At a time when some events are banning phones to ensure the audience is properly engaged in the experience, the perceived success of the new Champions League format was instead captured by the image of Aston Villa and Club Brugge players huddled around various devices anxiously checking the scores in Barcelona and Zagreb to see if they’d made the top eight and play-offs respectively.
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Wednesday’s scenes at Villa Park and the Etihad Stadium had a palpable charm to them. Here was a modern twist on transistor radios being held to one ear, game-states being passed by word of mouth followed by cheers or curses, progress or elimination. This was presented
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