict an all-Spanish Classico clash at Wembley in May. Only few, it seemed, held out much hope for an all-German Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s a huge burden for the Spanish giants to cope with. Although football is highly unpredictable, the outcome of these matches to me seems to have been won in the first leg. The Germans have been able to practically secure the result from the home leg, it would not be easy for Real Madrid and Barcelona to cancel the deficit without conceding goals,” Siasia observed.

The former Nigerian coach who is not a first time visitor to the Heineken Champions Planet was delighted to mix freely with his fans in the ambient environment. “This is a huge transformation from what I admired three seasons ago when I used to come here. Heineken has created a near-stadium environment that gives football fans in the country a direct link with the most glamorous club competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League.

Siasia, who vacated the position as the national team coach following the failure to qualify the Super Eagles for the African Cup of Nations in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea in 2012 further said, “I feel highly honored to be here as I enjoy the quality interaction with many of my fans who even inquired to know what I have been doing since I disengaged from my post as the Super Eagles coach. I am further compelled by some of them to remain in the country and contribute to the grass root development of football and ensure that many more Nigerian youths have the opportunity play football for some of the best clubs in the world.”

Siasia’s interactive moment on a match day of the UEFA Champions League during the week, made him the sixth Legend to grace the alluring Heineken Champions Planet as the likes of Christian Chukwu, Austin Eguavoen, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, and Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi have been around to thrill guests in the ongoing season.