UEFA Champions League - Unofficial blog

2008/2009 Champions League Draw

2008-07-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

According to the UEFA, Fenerbahce, which was a quarterfinalist in the Champions League last season, was drawn against MTK Budapest on Tuesday for the 2008-09 Champions League.

The draw for the first two qualifying rounds was held, and Fenerbahce was among 14 teams given byes into the second round of qualifying on July 29-30 and Aug. 5-6. UEFA Cup finalists Glasgow Rangers is one of the other teams given a bye.

AS we know, the Champions League qualifying stages begin with the first round on July 15-16 and July 22-23. The 14 winners advance to the second round to fill out the 28- team stage.

The second qualifying round winners will advance to the third qualifying round, where they will be joined by another 18 teams, with the draw on Aug. 1. The 32 clubs involved will then compete in 16 fixtures for the right to follow the 16 automatic qualifiers into the group stage.

This season's final will be played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on May 27, 2009.

Following are the first and second round qualifying draws:

First qualifying round draw:

Linfield (Northern Ireland) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) Valetta (Malta) vs. Artmedia Petrzalka (Slovakia) Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) vs. NSI Runavik (Faroe Islands) 4 Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs. Kaunus (Lithuania) Murata (San Marino) vs. IFK Goteborg (Sweden) Llanelli (Wales) vs. Ventspils (Latvia) Anorthosis Famugusta (Cyprus) vs. Pyunik (Armenia) FK Inter Baki (Azerbaijan) vs. Rabotnicki (Macedonia) Tampere United (Finland) vs. Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) F91 Dudelange (Luxemborg) vs. Domzale (Slovenia) Dinamo Tirana (Albania) vs. FK Modrica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Aktobe (Kasakhstan) vs. Sheriff (Moldova) Drogheda United (Ireland) vs. Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) FC BATE Borisov (Belarus) vs. Valur (Iceland)

Second qualifying round draw:

Rangers (Scotland) vs. FC Santa Coloma-FBK Kaunus winner SK Brann (Norway) vs. Llanelli-Ventspils winner FK Inter Baki-Rabotnicki winner vs. Partizan (Serbia) Tampere United-Buducnost Podgorica winner vs. Valetta-Artmedia Petrzalka winner Anorthosis Famugusta-Pyunik winner vs. Rapid Vienna (Austria) F91 Dudelange-Domzale winner vs. Linfield-Dinamo Zagreb winner Panathinaikos (Greece) vs. Dinamo Tbilisi-NSI Runavik winner Murata-IFK Goteborg winner vs. Basel (Switzerland) Aktobe-Sheriff winner vs. Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) Drogheda United-Levadia Tallinn vs. FC Dinamo Kyiv (Ukraine) RSC Anderlecht (BEL) vs. FC BATE Borisov-Valur winner Beitar Jerusalem FC (Israel) vs. Wisla Krakow (Poland) Fenerbahce (TUR) vs. Budapest (Hungary) Aalborg (Denmark) vs. Dinamo Tirana-FK Modrica winner

Harry Kewell moves to Turkey

2008-07-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's far removed from the glamour and millions of dollars you normally associate with the best football competitions in the world such as the English Premiership, Spain's Liga and Italy's Serie A.

In keeping with his profile in football, australian star Harry Kewell was linked with a move to any number of clubs in those competitions. As recently as last week he was reportedly on the verge of signing with Italian club AS Roma.

However Turkey is going to be Kewell's new home after he ended the protracted guessing game over his future by signing a three-year deal with Turkish champion FC Galatasaray.

Indeed, Kewell, who was released by Liverpool at the end of the recently completed English season, made one of the biggest decisions of his career by steering in a direction that has served a number of Australian internationals well over the years.

They include Josip Skoko (Genclerbirligi SK, 2003-05), Nick Carle (Genclerbirligi OFTAS 2007-08), Michael Petkovic (Trabzonspor, 2002-05 and Sivasspor, 2005-08) and Mile Sterjovski (Genclerbirligi OFTAS, 2007). Recently capped Socceroos forward Bruce Djite has signed with Genclerbirligi SK.

Despite that, none of those clubs can compare in terms of prestige to Galatasaray, which is regarded as a giant of Turkish football.

Along with Fenerbache, the Lions, as they are known, have won the Turkcell Super League a record 17 times, but it is a club which fancies mixing it with the super powers of Europe.

While the Turkish competition does not have automatic entry to the Champions League -- the Turkish champion enters in the third qualifying round and the runner-up in the second round -- Galatasaray has featured regularly in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

The club's biggest success came when it beat Arsenal in a penalty shoot-out in the UEFA Cup final in 1999-2000, becoming the first Turkish club to win a major European title. That year it also beat Real Madrid in the Super Cup.

It's important to mention that Galatasaray has failed just once in the past 10 years to make it to Europe and this is obviously one of the main reasons Kewell has joined the club. It will be interesting to see how Kewell, who values his privacy, copes with the different lifestyle in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and the most populated in Europe and the third most populated in the world.

Indeed, he has spent all his football life in England, having gone to Leeds as a 15-year-old in 1995 and spending eight years there before joining Liverpool in a much heralded move in 2003.

But Liverpool FC never saw the best of the attacking midfielder because of a series of injuries.

Kewell, 29, was hammered by sections of the English media which claimed he failed to deliver for Liverpool and the money the club had spent on him had virtually gone down the drain.

As we know, Liverpool FC made a token gesture to keep him at the end of the season, but it was never going to be enough and he left the club on a free transfer.

Celebrations at FC Porto: The club will not be banned for the next Champions League Season

2008-06-22T00:54:00.000-07:00

Portuguese club FC Porto are set to play in next season's European Champions League, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported on Monday, despite an initial UEFA decision to bar them for being found guilty in a match-fixing scandal.

European football's ruling body UEFA overturned their own decision to ban the 2004 continental champions from next season's Champions League on Friday just because of a procedural error but shelved the decision on whether they could play in the 2008/09 season.

In fact, Porto won this season's Portuguese league easily to automatically qualify for the group stages.

Lusa, quoting an unnamed UEFA official, added that the European body would only re-examine the case if the club was sanctioned by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

The national federation, however, are not set to look into the case, involving the attempted corruption of referees, before the start of the 2008/09 edition of club football's richest and most prestigious competition, UEFA claimed.

The UEFA official, quoted by Lusa, said: "In the case that the matter is not looked into by the Portuguese federation before the start of the Champions League (2008/09 competition), it will not be studied by UEFA's disciplinary commission." This effectively means Porto would be free to compete.

But the press office of the Portuguese federation said later on Monday they had not communicated to UEFA any particular time scale for the re-examining of the affair.

The FPF, which received a fax of UEFA's decision on Monday, overturning an initial ruling to exclude Porto from next season's Champions League, said it was UEFA themselves who came to these conclusions (that the case would not be re-examined in Portugal till the start of next season's competition).

UEFA wrote, according to the FPF, that because of "the complexity of the matter, it would be difficult for (Portuguese) judicial sporting governing body to take any decision before the start of the competition." The draw takes place on August 1.

The internet site of sporting daily A Bola quoted William Gaillard, advisor to UEFA president Michel Platini, saying a possible exclusion of Porto from the competition could happen no earlier than the 2009/2010 season.

UEFA barred Porto from next season's competition on May 9 after the disciplinary commission of the Portuguese league found them guilty and fined the club 150,000 euros, docked them six points and suspended the club's president Jorge Pinto da Costa for two years for their part in events dating back to 2004.

Porto were assured of winning this year's league title by 14 points, even with the six-point penalty, and the club decided not to appeal the league's sanction.

AS we know, Porto's exclusion would have meant third-placed Vitoria Guimaraes qualified directly for the group stages and Benfica had a berth in the third qualifying round.

Despite that, UEFA decided to overturn their decision to ban Porto and to refer the matter back to the Portuguese sporting authorities for re-examination because of an initial procedural error.

It's important to mention that UEFA believed Vitoria Guimaraes and Benfica, who finished third and fourth in the league, should, along with Porto, have also come before the Portuguese authorities.

Champions League Final in Moscow will be like a War, but Capello takes caution measures

2008-05-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

The five-star hotel in Hertfordshire used by the England National Team in the build-up to internationals, could be the custodians of some prized possessions by the end of the week. Along with the mobile phones, flip-flops and shorts banned by italian coach Fabio Capello, the footballers of Chelsea FC and Manchester United have agreed to leave their Champions League winner’s medals at home for fear of upsetting their teammates, with any transgressors to have their loot confiscated immediately. No mercy.

Talented winger Joe Cole is ready to go to war with United in Moscow on Wednesday, but has already brokered a peace treaty that will come into force when they report for international duty on Friday in preparation for the friendly internationals against the United States squad at Wembley on May 28 and Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain four days later. Having half-a-dozen or so England internationals playing in the Moscow Champions League final is a source of pride, but also causes certain problems.

“They know I love them, but Wednesday night will be a war,” Joe Cole assured. “But whoever wins wins, and it’s difficult. You can’t have banter about it because we meet up with England two days later. You have to be dignified in win and defeat.

“In fact, you just can’t go running round with a Champions League medal round your neck at The Grove, either. We’ve had a little word about it already. We’ve said we wouldn’t do that.”

Such taunting would be surely too much to bear for those on the losing team, particularly for those, such as Jow Cole, who are looking forward to playing in the most important match of their career. “It will be the biggest thrill of my life to play in a Champions League final and to hopefully go and win it will be cracking,” he expressed. “I can’t wait. The World Cup games have been the biggest of my life so far. I spent a lot of time growing up watching World Cups and that was the reason I wanted to be a pro.

“However, the Champions League has taken on a life of its own, everything from the special music before you go out, it’s the pinnacle. In fact, it’s next to a World Cup final.

“For the young lads to climb the top of the mountain is a huge achievement and something that takes the breath away. It doesn’t matter if it’s Man United or whoever. This wasn’t on the radar when I was growing up, but the more successful you are, the more greedy you get and the more you want. I really want this.”

Talented Cole’s hunger is not in doubt. It is shown by the tireless energy that is the hallmark of his game, though his ability to make an impact at the highest level has been questioned. It says much about his consistency that the 26-year-old has been Chelsea’s busiest footballer this season, with 54 appearances, a far cry from his role as a perennial substitute when he first joined the team.

It's true that Joe Cole has benefited from Avram Grant’s more relaxed style of leadership, having tired of what some have perceived as José Mourinho’s bullying tactics, but his improvement has taken place gradually over the past five years and it is shown by the calibre of midfield players to leave the squad during that time. “Looking at players who have come in, the wingers like Gérémi, Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Jesper Gronkjaer, they were all ahead of me at times, but I’ve carried on,” Cole expressed. “That’s because I’ve been out there and it’s like playing with my mates. It’s fantastic. I’ve always believed in myself, I’ve always been ready for the fight, but if my career finished at Chelsea tomorrow, I wouldn’t just want people to remember me for winning trophies. I’m always there for the fight and will give my all.”

For all his professionalism, Joe Cole retains the youthful enthusiasm of the ten-year-old who rushed back from a cup final of his own to watch italian powerhouse AC Milan humiliate Barcelona in the Champions League final 14 years ago. His habit of saying that he “just wants to play football” may grate during interviews, but it captures his essence and explains his popularity around the country, even with opposing supporters.

“I used to play in the AC Milan shirt for my team when I was a kid,” Cole recalls. “The year that Milan beat Barcelona 4-0, we played our cup final that same night about 6pm. We won that final and went back with our families and watched the European Cup final.

“I totally supported Milan. I was only 12 nad didn’t know too much about Milan, I didn’t even know where Milan was. But they had the same kit as us so I supported them. They had great players, including french leader Marcel Desailly, and to end up playing with him was amazing.”

It's important to say that Cole will have further childhood memories when he comes up against Michael Carrick, also a product of the West Ham United youth academy, at the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday, a far cry from the days when they were relegated together at West Ham.

“He’s done fantastically this season and, apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s been their player of the year,” Cole expressed. “I speak to a lot of people up there and he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s a great footballer. But, again, Wednesday night is Wednesday night.

“Yes, if you ask both sets of players, they’d take a scrappy 1-0, but I hope for the punters that it’s a great match, free-flowing football and a good advert for the game.

“I have to say that I get emotional before big games – you know how much it means to your family and to everyone around the club, but mainly for my family, mum and dad, brother and sister and girlfriend”, he concluded, completely sure about their triumph.

Moscow Final: Ballack to face the game of his life

2008-05-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

Talented German midfielder Michael Ballack believes Wednesday night's Champions League final with the Chelsea jersey on is a "golden opportunity" to make up for his past failures.

Indeed, the talented player was a losing European Cup finalist in 2002 when Real Madrid beat his Bayern Leverkusen team.

"You don't go into these games to lose. I know what that feels like and I will give everything to get the victory," he said ahead of the final against Manchester United.

"We are a really strong squad and we've shown that constantly during the season."

In 2002, as well as losing in the Champions League final, Leverkusen conceded the Bundesliga title to the powerfull Bayern Munich and were beaten in the German Cup final.

And just a month later, the midfielder missed the World Cup final, which Germany lost to Brazil, because of suspension.

We also must mention that Chelsea have already lost one final this season, the League Cup against Tottenham, while they were pipped to the Premier League title by Manchester United on the final day of the campaign.

"Yes, I was at Leverkusen and we were five points ahead in the league with three games to play and had reached the Champions League final," expressed the former Bayern Munich captain.

"But we managed to still come second in the German Bundesliga and then we lost the Champions League to Real Madrid.

"We lost the German Cup final that year, too, and then Germany lost in the World Cup final against Ronaldo's Brazil, so this is a golden opportunity to put it right."

Michael Ballack has developed into an instrumental player for manager Avram Grant after a lengthy period on the sidelines earlier in the season with a painful ankle injury.

But He netted both goals in Chelsea's 2-1 league win over United last month and the player himself says he feels revitalised: "I am totally happy with the way things have gone this season, especially after my difficult injury," Ballack said.

"When I returned to fitness I got back in the team very quickly because we had some injuries in the squad. That gave me my golden opportunity to make an impact straight away.

"I already said before the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool that I think we still look good and fresh as a football team. We coped with playing 120 minutes in that game and scored two goals in extra-time.

"That's why I think it shows that we have a very good level of physical strength in this team. The final of the Champions League is one match so it is all in our hands". And this time, he will not miss it.

Drogba knew Chelsea was going to be in the final game

2008-05-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

Didier Drogba's two goals led the London side to their first ever Champions League final after the 3-2 win over FC Liverpool, setting up a mouthwatering showdown with Manchester, who Drogba described as the best team in England.

The African star admitted: "Right from the beginning of the season the Champions League was our target. We had some problems this season. It was a difficult time for the club. But the most important thing was to stand up and keep working as we did. The objective didn't change and now we are in the final.

"I know that Manchester United are a fantastic team and are the best in England, but we aren't bad either."

It's important to mention that the first ever all-English final between Mancheser United and Chelsea will take place in Moscow on May 21, 2008

English glory: Chelsea and Manchester United reached the Champions League FInal to be played in Moscow

2008-05-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Football fans heading to Moscow for the Champions League final will see a contest of north against south and red against blue after Chelsea beat Liverpool in the tournament's second semi-final.

Indeed, Chelsea got an epic result and reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time, as they defeated Liverpool 3 - 2, with a double from Didier Drogba.

The London side will now play Manchester United in the Russian capital's Luzhniki stadium on 21 May.

The blues eventually beat Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate in a thrilling match that had to go to extra time before a winner was decided.

The Blues' final against powerfull Manchester United will mean that the two sides are going head to head at home and abroad at the end of the season, as they are on equal points in the Premier League with just two games left.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team defeated FC Barcelona 1 - 0 with a superb goal by Paul Scholes. The game was really equilibrated and many newspapers in Spain assure that Barza deserved to reach the final.

Now, fans travelling to Moscow can catch flights to one of the city's main airports, the largest of which are Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo.

Connections are provided by British Airways, KD Avia, Scandinavian Airlines and other carriers.

Riise's pain after Champions League own goal

2008-04-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

After the unforgettable mistake, Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has admitted his misery at the own goal which threatens to derail his side's Champions League challenge.

In fact, Riise is still coming to terms with the impact of his blunder after he headed into his own net in the last minute of stoppage time to gift Chelsea a 1-1 draw in the semi-final first leg at Anfield.

The Red team face a mammoth task to reach the final now but Riise is determined to help the Reds bounce back at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday.

"What can I say? I'm ashamed and devastated. Sometimes you experience these kind of things and for defenders it happens from time to time. Now it has happened to me," he expressed.

"In fact, I know how strong I am mentally, and what really matters is how you recover. I've experienced tougher things and I know I will learn from this.

"I'm very disappointed, but I won't go around and hang my head. I have to use this as something positive and learn from it."

The Norway footballer, who also scored an own goal against Luton in the FA Cup this season, was so down he didn't even speak to his brother in the aftermath of Tuesday's game.

Indeed, Bjorn Helge Riise, who plays for Lillestrom, let us know: "I tried getting in contact with John Arne after the encounter.

"Eventually he sent me back a sms saying, 'I don't want to speak. I'm so disappointed. Give me a call back in a couple of days and we'll speak then'."

We must consider that Riise's future at Anfield was already far from certain before his gaffe and the defender admitted his hopes of earning an extension to his current contract, which runs out next year, were hardly improved on Tuesday.

Despite that, Riise is likely to start in the return against Chelsea after Fabio Aurelio was ruled out and Benitez expressed: "I have talked with John and told him not to keep thinking about the own goal all of the time. He must come back and be ready.

"I know he is really down, but the only way to change the situation is to score in the right net at Stamford Bridge. He knows that Fabio is injured, so he knows he will get his chances again. He has played so well for this club, so for that to happen in the last seconds is the worst thing possible."

"Of course we have tried to analyse what happened. Mascherano could have stopped the cross, but when you are left-footed like John, the problem was whether he used his right foot to clear. That was the real point. I prefer to think like this: if Riise scores the winning goal that will be perfect for us."

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty shot in Manchester United goalless draw with Barcelona

2008-04-24T23:29:00.001-07:00

The favorite Manchester United blunted a inefficient Barcelona's attack to earn a 0-0 away draw in the opening encounter of their two-match Champions League semifinal.

Barcelona FC was last night held to a scoreless draw at the Camp Nou stadium for the first time in this season's tournament as the English champion frustrated an opponent that had almost two-thirds of the possession and three times as many direct shots.

"Although they had a lot of play on the edge of our box, they didn't have many chances," United manager sir Alex Ferguson expressed. "Going back to Old Trafford for the second leg nil-nil gives us a marvelous opportunity."

In fact, Manchester United will advance to the May 21 final in Moscow against Chelsea or Liverpool with a victory in next week's return match in Manchester, where it's on an 11-game winning streak in Europe's elite club tournament.

Alex Ferguson's side failed to seize the initiative in the third minute when Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick, awarded when the ball struck Gabriel Milito's arm in the area.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who's scored a tournament- leading 7 goals this season, side-footed wide from the spot in front of about 95,000 spectators at the stadium where United won its second European Cup title in 1999.

"The penalty was a big moment," blaugrana boss Frank Rijkaard admitted. "It's still open. Scoring one goal over there could be very important."

As we saw, Samuel Eto'o had several shots and Gianluca Zambrotta, Xavi Hernandez and Thierry Henry also tested Man. United goalie Edwin van der Sar.

Cristiano Ronaldo was United's main threat on the counterattack as Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez struggled to break out of their own half.

"I don't think we were fast enough, direct enough and we lost the ball just too much," Ferguson analized and concluded. "We usually play better but we had to defend more. We'll definitely attack more in the second leg."

Arsenal eliminate Milan as Fabregas proves to be a world class player

2008-03-05T02:08:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, current champion AC Milan was eliminated from the European Champions League, losing 2-0 at home last night to English Arsenal.

Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas beat goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac with a long bouncing shot from outside the penalty area in the 84th minute and Emmanuel Adebayor scored from close range in injury time.

"It's really good for such a young team to beat a team like Milan with so much quality," Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger admitted. "It will be positive for the future and the rest of our season."

Indeed, the Gunners advanced to the quarterfinals on 2-0 aggregate in the home-and-home series and became the first English club to beat the popular team AC Milan at San Siro stadium.

"There are no regrets," the "rossonero" Coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted. "There are regrets when you could have done more, but they didn't allow us to. Both teams did their best and we have to accept the loss and move on." he concluded.

Despite Messi's injury, FC Barcelona beat Celtic to advance in the Champions League

2008-03-05T02:03:00.000-08:00

Midfielder Xavi Hernandez flicked in a cross from the left by Ronaldinho Gaucho in the fourth minute to give Barcelona FC a 1-0 triumph over Scotland's powerhouse Celtic as the Spanish club advanced 4-2 overall.

However, the young talent Lionel Messi, the competition's leading scorer with six goals, pulled up as he made a run. He left the field in tears in the 35th minute of the second-round, second-leg match at Camp Nou.

This serious injury was similar to the one which sidelined Messi for six weeks in December and January, club officials admitted.

"I feel sad and I really feel for him and for the team, above all for Leo (Messi), who is very upset," Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated afterwards.

It's important to consider that the Argentine international, who scored twice in Barcelona's 3-2 win in the first leg, had been recalled to the starting lineup to join with Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o, with Thierry Henry left on the bench.

In the end, the blaugrana team advanced to the quarterfinals on 4-2 aggregate.

Exciting encounters for the next stage after Champions League draw

2007-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

The expected draw for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League concluded with very interesting encounters. Six European giants will battle in three key games.

Current champions AC Milan from Italy will play against English premier league leaders Arsenal. Last season's finalists Liverpool will test Italian Series A side Inter-Milan. And Spanish leaders Real Madrid will receive challenges from another Italian team AS Roma.

In other clashes, Manchester United will face Olympique Lyon, Barcelona will take on Celtic. Schalke will combat Portuguese Porto, Olympiakos will fight against powerful Chelsea. And Sevilla will do battle with Fenerbahce from Turkey.

Eto'o returns

2007-12-12T23:53:00.000-08:00

Barcelona rounded off the Champions League group stage with a comfortable 3 -1 win over German team Stuttgart in Camp Nou, as Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o scored his first goal of the season.

Barça's coach Frank Rijkaard was watching from the stands as he was suspended and he will not have been happy with the start his team made as Antonio da Silva netted after just three minutes for the visitors.

And just as they had to against Deportivo at the weekend, Barça had to battle back and they did so as mexican Giovani Dos Santos levelled in the first half, before Eto'o and Ronaldinho scored after the break.

It's important to mention that Xavi was set to be rested, but after Deco was unfit to play the Barça midfielder was named in the starting line-up alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen with Andrés Iniesta on the bench.

Rookie star Bojan Krkic was also expected to start, but Ronaldinho was given more time to rediscover his level up front with Giovani and Eto'o, while Albert Jorquera replaced Víctor Valdés in goal.

Despite those changes, Barcelona will not have been expecting to start like they did as they were hit with a sucker punch before having time to settle.

Gaby Milito tripped Ewerthon on the edge of the are in the third minute and Da Silva lifted a superb free-kick over the wall the clipped the underside of the crossbar and flew into the net.

Moments later Samuel Eto'o had the chance to draw Barça level when he received a weak pass in front of goal, but his first touch allowed the keeper time to approach and block his shot.

What's more, Ronaldinho Gaucho and Rafael Márquez then went close before Gudjohnsen first supplied Xavi, whose shot was kept out by Raphael Schäfer and the Icelandic international then clipped the rebound to Giovani, whose drive was tipped wide for a corner.

And with nine minutes remaining the pressure from Barça finally told as Ronaldinho won possession off Boka in the left corner and his cross was met by Giovani in front of goal.

The Mexican revelation wheeled away to celebrate and while replays were inconclusive, Schäfer was adamant that the ball had clipped the scorer's arm.

After 12 minutes of the second part, Barcelona took the lead for the first time when Xavi set off from the halfway line before feeding Eto'o and the Cameroonian took one touch before rifling his shot into the far corner of the net.

The frontman's delight was obvious and he raced to the bench to hug the coach that had helped him throughout his recuperation from his long-term knee injury.

Veteran Yildiray Bastürk then created space for himself, but his shot did not match the run as the ball flew wide and with Barcelona's next meaningful attack they wrapped up the points.

Iniesta had been on five minutes when he laid the ball down the left for Sylvinho and the Brazilian slid a low cross into the area where Ronaldinho Gaucho met it on the run and steered in number three from six yards out.

And shortly before Ewerthon had seen his fizzing shot from 25 yards cannon back off Jorquera's crossbar.

Liverpool had a fest at Marsella

2007-12-12T23:47:00.000-08:00

Football is ironic, just like life. Some months ago, when Liverpool was at a bad moment, it was shocked by Marseille's cheek in sneaking an historic 1-0 triumph at Anfield. Tuesday was pay-back, big time. Wearing black instead of its familiar red, running hot in the chilly Mistral wind, Liverpool crushed Marseille, 4-0, in the French team's own pitch.

And it might have been twice that score had Gerrard, Torres and company not had it in mind that the weekend brings another definitive encounter, at home to Manchester United.

"I must admit that it was almost the perfect night," said Rafael Benítez, Liverpool's coach. "Everybody knows Gerrard and Torres are good, but tonight everyone showed character and commitment. As I say, almost perfect because always you can improve something."

In fact, the coach didn't seem surprised, he didn't seem concerned that the weekend brings a rare visit to Anfield of his American bosses, who are supposedly gunning for a showdown after the boss had insinuated that they were absentee landlords who have failed to grasp the need to buy when Europe's transfer window opens in midseason.

"I'm just not thinking about money to buy fresh footballers", Benítez answered his questioners in Marseille. "I'm thinking, job done here, now I'm looking to play Manchester United. Nothing else."

We can say thtLiverpool's resurgence in Europe this season has been as remarkable as the great escape in Istanbul in 2005 when, three goals down at halftime in the final against AC Milan, the Reds recovered to draw 3-3 and win the Champions League trophy on a penalty shootout.

Captain Steven Gerrard had led that comeback, as he led Liverpool's turnaround this season. After three games against Besiktas, Porto and Marseille, Liverpool floundered with but a single point and stared eviction from the tournament in the face.

The next three, against the same opponents, yielded 16 goals to Liverpool, just one in reprisal, and in the nick of time qualification for the knockout phase.

It's important to mention that four other clubs progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. Real Madrid and Porto did so easily; Schalke squeezed out Rosenborg to become the only German club still standing in the tournament; and Olympiakos qualified for the first time in nine years.

"In fact, the most rewarding feeling is that our fans are on the streets celebrating our qualification," Panagiotis Lemonis, the Olympiakos coach, said after his team's comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Werder Bremen. "This is one of the most important nights in the history of Olympiakos, not because of the result, but because of the way my players went for the triumph when a draw was enough."

AS Roma to miss Totti in their next Champions League match

2007-11-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

Roma star Francesco Totti is a major doubt for his team's visit to FC Dynamo Kyiv next Tuesday after suffering a recurrence of the foot problem that has sidelined him for the last month.

Indeed, Totti lasted just 15 minutes of his return to first-team training yesterday before taking a knock on the same foot he had injured in the 2-1 triumph over Sporting Clube de Portugal on 23 October. Although x-rays after the initial injury showed no fractures in his right foot, the player was in too much pain to train today and will definitely stay out of Saturday's Serie A game at Genoa.

"This morning Francesco arrived with the intention of training but he felt pain as soon as he put on his boot, so did not train at all and will not play against Genoa," Roma coach Luciano Spalletti admitted. "I don't know when he will be able to play." It appears highly unlikely that Totti, 31, will be available for the Group F game in Kiev, where Roma can secure their place in the knockout rounds.

What's more, midfielders Taddei and Alberto Aquilani are also absent from the squad despite reports earlier in the week that they were ready to return following respective calf and thigh injuries. "We will not take any risks" Spalletti stated.

Yannick Djaló to miss match against Manchester United

2007-11-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

Bad news for Sporting Clube of Portugal. Their main striker Yannick Djaló is unlikely to feature against Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday after pulling a muscle in his right thigh in a Portugal Under-21 clash.

According to the doctors, the 21-year-old, who has appeared in all four of Sporting's Group F matches so far, missed Portugal's 1-1 draw with England on Tuesday in UEFA European Championship qualifying and has not recovered in time for Saturday's Liga game at Leixões SC. "He's undergoing treatment and conditioning training," the club announced. "We expect him to resume training next week."

Furthermore, Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković will also miss the trip to Leixões and is not expected to figure at Old Trafford. On a more positive note, influential midfielder Leandro Romagnoli should overcome a back injury to play this week. Coach Paulo Bento has called up 17-year-old Paraguayan frontman Luís Paez for the first time as cover. Sporting are third in Group F, three points behind second-placed AS Roma in the race for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Schalke 04's Kuranyi to miss clash against Chelsea FC

2007-11-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

FC Schalke 04 most important frontman, Kevin Kuranyi, might miss Tuesday's UEFA Champions League visit of Chelsea FC due a thigh strain. In the other side, the British team will travel without Paulo Ferreira after the full-back was ruled out for six weeks with an ankle injury.

Indeed, Kuranyi took a knock during Friday night’s 1-0 defeat at FC Energie Cottbus and was replaced after 65 minutes. "He pulled the muscle in his thigh. It might even be torn," said Schalke boss Mirko Slomka. Ferreira, meanwhile, strained ankle ligaments during a League Cup victory on Wednesday and did not feature in today's 2-0 victory at Wigan Athletic FC. Manager Avram Grant expressed: "I'm sure Paulo Ferreira is not available and will be out for five to six weeks. We are short; however, we have a big squad and we have good footballers to replace him."

Dynamo Kyiv coach to miss game against Manchester Utd. due to heart problems

2007-11-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

According to official medical reports, FC Dynamo Kyiv coach, József Szabó, is suffering from heart problems. The team will be led by assistant coach Oleh Luzhny for their UEFA Champions League trip to Manchester United FC on Wednesday.

As we know, Szabó only began his fourth spell as Dynamo coach on 21 September after Anatoliy Demyanenko stepped down in the wake of the Matchday 1 defeat by AS Roma. Since then the Ukrainian champions have also lost to Sporting Clube de Portugal and Manchester United in Group F. DEspite that, Szabó will not lead his team at Old Trafford and has been sent on leave.

Dynamo Kyiv officially said: "Szabó is temporarily unable to work due to ischemic heart disease, so his assistant Luzhny will prepare the team for the forthcoming UEFA Champions League and Ukrainian league games." A 39-year-old former Ukrainian international, Luzhny is no stranger to England, having played for Arsenal FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in a long career which also brought one Soviet and seven Ukrainian titles with Dynamo. It's also important to remember that he captained Ukraine a record 39 times and coached Latvia's FK Venta in 2005 before joining Dynamo's staff just one year later.

Daniele De Rossi wants the Champions League crown for Roma

2007-09-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Italian Roma footballer Daniele De Rossi admits that, while the scudetto is in his sights, it's Europe that holds the most allure for the young midfielder...

Indeed, Daniele De Rossi is determined to lift silverware with Roma this season, and is particularly enamoured with the prospect of a Champions League win.

He told the press, "Of course, my dream has always been to win both the Scudetto and the UEFA Champions League as a Roma player.

"Yes, I've love to lift the league trophy, but the Champions League is just that - the Champions League - and Roma has never in its history won that competition. I'd say that this would be a more historical event for us to complete."

The 24 year old, who earlier this summer announced his intention to stay at Roma for his entire career, only made his first pro appearance for the team after they won the Scudetto in 2001, yet remains focused on winning the Champions League first.

However, the World Cup winner knows that Roma, should they carry on their great start to the campaign, can do great things domestically, too.

"This year, Inter won't end up 17 or 20 points ahead of us," he said.

"I think that we play more beautiful football than them as a team; they prefer to focus on their individuals.

Amongst Roma's Champions League opponents this year is Manchester United, the side that crushed his club 7-1 at Old Trafford last season.

"Let's not speak of revenge," De Rossi claims. "But we want to prove ourselves at Old Trafford and not collapse like last time."

Ford offers Champions League tickets as part of their campaign

2007-09-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Automobile manufacturer Ford, the only remaining founding partner of the UEFA Champions League, are offering football fans an unique opportunity to watch top quality European football.

Indeed, the company is launching a marketing campaign to encourage football fans to "Feel the Difference", a move to offer people the chance to be at the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition.

They will provide supporters with three sets of three hospitality tickets, including pre and post match buffet and bar, as well as a complimentary programme, to Liverpool FC vs. Olympique de Marseille, Celtic FC vs. AC Milan and Manchester United FC vs. AS Roma.

It's important to remember that Ford has sponsored and supported the UEFA Champions League since its inception in 1992. Through a number of initiatives, Ford want football fans everywhere to 'Feel the difference', providing a once in a lifetime chance to enjoy the most important club cup.

See you in Athens: Liverpool win the semifinal over Chelsea

2007-05-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

Anfield was the scenario for a really intense game. and Liverpool was the team that won the ticket to Athens. The Reds beat Chelsea in the penalty shootout, right after a 1-0 victory that tied the leg. Dirk Kuyt scored the crucial shot for Liverpool to clinch the 4-1 victory on penalties while Arjen Robben and Geremi failed in their bid for Mourinho's side.

In fact, the game began with much excitement. Referee González whistled up for nine fouls in the first 13 minutes -- Liverpool 5 Chelsea 4, but it was Liverpool who grabbed the first real chance in the game when Agger scored in the 22nd minute. There weren’t too many chances for the rest of the match. Powerful striker Peter Crouch's header in the 55th minute was saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Peter Cech and Dirk Kuyt's heading against the Chelsea crossbar in the 59th minute saved yet again by keeper Cech.

And Chelsea almost scored just before the break when Essien almost diverted a Drogba header in the 32 minute, but it was not to be. Neither squad could force the elusive goal in the normal time adding to the premium of the 30 minutes of overtime. It's fair to say that Liverpool came the closest, but it all eventually boiled down to the penalty shootout.

Dutch footballer Zenden scored the first, Robben missed for the blues but Alonso scored. Finally, Lampard was the sole success for Chelsea FC and Kuyt's final effort put Chelsea out the tournament while Liverpool head to the finals where they will meet either Italian powerhouse AC Milan or English favorites Manchester United on May 23 in Athens. The best part of the Champions League has just begun.

AC Milan fans can be important in the semifinal against Manchester United

2007-05-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

Italian hope. AC Milan players are convinced that the San Siro crowd can roar them to the Champions League final as they look to overturn a 3-2 defeat against Manchester United here tonight.

Indeed, ManU edged the first leg of a pulsating semi-final at Old Trafford, but Milan's two away goals, both scored by Brazilian talent Kaka, means a 1-0 win will be enough for the Italian team to reach the Athens final on May 23.

Milan's talented player midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, who has been passed fit to play after recovering from the foot injury he suffered in the first leg, is counting on the home support to be their 12th player.

"It's fantastic to know that our fans are always there for us and they always cheer us on," said the 29-year-old Italian World Cup winner.

"This time it's special though, as they have to give us an incredible hand. We will give our all, but they have to take us even further."

Also Dutch player Clarence Seedorf, Gattuso's midfield partner, believes the Milan crowd will not let them down: "The supporters are even more passionate than we are".

However, Milan captain Paolo Maldini is battling to be fit after aggravating the knee injury at Old Trafford which forced him to come off at half time.

The Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti has hinted he will drop striker Alberto Gilardino, anonymous in the first leg, in favour of veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi.

"in fact, Gilardino has only scored one goal in the Champions League and that highlights the difference between that competition and the league," Ancelotti admitted.

"I think there's more pressure on strikers to score in the Champions League, and Gilardino is not experienced enough yet to cope with that."

It's very important to notice that Manchester United come into the match on a real high after moving five points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premiership on Saturday with just three games to go, and having reached the English FA Cup final.

"Indeed, we are in a magnificent situation and we go to the San Siro with our morale sky high," said the popular Alex Ferguson after his side fought back from 2-0 down at Everton to win 4-2 on Saturday.

"We have to think of the team, and Paul Scholes has to make sure he doesn't get booked, that's without question," Ferguson explained. "The advice we gave him in the first leg was not to slide in and make tackles because that's where he gets all his bookings.

"In Europe, they just don't accept it, sliding in. So if he stays on his feet and tackles properly there will be no problem."

Furthermore, Alex Ferguson accepts his injury-ridden defence will struggle to deny Milan in their own stadium, but he has backed his own team to score at least once.

"I really don't agree with the view that it is vital we don't go over there and concede," he said. "I wouldn't say we are favourites, but I think we have given ourselves a great chance. A goal lead is a very good start in European football, and I think there will be good counter-attack possibilities in our squad".

We must remember that AC Milan are aiming to reach their 10th Champions League final and the Red Devils their third.

Valencia and Roma get good results in the Champions League

2007-04-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

We saw very exciting games in the first leg of the quarterfinals in Champions League. And many favorites started to make to choose their destiny, like Liverpool or Bayern Munich. In the other hand,Manchester United fell on the road to Roma, but picked up a valuable road goal. Meanwhile Chelsea FC could only manage a 1-1draw at Stamford Bridge with visiting Valencia from Spain.

AS Roma 2 - Manchester United FC 1

Roma took care of business at home on Wednesday night beating Manchester United 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Rodrigo Taddei scored just before the break and Mirko Vucinic nabbed the match winner for the Italians. The two Roma goals surrounded a 60th minute strike by Wayne Rooney that gave United a very precious away goal. The Red Devils return to Old Trafford for the return leg, but will be without the services of Paul Scholes, who was red carded in the first half of the game.

Chelsea FC 1 - Valencia FC 1

Mourinho's side is faced with the daunting task of traveling to Spain in need of a result following their draw with Valencia at Stamford Bridge. The Blues narrowly avoided a disastrous result as Didier Drogba scored in the second half to pull Chelsea level. David Silva scored for the visitors. Chelsea is still alive to win an unprecedented quadruple this season, but hopes are fading of achieving that duty. Wednesday's result will make their road that much tougher to tread.

Liverpool eliminate Barcelona and lead the English Revolution

2007-03-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

The super favorite Barcelona got a worthless 1-0 triumph at Anfield on Tuesday. Despite their effort, Liverpool qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals on away goals after aggregating it 2-2.

And in another interesting match, the 2004 winners Porto also bowed out after Chelsea made a successful comeback to win 2-1 at Stamfor Bridge for a 3-2 aggregate through.

In fact, the Blues' win made there an unprecedented four teams from the Premier League in the Champions League last eight.

Italian side AS Roma and Spanish powerhouse Valencia also advanced when a 2-0 win from the former team inflicted a first home defeat in 19 Champions League games on Olympique Lyon and the latter tied Inter Milan 0-0 after their first leg 2-2 draw.

It's important to say that Anfield has been the scene of some memorable European nights over the years and those there on Tuesday will remember Liverpool's latest adventure for many years - despite the match ending in defeat.

We can say that Liverpool went out looking to kill the tie from the start and played a first half of 10 shots on goal to the Catalan team's one.

Rijkaard team looked sluggish all night, personified in Ronaldinho who hit the post when through on goal after 53 minutes, before substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen scored the only goal in 75 minutes.

And the remaining four second-leg matches take place on Wednesday when Manchester United and Arsenal FC will be seeking to make it four through from one country for the first time in the Champions League History.

Eto'o is back to lift Barcelona's chances in the Champions League

2007-02-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

African star Samuel Eto'o has returned to full training for FC Barcelona ahead of this month's encounter with English club Liverpool in the Champions League.

Indeed, the Cameroon frontman missed the last four months after damaging knee ligaments against Werder Bremen.

As we know, Eto'o returned to training yesterday and is set to make his long-awaited return in the league game against Racing Santander on February 11th.

In fact, the popular player is having a lighter workload than his team-mates but club physios are delighted with his progress.

According to the doctors, he is expected to start on February 21st in the first leg of the knout stages against the Reds in the Nou Camp.

It's good to mention that Eto'o has bagged 60 goals in 89 games for the European champions since joining from Real Mallorca in 2004.

Actually, the Catalan team have continued their march towards a third straight title despite Eto'o's absence and lead second-placed Sevilla by four points.

Barcelona might also unleash striker Lionel Messi against Santander in a race against time to reach match fitness for the game with Liverpool.

The talented Argentine broke his metatarsal in November and returned to Spain today after working on his recovery in Argentina.

As we all know, Messi's compatriot Javier Saviola has taken his chance for the league champions with five goals last month including a hat-trick in the 3-2 triumph over Alaves.