champions league

2007/2008 Uefa Champions League starting list

pbmice — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:07:53 +0000

IOC

Stage

Club

Coefficient

Kaka and his 10 goals in Champions Lague 2006/2007

pbmice — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:42:00 +0000

Champions league reform

pbmice — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:27:00 +0000

New president Michel Platini has drawn up a number of reforms for Europe’s top club competition, which are set to be discussed by top football officials in August.
Among the proposal is a plan to replace clubs qualifying from league positions with those who emerge triumphant in their country’s national cup competition.
UEFA spokesman William Gaillard was keen to point out the proposal is still at an early stage and may not come to fruition:

There are a number of proposals on the table which will be discussed by the UEFA Committee and Strategic Council. Among those is the proposal to substitute the last team qualifying through league position for the cup winners but it is just a proposal at the moment. There is still to be a debate and meetings will be held at the end of August and a final decision made in September. It still has to be endorsed by the Strategic Council and approved by the Executive Committee so there is still a long way to go and the status quo could remain.

The Scottish Premier League have already said they will oppose the plans. Scottish Premier League chairman Lex Gold told the Daily Mail:

One of the proposals on the table from Platini’s people is for cup holders to play off against each other for Champions League entry. That would be at the expense of our second place, which currently goes to the runners-up in the Scottish Premier League. I was told we would have an automatic place in the group stages for our champions but, while handing us one thing, UEFA are looking at taking something else away. We would oppose vehemently any move to push Scottish Cup holders into the Champions League. We would not want to see that happen at the expense of the Scottish Premier League runners-up and are making representations.

Hicks blasts "clown" Gaillard

pbmice — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:45:00 +0000

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has blasted UEFA’s claims that the club’s fans are the worst-behaved in Europe.
UEFA president Michel Platini is to present a report to Sports Minister Richard Caborn in Brussels today which is expected to be highly critical of Reds fans and include a dossier of 25 unsavoury incidents involving their supporters in the last four years.
Much of the criticism surrounds the conduct of Liverpool fans in Athens before the Champions League final last month, where fans without tickets or with fakes were able to gain access to the stadium at the expense of genuine ticket-holders and Greek police had to use tear gas in a bid to quell the chaos.
But Hicks lays the blame for the problems at UEFA’s door, and asked to respond to Gaillard’s damning comments about Liverpool fans, he told Sky Sports News:

I thought the guy from UEFA was a clown for saying that. UEFA did not handle this right at all. o give 17,000 tickets to the two teams, particularly knowing Liverpool are going to bring 40,000 fans, is insane. It’s a classic case of a bureaucrat trying to take the pressure off himself. They didn’t handle it right, they didn’t have proper ticketing procedures and unfortunately there were counterfeit tickets. There were fans who paid their hard-earned money to get their tickets and they get to the stadium and are told there is no more room. Are they mad? Sure they’re mad.

Ancelotti keeps going

pbmice — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:36:00 +0000

UEFA Champions League winners AC Milan have rewarded coach Carlo Ancelotti with a new contract that will keep him in charge of the Rossoneri until 2010:

I don’t think I will coach Milan all my life. When this story is finished, I would like to train the national team. But only after 2010.

The 47-year-old, whose previous contract was due to expire in 2008, joined Milan in November 2001 and has since led them to three UEFA Champions League finals – with victories coming in 2003 and 2007 – one Scudetto and one Coppa Italia. An Italian international in his playing days, Ancelotti also served the Rossoneri as a midfielder between 1987 and 1992, helping them win the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1989 and 1990.

Sweet revenge

pbmice — Thu, 24 May 2007 03:49:00 +0000

Milan won Uefa Champions League with 2-1 and is a sweet revenge for the final lost in 2005.
The opportunist Filippo Inzaghi scored twice this night and took the cup.
Filippo Inzaghi was delighted to repay the trust of his coach Carlo Ancelotti after scoring twice to fire AC Milan to victory against Liverpool FC and UEFA Champions League glory yet again.
In 2003 Inzaghi won Champions League and in Instanbul missed it because of an injury.

When I moved to Milan I never thought I could repeat my success at Juventus, never thought I could win two Champions League titles. It’s difficult to take in but my relationship with Milan is special. I’ve spent a year out before but no one doubted I would be back. When I returned, everyone welcomed me with open arms. The fact the club has so much faith in me has helped me do so well here.

That game is history

pbmice — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:41:00 +0000

said Ancelotti. Agree.
Tonight is a big night. Rafael Benitez said:

The 2005 final was amazing, the best in the history of the competition. I don’t think we’ll see a game like that; if we do, I’ll need a doctor. It’s a difficult game for both teams and I don’t think we’ll see a lot of goals.
We know Kaká is a very good player, but our system is not to mark him individually. We mark zonally and try to control the play, the ball and the space.
We’re here because we’ve been doing the right things. We can be confident and calm. We’ve done the job, now we must try to enjoy it. If you do the right things and win then perfect, but don’t leave the pitch with regrets.

Ancelotti:

What has emerged is great harmony with the team and with the club. That’s the main reason we reached the final. We’ve just faced problems and solved them. That gives us strength and motivation. We’re very strong at the moment.

Seven of the Milan side and six from the Liverpool team that started two seasons ago are likely to be involved again from kick-off so they will know each other well.

Liverpool record

pbmice — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:51:00 +0000

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has defended the team’s playing style, claiming their recent record speaks for itself. The club’s recent achievements, having won the Champions League two years ago after being 3-0 down at half-time to Wednesday’s opponents AC Milan and also lifting the FA Cup last season.

People still say we’re not a great side but we’ve done something very special. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to get to two European Cup finals in three years and we intend to make the most of it.

About AC Milan, he said:

We’ve a lot of great memories of playing them but we’ve a lot of respect for them as well. They’re a great team and they showed that in the European Cup final last time. They played a great game and we just nicked it in the end, so we know it’ll be difficult but we’re hoping for the same result.

Gerrard is smilling

pbmice — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:24:00 +0000

Liverpool’s captain is in a relaxed mood and have nothing to fear from AC Milan.
He said for uefa.com

I’ve watched Milan a lot this season and they are different from 2005, but they are still strong.
They showed against Manchester United that they are a fantastic team and deserve a lot of respect and that’s what we’ll give them on the night, but we won’t fear them. We’re a good team ourselves and we’re confident we can do the job. What’s important to us is that we prepare right and that the Liverpool team that’s been in Europe all season turns up in Athens. If that good team turns up then Milan are in for a really difficult game and we’re confident we can lift that cup.

Player of the season

pbmice — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:31:00 +0000

On uefa‘s site you can find a list of 10 players nominated for this year ‘player of the season’. You can vote for your favorite.

Player	Team	Appearances	Goals	# Man of the match
Francesco Totti	AS Roma	9	4	6
Kaka	AC Milan	10	7	6
David Villa	Valencia CF	9	4	4
Cristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United FC	9	2	4
Juninho Pernambucano	Olympique Lyonnais	7	1	3
Deco	FC Barcelona	8	2	3
Nicolae Dica	FC Steaua Bucuresti	6	4	3
Peter Crouch	Liverpool FC	9	6	3
Steven Gerrard	Liverpool FC	7	3	2
Didier Drogba	Chelsea FC	10	6	2

Now let’s see a few goals scored by the players nominated.

1. Olympique Lionnais – As Roma

2. Manchester United – Milan

3. Chelsea – Valencia

4. Manchester United – AS Roma

5. Dinamo Kiev – Olympique Lionnais

6. Barcelona – Liverpool

7. Dinamo Kiev – Steaua Bucuresti

8. PSV – Liverpool

9. Liverpool – PSV Eidhoven

10. Chelsea – Valencia