Matches scheduled to be played February 19/20 and March 4/5
Arsenal v AC Milan
Celtic v Barcelona
Fenerbahce v Sevilla
Liverpool v Inter Milan
Lyon v Manchester United
Olympiakos v Chelsea
Roma v Real Madrid
Schalke v Porto
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Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts
Friday, December 21, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
No rush for England's poisoned chalice
"There are not many candidates because it looks a bit like a crocodile that opens the mouth and says: 'Jump into that.' Once he's in there, he's eaten. And once you have eaten four, five says: 'No, maybe I don't jump in there.'"
So went the words of Arsene Wenger, the best coach working in England at present.
In the old days, before the savaging of Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor by the tabloids and the realization that the real money and chances of success were to be found in the Premier League and not the international game, the nation’s best coach would have leapt at the chance of managing England.
Not any more. In the aftermath of Steve McClaren’s quick exit from Soho Square, the candidates for the top job have been scurrying into the shadows. Like schoolkids desperate for the teacher not to pick them to answer a tricky question, the candidates are doing their best to look at their shoes instead.
Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill could probably have signed a contract the day after the Croatia fiasco had he wanted to, but yesterday appeared to shut the door. “It’s gone for me. It’s absolutely gone,” he said.
Reading’s Steve Coppell would appear to be the best English candidate working in the Premier League, but also realises his nationality counts against him this time.
So went the words of Arsene Wenger, the best coach working in England at present.
In the old days, before the savaging of Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor by the tabloids and the realization that the real money and chances of success were to be found in the Premier League and not the international game, the nation’s best coach would have leapt at the chance of managing England.
Not any more. In the aftermath of Steve McClaren’s quick exit from Soho Square, the candidates for the top job have been scurrying into the shadows. Like schoolkids desperate for the teacher not to pick them to answer a tricky question, the candidates are doing their best to look at their shoes instead.
Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill could probably have signed a contract the day after the Croatia fiasco had he wanted to, but yesterday appeared to shut the door. “It’s gone for me. It’s absolutely gone,” he said.
Reading’s Steve Coppell would appear to be the best English candidate working in the Premier League, but also realises his nationality counts against him this time.
If the next leader of the Three Lions must be English, the options are fast disappearing beyond Coppell. Alan Curbishley now says he is no longer interested, Harry Redknapp’s colourful reputation surely precludes him and the FA are unlikely to go crawling back to the doors of two men they have previously fired – Glenn Hoddle and Terry Venables.
Almost certainly, the FA will pick another foreigner, following the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001.
Jurgen Klinsmann is believed to be interested and would have little trouble adapting once again to London. Indeed, ‘Klinsi’’s articulate and popular persona would probably pull the fans and media onside from the start, in a way few recent England coaches have succeeding in doing.
But the German legend still lives in Santa Barbara, California, which entails a day’s commuting and eight hours’ jet lag to reach England. His refusal to accept the USA job is still clouded in mystery and a flood of criticism will be inevitable as soon as results get sticky with England. The risk that it could all end in tears just looks too great for FA chief executive Brian Barwick to approach him in the first place.
Fabio Capello is the only man to so far declare his candidacy. The 61 year-old has long had an eye on English football, perhaps since scoring for Italy at Wembley in 1973, and had expressed an interest in replacing Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford back in 2002.
Capello has fallen out with a number of high-profile players over the years, including David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo, but boasts a stunning coaching CV including seven Serie A shields (four with Milan, two with Juventus and one with Roma) and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
Milan’s unforgettable 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League Final in Athens remains perhaps the apex of Capello’s coaching history.
The other big name still in the frame is Jose Mourinho. The recently-departed Chelsea coach is surely a little tempted, or else he would have publicly ruled himself out this week.
Instead, the mercurial Portuguese is playing a game of brinkmanship, aware that vacancies may pop up before the end of the year at Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid.
While Mourinho’s family allegedly are keen to resume their London life, one cannot help but wonder how coaching a discredited national team without competitive fixtures for another year can compare to leading one of the European club heavyweights.
It is hard to see how maverick personalities like Mourinho could enjoy the amount of down time this position entails, when a man of his calibre could surely walk into one of the top jobs on the continent over the next few months and before long cross swords again with the best in the UEFA Champions League.
A team booed off by its own fans as it lost embarassingly on a bleak and rainy winter’s night was no advert for the manager’s job.
And perhaps all speculation on on this issue is pointless as the fault lines in English football run too deep for any magician to swan in and wave a magic wand in the first place.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, the outstanding English club coach, Brian Clough, winner of two European Cups, longed to be picked as England manager.
But in 2007, for coaches of real talent from whatever country, the chance of supping nectar at the helm of a top European club outshines the poisoned chalice of the England manager’s job by some distance.
Can you blame them for avoiding the telephone after all they have seen recently?
Almost certainly, the FA will pick another foreigner, following the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001.
Jurgen Klinsmann is believed to be interested and would have little trouble adapting once again to London. Indeed, ‘Klinsi’’s articulate and popular persona would probably pull the fans and media onside from the start, in a way few recent England coaches have succeeding in doing.
But the German legend still lives in Santa Barbara, California, which entails a day’s commuting and eight hours’ jet lag to reach England. His refusal to accept the USA job is still clouded in mystery and a flood of criticism will be inevitable as soon as results get sticky with England. The risk that it could all end in tears just looks too great for FA chief executive Brian Barwick to approach him in the first place.
Fabio Capello is the only man to so far declare his candidacy. The 61 year-old has long had an eye on English football, perhaps since scoring for Italy at Wembley in 1973, and had expressed an interest in replacing Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford back in 2002.
Capello has fallen out with a number of high-profile players over the years, including David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo, but boasts a stunning coaching CV including seven Serie A shields (four with Milan, two with Juventus and one with Roma) and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
Milan’s unforgettable 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League Final in Athens remains perhaps the apex of Capello’s coaching history.
The other big name still in the frame is Jose Mourinho. The recently-departed Chelsea coach is surely a little tempted, or else he would have publicly ruled himself out this week.
Instead, the mercurial Portuguese is playing a game of brinkmanship, aware that vacancies may pop up before the end of the year at Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid.
While Mourinho’s family allegedly are keen to resume their London life, one cannot help but wonder how coaching a discredited national team without competitive fixtures for another year can compare to leading one of the European club heavyweights.
It is hard to see how maverick personalities like Mourinho could enjoy the amount of down time this position entails, when a man of his calibre could surely walk into one of the top jobs on the continent over the next few months and before long cross swords again with the best in the UEFA Champions League.
A team booed off by its own fans as it lost embarassingly on a bleak and rainy winter’s night was no advert for the manager’s job.
And perhaps all speculation on on this issue is pointless as the fault lines in English football run too deep for any magician to swan in and wave a magic wand in the first place.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, the outstanding English club coach, Brian Clough, winner of two European Cups, longed to be picked as England manager.
But in 2007, for coaches of real talent from whatever country, the chance of supping nectar at the helm of a top European club outshines the poisoned chalice of the England manager’s job by some distance.
Can you blame them for avoiding the telephone after all they have seen recently?
The top job has now become “the impossible job”, as a previous victim Graham Taylor memorably noted, adding that his advice to any future encumbent of the cursed throne would be this:
“Win every game!”
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
Friday, August 31, 2007
Champions League Draw 2007
Group A
*Liverpool
Besiktas
Marseille
Porto
Group B
*Chelsea
Schalke 04
Rosenborg
Valencia
Group C
*Real Madrid
Lazio
Olympiakos
Werder Bremen
Group D
*AC Milan
Benfica
Celtic
Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E
*Barcelona
Glasgow Rangers
Lyon
Stuttgart
Group F
*Manchester United
Dynamo Kiev
Roma
Sporting Lisbon
Group G
*Inter Milan
CSKA Moscow
Fenerbahce
PSV Eindhoven
Group H
*Arsenal
Sevilla/AEK Athens
Slavia Prague
Steau Bucharest
*seeded team
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*Liverpool
Besiktas
Marseille
Porto
Group B
*Chelsea
Schalke 04
Rosenborg
Valencia
Group C
*Real Madrid
Lazio
Olympiakos
Werder Bremen
Group D
*AC Milan
Benfica
Celtic
Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E
*Barcelona
Glasgow Rangers
Lyon
Stuttgart
Group F
*Manchester United
Dynamo Kiev
Roma
Sporting Lisbon
Group G
*Inter Milan
CSKA Moscow
Fenerbahce
PSV Eindhoven
Group H
*Arsenal
Sevilla/AEK Athens
Slavia Prague
Steau Bucharest
*seeded team
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Monday, June 25, 2007
Platini slims down Euro WC Qualifiers
UEFA President Michel Platini has made some changes to the 2010 World Cup qualification process for European nations.
Instead of groups of seven and eight teams, European nations will be in one of eight groups of six teams and one of five. The nine group winners will qualify and the best-performing eight second place teams go into play-offs for the additional four places on offer.
Records against the bottom-placed teams in each group will not be taken into account.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter showered more praise on South Africa on his most recent visit to the World Cup hosts last week, again insisting that preparations are on schedule.
"From what I have seen here today and from what I have heard I can say generally we are on track," he told reporters. "You may be assured that nothing, nothing can now be against the World Cup here in South Africa."
Despite the latest charm offensive, Blatter did concede that South Africa's transport infrstructure needs some investment in the next three years.
"There will be a lot of visitors and there is a great need from companies to help with extra capacity for airplanes, buses and local transport," he said.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
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Instead of groups of seven and eight teams, European nations will be in one of eight groups of six teams and one of five. The nine group winners will qualify and the best-performing eight second place teams go into play-offs for the additional four places on offer.
Records against the bottom-placed teams in each group will not be taken into account.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter showered more praise on South Africa on his most recent visit to the World Cup hosts last week, again insisting that preparations are on schedule.
"From what I have seen here today and from what I have heard I can say generally we are on track," he told reporters. "You may be assured that nothing, nothing can now be against the World Cup here in South Africa."
Despite the latest charm offensive, Blatter did concede that South Africa's transport infrstructure needs some investment in the next three years.
"There will be a lot of visitors and there is a great need from companies to help with extra capacity for airplanes, buses and local transport," he said.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
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Saturday, March 10, 2007
Champions League QF Draw
Quarter-final draw
First legs 3/4/07, second legs 11/4/07
AC Milan v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Liverpool
First legs 4/4/07, second legs 10/4/07
Chelsea v Valencia
Roma v Manchester United
Semi-final draw
First leg 24/4/07, second leg 2/5/07
Roma or Manchester United v AC Milan or Bayern Munich
First leg 25/4/07, second leg 1/5/07)
Chelsea or Valencia v PSV Eindhoven or Liverpool
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First legs 3/4/07, second legs 11/4/07
AC Milan v Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven v Liverpool
First legs 4/4/07, second legs 10/4/07
Chelsea v Valencia
Roma v Manchester United
Semi-final draw
First leg 24/4/07, second leg 2/5/07
Roma or Manchester United v AC Milan or Bayern Munich
First leg 25/4/07, second leg 1/5/07)
Chelsea or Valencia v PSV Eindhoven or Liverpool
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Friday, January 26, 2007
Platini Elected UEFA President
Michel Platini, the 51-year-old former France and Juventus star, has been voted UEFA's new president. Platini succeeds Sweden's Lennart Johansson, who has been in the post for the previous 17 years.
Platini has some revolutionary new ideas on his agenda, including limiting Champions League places to three per country and introducing a salary cap.
Platini's closeness to FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter, may also increase Blatter's influence on UEFA, where once he was kept at arm's length by Johansson.
Johansson opposed Platini's proposed changes to the Champions League, which would be deeply unpopular with the top clubs in Italy, Germany, Spain and England.
Platini won the ballot by 27 votes to 23, with much of his support coming from Eastern European countries who stand to benefit from any opening up of UEFA's cash cow, the Champions League.
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Platini has some revolutionary new ideas on his agenda, including limiting Champions League places to three per country and introducing a salary cap.
Platini's closeness to FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter, may also increase Blatter's influence on UEFA, where once he was kept at arm's length by Johansson.
Johansson opposed Platini's proposed changes to the Champions League, which would be deeply unpopular with the top clubs in Italy, Germany, Spain and England.
Platini won the ballot by 27 votes to 23, with much of his support coming from Eastern European countries who stand to benefit from any opening up of UEFA's cash cow, the Champions League.
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World Soccer News
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Soccer News soccer football Champions League
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