It has been yet another UEFA Champions League campaign that has been littered with thrills and spills. From the magnificence of Lionel Messi, to the Clasico debacle, the cream of the crop has rose as Barcelona and Manchester United make the final two at this year’s Wembley showpiece.

Everybody has had an opinion on just who would make it through the latter stages. Many gasped in horror in Italy as Tottenham Hotspur knocked out the mighty Milan, as they did in Rome as Shakhtar Donetsk humbled the Giallorossi. It is fair to say, this is the most unpredictable sport in the world but the guys at the Professional Football Players Observatory (PFPO) have done their utmost with their predictions – with a near perfect record.

The PFPO has recently innovated to predict outcomes of the major football competitions. The scenario envisaged for the current UEFA Champions League has proven to be quite accurate. From the final 16 onwards, they have correctly foreseen the outcome of 11 matches out of 14. If Barcelona is victorious come May 28th, they will reach their threshold of 80% correct predictions. However, the gap between the Catalonians and Manchester United is amazingly tight.

The criteria for the predictions is as follows. The strength of the clubs is based on four aspects; the experience accumulated by players in Champions League matches, their quality in terms of participation in recent international matches – weighted according to the level of the national team represented, the teams squad stability and the results obtained in the group stage of this year’s competition. The club with the richest squad has an index of 100 which has unsurprisingly turned out to be Barcelona.

Team Rating (lowest to highest):

• FC Copenhagen – 1
• Schalke – 10
• Marseille – 14
• Lyon – 22
• Valencia – 23
• Milan – 36
• Shakhtar Donetsk – 37
• AS Roma – 41
• Tottenham Hotspur – 44
• Bayern Munich – 56
• Arsenal – 59
• Internazionale – 66
• Real Madrid – 76
• Chelsea – 85
• Manchester United – 98
• Barcelona – 100

From the grading criteria, the vast contrast between Barcelona and Real Madrid is staggering with Blancos being 24 points behind their rivals. Surprisingly Milan were graded below Tottenham but were ultimately put to the sword by Harry Redknapp’s men in the last-16. Semi-finalists Schalke were graded second from bottom despite doing wonders to get to the last four, with Denmark’s Copenhagen ranked bottom with just one point.

Click the link below to access the prediction table along with the outcome of the results:

PFPO Champions League Prediction Table (PDF)

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Player transfer fees and their larger than life wage bills are a common topic of discussion for a football fan of today. From Wayne Rooney threatening to quit to oil-rich owners going on shopping sprees, the footballers have now become spoilt and they now know that their high demands will be met at their current club or the next.

It is especially easy to get a huge wage offer for those who possess skill and/or experience. Yaya Toure moved from Spain to England with a wage demand that even England’s best Rooney was not getting at the time.

For the smaller clubs, it has become far more difficult to move into the top-flight and pose a threat to the top teams in their own country, let alone go on a Euro trip.

We have taken the liberty to skim out the football clubs out of the ESPN’s 200 best-paying teams in the world and present a list to you of 66 best-paying football teams in the world.

If you’re gifted with football, this is who will show you the money:

The Leagues and Countries: Bundesliga (Germany), EPL (English Premier League, England), La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy) & SPL (Scottish Premier League, Scotland).

Also see: Best Paid Footballers By Country

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The takeover of Italian club AS Roma has been officially confirmed, with Boston executive Thomas DiBenedetto the man leading a group of American investors who were reportedly keen to splash out a cool €77m, for a 67% share of the club, finally reaching an agreement to take over the club from the Sensi family. The entrepreneur landed in the Italian capital Monday morning, and has been involved in advanced negotiations since.

AS Roma statement confirming the agreement

And late Tuesday evening, Roma released a statement confirming the takeover: “Italpetroli S.p.a, UniCredit S.p.a. and DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC announce that negotiations in Rome over the past few days have reached a basic agreement to buy up control of AS Roma S.p.a. Based on this agreement, the buy-out should be completed by a company made up of 60 per cent DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC and 40 per cent UniCredit S.p.a. There is also an option for UniCredit to sell their shares to other Italian investors.”

Whilst the share of the club may not be as much as the investors had initially hoped for, the club continued in their statement by affirming that there are still details which won’t yet be revealed, until the agreement is officially signed over.

“Over the next few days, we will proceed to write out the definitive versions of the agreements reached today, which also include commitments for the reinforcement and future development of AS Roma. The signature of this agreement is expected within the next 20 days, allowing DiBenedetto AS Roma LLC to present financial guarantees. Until said guarantees and the signatures are finalised, we will not be revealing any further details on the contents of the agreement.

Plans for the future

The ambitious Americans are set to buy out part of UniCredit, the bank who became a co-owner of the club following a debt-for-equity swap with the Sensi family, after the passing of former president Franco Sensi. Upon arriving in Italy on Monday, DiBenedetto revealed some of his group’s ambitious plans for the future, making it clear that they are determined to turn the Giallorossi into a European force.

“My dream is exactly the same as millions of fans: to make Roma one of the top clubs in the world – a squad capable of winning [Serie A] every year, and capable of finally being competitive in the Champions League”DiBenedetto was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Nevertheless, he has acknowledged that there are a few financial issues at the club to take care of first, with his first order of business being to: “get the budget in order and to bring the club under UEFA’s financial fair-play parameters, considering that we don’t meet them at the moment. Then we will look at selling some players, and bringing in at least five or six new ones.

All roads lead to Rome

“The invariable mark of a dream is to see it come true. You say ‘All roads lead to Rome’, don’t you? Well, I hope that one day everyone will travel down those roads to come and see what we have achieved – something long-lasting”he continued.

“I’ve never had any other clubs in mind. I have a long relationship with Rome. The university where I studied and where I am still a member of the council, Trinty College, has organized a campus in Rome for the last 25 years. It’s a wonderful city and to be able to represent it worldwide through a business, and a passion as important as soccer is a great opportunity for me.”

In terms of the business aspects of the takeover: “we have our own ideas as well and we are committed to creating the best team possible, both on and off the pitch. We’ll bring together people capable of unearthing young talent and building a competitive team.

“It’s in our interest after all: only by being successful will we get a return on our investments. As I said, our aim is to turn Roma into one of the biggest clubs in the world, a team that the city can be proud of, but naturally that will take a bit of time.”

Concerns for Serie A

DiBenedetto also discussed Serie A’s current situation in Europe on Monday, as Italy recently lost a Champions League place to Germany, and the ways that he will tackle that problem with his new club. Additionally, he discussed the significance of football for the Italian economy, and the changes that need to be made immediately, in order to attract the world’s best once again.

“It’s depressing and worrying that the Italians have lost a Champions League place. I think the main problem is the lack of club-owned stadiums – comfortable, welcoming and set up to exploit other business opportunities. Football is so important for the Italian economy and culture that it often reflects the image of the country as a whole.

“It’s about time the government and the institutions did something practical to enable clubs to build new stadiums. That’s the only way to get back to winning in Europe, to attract the best players back to Italy.

“It’s just a shame that all those supporters don’t have an adequate stadium: the Olimpico simply just gratifies the Romanisiti’s passion – the stands are too far away from the pitch and the noise from the crowd is not the same at that distance. That’s another reason why a new stadium is a must, an English style stadium so that it benefits the players too.”

So with the official confirmation expected in the next 20 days, the future of the Giallorossi looks bright. Having been linked to a number of high-profile players over the past few weeks as well, fans can begin to get a little excited at the prospect of posing a serious threat for next season’s Scudetto. Gianluigi Buffon has been touted as a potential addition to the squad, and could be the new owner’s first target in the upcoming transfer window. Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa and Benfica’s Luisao are being looked at as additional cover in defence, whilst Barcelona’s out of favour holding midfielder Javier Mascherano, could fit in well alongside Daniele De Rossi and David Pizarro in the centre of midfield. The attacking ranks of Roma have certainly come under scrutiny in recent times, however with a trio of Serie A’s hottest young talents linked to the club recently, in Edinson Cavani, Alexis Sanchez and Javier Pastore, Roma fans can afford to dream big!

Be sure to follow me on twitter: twitter.com/adriandelmonte

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are just eight rounds remaining in Italy’s Serie A this season, and as Milan, Inter and Napoli battle it out for the Scudetto, here we have a look at which club will join them in Europe’s premier football competition, the UEFA Champions League, next season.

Here are the contenders:

Udinese (4^th, 56pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Lecce (away)
v Roma (home)
v Napoli (away)
v Parma (home)
v Fiorentina (away)
v Lazio (home)
v Chievo (away)
v Milan (home)

Chances of finishing in fourth: Udinese have a very tough run home, and simply must kick it off with a win away to a struggling Lecce side next weekend. Fortunately for their sake, they are in control of their own destiny, and know that if they avoid any form of major disaster, fourth place is well within their reach.

Key match: v Roma (home) – Should the Bianconeri overcome the Romans, they will all but assure themselves of fourth place, as their lead over the Giallorossi could be extended to a hefty margin with just six rounds to play.

Predictions: A lot depends on the result against Roma, however a tough run home will take its toll on the team that will narrowly be edged out for the final CL place.

5^th, 67pts

Lazio (5^th, 54pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Napoli (away)
v Parma (home)
v Catania (away)
v Inter (away)
v Juventus (home)
v Udinese (away)
v Genoa (home)
v Lecce (away)

Chances of finishing in fourth: Lazio certainly have the toughest run home of all their rivals, as three of their four road trips are against the top four sides. In order to keep themselves in the race for fourth, they will need to obtain at least a result from a couple of those matches, however their chances aren’t great.

Key match: v Udinese (away) – This may be the game that makes or breaks the Aquile’s season. Whether it be to assure themselves of Europa League qualification, or maintain the pace with their opponents for fourth, this match is destined to be a pivotal one.

Predictions: Lazio have had a brilliant season and should be proud of their efforts. Unfortunately though, they will not feature in next season’s Champions League.

6^th, 66pts

Roma (6^th, 50pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Juventus (home)
v Udinese (away)
v Palermo (home)
v Chievo (home)
v Bari (away)
v Milan (home)
v Catania (away)
v Sampdoria (home)

Chances of finishing fourth: Roma will desperately want to reclaim a place in next season’s Champions League, and will throw everything at it in the final eight rounds of the season. Not having many players involved in international fixtures over the next fortnight will work in their favour, as they simply must remain unbeaten in the final eight fixtures, if they wish to achieve their goal.

Key match: v Juventus (home) – Anything but a win in this match could effectively end any hope they have of finishing fourth. If their deficit to Udinese were to extend any further, then it would cap off one of the most disappointing seasons in the club’s recent history.

Predictions: Plenty at stake for the Giallorossi against Juve, and even more the following week against Udinese. If they can obtain at least four points from these two matches, pencil them in to finish off the season on a high.

4^th, 68pts

Juventus (7^th, 45pts)

Remaining fixtures:
v Roma (away)
v Genoa (home)
v Fiorentina (away)
v Catania (home)
v Lazio (away)
v Chievo (home)
v Parma (away)
v Napoli (home)

Chances of finishing fourth: Whilst there is belief amongst the Juventus squad that fourth is a realistic possibility, in reality, they have no chance whatsoever. Not even winning all eight matches would guarantee them progression to the Champions League next season, however similar to Roma; they are a very proud club that will continue to fight until the end.

Key match: v Roma (away) – Similar to the Romans, if they want to have any chance of claiming fourth, this is a match that they can ill afford to lose. They must look to continue the resilience they showed against Brescia last weekend, and maintain that for the remainder of the campaign.

Predictions: Juve will struggle to finish in the top six, let alone the top four, and so the club should direct all of its attention to qualifying for the Europa League once again next season.

7^th, 60pts

Be sure to follow me on twitter: twitter.com/adriandelmonte

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In the words of arguably football’s greatest, Diego Maradona once said; “He was the best striker we ever had here and were never going to see his like again – we’re not going to see anything like him from anyone, no matter what they’re called. For me he was the greatest goal-scorer that I saw in my life“. He was talking about his compatriot and one of football’s most prolific strikers in its history, Gabriel Batistuta.

The Argentine will be revered for his sublime awareness and killer instinct in front of goal. As a striker he was as lethal as they come and his presence alone within starting elevens always offered a deadly impetus in the final third that had his adversaries quaking in fear. He possessed a stunning right-foot that rippled nets all across Argentina and Italy.

Amazingly his career may never have occurred had it not been for his family who urged him to take up the sport as a profession. Gabriel has always been astute on the pitch and his personality somewhat relates off it too as he had aspirations as a youngster to gain a creditable education. Whilst others in Argentina were aspiring to be the next Mario Kempes, Gabriel was more concerned about his future at college rather than kicking a football. Nevertheless his talent as a player was unprecedented leading to Jorge Griffa, the then Newell’s Old Boys’ Youth Team Coach, pulling out all the stops to move him 460km’s south to Rosario and assuring the young prodigy that the club will cover his education whilst he plays. Despite the initial reluctance on the player’s part the deal was concluded and Batistuta never looked back.

La Lepra were champions of Argentina back in 1988 where Batistuta made his debut in the Copa Libertadores Final which Newell’s lost. Despite that initial disappointment his talent continued to blossom and the more experience he gained, the more his all round game began to prosper. He had the knack to elude his markers with ease and find a pocket of space to work into before dispatching a clinical effort that would inevitably rustle the back of football nets up and down the country. Argentine defences were becoming more and more aware of the potent threat and that lead to the nations’ two biggest clubs becoming aware of his credentials.

The Boca pairing of Gabriel Batistuta and Diego Latorre

A devoted Boca Juniors fan, Gabriel made a surprising move to River Plate whom are Los Xeneizes’s biggest rivals. His time at River was brief due to the fallings out he had with coach Daniel Passarella who was Argentina’s World Cup winning captain back in 1978. That lead to a move to his boyhood club Boca and there he became an integral cog of a side that produced some magnificent football. The Bombonera witnessed a magical partnership conjured between their new hero and Diego Latorre whose link up play was thrived upon by his strike partner. Both forged a tremendous understanding of one another’s game and Boca reaped the benefits despite their failure to clinch silverware. Batistuta finished top goal-scorer in 1991 with 20 goals in 29 appearances. Boca won the Apertura championship but ultimately lost out on the official league title to Clausura championship winners and Bati’s old club Newell’s Old Boys in the deciding play-off (The inaugural season where Argentina’s top tier was split into two separate entities with the play-off being abolished straight after Boca’s misfortune).

Batistuta’s bitter taste was quickly swilled as he played a pivotal role that summer in Argentina’s victory in the Copa America within the host country of Chile. He was in fine form and his goals in particular against Brazil and Colombia went a long way in crowning the blue and white stripes South American champions. He finished the tournament’s top goal-scorer which alerted the powerhouses of European football. A move to Serie A materialised with a club that has taken to him as one of their own where he is idolised to this very day, Fiorentina.

A love affair with himself and the club was built over a nine-year period where he bagged an incredible 209 goals in 325 appearances thus becoming the club’s all time leading goal-scorer. He fell immediately in love with the Viola and despite the lack of silverware he was more concerned about adorning the purple strip. His game in Italy evolved as he became better technically and was now able to dispatch free-kicks and execute sublime long-range efforts. His knack to lose his marker and get behind the defence was expertly portrayed.  Despite his lack of pace, his intelligence along with an eye for goal made him near unstoppable at times. He netted 14 goals in his debut season but the following campaign would result in relegation to Serie B despite Bati’s 17 converted efforts. He had the opportunity to seek pastures new and play his trade elsewhere but instead opted to stay with the club and get them back to the dizzy heights of Serie A. He showed a tremendous loyalty to the football club where his ties got stronger.

He explained his decision during a recent documentary on SKY Sports’ Football’s Greatest, emphasising his devotion to the club:

“I just fell in love with the city and I really liked the atmosphere and I said to myself, I’m going to stay here. That was despite the fact that back then big teams from abroad such as Real Madrid and Manchester United were after me on a regular basis.”

The infamous Batistuta statue constructed by the people of Florence

His passion for the purple shirt was a glowing testament to the fans who rejoiced at his solidarity. Fiorentina did indeed make their way back into Serie A at the first attempt with Bati being the focal point. His return to Italy’s top flight saw him finish the league’s top scorer with 26 goals whilst creating a record by scoring in eleven consecutive games. The passionate people of Florence who packed into the Stadio Artemio Franchi to witness their idol even constructed a bronze statue of the man himself – as well as naming a star after him. The show of love and respect between the two was – and still is – unbreakable.

His continuous goal rush lead to his nickname; Batigoal. He had become one of the world’s most clinical finishers and despite the continuous interest in his availability he continued to stick with the purple shirt. The challenge of winning a Scudetto with the Florence based club was a burning desire he wanted to achieve.  He confirmed that the aspiration of winning a title with Fiorentina was more appealing than winning half a dozen with an elite entity; “To tell you the truth, that didn’t interest so much. Although they were titles, they were easy to win. They (elite clubs) didn’t have to fight hard to win them or extend themselves slightly so that stopped me from moving. I said no, I’m staying with Fiorentina and I’ll try to win something here because one title with this club is worth more than ten with Milan or Juventus”.

The Scudetto eluded Batigoal in Florence but he did win a Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 1996 whilst qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 1999. A goal in particular against Manchester United on March 15^th 2000 at Old Trafford orchestrated everything about his attributes. He did magnificently well to cast the ball under his spell on the turn whilst being pressed by Paul Scholes and Jaap Stam before weaving into a little pocket of space and unleashing a twenty-five yard screamer with that lethal right-foot which nearly ripped Mark Bosnich’s net in two.

That season however ended in mediocre fashion domestically and as he entered his thirties he decided to end his affiliation with Fiorentina and move to AS Roma for 70 billion Italian lira where he finally clinched a Scudetto – in his debut season. He was the focal point of the Giallorossi attack and bagged 20 league goals in 28 appearances and ended the club’s eighteen year wait for the league title.

He netted against his old club Fiorentina in the Stadio Olimpico with a beautiful half-volley just outside the D and immediately closed his eye as his peers embraced him in jubilation. He realised the importance Fiorentina had played in his life – being a huge part of his football persona – and almost burst into tears as the Olimpico’s home support erupted into hysteria.

Batigoal is his nation's all time leading scorer with 56 goals

Internationally with Argentina Batistuta will go down in history as one of the county’s most revered superstars. Although he never won a FIFA World Cup he did win two Copa America’s, a Confederations Cup  and is currently the nation’s highest ever scorer with 56 goals in 76 appearances. His name is also etched in FIFA folklore by being the only man to have scored a hat-trick in two separate World Cups. One being against Greece during USA 94 with the other against Jamaica four years later in France.

A brief spell with Internazionale and a two year stint in Qatar concluded Batigoal’s career. A man who was so dominant in the final third with his predatory nature will undoubtedly go down as one the game’s greatest strikers. For a player of his calibre his CV should be littered with honours and accolades. However, despite a lack of silverware he showed tremendous loyalty and appreciation to Fiorentina and always gave his all for both club and country. A tremendous role model for aspiring strikers in Argentina whose attributes are unparallel.  If the great Diego Maradona believes so, then who can dispute that?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After Wayne Rooney reminded us all that he used to be a fairly decent professional footballer with his derby day belter against Manchester City last Saturday, the received (Sky Sports-infused) wisdom seems to be that the decidedly off-colour striker’s effort was, without need for second thought, the greatest overhead kick ever scored by anyone, anywhere, ever.

However, that’s not quite the case – as the following, ten-strong video essay will hopefully attest to.

Oh, and apologies for the slightly tongue-in-cheek strapline. I hope we can still be friends.

Let’s press on, shall we?

10. Dean Ashton – Man Utd vs WEST HAM, 2008:

Fergie was quick to peg Rooney’s flying shinner against bitter rivals City as the greatest goal that had ever graced Old Trafford, though former West Ham striker Ashton has grounds to take issue with that particular assessment…

9. Joseph Desire Job – MIDDLESBROUGH vs Sporting, 2005:

After joining on the back of a wave of promise, Job never really ‘clicked’ during his time at the Riverside. However, for one fleeting moment during Boro’s UEFA Cup second round defeat to Sporting Lisbon back in March 2005, the watching world witnesses just what the Cameroonian striker was capable of…

8. Manuel Negrete – UNAC vs Puebla, 1985:

Four wondrous touches; the initial chest control, the ‘sombrero’ (or the ‘chapeau’ for those of you with Gallic pretensions), a deft flick of the forehead and then BOOM!…

7. Trevor Sinclair – QPR vs Barnsley, 1997:

Sadly, it never got any better than this for our Trev, who quite rightly came away with Match of the Day’s goal of the season award in 1997 for this blistering bicycle kick against the Tykes in the FA Cup…

6. Eliran Atar – Maccabi Netania vs BNEI YAHUDA, 2009:

Israeli forward Atar made the 2009 Puskas Award shortlist (i.e. an award doled out to the scorer of the most ‘beautiful’ goal of the year) for this acrobatic strike, though somehow only managed to finish fourth in the final vote behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta and Grafite.

That said, the look of sheer, discombobulated amazement on the collective faces of everybody present (including Atar’s) serves to tell you more about this freakishly pure connection than I ever could…

5. Unknown – 5-a-side tournament, 2007:

This clip has become somewhat of a viral sensation since it was first posted on Youtube a few years ago, and it’s perfectly understandable as to why.

A goal of truly scintillating beauty, regardless of what level of the game it was scored at…

4. Rivaldo – BARCELONA vs Valencia, 2001:

Brazilian artisan Rivaldo (who, incidentally, has a few overhead corkers under his belt to pick from) finished the 2000/’01 campaign as La Liga’s second top goal-scorer (one goal behind Real Madrid striker Raul), thanks chiefly to the hat-trick he scored against Valencia on the last day of the season.

A momentous hat-trick which first and foremost secured Barca a spot in the following season’s Champions League and, secondly, just so happened to culminate in this little beauty…

3. Youri Djorkaeff – INTER MILAN vs Roma, 1997:

French playmaker Djorkaeff notched his fair share of cultured strikes during his 22-year career, but I’d wager that none come close to the angled, airborne Exocet that he unleashed against Roma during his maiden season with the Nerazzurri…

2. Mauro Bressan – Barcelona vs FIORENTINA, 1999:

In stark contrast to the scrappy build-up, La Viola midfielder Bressan pulls a career-defining, 25-yard pearler out of his ‘you know where’ to open the scoring in a pulsating Champions League game that eventually finished 3-3.

Several years later, ITV voted the Italian’s effort as the second greatest Champions League goal ever scored, nestled sweetly behind Zinedine Zidane’s iconic volley in the 2002 final…

1. Marco van Basten – AJAX vs Den Bosch, 1986:

The Dutch legend, seen here doing what he did better than almost anybody else to have ever played the game, i.e. score goals that seem to tamper with the laws of physics…

So there we go. Missed any blindingly obvious candidates? Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments box below…

More from the Soccerlens Archives:

10 Outrageous Disallowed Goals
10 Famous Debatable Goals

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 2010/2011 Champions League knockout stages kick off this week with the second round matches to be played from 15th February to 16th March. 16 teams will be looking to progress to the quarterfinals, with no easy winners in sight (except maybe Chelsea).

This season’s Champions League sees Tottenham making their Champions League debut, while 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk are in the knockout stages for the first time. Arsenal haven’t beaten Barcelona in their last three meetings and lost to them in the quarter finals last season, Real Madrid haven’t beaten Lyon since god knows when and lost to them at the same stage last season and last year’s finalists, Inter and Bayern, go into their second-round matchup with both teams suffering a downturn in their domestic fortunes this season.

We will be previewing all the action on Soccerlens – here are your 8 Champions League second round ties, their playing dates and previews:

Champions League Second Round Schedule

15th February and 9th March
AC Milan v Tottenham
Valencia v Schalke

16th February and 8th March
Arsenal v Barcelona
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk

22nd February and 16th March
FC Copenhagen v Chelsea
Lyon v Real Madrid

23rd February and 15th March
Marseille v Manchester United
Inter Milan v Bayern Munich

Watch Champions League Live

You can watch all Champions League matches live online, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our Champions League live football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Click here to watch AS Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk Live!

Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
Second Round, UEFA Champions League
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Kickoff: 19:45 GMT / 20:45 CET

Roma go into their Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk on the back of indifferent form in the domestic league, but manager Ranieri knows that a series of good results (and progress to the Champions League quarterfinals will breathe life back into a faltering campaign. Shakhtar, Champions League knockout stage newcomers, topped their group (beating Arsenal along the way) and will be aiming for a better result than the 4-0 defeat in 2006.

Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk Preview

Former Inter Milan manager Mircea Lucescu has transformed the club since taking over in 2004, leading them to a 2009 UEFA Cup win and now, for the first time in the club’s history, to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Lucescu:

“We wanted to get to the knockout stage for the first time and, after missing out before, we finally managed it this season – and deservedly so.

The fans (in Rome) create a certain pressure on opponents, but also on their own team.

Certainly, what we learned from that last game will help us this time. I am convinced about that.”

Also the difference in class between football in eastern and western Europe is narrowing. Many talented players have come to the east.

The UEFA Cup wins by Galatasaray, CSKA Moskva, Zenit and Shakhtar mean these countries have greater hope for Champions League success.”

Roma qualified for the knockout stages after finishing second behind Bayern Munich in Group E. Their form in the league has been indifferent, down to 8th in the Serie A with just 2 wins from their last 6 matches.

Ranieiri:

“Lucescu’s teams always play very good football. Shakhtar are a quality team and they have some very strong players. On top of that, Lucescu knows Italian football very well. This is going to be a good tie to watch.”

Roma’s respect masks the pressure the home team will be under to perform, and a win in this second round tie will go a long way towards returning a measure of self-belief into the squad.

Group Stage Summary

AS Roma

Match Day 1: Bayern Munich 2-0 AS Roma
Match Day 2: AS Roma 2-1 CFR Cluj
Match Day 3: AS Roma 1-3 FC Basel
Match Day 4: FC Basel 2-3 AS Roma
Match Day 5: AS Roma 3-2 Bayern Munich
Match Day 6: CFR Cluj 1-1 AS Roma

Shakhtar Donetsk

Match Day 1: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Partizan Belgrade
Match Day 2: Braga 0-3 Shakhtar Donetsk
Match Day 3: Arsenal 5-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Match Day 4: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Arsenal
Match Day 5: Partizan Belgrade 0-3 Shakhtar Donetsk
Match Day 6: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 Braga

Watch Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk Live

You can watch Roma take on Shakhtar Donetsk live online as well as all other Champions League matches, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our Champions League live football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When Deloitte release their annual list of ‘Richest Football Clubs’, there’s plenty of debate on English football’s earning power, the individual TV deals negotiated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United’s position at the top of the Premier League food chain, insane amounts of debt in the game, and so on.

I thought it would interesting to take a closer look at where exactly football clubs are earning their revenues from – and thanks to Deloitte’s data on % of revenues earned through matchday, broadcasting and commercial activities, we can draw the following conclusions (all data pulled from the Guardian):

Commercial Revenues

Bayern Munich are miles ahead of the competition when it comes to commercial revenues, with a whopping 171.19m Euros earned in 2009/2010. Real Madrid are 2nd with 149.12m, with Barcelona 3rd at 123.41m Euros in 09/10. United are, predictably, the best performing English club with a ‘paltry’ 97.94m Euros. This tells us three things:

One, you can’t ‘blame’ TV deals as the only factor in Madrid’s and Barcelona’s financial strength.

Two, English clubs have, theoretically speaking, a lot of margin to improve when it comes to commercial activities, and this in part is behind their bullishness in being able to manage their debts / meet UEFA’s FFP policy.

Three, Italian clubs lag behind their English, Spanish and German counterparts when it comes to commercial revenues, something the likes of Internazionale, Milan and Juventus must work on if they want to compete with their European rivals economically in the long run.

Full List:

Bayern Munich 171.19
Real Madrid 149.12
FC Barcelona 123.41
Manchester United 97.94
Schalke 04 79.69
Liverpool 76.6
Chelsea 69.09
AC Milan 63.67
Hamburger SV 62.87
Manchester City 56.54
Juventus 55.35
Arsenal 54.82
Internazionale 47.21
Olympique de Marseille 45.15
Olympique Lyonnais 42.37
Tottenham Hotspur 38.04
AS Roma 38.04
VfB Stuttgart 36.74
Atlético de Madrid 26.15
Aston Villa 16.41

Matchday Revenues

Barcelona lag behind arch-rivals Real Madrid in the matchday revenues stakes, while Manchester United and Arsenal are comfortably 2nd and 3rd thanks to their high-capacity stadiums. It remains to be seen if United fans boycotting matches in protest of the debt will have a significant impact in 10/11, and we might have Arsenal overtaking United if that is the case.

Both Tottenham and Liverpool earn roughly the same amount from their Matchday activities – but still less than half of Arsenal or United. How important is a new stadium to these clubs? Roughly to the tune of 50m-60m per year.

Chelsea are at an impressive 5th in overall matchday revenues with 81.89m Euros in 09/10 – although they would seem to have maxed out their earning potential in this category.

The Italian clubs are again the biggest losers here, with Juventus earning a miserable 16.4m Euros in 09/10, comfortably bottom of the Matchday revenues list.

Full List

Real Madrid 131.58
Manchester United 122.43
Arsenal 115.12
FC Barcelona 99.53
Chelsea 81.89
Bayern Munich 67.83
Liverpool 51.82
Hamburger SV 49.71
Tottenham Hotspur 45.35
Internazionale 38.22
Atlético de Madrid 36.11
AC Milan 30.65
Manchester City 30.56
VfB Stuttgart 29.85
Aston Villa 29.54
Olympique de Marseille 25.4
Schalke 04 25.16
Olympique Lyonnais 24.84
AS Roma 19.63
Juventus 16.4

Broadcasting Revenues

Barcelona and Real Madrid predictably top the list, generating an impressive 175.16m and 157.9m in revenues respectively. Next are the three big Italian clubs, beating out their English rivals in the broadcasting stakes thanks to lucrative deals of their own.

The collective TV deal for the Premier League is a boon for all Premier League clubs but also a hindrance – how much more could Manchester United earn if they were to sell their own TV
rights? If they could match Madrid or Barcelona, that’s an extra 30m to 50m to be had, which would put them at a par overall with Barcelona and within touching distance of Madrid.

How much would Manchester City stand to gain if, along with a boost in their commercial activities, they could also experience a massive increase in broadcasting income?

Full List:

FC Barcelona 175.16
Real Madrid 157.9
AC Milan 141.48
Internazionale 139.38
Juventus 133.25
Manchester United 129.43
Chelsea 104.92
Arsenal 104.16
Liverpool 96.88
Bayern Munich 83.98
Olympique Lyonnais 78.89
Olympique de Marseille 70.55
Manchester City 65.7
AS Roma 65.03
Aston Villa 63.45
Tottenham Hotspur 62.91
Atlético de Madrid 62.25
VfB Stuttgart 48.22
Schalke 04 34.95
Hamburger SV 33.63

More Fun Facts

Shamelessly copied from the Guardian, these refer to the overall rankings:

• Real Madrid has the highest revenue – €438.6m, an increase of 9.3% on the previous year
• The biggest riser is Manchester City – up by 49.5% and nine places to number 11. Tottenham Hotspur did well too – up three places to number 12
• AS Roma is the biggest dropper – down six places to number 18 with a 16% drop in revenue
• Manchester United is up 7% in revenue to €349.8m
• Juventus gets the highest proportion of its revenue from broadcast deals – 65%; Hamburger SV has the smallest – 23%

Full List (Team, 09/10 revenues, 08/09 revenues)

Real Madrid 438.6 401.4
FC Barcelona 398.1 365.9
Manchester United 349.8 327
Bayern Munich 323 289.5
Arsenal 274.1 263
Chelsea 255.9 242.3
AC Milan 235.8 196.5
Liverpool 225.3 217
Internazionale 224.8 196.5
Juventus 205 203.2
Manchester City 152.8 102.2
Tottenham Hotspur 146.3 132.7
Hamburger SV 146.2 146.7
Olympique Lyonnais 146.1 139.2
Olympique de Marseille 141.1 133.2
Schalke 04 139.8 124.5
Atlético de Madrid 124.5 105
AS Roma 122.7 146.4
VfB Stuttgart 114.8 100
Aston Villa 109.4 99

Debt

In itself, borrowing money puts your club at a disadvantage – not only do you have to pay that money back, you also need to pay interest, creating a bigger strain on your revenues. If that money has been borrowed to increase overall revenues (like Arsenal, who have seen strong growth in their matchday revenues as a result), it’s a worthwhile risk. If we’re talking about leveraged buyouts, then we are all agreed that those are bad for the club. The loans Real Madrid and Barcelona pull in to help pay their astronomical wages / transfer fees aren’t much better.

However, once the debt is there, crying over it serves little purpose. The key factor then is to understand whether, in the short run, your club can manage the interest payments and in the long run, whether your club can successfully pay off that debt (while still remaining competitive on the pitch).

When it comes to Barcelona and Real Madrid, a debt of 430m (Barcelona) may seem excessive (and coupled with their Qatar Foundation shirt sponsorship, an clear indication that they are just another football club), but these clubs have the revenue generating capability to service such debts and crucially, the socio-political leverage in their respective regions to thrive even if they cannot.

However where the English clubs are concerned, all of them (even Arsenal) need to look at significantly increasing their revenue generating capabilities. TV money is not enough. United and Arsenal are near the top end of maximising matchday revenues but both clubs, especially Arsenal, have plenty of room to grow in the commercial sponsorships / merchandising sector. Both Tottenham and Liverpool, as previously discussed, desperately need to increase their matchday revenues to financially compete with the top English clubs.

Football & Money

Fans look at stats such as 14 out of 20 Premier League clubs being in debt, or 56% of European clubs operating at a loss, and wonder what all the fuss about buying football clubs is if everyone’s losing money. They might benefit from taking the long-term view – football clubs are powerful revenue generators, and as the stats above show, there’s still plenty of room for them to grow.

The reason investors are flocking towards football clubs isn’t because they want to make money (although in some cases that’s definitely the case) – it’s because they see an opportunity to leverage that profitability later down the line and sell the club for a hefty profit (although there will always be investors like Abramovich / ADG who will buy a football club as a personal symbol of power).

If football were a property market, this one has been in a boom for decades (consider the profit the former chairmen / owners / shareholders of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool made in the last 10 years) and shows no sign of stopping.

You can follow Ahmed Bilal on Twitter (@Soccerlens).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Fierce and ecstatic as usual, the Rome Derby delivered with the utmost excitement and flare in front of goal in the tightly fought 2-1 win for Roma in the Coppa Italia.

Goals came from two penalties put away by Marco Borriello for Roma and Hernanes for Lazio and the decisive goal from Fabio Simplicio.

Roma 2-1 Lazio

ROM 1-0 LAZ: Borriello (pen.), 53′
ROM 1-1 LAZ: Hernanes (pen.), 58′
ROM 2-1 LAZ: Simplicio, 77′

From Soccerlens.com - Football News