This article refers to an earlier version of the Champions League draw. Go to the latest Champions League draw article.

The draw for the 2009-2010 UEFA Champions League group stages took place today in Monaco. While we wait for Europe’s top-club competition to finally set sail, this a 30 minutes of drama every fan must go through every year, as they silently (or extremelly vocally, it’s a matter of taste) conjure karma in order for their team to get an easy group. Only in never quite works out in the end, does it?

Soccerlens covered the event LIVE, giving you the groups as they unfolded. We also got to see the winners of the 2009 UEFA Player of the Year awards.

Full results of the Draw & Awards after the jump.

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UEFA Champions League 2009-10 Group Stage

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. Group A .			. Group B .
	Bayern			Man Utd
	Juventus			CSKA Moskow
	Bordeaux			Besiktas
	Maccabi Haifa			Wolfsburg

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. Group C .			. Group D .
	AC Milan			Chelsea
	Real Madrid			Porto
	Marseille			Atletico Madrid
	FC Zürich			APOEL

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. Group E .			. Group F .
	Liverpool			Barcelona
	Lyon			Inter Milan
	Fiorentina			Dynamo Kiev
	Debrecen			Rubin Kazan

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. Group G .			. Group H .
	Sevilla			Arsenal
	Rangers			AZ Alkmaar
	Stuttgart			Olympiakos
	Unirea Urziceni			Standard

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UEFA Player of the Year Awards

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Best Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar (Man Utd)
Best Defender: John Terry (Chelsea)
Best Midfielder: Xavi Hernández (Barcelona)
Best Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Best Club Footballer of the Year: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
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19:00: This completes the SOCCERLENS LIVEBLOG coverage of the UEFA Champions League 09-10 Group Stage Draw. Many apologies for the slight delay, and thanks for watching! There’s only a few weeks left till it all begins, so be sure to tune back to Soccerlens for all the UCL action!

18:58: …and the winner is (drumroll)… LIONEL MESSI. Fully deserved for la Pulga atomica. He succeeds to Cristiano Ronaldo last year.

18:57: And finally, the award for the UEFA 2009 Club Player of the Year. The winners in the individual categories: Goalkeeper = Edwin van der Sar, Defender = John Terry, Midfielder = Xavi Hernandez, Forward = Lionel Messi.

18:55: At a glance, there isn’t exactly a “super-group” that stands out. Moderately difficult are groups A, C, and E. As for Arsenal and Man Utd, they have it relatively easy I’d say.

18:53: And lastly, MACCABI HAIFA in group A, with Bayern, Juventus, and Bordeaux.

18:52: RUBIN KAZAN in group F, with Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev. “Eastern European” flavor in this one as they said.

18:50: APOEL with Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid. In group D.
FC Zurich with Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille. In group C.

18:49: WOLFSBURG in Group B! With Man Utd, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas. Not a bad group for Sir Alex’s boys either!

18:48: DEBRECENI in Group E with Liverpool, Lyon, and Fiorentina.

18:47: UNIREA URZICENI in Group G with Sevilla, Rangers, and Stuttgart.

18:46: STANDARD in Group H with Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, and Olympiakos. Could the Gunners really have it *any* easier?

18:45: Last Pot to draw. Here we go.

18:43: Best Forward award being handed out by Denis Law. And the winners is… LIONEL MESSI (how surprising! )

18:41: DYNAMO KIEV with Barcelona & Inter Milan.
OLYMPIAKOS with Arsenal and AZ Alkmaar.

18:39: MARSEILLE with Milan & Real Madrid. Another seemingly good group.
ATLETICO MADRID with Chelsea & Porto.

18:37: BESIKTAS with CSKA Moskow and Man Utd
FIORENTINA with Liverpool and Lyon! This one is promising to be quite a group!

18:35: STUTTGART were drawn in Group G with Sevilla and Rangers.
BORDEAUX in Group A with Bayern & Juventus.

18:30: Two teams have been connected in each Group so far:
Bayern & Juventus
Man Utd & CSKA Moskow
Milan & Real Madrid!!!
Chelsea & Porto
Liverpool & Lyon!
Barcelona & Inter!!!
Sevilla & Rangers
Arsenal & AZ Alkmaar

18:26 Had a bit of a problem connecting to the website, many apologies. And so with a little delay, off we go.

This week’s 10 play-off winners join the 22 automatic entrants in Thursday’s group-stage draw. The 32 sides are split into 4 seeding pots, with one from each to be drawn into the 8 groups, though no team can meet another from the same association.

Here are the 4 Pots:

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Seeds are based on UEFA’s coefficient system with holders Barcelona the top seeds and seven other leading clubs in Pot 1. The competition’s most successful side, Real Madrid (a dark horse in the online betting stakes for the CL title), are in the second pot along with Italian teams Inter Milan and Juventus while, after extended absences, Atlético Madrid and Fiorentina will compete in back-to-back editions having returned to Europe’s élite last season (Pot 3). Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, AZ Alkmaar, Standard de Liège, AFC Unirea Urziceni, Debreceni, APOEL and FC Zürich will all be making their debuts in a competition which sees 18 nations represented in the group stage this year.

See also: UCL 2009/10 Draw and Match calendar (UEFA website)

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Group Stage schedule

Group matches will be played on the following dates:

The final will be played at Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on 22.05.2010.

Will have updates for you once the team of the year and the draw is complete. Till then, speculate away…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This article refers to an earlier version of the Champions League and the UEFA Cup draw. Go to the latest Champions League draw and the latest Europa League draw article.

This article refers to an earlier version of the Europa League draw. Go to the latest Europa League draw article.

With now only 8 teams remaining in each respective tournament, UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon (Switzerland) will host the draws on Friday afternoon for the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the 2007/08 UEFA club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.

The UEFA Champions League draw will be made at 12.00CET and conducted by the UEFA General Secretary (David Taylor) and the ambassador for the May 27^th final in Rome (AS Roma and Azzurri legend Bruno Conti). The UEFA Cup draw will follow at 13.00CET and will be conducted by Mr Taylor and the ambassador for the Istanbul final, former football AND basketball international (yup, you’ve read that right, he’s the Turkish Steve Nash) Can Bartu.

Soccerlens brought to you the draw LIVE as each of the 4 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches were drawn. Full tables after the jump.
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2008/09 UEFA Cup
Quarter-Finals
to be played April 9 and 16

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	Hamburg	vs.	Manchester City
	Paris SG	vs.	Dynamo Kiev
	Shakhtar Donetsk	vs.	Marseille
	Werder Bremen	vs.	Udinese

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2008/09 UEFA Cup
Semi-Finals
to be played April 30 and May 7

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13:16 And this wraps it up for us. Thanks for tuning in to Soccerlens to follow the liveblog. See you very soon in April for the Quarter-finals!

13:16 Fairly balanced draw overall, I’d say. The most interesting match (at least as far as I’m concerned), will be Udinese-W.Bremen, but obviously I’m biased, and hoping at least one Serie A team will keep the Italian honour high in Europe this season. The two Franco-Ukrainian showdowns are definitely interesting as well.

13:14 SEMI-FINAL DRAW:
Werder/Udinese vs. Hamburg/Man City
PSG/D.Kiev vs. Shakhtar/Marseille

Thus, it could be a fully German and a fully French or Ukrainian semi-finals.

13:12 WERDER BREMEN vs. UDINESE. So Udinese now have the opportunity to avenge their Serie A cousins Milan, and take Werder out. It’ll be a hard one for Marino’s boys, no doubt.

13:12 SHAKHTAR DONETSK vs. MARSEILLE. It’ll be a double Franco-Ukrainian header then!

13:11 PARIS ST. GERMAIN vs. DYNAMO KIEV. Good draw for the Parisians, who are having quite an admirable Ligue 1 season so far, sitting very close to Lyon.

13:10 HAMBURG vs. MANCHESTER CITY. I think Mark Hughes will be pleased…

13:08 Le Draw begins.

13:06 Presenting the city of Istanbul, as well as Can Bartu, UEFA ambassador for the Cup final. Picture it, this is a guy that represented Turkey at the international level for both football and… basketball! I wonder if he can he play hockey too (Steve Nash anyone?).

13:04 Boy it’s 8am in Canada and I can barely keep my eyes open. Need more time in the sack.

13:02 Cue the Round of 16 Highlights video, along with a presentation of the 8 qualified teams. Some nice images of Istanbul, the city that will be hosting the final.

13:00 David Taylor doing his thing again. Presenting the road to the quarter-finals.

12:59 And we’re back. Now listening to an endless loop of “UEFA Cup theme music”. Wonder if they’ll get it changed once it turns into the “Europa Cup”.

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2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Quarter-Finals
to be played April 7/8 and 14/15

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	Villarreal	vs.	Arsenal
	Manchester Utd	vs.	Porto
	Liverpool	vs.	Chelsea
	Barcelona	vs.	Bayern

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2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Semi-Finals
to be played April 28/29 and May 5/6

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12:16 This is it. UCL Draw completed. Tune in again at 13:00 CET for the UEFA Cup draw, here on Soccerlens.

12:14 Boy oh boy, this is interesting. Man Utd may have gotten a tough opponent in the Round of 16, but surely beating Porto must seem like a walk in the park after beating Inter? And how about that L’pool vs. Chelsea showdown? The semi-finalists from the 2007-08 edition meet again. Can Blues beat Reds once again? We will find out in April!

12:13 Man Utd/Porto vs. Villarreal/Arsenal
Barcelona/Bayern vs. Liverpool/Chelsea. The finalist coming out from the second game will definitely have it harder.

12:12 Now the Semi-finals draw (possible pairs).

12:11 And thus, the only two teams remaining: BARCELONA vs. BAYERN MUNICH!!! Another great one!

12:10 LIVERPOOL vs. CHELSEA!!! There we have it!! First EPL Showdown!!

12:09 MANCHESTER UNITED vs. PORTO!!! Goddamn, the lucky (Red) devils!!!

12:08 The DRAW BEGINS!!! First club: VILLARREAL. They’ll be playing ARSENAL! VILLARREAL vs. ARSENAL!!!

12:06 Presenting Bruno Conti, the UEFA ambassador for the Champions League final. This is one of the greatest players to ever don the Roma and Italy jersey my friends, and a 1982 World Cup winner with the Azzurri. Arguably, also the best left winger ever to play for Italy.

12:04 Video presenting the teams being shown. Liverpool have now won 4 straight matches in the UCL, Chelsea beat Juve, Messi beat Lyon etc. etc. Some good footage of the Stadio Olimpico though, where the final will be played.

12:01 David Taylor is on, and presenting the “road to the quarter-finals”. Giving stats about teams and stuff. Yawn. That’s why they make UEFA press kits people!

12:00 And so it begins. Prepare for the EPL vs. EPL showdown people: it’s happening!

11:59 Should begin any minute now. It better. If I hear the Champions League theme song one more time I’m throwing the monitor out the window.

11:55 And we’re on. Sorry for the lateness, but it’s tough to be up at 7am when you’re living in North America. Actually when you’re living anywhere in world, but now you know my timezone.

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UEFA Champions League

The eight winners of the ties played in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League will contest the Quarter—Finals, with the pairings determined by an open draw. This means no country protection: clubs from the same national association may be drawn against each other, and in the case of the English Premier League (who still has 4 teams left in the competition), the odds of that happening are… very high (if you’re interested to know how high, read this). Prepare yourselves for some very hot April action!

The quarter-finals are played on a home-and—away basis, with the first legs scheduled for Tuesday 7^th and Wednesday April 8^th and the return legs for Tuesday 14^th and Wednesday April 15^th. The four winning teams will, at that stage, know who they will meet in the Semi-Finals (to be played just two weeks later, on April 28/29 and May 5/6), as the pairings will also be decided during the draw ceremony.

A further draw will also define whether the winner of Semi-Final 1 or the winner of Semi-Final 2 will be considered (for administrative purposes) as the ‘home’ team at the Stadio Olimpico final. The match in Rome kicks off at 20:45 CET.
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UEFA Cup

The same procedure will apply to the draw for the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the UEFA Cup. The Quarter-Final matches will take place on April 9 and 16, and the Semi-Finals on April 30 and May 7. The final will be played at the Fenerbahçe Åžükrü SaracoÄŸlu Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday May 20 at 21:45 local time (20.45 CET).
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While the possible draw scenarios germinate in your mind, L’Équipe has a rather interesting article on the “home advantage” factor of the remaining teams.

For instance:

• Arsenal: Have an unbeaten streak of 23 UCL matches at Emirates Stadium (26 if you count preliminary rounds).
• Bayern: Since they moved to Allianz Arena in 2005, the German giants lost an UCL home match only once, 0-2 vs. AC Milan in 2007 (of course, if you include their 2007-08 UEFA Cup season, results aren’t so spectacular).
• Liverpool: Including domestic and European competitions, have a 31-match unbeaten streak record at Anfield.
• Manchester United: 20-match European unbeaten streak at Old Trafford.
• Chelsea: 16-match uropean unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge.
• Porto: Since 2003, only two teams have managed to win at Estádio do Dragão.
• Villarreal: Have never lost at El Madrigal in the UEFA Champions League (granted, their UCL history is still writing its first chapters).

Ironically, Barcelona are the team who have the weakest home record of the remaining eight, but hey… who needs a solid defense when you usually score more than three goals per game, mmmh??
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See you at 11:45 CET everyone!

(and in the meantime, have a look at the cool adidas “Roma Finale” ball for the Champions League final):
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		The design of the adidas Finale Rome is based on the widely recognisable UEFA Champions League starball. The colours of the new match ball are inspired by the traditional Roman colour burgundy with gold detailing around the stars. Mosaic figures representing key sporting and Roman values such as speed, teamwork, justice and power are featured in each star — honouring European club football’s blue-riband event.

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	Like the EUROPASS, the match ball of UEFA EURO 2008â„¢ in Austria and Switzerland last summer, the adidas Finale Rome boasts the innovative surface structure PSC-Textureâ„¢. This surface structure allows players to control and direct the ball perfectly in all weather conditions. The PSC-Textureâ„¢ consists of a sophisticated and extremely fine structure on the ball’s outer skin that guarantees optimum grip between ball and boot. Due to the usage of this material, the ball texture feels like goose bumps. In addition, like the EUROPASS, the adidas Finale Rome is constructed out of 14 panels using revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Chelsea vs. Juventus.

Enjoy!

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PETR CECH

Often tagged as the “second-best keeper in the world” (now down to third with Casillas, get over it Chelsea fans), Petr Cech has now the opportunity to go neck-in-neck with the nº1 guy, aka Gigi Buffon. His season so far has not been absolutely stellar, but the Czech keeper has made some key saves for the Blues and put his darkest moments of form behind him. Now he will have to face off against the headers of Amauri and the free-kicks of Del Piero.

GIANLUIGI BUFFON
After putting 2008 (and all the associated back strains and muscular problems behind him), Buffon took back his nº1 spot between the Bianconeri posts. And Juve will need every ounce of his talent, because every intervention, anticipation, save and mistake can be capital for the final victory.

	JOSÉ BOSINGWA
	Felipe Scolari may be gone, but the right-back he left to Guus Hiddink is among the world’s elite in that category. Bosingwa can push forward, cross, and even shoot from the distance. Sometimes however he falls asleep during the defensive phase, especially on man-on-man marking instances.

ZDENEK GRYGERA
Now steadily employed by Ranieri as right full-back, the Czech player distinguishes himself essentially with his reliability: this star may not shine very brightly but it rarely has had any “off” days. And we can’t really expect him to play like Maicon, but Grygera be put to many other uses (including playing on the left or in the center).

	JOHN TERRY
	Despite still solidly occupying the heart of the Blues defense, the Chelsea & England captain hasn’t been playing his best season (at least so far). And one has to wonder whether all of his Champions League appearances aren’t still marred by that penalty miss in last year’s final.

NICOLA LEGROTTAGLIE
Through his top-notch Bianconeri performances Legrottaglie has also conquered the Italian national team back. Years may be going by, but his physique, experience, and spiritual faith (yes, religion) are helping him keep his playing level to high par. With Chiellini, he makes up one of Serie A’s most solid defensive pairs: a good test against the likes of Drogba & Anelka.

	RICARDO CARVALHO
	Much like Terry, this hasn’t been Carvalho’s best season (a few injury & teamwork problems during the Scolari era are to blame). He’s still one of the world’s best center-backs though, and if he’s healthy the Bianconeri strikers will have one hell of a time against him. He will skip the first leg at Stamford Bridge though.

GIORGIO CHIELLINI
His return to full fitness is absolutely fundamental for Juve’s qualifying chances: “Keyser Giorgio” often provides an insurmountable obstacle for opposing attacks. With great personality & intelligence, he dominates his center-back position and is likely to do so for many years to come also in the Italian national team.

	ASHLEY COLE
	Offensively, Ashley Cole’s performances have always been quite satisfying (both with Chelsea & the Three Lions). Defensively however, the ex-Gunners wing-back has been accumulating a few mistakes too many, and Blues fans are still waiting to see the player that was roaming and dominating his wing during his time at Arsenal.

CRISTIAN MOLINARO
Debates on this Salernitana youth-team product are raging and the verdict’s far from being out: some think he’s not Juve material, others praise his recent progress, physical efforts & defensive work (I am in the latter category). The match against Chelsea is a good opportunity to prove what he’s worth.

	MICHAEL BALLACK
	Like many times before his in career, Ballack’s post-Christmas performances have significantly improved compared to the early part of the season. He has become once again the protagonist of match-winning goals & performances, this player can shoot, is dangerous on headers and has also got a pretty decent set of set-pieces skills.

MAURO CAMORANESI
One of the Bianconeri’s key players, instantly able to turn the tide of a match to Juve’s favor, he’s Ranieri’s weapon of choice with his ball control, dribbling, and crossing abilities. The manager’s biggest concern? Health, as indeed Camo hasn’t been fit longer than 1 month this season (ably replaced by Marchionni however).

	JON OBI MIKEL
	Waiting for Michael Essien’s knee to heal, the Nigerian midfielder has been guaranteeing the solidity of the Blues’ midfield to at least the bare minimum level. With their main players geared toward offensive work, Mikel’s interdiction capabilities are perfect to give the defense a hand. On the condition of keeping a cool head, which isn’t exactly this player’s speciality.

MOHAMED SISSOKO
After his Liverpool experience Sissoko knows a great deal about English football. Playing against Chelsea sounds like a match made in heaven: physical challenges & rough tackling (or “British-style play” if you will) will be in high demand during this fixture, and these are the Malian international’s great specialty. Time to show the EPL crowd “Momo is still boss”.

FRANK LAMPARD

After a Summer of hesitation, he finally decided to stay at Chelsea and it was a fundemental choice for the team: his contribution this season (goals & assists) has already hit double-digits, and that’s not even taking his ever-so-capital leadership role into consideration. He’s a true warrior with a vast luggage of technical skills: shooting, passing, movement, headers, etc. An irreplaceable piece.

TIAGO
From mysterious object to undesirable reject to key component of Juve’s midfield. Tiago’s progress in the Old Lady sure has had some ups and downs. It now finally seems the Portuguese midfielder’s adapted to the Italian playing style, complementing Sissoko’s rugged defensive work with good playmaking abilities. The cherry on the cake would be a goal against his ex-team Chelsea…

	FLORENT MALOUDA
	After his costly transfer from Lyon in the Summer of 2007, the Stamford Bridge crowd were hoping for far better performances from Malouda. So far his Blues highlights reel contains as many ups as downs, but the advantage for Hiddink is having a player which can occupy the left wing and give precious assists on a good day.

PAVEL NEDVED

Perhaps one of the players at Juve who wants this Champions League trophy the most, you can be sure Pavel Nedved will give his heart & soul on the field against Chelsea. At 36 years of age he’s still a capital piece of Ranieri’s chessboard, and even though his physique doesn’t allow him to play many back-to-back matches, his contribution in charisma & leadership are invaluable for matches like these.

	DIDIER DROGBA
	With Scolari out of the way, Blues fans hope Drogba will return to be the player he once was: extraordinary physique, excellent playing fundamentals, goal-scoring instinct in any situation. It’s easy to predict Guus Hiddink will promote him back to a starting role, hoping that he and Anelka can finally sing in tune with one another.

AMAURI

His first season in Bianconero has been excellent so far: with Trezeguet’s injury, the Brazilian striker has solidly occupied a starting spot in the Juve attack, accumulating goals left & right since the year started. With a devastating physique & pure Brazilian-style technical ability, the 28 year-old player has just reached professional adulthood and Chelsea’s fixture is a perfect opportunity to confirm that.

	SOLOMON KALOU
	Kalou may not often find himself under the spotlight, but he’s certainly a player able to give the Chelsea attack another dimension. He moves between the midfielders and the front striker, always looking for the winning assist before taking a shot himself. It’s the kind of altruism which great teams strive for.

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO

At 34 years of age, ADP has so far chalked up yet another season of world-class performances & inspiring examples of leadership. Not only has he lead his team to victories on more than one occasion (Champions League included), but his free-kicks are still the terror of many opposing goalkeepers. He has had the intelligence of adapting his playing style to his advancing years: where speed is lacking, Del Piero makes up with technique.

	ALEX
	He’s the first alternative to Terry & Carvalho at the heart of the Blues defense: in other words a luxury substitute. He’s got a very good kick, which is an added weapon up front, and innate sense of positioning. But two weaknesses: he’s certainly no speed demon and has trouble defending set-pieces sometimes.

OLOF MELLBERG
For a free transfer, the ex-Aston Villa center-back’s performances in Italy have been more than satisfying. Especially since the Swedish player can both play in the center and on the wings, and with Juve’s injury problems this season versatility is golden. With his international experience, no doubt Ranieri will be counting on Olof to pitch in when needed.

	DECO
	He may be one of Scolari’s “kids”, but the naturalized Brazilian will no doubt be highly esteemed by Hiddink as well. A bit harder to predict is exactly what kind of role he will have in the Goose’s tactics: playmaker or part of a three-man midfield? One thing’s for sure: whatever his position, the technical abilities of Deco aren’t up for discussion (his ability to control his temper might be).

CHRISTIAN POULSEN

Being the back-up plan to a great player like Xabi Alonso has weighed heavily on Poulsen so far, as many Juve supporters expected things the ex-Sevilla midfielder couldn’t deliver. The Danish international is essentially an interdictor, a shrewd tactical element which makes up for his lack of technique by being at the right place at the right time. But don’t ask to act as a playmaker: that’s not his thing.

NICOLAS ANELKA

He was Chelsea’s last shooter in the May 2008 UCL final, and we all know how that ended: VdS save and cup to Man Utd. This season however, with some help from Drogba’s health problems, Anelka’s been reborn: currently the Premier League topscorer the French international seems to be back to his golden Arsenal days. It’s likely Hiddink will give him a starter spot against Juve, the question is: with or without Didier?

DAVID TREZEGUET

With Juve’s mercato signings pretty much non-existent, one could say the Old Lady’s biggest Winter transfer has been David Trezeguet. In effect, the French international’s season begins now: out injured for over 4 months, David celebrated his return to a starting role last week-end with a goal. Although unlikely to start vs. the Blues, his predatory instincts inside the box may yet prove useful to Juventus once again.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Arsenal vs. AS Roma.

Enjoy!

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	MANUEL ALMUNIA
	After the Lehmann-era, the Spanish keeper became a first-team choice almost by accident, without ever doing anything extraordinary to earn the choice of nº1 in one of most prestigious clubs of Europe. The verdict’s still out on him: sometimes the author of wonderful saves, Almunia has also put his mark on terrible blunders. Aerial balls aren’t his forte either.

DONI
The match at Emirates stadium will be Doni’s perfect opportunity to shut the trap of all those criticizing him, accusing the Giallorossi keeper of always crumbling under pressure in big matches. For someone who’s made his presence known on the international level for a while now, Doni now needs to prove that his reflexes & handling ability are finally up to par.

	BACARY SAGNA
	He’s certainly not the poster-boy for his field position in the Premiership, but that is more due to a lack of media presence than quality. For the ex-Auxerre wing-back is one of those players which makes very little mistakes, and although his technical qualities aren’t mind-melting he is a very disciplined character in defense. He’s certainly got Arsène’s confidence hasn’t he?

CICINHO
For a position which has undergone so many injuries at Roma recently, not to mention the latest Christian Panucci mutiny, Cicinho has become quite the indispensible player. Now, on the European set of the Emirates/Stadio Olimpico, the Brazilian can finally swing all the naysayers to his side. He will have to wait the return leg though, for he his presently injured.

KOLO TOURÉ

This season without a doubt, has not been the Ivorian player’s most memorable ones. He’s certainly played a LOT better in the past, to the point that he was once considered among the best center-backs in the world. Kolo’s biggest problems this year, seem to be focused particularly in the changing room, but fortunately all that’s water under the bridge now, and Touré can work on returning to his previous excellence levels.

PHILIPPE MEXÈS
While he may not have to deal with Emmanuel Adebayor in the first leg, Van Persie and Bendtner aren’t easy customers either. Mexès is one of those central-backs with enormous potential, but who sometimes lets his temper or lack of concentration work against him during big games. It’s something Philippe will have to avoid at all costs, because any error against Arsenal is to be paid very dearly.

WILLIAM GALLAS

Giallorossi fans: watch out for the French center-back’s headers, as Gallas is a real specialist when it comes to moving forward on set pieces and getting his noggin on match-winning crosses. Different story for his work at the back as the 31 year-old is starting to feel the weight of his years: his once trademarked super-fast interventions are no more, and could very well prove to be the Achilles’s heel of Wenger’s defense.

JUAN
A center-back with great class, big physique and ball control skills as any Brazilian should, Juan’s biggest weakness is his lack of speed. In other words, when dealing with the pacey Arsenal players anticipation will be the main key word, as good technique & positioning may prove to be insufficient. We’ll have to wait for the second leg to see, as Juan is out injured for the Emirates match.

GAËL CLICHY

Still a young gunner, but also a veteran gunner already. Clichy is one of Arsène’s preferred players, a fast defensive wing-back on which the French manager has invested and is now ready to collect. His pacey runs down the left wing are a secret to no one, but unfortunately Clichy also marked this season with a series of unexpected defensive blunders. Something Totti & friends will want to take advantage of.

MAX TONETTO
With Riise’s injury good ole’ Max is looking for a starting spot on the left side. This year, be it for injury problems or be it for tactical choices, he has not seen playing time as much as before. Spalletti know he can be counted on however, and will not hesitate giving him a spot at the Emirates.

	EMMANUEL EBOUÉ
	Since Sagna arrived at the Emirates, Eboué has regularly appeared higher up the field in a midfield position. Wenger may have tried making a center-mid out of him, but that was an experiment the French manager rapidly abandoned. His offensive contributions (even as a wing-back) are however undeniable, and Emmanuel knows how to make his speed count.

RODRIGO TADDEI
Who is Rodrigo Taddei? An unstoppable Brazilian who unites technique and execution speed to make Roma fly, or is he just a “good” player which still fails to make that last step towards champions adulthood? On paper, this match against Arsenal is the perfect opportunity to make that step, and it’s one Taddei must take full advantage of.

DENILSON

Wenger already toyed with the idea of Denilson a more stable position in midfield, but after Fàbregas’s injury the Brazilian player has become irreplaceable. He’s fast, he’s technical, and he’s certainly not shy: the 21 year-old has been given the reins of the Gunners’ midfield and will have to prove yet again he deserves that responsibility against Roma. A big step towards international adulthood.

DANIELE DE ROSSI

Capitan Futuro for so many years now, De Rossi’s maturing period has come to an end and he is now the pillar of the Giallorossi midfield. Uniting technical skill with interdiction qualities, there are very few like him in Europe. Fortunately for him and Roma he will not be facing Fàbregas, but that is a big big disappointment for us neutral spectators, as that would have been a fantastic duel to behold. Still, he will have to make full use of his international experience against the “kids” Denilson and Diaby.

	ABOU DIABY
	Unlike Eboué, the Frenchman was first tested on the wings and then moved back to the middle to cover Fàbregas’s absence. With good results, especially since his physical traits are quite reminiscent of a certain Patrick Vieira. A great powerful athlete, he’s also decently skilled with his feet, and at 22 years of age there is still plenty of margin for improvement.

MATTEO BRIGHI
Not even a year ago, who would have thought Matteo Brighi would become the missing link and irreplaceable piece of Spalletti’s midfield chessboard? His performances this season have been absolutely stellar, with no other player making himself as useful as he had so far. With the added bonus of getting on the scoreboard a few times, including in Europe.

	SAMIR NASRI
	Wenger made a real fuss of getting this player last Summer, and Nasri’s performances so far have repayed the French manager’s confidence. He’s generally fielded on the left side, but often moves back to the center to unleash his shooting & passing abilities (generally with good results). The added bonus? He’s got a strong tendency to shine during important games. Roma players have been warned.

SIMONE PERROTTA
When all is said and done, any “reliability” ranking at Roma for the past decade features Simone Perrotta very high up. Spalletti knows this as the Italian midfielder has always provided quality & quantity, moving perfectly amidst his midfield & striker teammates, capable of offensive as well as defensive contributions. The only snag? He’s got bricks on his feet when it comes to shooting.

	ROBIN VAN PERSIE
	He’s the most smashing talent of this young Arsenal team: quality incarnated. With great technique and a good free-kick specialist, he can score with both feet and has certainly taken a knack at doing so in important games. Assuming he can keep his temper under control, the Roma defense will have many problems dealing with him.

MIRKO VUCINIC
There is no doubt in the past three years the Montenegrin striker has become a key player for AS Roma. Should he player in front, behind, or on the same line as Francesco Totti, the result is the same: quality. In other words: he’s proven to be a great player who belongs on great team. His next step? Helping Roma advance in Europe.

	NICKLAS BENDTNER
	With Adebayor & da Silva injured (and missing out at least on the first leg) and Arshavin cup-tied, it looks like the Danish striker will be promoted to the European first team as well. A player with great physique and often getting on the scoreboard as a substitute, Bendtner will have to prove to be worthy of that starting spot he claims he “deserves”.

FRANCESCO TOTTI
This has been an unfortunate year for the Giallorossi captain, without a doubt. Missing out on more than half of the season for this or that injury, it would be about time (fingers crossed) karma left Totti alone and allowed him to play this Arsenal double header. For when he is on the field, Roma have two added gears to their engine.

	JOHAN DJOUROU
	With Silvestre out injured, the Swiss center-back should at the very least make an apperance on the Gunners’ subs bench. He is certainly not lacking in the technical and physical department, and despite his young age he’s also got a good baggage of international experience. Expect to see him at some point or another.

MARCO MOTTA
Last-minute transfer of the January Mercato, the on-loan Udinese wing-back has already proven extremely useful domestically. With Panucci on punishment & Cicinho out injured, he may yet be promoted to a starting role in EUrope.

	ALEXANDRE SONG
	The Cameroonian jewel, which has often appeared into the squad rotation of Arsène Wenger, has very rapidly convinced many Arsenal fans for his reliability. Not only that, but Song is capable of covering many roles as well in midfield as in defense. Amidst the young guns of Arsène, he is one of those “winning” bets. Being the nephew of Rigobert certainly provided some good inspiration.

DAVID PIZARRO
Depending on which starting formation Spalletti chooses, Pizarro may yet be in doubt of a starting role. Often tied to the fate of Aquilani, the Chilean midfielder’s playmaking ability will however be necessary, at some point or another, in the 180 minutes ahead.

	EDUARDO DA SILVA
	After his horrifying injury and subsequent year-long absence, the Croato-Brazilian striker has slowly returned to full fitness (and associated scoring efficiency). Even though he will have to skip the first leg, his presence will undoubtedly be useful to Arsène Wenger at some point or another.

JULIO BAPTISTA
He’s returning to the Emirates as an ex playe, and Baptista will undoubtedly be looking for “revenge” against a team and a manager which gave him a starting role almost exclusively in the FA Cup. He’s got technique, power, and international experience on his side, so the English defense had better watch out for “the Beast”.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Inter Milan vs. Manchester United.

Enjoy!

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	JULIO CESAR
	Our impression is that the Seleçao keeper will have a lot of work on his hands (no pun intended), especially at Old Trafford. It will be his big opportunity for consecration at the highest European level, to show that he does not possess any more weaknesses (defending free-kicks included).

EDWIN VAN DER SAR

After his unlucky experience at Juve, the Dutch giant managed to bounce back many times. His biggest accomplishment perhaps is the penalty save on Nicolas Anelka last May, which allowed Manchester Utd to claim the biggest European trophy again. This season he has just claimed the record for longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League for a keeper, and is just a few hundred minutes shy of claiming the world record. At 38 years of age, good old Edwin is still in fine form.

	MAICON
	He already is the strongest right-back in the world at the moment, so now he will looking to demonstrate it to the current world champions. Power, ball control, character, pace: the ex-AS Monaco wing-back has no weaknesses. With that said, when you have to contain players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney and Tevez, running forward to attack is permitted, yes, but with prudence.

GARY NEVILLE

The injury-nightmare which kept him away from football for over a year is over, and Neville has been reborn since then. After many already considered him dead & buried, the 33 year-old Mancunian captain took back the armband and his starting spot, and although he may not have as much pace and agility as Rafael da Silva, experience and defensive ability make well up for it. He’ll be very useful to Ferguson, especially at Old Trafford (he’s missing the San Siro fixture).

IVAN CORDOBA

When you’re dealing with a horde of uncontrollable Red Devils, pace is one of the biggest requirements for a defender. At 32 years of age the Colombian center-back has still got loads of it, including an innate jumping ability to reach even the highest aerial balls. When the likes of Berbatov, Vidic, and other towering-header specialists come roaming forward on set pieces, Córdoba will need to prove the springs in his legs are very far from being rusty.

WES BROWN

With Nemanja Vidic suspended in the first leg, it was very likely Sir Alex would bring Brown back to the starting eleven at San Siro. Unfortunately, Wes is injured and will also miss the trip to Italy. With that said, the Mancunian center-back has improved considerably since last year, and this despite just recovering from a long injury himself. One has to wonder on his condition for the return match however, and if it will be at 100%: for a match like this one anything but full fitness is bound to create the entire defensive line-up considerable problems.

WALTER SAMUEL

Power, character, positioning ability: the best version of Walter Samuel will be absolutely fundamental in order to thwart Berbatov’s scoring, alongside making the Manchester striker “feel the physique” of Inter’s backline. Anticipation will be one of his main weapons, especially against speed-demons like Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though he will skip the first leg for injury, his recent fine form is nothing but good news for Mourinho.

RIO FERDINAND

A main column of Man Utd and the English national team, Rio couples with Vidic to make one of the most impenetrable Premiership backlines of recent years. Domestically, the World and European champions accumulated a streak of 13 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, and although everyone is talking about Van der Sar’s record the Dutch keeper owes a lot to the pair of defenders in front of him, particularly Rio. The precision and timing of his tackles are his main strength, alongside the concentration required to clear the danger when the situation warrants it.

CRISTIAN CHIVU

Assuming he will be placed on the left side of the Inter defense, the Romanian defender will have the very simple task of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at bay. Piece of cake right? With that said, when his sometimes-too-fragile physique (as evidenced by his recent injuries) cuts him some slack, Chivu shows high qualities of technique, class, and experience, stuff which so far as earned him a lot of José’s good graces. At 100%, even Ronaldo will have some trouble getting by him.

PATRICE EVRA

Much like the rest of his defensive teammates, the French wing-back has also been struggling with injury problems this year. His condition will have to be re-evaluated. In perfect health however, he is among Europe’s best in his role: a real dynamo of pace & agility, capable of running up & down the field many times during a game and providing an never-ending supply of overlaps and crosses. His defensive abilities have also considerably improved.

	JAVIER ZANETTI
	Could Inter’s captain miss out on such an important encounter? There is just no way José Mourinho will do without the charisma and tactical versatility of the experienced Argie: when there is defending to do or support the playmakers in midfield, Zanetti’s always ready. In addition, it’s a safe bet he will try one of those classic runs forward which drive the San Siro wild.

MICHAEL CARRICK

When in the Summer of 2006 Ferguson gave ₤17m to Tottenham, some football “experts” were laughing their ass off. Two years and a half later the laughs have considerably subsided, as Michael Carrick has become the pillar of this Red Devils team. He’s got vision, shooting, and a sometimes deadly ability to move through defenses like butter… the only thing he’s missing is a little bit of pace, but hey: no one’s asking him to be Ronaldo are they?

ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

An irreplaceable piece of the Inter chessboard, he’s the main reference of José’s midfield. He does everything: cover the D-line, start his team’s counters, move forward, and hit when it hurts on dead-ball situations. His compass is always working and he never gets lost on the field: Inter will need his presence like crazy at Old Trafford, especially since defensive midfielders with good feet are a rare commodity these days.

PAUL SCHOLES

He’s the eternal ginger Mancunian warrior, one that Ferguson can always count on at the right moment. His semi-final cannonball effort sank Barcelona and sent Man Utd through to the final last year. With the absence of Owen Hargreaves and the not-quite-ripe aura surrounding Anderson, it’s very likely Scholesy will be once again called into action. And it’s something Nerazzurri fans don’t remember too fondly, especially those who were around for the 1999 encounter at San Siro.

SULLEY MUNTARI

He’s already tried the taste of English Prem football with Pompey, and it’s something Red Devil fans don’t remember too fondly: his FA Cup goal in the quarter-finals prevented Manchester from hitting the treble last season. He’s got power, shooting, and ball control skills, with one big caveat: temper. This is Muntari’s time to grow up, and he knows it. What better way to demonstrate it than a European encounter with the World champions?

RYAN GIGGS

The Welsh magician will not be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Fresh with a contract extension from Manchester, the Red Devils living legend will be something to behold at San Siro. Although it may indeed be the last time Ryan Giggs sets foot in Italy as a player, so our suggestion is to pay close attention to what he does on the field. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see magic.

DEJAN STANKOVIC

If anything can be said about the Serbian midfielder it’s that this is Stankovic rebirth-year: José had asked him he was only interested in meeting the great player from the Lazio days, and apparently that was motivation enough for a transformation. Recently providing the match-winning goal against AC Milan in the derby, Stankovic may be repeating himself in European context: long-range shooting and killer header are his main skills, and he sure will be drawing upon them against the Red Devils.

WAYNE ROONEY
Back just in time from his injury problems, Roo’s contribution to Man Utd’s tactical balance is incalculable. His main occupation is to score goals, but Rooney can do many other things as well and Sir Alex knows it. Don’t be surprised if you see him score a goal and then run all the way back to his corner flag to defend on the next play.

ADRIANO

Is Adriano’s rebirth complete? Much has been flowing asking that question in recent months, but the player knows his work can only be complete with European confirmation. It certainly won’t be easy against one of the best European defences of the year: sheer power (Adriano’s main specialty) won’t be enough to break down Rio & friends, but power isn’t all that the Inter striker can provide. This will be Adriano’s time to demonstrate that his technique hasn’t lost an iota of ability, and that all the good progress so far has been building up to this.

DIMITAR BERBATOV

He was one of Ferguson’s main targets this Summer, and one can easily understand why: good heading ability, excellent ball control & shooting, Berbatov has become the main reference point in United’s forward line. Not only that, but this guy is also one hell of a passer: would you believe it he’s currently leading the assist rankings in the Premiership? If Inter can manage to block him, a good part of Manchester’s maneuvering ability will be seriously hampered.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

The term “perfect opportunity” has never taken its full meaning until today. If there is one thing Ibrahimovic has always been criticized for it’s pulling a Houdini during big important matches, so what better chance than facing the European champions for the tall Swedish striker to prove he will not disappear? Everyone knows (including himself and Sir Alex) that Zlatan can change the course of a match entirely by himself. Now is his chance.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Ballon d’or, FIFA World Player of the Year, a 42-goals season, club trophies here & there (including a Prem title and a UEFA Champions League): year 2008 was, to say the least, a pretty good one for Cristiano Ronaldo. Now Manchester United’s most recognized figure worldwide (and this despite the insisting courtship coming down from Madrid), C-Ron will have the delectable task of leading his team past the San Siro hurdle. The only thing we can say to whoever gets the job of marking him: “Good night, and good luck”.

	NICOLAS BURDISSO
	After a few off-the-mark performances, Burdisso’s picked things up rather nicely after José’s arrival to the point of earning his new manager’s trust & respect. On dead balls his heading ability is very dangerous, and he’s a good substitute to Inter’s usual starters in the center-back position. Provided he does not lose his concentration during moments of high pressure.

JOHN O’SHEA
He may not be the most refined player technically, but John O’Shea can surely be considered as Sir Alex’s ace-up-the-sleeve. He can cover all playing positions from defense to midfield, and his versatility has come in handy on more than one occasion this year. Especially given all the injury problems the team’s had to face.

	PATRICK VIEIRA
	Old age seems to be catching up with the ex-Arsenal midfielder, as in recent years Patrick has not been able to play more than 20 or so games per season. When he’s fit however he can still be decisive, with an extensive baggage of experience & character on his side. Not only that, but the past encounters with Man Utd during his Arsenal years may yet prove to be useful.

JI-SUNG PARK
When the matches get delicate (especially the away encounters) Ferguson pulls his Korean ace out of the top hat. Very disciplined tactically, Ji-Sung Park does not lack in the character department either. He’s not a very “trendy” player for sure (in the sense he is not one of those you expect to feature in starting eleven lists), but so far has always responded present the going gets tough.

	JULIO CRUZ
	The tall Argie is the first alternative to the Zlatan/Adriano duo, and (like many times in the past) has always proved reliable when called into action. With match-winning goals especially. With plenty of UCL experience under his belt, his killer blow is definitely something for United defenders to beware against.

CARLOS TEVEZ
With four world class-level forwards in the team (we’re putting Ronaldo in that same category) and only three spots available, even a guy like Tevez may find himself on the subs bench. But Carlitos is anything but a second-liner, and when on the field he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on: he fights, he battles, he creates, a little “red devil” in his own right.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Football is one of the greatest things in the world but it’s not perfect. It used to be perfect. Before money and television and the Bosman ruling and Baby Bentleys and roastings and tattoos and takeovers and no standing and agents and prawn sandwiches and rotation.

English newspaper The Times takes a stab at the “50 Worst Things about Modern Football”. “It could have been 500″ they add.

Without question, football as we know it experienced some sort of a genetic mutation of the last 20-30 years. And for the Times writers, the common denominator as the “root of all evil” seems to be… MONEY! What else?

Indeed, the “European Champion Clubs’ Cup” sold out and became the “Champions League” (Nº3), with all the money-making evilness going along with it (“If you won the European Cup, you were the best team in Europe. If you win the Champions League, you owe someone £700 million.“). The FA Cup (Nº9), which used to be a competition where “milkmen” and “postmen” scored at Wembley stadium, has now turned into yet another money-making enterprise where a “bloke earning £100k a week wins a trophy he doesn’t give a $#!+ about“.

And what can be said about Transfer windows at Nº48 (“Going shopping twice a year wouldn’t work in real life and it doesn’t work in football.“) or Undisclosed transfer fees at Nº44 (“If you’re going to spend some of my hard-earned season ticket money on a player I’ve never heard of, I want to know how much he cost. I’m not interested in add-ons or projected fees. I just want a number. Any number will do.“)? Further of moolah’s corrupting power.

But let’s take a break from the money-related stuff. Let’s consider things like fu**ing Squad numbers (Nº47) and auto-bloody-biographies (Nº48). Remember the days when the team’s best player was Nº10, goalkeepers were Nº1, and no number went beyond 30? Now watching the Premiership seems like watching an NFL game. Also, “Wayne Rooney has already written two books. That’s one more than he’s read.“. If only he could write as well as he could speak in front of a microphone (blame Media Training for that, Nº24)…. wait never mind.

Passing along Opinions (Nº18) and Internet message boards (Nº16) (“Rafa’s God. Rafa’s an idiot. Becks is past it. No, he’s not. Your team sucks, my team’s better.” etc.), as well as musical renditions we’ve all grown to hate (Nº22: Let Me Entertain You, Nº10: Goal celebration music), we eventually go back to the root of all evil: $$$. So what better than Kaká (Nº23, “If he’s not interested in money why do AC Milan have to pay him £173,000 a week?) and Manchester City (Nº12, “The new Chelsea.“) to cap things off…

And THE worst thing about modern football according to Times writers? Nº1: Television, because it is “the monster” that ate it all. Nuff said.
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Feel free to add more “WORST THINGS” about modern football in the comments below.
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	Nº50: Technical areas
	Did Bob Paisley need a technical area when Liverpool won three European Cups and six league titles? Did Alf Ramsey need a technical area when England won the World Cup? What’s so technical about a bit of grass and some white lines, anyway? Memo to all modern managers: Sit down and shut up.

Nº49: Motorway service stations
You pop in to go to the toilet and five minutes later you’ve bought a full-English breakfast for £18.99 and joined the AA.

	Nº48: Transfer windows
	Imagine if you could only do your shopping twice a year – once in January and then in June, July and August. What would happen? You’d have a fridge full of beer and you’d run out of toilet paper. It wouldn’t work in real life and it doesn’t work in football.

Nº47: Squad numbers
Remember the days when the best player was Nº10 and goalkeepers were Nº1? Not any more. Thanks to someone at the Premier League watching an American football game, players can have any number they want. George Bowyer is Rochdale’s Nº33, Ronaldinho is AC Milan’s Nº80 and William Gallas is Arsenal’s Nº10. Why?

	Nº46: Autobiographies
	There comes a time in every player’s life when he decides — or his agent tells him — to write his life story. A couple of interviews with a ghostwriter later and hey presto we have 200 pages of guff and absolutely zero interest from the book-buying public. Wayne Rooney has already written two books. That’s one more than he’s read.

Nº45: Craig Bellamy
He’s gobby, he’s played for 842 clubs, he’s covered in tattoos and he earns £90,000 a week. What’s not to like?

	Nº44: Undisclosed transfer fees
	If you’re going to spend some of my hard-earned season ticket money on a player I’ve never heard of, I want to know how much he cost. I’m not interested in add-ons or projected fees. I just want a number. Any number will do.

Nº43: Statistics
American obsession that is gradually weaving itself into the fabric of our national game. Do you care how many assists Wayne Rooney has this season? Do you care how many passes Steve Gerrard has completed in the final third? Do you care if Gareth Barry’s tackle win ratio has dropped off since Christmas? Thought not. There’s only one stat that matters. The score.

	Nº42: By mutual consent
	Three of the most meaningless words in the English language. Either the manager resigned or he was sacked. Just tell us the truth, we can handle it.

Nº41: Fans who complain when games are called off
Were little white things falling out of the sky when you walked to the car this morning? Was the pavement a bit slippery? If the answer to both these questions is yes, there’s a good chance the game’s going to be called off. It’s not the referee’s fault, it’s not the FA’s fault and it’s not the groundsman’s fault. Some things just weren’t meant to be.

	Nº40: Gloves
	This is England, not Siberia. Your hands will warm up if you run around for five minutes.

Nº39: The fat bloke in row P
Go to any football ground anywhere in England and there will be a fat bloke in your row who will a) arrive late b) talk rubbish c) leave five minutes before half time d) come back five minutes after the game has restarted e) talk rubbish f) leave five minutes before the game has finished.

Nº38: The manager’s programme column

“First off I’d like to say a big welcome to blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah we were robbed last week blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah the lads have been training brilliantly blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah get behind the lads today blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Enjoy the game.”

Nº37: Formations
Yawn. 4-4-1-1, 4-3-2-1, 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 4-2-1-3. Can’t we just knock it up to the big bloke and get the little bloke to bang it in?

	Nº36: Chelsea
	The new Manchester United.

Nº35: Sky Sports News
The television station that thinks John Carew’s ingrowing toenail responding to treatment is breaking news. Is Sky Sports News the greatest invention known to man or a drug more addictive than crack? We’ll be back after the break.

Nº34: trainline.com

If you fancy following your team around the country by public transport, don’t bother with one of the worst websites in the world. Try telling it you want a train from Manchester to London on Saturday night – journey time 2 hours 30 minutes. No problem. Get the 21:06 to Birmingham New Street. Then jump on 22:53 to Northampton. Then hop on the 04:58 bus to Leighton Buzzard. Then hop on the 06.44 bus to London. With any luck you’ll be in Euston at 8 o’clock on Sunday morning — journey time 11 hours.

Nº33: Added time
“The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time”. So what? We got along just fine without a bloke in a tracksuit holding up a big No 3 at a quarter to five every Saturday.

	Nº32: Joey Barton
	We don’t like to kick a man when he’s down, but he did, so here goes. Type “Joey Barton Scum” into google and you get 30,500 results.

Nº31: Official statements
Did Robinho really say, “I am committed to helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they would become”? Maybe one of his agents typed it into his Blackberry. Robinho doesn’t know what “committed” or “assured” mean because he doesn’t speak English.

	Nº30: Match Of The Day
	Used to be the best programme on TV. Now, it’s the best football highlights show on TV on Saturday nights.

Nº29: Electronic pitchside advertising boards
Next time you go to Old Trafford make sure you take some sunglasses, otherwise you’ll be blinded by the light from the adverts on the TV screens wrapped around the pitch. A word of advice for the skinny latte-sipping Soho adman who came up with this idea: We can’t afford a new Audi. We’re here for the football and the beer.

	Nº28: Referee’s assistants
	They’re linesmen. End of.

Nº27: Hi-tech dugouts
Minutes from Manchester United board meeting May 2007: Sir Alex Ferguson requested that the board sanction the removal of the plastic seats in the home and away dugouts at Old Trafford. The manager wants them replaced with leather racing car seats like the ones they have in Porsches and Ferraris. Sir Bobby said that was ridiculous. Sir Alex told Sir Bobby to shut up.

	Nº26: The fourth official
	Pointless — like Luton Town until last Saturday.

Nº25: Club shops

Empires of tat and greed that make your local Poundstretcher look like Harrods. The club shop at the Emirates Stadium has a special section for Arsenal presents for your dog. The Stamford Bridge megastore sells Chelsea Christmas crackers — £10.43 for a pack of six — and Manchester United have ventured into the toiletries market. Ever fancied washing your hair with Manchester United shampoo and conditioner? Now you can. For £9.99.

	Nº24: Media training
	All Premier League players and managers are given media training to make sure that they never say anything remotely interesting when someone puts a microphone in front of them. Now you know why they’re taking one game at a time, why they didn’t see their captain punch one of his team-mates, why they haven’t thrown in the towel yet and why everything is going to be terrific.

Nº23: Kaká
If he’s not interested in money why do AC Milan have to pay him £173,000 a week? … …. ……

	Nº22: Let Me Entertain You
	Atrocious Robbie Williams song that has ruined the build-up to every single football game in the world since it was released in 1998.

Nº21: Points deductions
This is England, not Italy. Deducting points from teams because they failed to comply with the Football League’s insolvency rules or because they paid agents through a holding company has turned the bottom of League Two into a joke. Luton Town started the season on minus 30 points. The team at the bottom of the table should be the worst side in the league, not the club with the idiot accountant.

	Nº20: Official club websites
	Good for getting directions to the ground, but not much else.

Nº19: ITV
We haven’t forgotten about the ITV Digital disaster and your FA Cup coverage isn’t much to shout about either.

	Nº18: Opinions
	We live in an “Everyone’s entitled to my opinion” kind of world and when it comes to football, everyone’s got one. Rafa’s God. Rafa’s an idiot. Becks is past it. No, he’s not. How can Kaka be worth £100 million? Yeh, but you’d pay £45 to see him play. Stevie G and Lamps can’t play together. But they’re the best we’ve got. Can’t we all just shut up and watch the game?

Nº17: Brazil
The greatest team in the world have become football’s Harlem Globetrotters. Ronaldinho and Co have played only one friendly in Brazil in the past 2 ½ years. In the meantime they’ve put on a show in Oslo, Kuwait, Stockholm, London (four, about to be five, times), Basel, Gothenburg, Dortmund, Montpellier, Chicago, Boston, Dublin, Seattle and Boston. Ker-ching.

	Nº16: Internet message boards
	My team’s better than yours. No, my team’s better than yours. No, my team’s better than yours. No. my team’s better than yours. Repeat until the world ends.

Nº15: Tattoos
When we were kids only sailors and binmen had tattoos. Now, you can’t walk into a dressing-room without being blinded by Celtic crosses, barbed wire, angels, Chinese proverbs, the name of everyone’s kids, the name of everyone’s kids in Hebrew, the name of everyone’s wife, the name of everyone’s wife in Latin, a couple of Welsh dragons and Steve Sidwell’s marriage vows.

	Nº14: Superagents
	How does an agent become a superagent? Make a few phone calls, get friendly with Roman Abramovich and buy a flat in Knightsbridge.

Nº13: Injuries
“We’re down to the bare bones” and it’s not surprising considering that modern-day footballers are about as tough and durable as a Ming vase. Half of them can’t run without pulling a hamstring and the other half can’t tackle with breaking a metatarsal. What’s a hamstring anyway? And how come Bobby Moore never pulled one?

	Nº12: Manchester City
	The new Chelsea.

Nº11: Kick-off times
Football used to be played at three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. Now it’s played when it suits Sky and Setanta.

	Nº10: Goal celebration music
	Listen. Very. Carefully. We. Don’t. Want. To. Hear. I. Feel. Good. Chelsea. Dagger. Or. Song. Two. Every. Time. Someone. Scores. A. Goal. Got. That?

Nº9: The FA Cup
When was the last time a milkman lifted the FA Cup? When was the last time a postman scored at Wembley? There’s nothing romantic about a competition which ends every year with a bloke who earns £100,000 a week lifting a trophy that he doesn’t really give a monkey’s about.

	Nº8: Takeovers
	In the old days all you needed to support your local club was a scarf and rattle, but these days you need a degree in economics, an MBA and a subscription to the Financial Times. Come back all you butchers, car dealers, property developers and local boys made good — all is forgiven.

Nº7: Wembley Stadium

The old Wembley Stadium had it all. Players dreamed of playing there and supporters dreamed of going there – even if the toilets smelled a bit funny. Then some bright spark at the FA thought it would be a good idea to knock down the most famous football stadium in the world and replace it with an £800 million concrete box and a pointless arch. Best stadium in the world? Thanks to Arsenal’s new ground, the new Wembley’s not even the best stadium in North London.

	Nº6: Radio phone-in shows
	“”The next caller is Gary from Guildford. What do you want to get off your chest, Gary?” “Well, Alan. I think Rafa’s got to go. How can you leave Torres on the bench when you need three points? And as for that ref, he’s got to be the worst ref I’ve ever seen.” “Were you at the game, Gary?” “No.”"

Nº5: Rotation
You pay £50 for a ticket, you spend £10 on a pint of beer and a hotdog and you get to watch a kickabout between a bunch of kids no-one’s ever heard of. Thanks Arsene. Thanks Rafa. Thanks Alex. Nice to know you care.

	Nº4: New stadium
	Where would you rather watch a game? Maine Road or the City of Manchester Stadium? The Baseball Ground or Pride Park? Highfield Road or The Ricoh Arena? The Dell or St Mary’s? Filbert Street or The Walkers Stadium? Nice prawn sandwiches, though.

Nº3: The Champions League
What’s changed since the European Cup turned into the Champions League in 1992? Everything. If you won the European Cup, you were the best team in Europe. If you win the Champions League, you owe someone £700 million.

	Nº2: The Premier League
	What’s changed since the Premier League broke away from the Football League in 1992? Everything. If you won the First Division title, you were the best team in England. If you win the Premier League, you owe someone £500 million.

Nº1: Television
The monster that ate football. ………………………….. ………………… ……………. …………………

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After 3.3 million votes cast by 256,000 online users (slightly less than last year), the uefa.com Team of the Year 2008 was revealed earlier this week.

As can usually be expected with these things, this starting eleven will please many and disappoint others (especially those whose favorite player was not selected) but this being said, there’s quality oozing all over in this team. I personally prefer the journalist choice of L’Équipe’s Best 11 Soccer Players of 2008, but “the people have spoken” as they say…

Nevertheless, feel free to give your 2 cents (and fire away your insults) in the comments section.

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Uefa.com “Team of the Year” concept

The first uefa.com users’ Team of the Year poll was launched on 12 December 2001. The criteria for Team of the Year concept was straightforward and presented in simple terms: “Naturally, there were many fine individual displays too [in 2001], and rather than impose our own “expert” selections of the top players of the year, uefa.com is asking the real experts, the site’s users, to vote for their Team of 2001.”

The users responded with a cumulative poll of over 3 million votes before the first uefa.com “Team of the Year” was announced on 3 January 2002. Since then the concept has been the same: uefa.com writers have come up with 60 nominations and the uefa.com users have selected the eleven players and one coach to make up the final selection. The first such selection reflected was not dominated by any one club, with UEFA Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Valencia both having two players chosen, while UEFA Cup winners Liverpool had one player and one coach in the dream dozen.

In total 53 individuals have been selected on the 8 uefa.com users’ Team of the Years. By far the most successful player has been French forward Thierry Henry. He was selected on the first four teams, missed out by a mere 1,000 votes on the Team of 2005 before garnering his 5^th selection in the 2006 team. Zinedine Zidane was selected in the first 3 teams, while Pavel Nedved, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluigi Buffon, Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho and Jose Mourinho have also all appeared in 3 selections.

The official website of the award can be found here.

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Team of the Year 2008

More than 3.3 million votes were cast by about 256,000 users, whose resulting dream team features six members of the Spain side that conquered Europe last summer. Iker Casillas is the goalkeeper, playing behind two international team-mates in right-back Sergio Ramos and centre-back Carles Puyol. The continental champions strongly influence the central sphere of operations, with Xavi Hernandez being the pick in the middle of the park and Cesc Fabregas handed the role of attacking midfielder. Fernando Torres lines up in attack.

The Spanish flavour continues with the deployment of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi alongside Torres. That makes the current Liga leaders the best-represented club, with three players. Together with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich have two representatives thanks to the inclusion of left-back Philipp Lahm — a EURO finalist with Germany — and winger Franck Ribery. English football can point to the nominations of centre-half John Terry and winger Cristiano Ronaldo, both protagonists in the UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United. Overseeing this talented blend is the winning coach from Moscow in May, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Xavi gets the captaincy.

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	Goalkeeper	IKER CASILLAS	Real Madrid
“Votes: 122,941 • January: starts year with brilliant individual display as Real Madrid beat Zaragoza 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu. • January: Named in uefa.com users’ Team of the Year for 2007. • January: sets new personal milestone of going 572 consecutive minutes unbeaten for Madrid in La Liga. • February: signs new contract with Madrid keeping him at club until 2017 – effectively the remainder of his career. • April: keeps three successive clean sheets in La Liga as Madrid close in on title. • May: Real retain title with 2-1 win at Osasuna – his fourth with club; he wins ‘Zamora’ prize awarded to goalkeeper with best goals conceded per game average – misses last two matches to protect his ratio. • June: skippers Spain to UEFA European Championship glory – first goalkeeper to captain a winning side in the competition; concedes just two goals in five games and none in three knockout games; saves two penalties in quarter-final shootout v Italy; named in UEFA Team of the Tournament. • September: begins his tenth successive UEFA Champions League campaign with Madrid. • October: sets new national team record of 717 minutes without conceding a goal – finally beaten by Belgium’s Wesley Sonck in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Brussels; in 87 appearances for Spain he has kept 46 clean sheets. • October: nominated for 2008 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award.”
Other nominees:	Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), René Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Petr Cech (Chelsea), Edwin Van der Sar (Man Utd)
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	Right-back	SERGIO RAMOS	Real Madrid
“Votes: 120,886 • March: his absence through suspension keenly felt as Real Madrid lose at home to Roma and go out of the UEFA Champions League in first knockout round. • May: provides assist for Gonzalo Higuaín’s late winning goal at Osasuna that confirms Real as Spanish champions. • May: scores twice in final league game of season – 5-2 at home to Levante UD – to take his total for campaign to five goals in 33 starts. • June: starts five of Spain’s six matches in their Euro 2008 triumph; one of only two Madrid players in Luis Aragonés’s squad (Iker Casillas is the other). • August: wins Spanish Super Cup with Real Madrid, 6-5 on aggregate against Valencia; scores crucial goal in 4-2 second-leg win at Santiago Bernabéu. • September/October: selected from start in first five matches of new Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque’s reign, stretching his run in national side to 20 of last 21 matches (he was rested for the final group game against Greece at Euro 2008). • October: among 30 players shortlisted for 2008 Ballon d’Or.”
Other nominees:	José Bosingwa (Chelsea), Aleksandr Anyukov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Maicon (Inter Milan), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
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	Central defender	CARLES PUYOL	Barcelona
“Votes: 49,756 • April: skippers Barcelona through to UEFA Champions League semi-finals after two 1-0 wins over Schalke 04. • May: wins 60th cap for Spain – first Catalan player to reach that milestone. • June: helps Spain to victory at EURO 2008, starting five of six matches and remaining on field from first whistle to last in all three knockout ties, in which Spanish defence concede no goals; selected in UEFA Team of the Tournament. • September: makes 400th first-team appearance for Barcelona in UEFA Champions League group game at home to Sporting Clube de Portugal. • September/October: leads Barça to three straight wins in new UEFA Champions League campaign. • September/October: ever present under new Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque as team win opening four 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.”
Other nominees:	Rio Ferdinand (Manchester Utd), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina/Atl.Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Carlos Marchena (Valencia)
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	Central defender	JOHN TERRY	Chelsea
“Votes: 61,755 • February: returns from foot injury to captain Chelsea in League Cup final but Tottenham win 2-1 at Wembley. • March: scores winning goal away to Sunderland (1-0) – his first Premier League goal since August 2006. • May: leads Chelsea in UEFA Champions League final but misses crucial penalty in shootout, slipping on wet turf and striking post. • May: scores his fourth goal for England to open the scoring in 2-0 win over the United States at Wembley. • August: confirmed as England captain for forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign. • August: voted UEFA Defender of the Year at awards ceremony in Monaco. • September: receives straight red card – for first time in career – at Manchester City but punishment is rescinded after video review. • October: heads in winning goal for Chelsea in UEFA Champions League tie at home to Roma – his first goal in competition since March 2005. • October: included on FIFA World Player of the Year shortlist.”
Other nominees:	Rio Ferdinand (Manchester Utd), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina/Atl.Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Carlos Marchena (Valencia)
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	Left-back	PHILIPP LAHM	Bayern Munich
“Votes: 83,052 • March: stars as Bayern Munich win 5-0 away to Anderlecht in UEFA Cup Round of 16 tie. • April: plays full two hours as Bayern defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 after extra time in German Cup final. • May: absent through injury as Bayern seal Bundesliga title with 0-0 draw at Wolfsburg. • May: ends rumours of impending transfer to Barcelona by signing new contract that will keep him at Bayern until 2012. • June: prominent figure as Germany reach final of EURO 2008; scores brilliant late winning goal – his first at international level since 2006 FIFA World Cup opening match – in semi-final v Turkey (3-2), for which he earns Man of the Match award; injured in final and substituted at half-time; selected for UEFA Team of the Tournament. • August: scores first Bundesliga goal for two years as Bayern claim maiden league win under new coach Jürgen Klinsmann – 4-1 at home to Hertha Berlin. • September: returns to UEFA Champions League with Bayern after a year’s absence in 1-0 win away to Steaua Bucharest.” • September: wins 50th international cap as Germany draw 3-3 with Finland in Helsinki in World Cup qualifier. • October: stretches unbroken sequence of international starts for Germany to 17 in World Cup qualifier against Wales.”
Other nominees:	Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Patrice Evra (Manchester Utd), Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow)
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	Right midfield	CRISTIANO RONALDO	Manchester Utd
“Votes: 138,356 • January: scores first hat-trick for Manchester United in 6-0 home win v Newcastle. • January: scores both goals in 2-0 win v Portsmouth including outrageous ‘goal of the season’ free-kick. • March: appointed United captain for first time and celebrates with both goals in 2-0 home win against Bolton. • May: wins ESM Golden Shoe with 31 Premier League goals, the last of them at Wigan (a penalty) securing second successive English title for United. • May: voted FWA Footballer of the Year as well as PFA Player of the Year in England. • May: scores his 42nd goal of an incredibly prolific season to give United lead in UEFA Champions League final v Chelsea; later misses his penalty in shoot-out but United take trophy. • June: low-key EURO 2008 for Portugal; scores 21st international goal in 3-1 win v Czech Republic but hampered by ankle injury that later requires operation. • August: declares intention to remain at United after summer flirtation with Real Madrid. • August: voted UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in Monaco. • September: returns to action after quick recovery from ankle operation. • October: voted FIFPro Footballer of the Year; also nominated for Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of Year.
Other nominees:	Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Hamit Altintop (Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
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	Central midfield	XAVI HERNÁNDEZ	Barcelona
“Votes: 149,496 • February/March: finds the net four times in six league games for Barcelona — most prolific scoring run of his career. • March: scores only goal of game as Barça defeat Celtic 1-0 at Camp Nou (and 4-2 on aggregate) to reach UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. • May: on target in Barça’s 6-0 home win v Valencia — his seventh goal of the league campaign, a career-best tally. • June: consistent brilliance for Spain at EURO 2008 earns him official Player of the Tournament honour; scores opening goal v Russia in semi-final and caps outstanding performance in final v Germany with assist for Fernando Torres’s winning goal. • September/October: takes international cap tally to 68 as he starts first five matches under Vicente Del Bosque, all of them victories. • September-November: helps Barcelona qualify for last 16 of UEFA Champions League after four group games; scores in 3-1 win at home to Sporting Clube de Portugal and 5-0 victory away to Basel 1893. • October: named among nominees for Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. • November: scores two goals in a club game for very first time as Barcelona go top of table with seventh successive Liga win, 4-1 away to Málaga.”
Other nominees:	Marcos Senna (Villarreal), Anatoliy Tymoschuk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Konstantin Zyrianov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Mehmet Aurélio (Fenerbahce/Betis)
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	Attacking midfield	CESC FÀBREGAS	Arsenal
“Votes: 91,713 • January: ends lengthy goal drought by finding net for Arsenal in 3-0 win at home to Newcastle. • March: scores brilliant long-range goal to cap masterful individual performance as Arsenal eliminate holders AC Milan from UEFA Champions League with 2-0 win at San Siro. • April: named PFA Young Player of the Year. • May: voted Arsenal Player of the Season for second successive season. • June: helps Spain to EURO 2008 victory; comes off bench to score first international goal in group game v Russia, convert decisive penalty in quarter-final shoot-out triumph v Italy, and set up two goals in semi-final victory over Russia; starts final v Germany; selected in Team of the Tournament. • September: starts his fifth successive UEFA Champions League campaign, aged 21. • October: scores stoppage-time equaliser for Arsenal at Sunderland (1-1). • October: nominated for Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.”
Other nominees:	Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb/Tottenham)
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	Left midfield	FRANCK RIBÉRY	Bayern Munich
“Votes: 108,931 • February: scores penalty in last minute of extra time to knock Bayern’s local rivals 1860 München out of German Cup. • April: wins German Cup with Bayern after extra-time victory in Berlin final against Borussia Dortmund. • April: scores two goals in a Bundesliga match for the first time as defending champions Stuttgart are routed 4-1. • May: seals Bundesliga crown at end of scintillating debut season for Bayern. • June: France’s most eye-catching player at EURO 2008 but ends tournament on stretcher after rupturing ankle ligaments in final group game against Italy. • August: voted Germany’s Footballer of the Year by landslide margin, receiving 224 of 766 votes cast – almost twice as many as runner-up Michael Ballack; only second foreigner to claim the award. • October: nominated for Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of Year awards. • October/November: back from injury and inspires Bayern to timely winning run in Bundesliga, scoring in successive victories against Wolfsburg (4-2), Eintracht Frankfurt (2-1) and Arminia Bielefeld (3-1).”
Other nominees:	Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Arjen Robben (Real Madrid)
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	Forward	LIONEL MESSI	Barcelona
“Votes: 88,966 • February: scores twice as Barcelona inflict rare UEFA Champions League defeat on Celtic in Glasgow, winning 3-2 – his fifth and sixth goals of the campaign. • February: plays 100th official match for Barcelona in Spanish Cup tie against Valencia. • March: tears thigh muscle against Celtic and put out of action for six weeks. • April: gives outstanding performance against Manchester United at Old Trafford but in vain as home side win 1-0 to knock Barça out of UEFA Champions League. • May: scores tenth league goal of the season, from the penalty spot, as Barça hammer Valencia 6-0 at Camp Nou. • August: in sparkling form at Olympics in Beijing as Argentina defend their title, defeating Nigeria 1-0 in final; scores in earlier wins v Ivory Coast and Netherlands. • October: comes off bench to score two goals, including stoppage-time winner, as Barça come from behind to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 away in UEFA Champions League. • October: scores tenth goal for Argentina at senior international level to help his country to 2-1 home win over Uruguay in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign; maintains ten-match ever-present record in competition by appearing against Chile four days later. • October: nominated for 2008 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. • November: scores fourth goal in three UEFA Champions League games, in 1-1 draw at home to FC Basel, to send Barça through to last 16.”
Other nominees:	David Villa (Valencia), Daniel Güiza (Mallorca/Fenerbahce), Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Karim Benzema (Lyon)
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	Forward	FERNANDO TORRES	Liverpool
“Votes: 51,569 • February: scores hat-trick – his first in Premier League – as Liverpool beat Middlesbrough 3-2 at Anfield. • March: grabs another hat-trick in 4-0 home win against West Ham. • March: his winning goal against Inter Milan takes Liverpool through to UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, 3-0 on aggregate. • April: scores stunning goal to help Liverpool overcome Arsenal in UEFA Champions League classic at Anfield (4-2). • April: sends UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea into extra time with his sixth goal of competition. • May: equals Liverpool club record of scoring in eight consecutive home games; ends season with 24 goals – most ever scored by foreign player in Premier League debut season. • June: scores two goals at EURO 2008, including delightful winner in final v Germany, as Spain take trophy; voted Man of the Match in the final and included in official Team of the Tournament. • August: on target for Liverpool in Premier League opener at Sunderland (1-0). • September/October: scores two goals in successive away games in Premier League – 2-0 against city rivals Everton and 3-2 v Manchester City. • October: shortlisted for 2008 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. • October/November: misses both UEFA Champions League matches against ex-club Atlético Madrid after sustaining hamstring injury playing for Spain in FIFA World Cup qualifier v Belgium; Liverpool draw both games without him.”
Other nominees:	David Villa (Valencia), Daniel Güiza (Mallorca/Fenerbahce), Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Karim Benzema (Lyon)
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	Coach	SIR ALEX FERGUSON	Manchester Utd
“Votes: 109,408 • January: United win all four Premier League games without conceding a goal. • February: dignified figure as United commemorate 50th anniversary of Munich air crash. • February: United thrash Arsenal 4-0 in fifth round of FA Cup. • April: takes United through to UEFA Champions League final after tight semi against Barcelona. • May: celebrates his tenth Premier League title as United win 2-0 at Wigan to finish two points clear of runners-up Chelsea. • May: wins UEFA Champions League for second time, with penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea (after 1-1 draw) in first all-English final. • May: voted LMA Manager of the Year and also Premier League Manager of the Year for the eighth time. • August: United defeated by Zenit St. Petersburg in UEFA Super Cup. • September: buys Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham for club-record £30.75m (around €38m) fee. • September: leads his team into 13th successive UEFA Champions League campaign (15th in all). • October: United defeat Celtic 3-0 at Old Trafford, eliciting warm praise from Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, a former player of his at Aberdeen and in Manchester. • November: reaches a half-century in football having made debut on 15 November 1958 for Scottish club Queen’s Park aged 16.”
Other nominees:	Luis Aragonés (Spain), Dick Advocaat (Zenit St. Petersburg), Temuri Ketsbaia (Anorthosis Famagusta), Fatih Terim (Turkey)

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Marco Pantanella is one of the Editors of Soccerlens, and the Author and Editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Fabio Cannavaro, Carlos Tevez, Michael Ballack, Michael Owen, Mark Van Bommel, Fred…

These are but a few of the players whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season. And with the january transfer window practically at our doorstep, it is time to give these “old timers” a chance to prove they still are champion material. Time to make that zero-cost buy to win you that elusive trophy, cup, or championship title (or in the worst cases, save you from relegation).

In other words: it’s “Bosman Bonanza” time, with some real bargains to be made…

As customary after New Year’s celebrations, the January transfer market will soon re-open its doors on Wednesday 7th, with the usual frenzy of presidents, sports managers, agents haggling over player prices, and clubs jumping at the opportunity to either strengthen their rosters (Ibisevic) or to offload some undesirables (Adriano). But even better still during this period of the year (and any adept of the Football Manager series will nod in agreement with me), is that it’s time for “Free Transfer Bargains”.

Yes my friends: with now six months left until the end of the season for most European leagues, players whose contract is set to expire in July can be snatched for zero cost. And while 80% of these players are generally over the age of 30, there’s still plenty of juice left to be squeezed out, even in old lemons.

Gazzetta dello Sport (my bible) had the fantastic idea of rounding up all of these soon-to-be free agents, and making of list for each of the Top European leagues. I’ve republished the Serie A bit here on Soccerlens (with accompanying text full translated by yours truly), with the other leagues (Premiership, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1) available on mCalcio.

The rules in the free transfers game are simple mathematics: whatever the market value of the player may be, it’s multiplied by zero. And poof! The transfer cost disappears, leaving only the player’s wage to worry about.

It’s a game of numbers: 488 players with expiring contracts in July, 62 in Italy, 108 in England, 79 in Spain, 89 in Germany, and 150 in France. And we’ve taken a close look at 122 of them.

It’s also a game of dates: Wednesday January 7th the transfer window will re-open, and will stay open until 19:00 CET of February 2nd. Players with expiring contracts however may be signed until March 31st!

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Starting with the big clubs, there are several stars (nay, legends) with expiring contracts, mostly because of age limitations rather than due to wage negotiation problems. Top of the list is 36 year-old Pavel Nedved at Juve: the Ballon d’Or 2003 winner already renewed once last season, but may be persuaded to delay hanging up his boots for one more year. Far less likely is the case of Paolo Maldini: the AC Milan captain has repeatedly stated this will be his last season, and at 40 years of age (especially given Paolo’s amazing career) who can blame him. Also at Milan and on the verge of retirement, 36 year-old Giuseppe Favalli.

In other big clubs, Inter will probably be looking to keep Francesco Toldo and Julio Cruz, while Hernan Crespo and Olivier Dacourt are on their way out. Meanwhile Roma are debating what to do with Christian Panucci (he wants a renewal for another two years with the same wage as now), Fiorentina have renewed with Per Kroldrup and may be looking to do the same with Martin Jorgensen (perhaps even until 2011), while Inzaghino (Simone) will likely be leaving Lazio (Siena are on the move).

At mid-table, some clubs are adopting early renewal strategies (Genoa -Juric and Milanetto- and Sampdoria in particular), while others such as Bologna (Di Vaio, Antonioli, Bombardini) have postponed negotiations until the end of the season. For Marco Di Vaio however, the renewal is more than likely: you generally do not want to let the Serie A capocannoniere go out on a free transfer, especially when you don’t have too much cash lying around.

Torino are the ones who’ll be doing the most “liquidations” in June: only Eugenio Corini and Alberto Fontana (maybe) will be staying in Turin, while Ventola, Stellone, Franceschini, and Di Loreto are all on the way out.

Total number of players: 62.

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Other Leagues
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The other major European leagues are all available in the original article “Soccer Bargains: All EXPIRING CONTRACT Players for 2009″ on mCalcio.

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Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s that time of the year again. With the days fast approaching December 31, awards for the “Best XI” of 2008 are being handed left and right. Even Soccerlens jumped on the bandwagon (see our “Soccerlens All-Star XI – The Best Footballers of 2008” post).

So, while you vote for UEFA’s Team of the Year here (winners announced in January), let’s have a look at what the main sports newspaper in France has in store for us this year. Here’s L’Équipe‘s All-Star XI Football Players for 2008.

And once again, don’t be surprised if Premiership elements are leading the way…

Firstly, a point should be made that this year there were two “Best XI” selections: the first one made by L’Équipe‘s journalists, and the second one voted online by users on the paper’s official website. Differences between the two formations abound, but one striking similarity is that there’s a large majority of players from the EPL (6/4, i.e. six in the journalist vote and four in the popular vote). The Spanish Liga is right behind with 4/4, shortly followed by the Italian Serie A (2/1) and the Bundesliga (0/2).

Another noteworthy point: seven of the players selected are European champions, in one form or another (four with Man Utd, three with Spain).

Note that only six players were selected in both formations (Casillas, D.Alves, R.Ferdinand, Messi, Gerrard, and C-Ron).

A few comments & some notable omissions (in my opinion):

• Keepers: No discussion here. Saint Iker deserves the n°1 spot this year on account of his great season with Real and hoisting the Euro cup with Spain. As far as I’m concerned though, Gigi is still the World’s best.
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• Defenders: I’m pretty bummed at Giorgio Chiellini‘s non-inclusion among the center-backs. All three picks are UEFA Champions League finalists, almost as if that’s the only competition the voters watched. Surely, among the collective catastrophe that was Italy’s defense at Euro 2008, someone must have noticed the one player really standing out was Chiellini. Is there really no spot open for Serie A’s best defender, or am I being too biased? Perhaps. Nevertheless, expect this guy to be a regular presence in future selections.
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• Midfielders: No discussion on Xavi and Stevie G. To describe their contribution as “essential” in Spain/Barcelona’s and Liverpool’s play, would be stating the obvious. Also pleased to see Ribery‘s excellent season with Bayern acknowledged online (then again, L’Équipe is a French newspaper). Not too convinced with Kaka‘s presence in the popular vote though (this clearly wasn’t his best season), and Daniel Alves as right-winger? Possible, but weird. And where’s Cesc?
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• Forwards: Good thing the journalists are paying attention; Zlatan‘s there. But I prefer C-Ron as a winger and Leo Messi as a striker, not vice-versa. And such a shame that Luca Toni completely bombed his Euro 2008 tourney, because his Bundesliga/UEFA Cup season with Bayern had been nothing short of phantasmagorical.
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Feel free to further bash L’Équipe‘s choices in the comments below but remember that any type of “Best Of” rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt. Subjectivity reigns, as always.

Note: For reference, here’s last year’s selection, and don’t forget to pay a visit to the newspaper’s official website. The award page features player profiles for all winners.
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Marco Pantanella is the author & editor of the mCalcio blog

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This article refers to an earlier version of the Champions League draw. Go to the latest Champions League draw article.

The draw for the 1^st knockout round (Round of 16) of the UEFA Champions League took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, at 12:00 CET Friday.

Keeping with its tradition, Soccerlens brought you the draw LIVE as the 8 matches were drawn.

Full Playoff draw table after the jump.

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2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Round of 16
to be played 24/25 February & 10/11 March

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	Chelsea	vs.	Juventus
	Villarreal	vs.	Panathinaikos
	Sporting	vs.	Bayern Munich
	Atletico Madrid	vs.	Porto
	Lyon	vs.	Barcelona
	Real Madrid	vs.	Liverpool
	Arsenal	vs.	Roma
	Inter Milan	vs.	Manchester United

12:22 This concludes our live webcast of the 2008-09 Playoffs draw on Soccerlens. Thank you again for joining us, and we’ll see you all in 2009 for some very exciting UCL action.

12:20 Some pretty fantastic match-ups in this year’s UCL Playoffs draw. The recurring theme of the day seems to be “Italy vs. England”, “Serie A vs. Premier League”. Can the Italians claim back their throne as the best European league, a title which was has been eluding them since the late 90′s? We shall see in February!

12:18 And lastly, INTER MILAN vs. MANCHESTER UNITED!! This, ladies & gentlemen, is undoubtedly the clash of the 2nd round. Serie A champions vs. EPL champions. Can the Nerazzurri finally put the European naysayers to rest?

12:17 Then we have ARSENAL vs. ROMA!! And yet again, Roma picks an English team!! Let’s hope for Spalletti that Emirates Stadium doesn’t turn into another Theatre of Dreams Nightmares.

12:16 Three more to go, most of the English teams left. REAL MADRID VS. LIVERPOOL!! The Merengues are hurting, but can the Reds’ incredible form in Europe continue?

12:15 Atletico Madrid vs. Porto. Iberian peninsula draw, with the “other” Madrid team facing the Portuguese 2007-08 Liga Sagres champions.
Lyon vs. Barcelona!! That’s another very good one! Les Bleus à l’honneur: it’s Thierry Henry vs. Karim Benzema, France’s current striking partnership.

12:13 Two more matches drawn. Villarreal vs. Panathinaikos (good pick for the Spaniards I’d say), and Sporting vs. Bayern Munich. Also good pick for the Germans.

12:12 First match: CHELSEA vs. JUVENTUS!!! Claudio Ranieri facing his old club!!! What a match-up!

12:10 Draw procedure is being explained again. For reference see below. The draw BEGINS!

12:05 The FINAL of this year’s UEFA Champions League will take place in Rome this year. Representing the glorious Italian capital, Roma legend Bruno Conti.

12:02 Thank you for joining us. Pre-draw ceremonies have begun, namely a presentation of the 16 qualified teams, highlights from the group stage.

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Draw Procedure

1. 1^st-ranked teams from the Group Stage will be drawn to play against 2^nd-ranked teams (i.e. the group winners cannot be drawn against each other, and the group runners-up cannot be drawn against each other).
2. The winners and runners-up of the same group cannot be drawn against each other.
3. Clubs from the same country cannot be drawn against each other.
4. The group runners-up shall play their 1st-leg match at home.

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The table below outlines all the possible pairings for the draw. First knockout round is to be played on February 24/25 and March 10/11.

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Possible pairings in Friday’s Round of 16 Playoffs Draw:

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	Arsenal		Chelsea		Liverpool		Man Utd
Roma		Panathinaikos		Inter Milan		Inter Milan
Panathinaikos		Barcelona		Sporting		Sporting
Barcelona		Bayern Munich		Villarreal		Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich		Porto		Lyon		Lyon
Juventus		Juventus		Real Madrid		Real Madrid
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	Atl. Madrid		Barcelona		Villarreal		Real Madrid
Roma		Chelsea		Roma		Roma
Panathinaikos		Inter Milan		Panathinaikos		Panathinaikos
Manchester United		Lyon		Liverpool		Liverpool
Bayern Munich		Arsenal		Bayern		Manchester United
Porto		.		Porto		Bayern Munich
Juventus		.		Juventus		Porto
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	Inter Milan		Juventus		Roma		Porto
Barcelona		Chelsea		Sporting		Chelsea
Liverpool		Sporting		Atletico Madrid		Inter Milan
Manchester United		Atletico Madrid		Villarreal		Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich		Villarreal		Lyon		Villarreal
Porto		Lyon		Arsenal		Lyon
.		Arsenal		Real Madrid		Real Madrid
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	Bayern		Lyon		Sporting		Panathinaikos
Chelsea		Roma		Roma		Chelsea
Inter Milan		Panathinaikos		Panathinaikos		Sporting
Sporting		Barcelona		Liverpool		Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid		Liverpool		Manchester United		Villarreal
Villarreal		Manchester United		Bayern Munich		Lyon
Arsenal		Porto		Juventus		Arsenal
Real Madrid		Juventus		.		Real Madrid
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So what do you want to see out of the Round of 16 draw? Let us know in the comments.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News