Aalborg - Manchester United: historical visit

Aalborg are the first Danish side to enjoy a second bite of the Champions League cherry, having previously made it through to the European top table in 1995/96. It proved to be a baptism of fire, as they lost their first five matches against Dynamo Kiev, Porto and Nantes before earning their first ever CL point with a 2-2 draw against the Portuguese champions. The Danes have had recent European experience, though. They won one only game in last year’s UEFA Cup group stage, but gave Spurs a huge fright at ‘The Lane’ by taking a two-goal advantage before losing 3-2.

Andreas Johansson has the dubious honour of being the last player to be sent off at Highbury… and that was without touching the ball after coming on as a substitute for Wigan! An attacking midfielder, Johansson wasn’t a hit with everyone at the JJB Stadium and scored just four goals in 29 games, but he’s proved a handful for Danish defences since arriving last summer. Most dangerous when given time to create, Johansson is also a handy ball-winner in the centre of the park. He enjoyed his best spell as a player in his native Sweden with Djurgardens, where he won two titles and a Swedish Cup.

A familar face... Bruce Rioch. The former Arsenal and Bolton manager (to name just a couple) took over the reins at AaB in July after Erik Hamren switched Scandinavian allegiances to join Norway’s Rosenborg BK. But what’s Bruce doing in Denmark? Well, it’s not his first stint in the country – he was in charge at Odense for 20 months until his wife’s illness forced him to resign in March 2007. While there he enjoyed a win over Hibernian in the third round of the Intertoto Cup in 2006.

American defender Danny Califf led Aalborg to their first Danish title in nine years. But he subsequently signed for FC Midtjylland, leaving the captain’s armband behind for Thomas Augustinussen. A striker in his formative years, Augustinussen has real aerial presence (he stands 6’ 4” tall) and scored five goals in his 20 games for Denmark’s Under-21 team. He has since dropped back into central.

Fenerbahçe - Dynamo Kyiv: Yuriy Semin has named 21-man squad for tomorrow's match

Monday morning FC Dynamo Kyiv departed for the Turkish capital for tomorrow’s UEFA Champions League group stage encounter against Fenerbahçe SK (Istanbul, Turkey). The Matchday 2 fixture will take place at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul.

Dynamo head-coach Yuriy Semin has picked 21 players to bring to Turkey. 18 of them will be registered for the match. The list of players looks as follows:

Goalkeepers: Oleksandr Shovkovskyy, Stanislav Bogush, Oleksandr Rybka;

Defenders: Betão, Taras Mykhalyk, Pape Diakhaté, Malkhaz Asatiani, Badr El Kaddouri, Andriy Nesmachnyy, Oleksandr Romanchuk;

Midfielders: Ognjen Vukojević, Oleksandr Aliyev, Miloš Ninković, Tiberiu Ghioane, Roman Eremenko, Mykola Morozyuk,

Forwards: Ismaël Bangoura, Maksim Shatskikh, Artem Kravets, Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Zozulya.

Source: FC Dynamo press

FC Bayern Munich – Lyon: Jürgen Klinsmann goes for rotation

In the eleven weeks from now until the mid-season break, Bayern will contest 17 competitive fixtures, with the club’s current internationals chalking up another three matches for a total of 20 games in 70 or so days. “It’s two games a week from now on,” Jürgen Klinsmann reacted, “so there’ll inevitably be rotation in certain positions.”

The coach initiated that process in the midweek DFB Cup clash with Nürnberg, making four changes to the team beaten by Bremen four days earlier: Daniel van Buyten, Mark van Bommel, Christian Lell and Lukas Podolski dropped to the bench, with Massimo Oddo, Andreas Ottl, Tim Borowski and Miroslav Klose in the starting line-up.

Line-up changes will be the order of the day from now on. “To compete in Europe and cope with the rhythm of the Cup, the Bundesliga and the Champions League, we need rotation – not in every position, but definitely in certain areas,” Klinsmann explained.

The key factor is the consistent depth and quality in the Bayern squad. “We have a very good playing staff,” the coach opined, “up front, in midfield, defence – we have two players for every position.“ That naturally means intense competition for places. “A few of our players have made great progress,” Klinsmann observed, pleased with the improving form of the stars involved at Euro 2008 last summer.

The best example is Miroslav Klose, scorer of the vital opening goal against Nürnberg. “It was a sensational strike, a goal of the month,” Klinsmann enthused, “he’s slowly but surely getting to where he should be and where he’s set his own benchmarks. You can clearly see he’s on an upward trend.“

That applies to the whole squad, the coach feels, singling out Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Andreas Ottl in that respect. The Nürnberg tie also saw maiden 90-minute appearances for Tim Borowski, scorer of Bayern’s second, and Massimo Oddo. “He did a great job,“ the coach commented. “The increased competition livens the place up.”

The packed schedule means none of the stars need fear extended spells on the bench. “They’ll all get plenty of playing time. It’s a very, very long season,” said Klinsmann, hinting he may be ready for more rotation in Saturday’s trip to Hanover. “We’ll have to see who we allow to take a rest."

Source: Bayern Munich press

FC Zenit - Real Madrid: Fabio Cannavaro returns for the Saint Petersburg match

Fabio Cannavaro had to miss the match against Betis because of Bernd Schuster's rotation system. This time around it's Christoph Metzelder's and Míchel Salgado's turn not to travel in order to rest. Guti, Fernando Gago and Wesley Sneijder will miss the match because they sustain injuries.

Squad List:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Codina
Defenders: Pepe, Torres, Heinze, Ramos, Cannavaro, Marcelo
Midfielders: De la Red, Van der Vaart, Drenthe, Diarra, Javi García
Forwards: Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, Higuaín, Saviola, Robben

Source: Real Madrid FC press

BATE Borisov – Juventus: Juve already at work, team flies to Minsk on Monday

Juventus continue their series of close-up games. Just a few hours after the game at the Ferraris against Sampdoria and after returning from Genoa, the team immediately resumed training in Vinovo with a morning session today.

As usual, those who played had a lighter session, while the others trained normally, including Nicola Legrottaglie, who missed the Samp game but today took part in the final training match too.

Buffon's fitness is improving, and this morning he worked as normal with Goalkeeping Coach Giorgio Pellizzaro. But the keeper won't be taking part in the trip as a precaution. He'll be staying in Turin with Poulsen, whom Claudio Ranieri has decided to rest for one game. Injured players Zanetti and Trezeguet will also stay home. However, Zebina will be travelling with the team, even if he won't be available for the match itself. Junior keeper Nocchi has also been called up.

In total a 21-man squad will depart tomorrow morning – Monday September 29th – for Belarus and, after a three-hour flight, will reach Minsk, the city Bate Borisov have selected to play their home Champions League games.

Source: Juventus FC Press

Arsenal FC – Porto FC: Lucho González is back in the squad to face the Gunners

Jesualdo Ferreira picked 19 players to travel to England. Lucho is back in the squad after missing the game against Paços de Ferreira. The list includes the following players: Benítez, Bruno Alves, Candeias, Fernando, Guarin, Helton, Hulk, Lino, Lisandro, Lucho, Mariano, Nuno, Pedro Emanuel, Raul Meireles, Rodríguez, Rolando, Sapunaru, Stepanov and Tomás Costa.

F.C. Porto travels this Monday to London. The flight is scheduled to 9h30. On Tuesday, the Dragons play the match day 2 of this season UEFA Champions League against Arsenal.

Source: FC Porto press

Villarreal - Celtic FC: friends will be reunited in Spain

Celtic travel to Spain at the beginning of the week for their UEFA Champions League clash with Villarreal, and it will be a case of friends reunited as both clubs have forged strong and lasting links since they first met back in 2004.

Indeed, Celtic have superb relations with Spain as a whole, from the meetings with Barcelona in both the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League in recent seasons to the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville, when over 80,000 Celtic fans descended on the Andalucian capital to cheer on the Hoops and show the world how to support their team, win or lose.

Not only did that event lead to Fair Play Awards for the Celtic fans from both UEFA and FIFA, but it ensured that Spanish people would always look fondly on the green and white Hoops.

And, ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League match in the EL Madrigal Stadium, the Spanish Consul General, Federico Palomera, made a visit to Celtic Park to emphasise the unique bond between the club and Spain.

He said: “Spain and Scotland enjoy a great connection and through the positive relationship developed around football, this can only continue.

“In recent years Celtic Football Club has travelled to Valencia, Villarreal and Barcelona and on each occasion made great friends.

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell welcomed the Spanish Consul General to Celtic Park, and presented a special Celtic shirt to Federico Palomera, receiving a Villarreal shirt in return.

And the Celtic Chief Executive said that he’s looking forward to further strengthening the bonds between Celtic and the city of Villa-real with the visit to Spain this week.

Source: Celtic FC official site

Jermaine Defoe goes for Fernando Torres: Portsmouth - Tottenham Hotspur preview

On Sunday, Portsmouth hosts Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe is set to face his former club Tottenham for the first time since he left them to join Pompey in January.

Since Defoe left Tottenham at the end of the January transfer window, Spurs have won only four of their 20 Premier League matches – the fewest wins in the division in this period.

Defoe has scored 12 goals since joining Pompey. Only Liverpool’s Fernando Torres has scored more goals in the Premier League since 31 January, according to Infostrada.

Fewest Premier League wins since 31 January 2008
# Club Matches

4 Tottenham Hotspur 20
5 Newcastle United 19
5 Bolton Wanderers 19
6 Middlesbrough 19
6 Wigan Athletic 19
Note: Only includes teams who have played in both 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 season

Most goals in the Premier League since 31 January 2008
# Player Nation Club(s) Matches

14 Fernando Torres ESP Liverpool 16
12 Cristiano Ronaldo POR Manchester United 15
12 Jermain Defoe ENG Portsmouth 17
11 Michael Owen ENG Newcastle United 18
11 Emmanuel Adebayor TOG Arsenal 19
10 John Carew NOR Aston Villa 19
9 Yakubu Aiyegbeni NGA Everton 17
9 Roque Santa Cruz PAR Blackburn Rovers 19
8 Gabriel Agbonlahor ENG Aston Villa 18

José Mourinho record reached 100 matches

On Wednesday, José Mourinho reached an impressive milestone when Internazionale beat Lecce 1-0 in the Serie A.

Mourinho is now on a streak of 100 home league matches without a defeat as a coach. According to Infostrada, the last time he lost a league home match was on 23 February 2002, when FC Porto lost 3-2 at home to SC Beira Mar.

José Mourinho’s unbeaten home streak in league matches
Club Matches Won Drawn Competition

FC Porto 38 36 2 Super Liga
Chelsea 60 46 14 Premier League
Internazionale 2 2 0 Serie A

Total 100 84 16

Underground Stadium in Doha, or how to observe football avoiding 50ºC

The first underground stadium ever constructed will be ready in 2010: here we have The Wall Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Why underground? Obviously it’s a great revolution to have the world’s first underground stadium but there’s one priceless benefit, especially in a climate such as Qatar’s: on summer, Doha’s temperature reaches 50ºC.

Nicknamed "The Laptop" the stadium will have no traditional floodlights. As an alternative, the lights will be embedded into the architecture, which adds to the clean futuristic look.

The stadium is part of Doha’s forthcoming bid to host the 2018 World Cup and if the location was decided purely down to stadium architecture, they may have a chance.

But the one concern is The Wall will only be able to seat 11.000 people, not much population for a WC…

Real Madrid goals reached 5000

On Sunday, 14 September, Real Madrid became the first club in Spain to score 5,000 goals in the top flight when they hosted Numancia. Captain Guti signed his name to the milestone.

Alfredo di Stéfano is Real’s all-time top scorer in the Primera División with 216 goals.
Current Real player Raúl is second on this list with 205 goals.

Most goals by club in Primera División
Goals Club Matches
5,003 Real Madrid 2,422
4,936 FC Barcelona 2,422
4,164 Athletic Bilbao 2,422
3,945 Atlético Madrid 2,274
3,863 Valencia CF 2,324
3,224 RCD Espanyol 2,286
3,138 Sevilla FC 2,068
2,853 Real Sociedad 2,036
2,524 Real Zaragoza 1,834
2,041 Celta de Vigo 1,508

Milestone goals for Real Madrid in Primera División
# Name Match Date
5000 Guti Real Madrid – Numancia 4-3 14 Sep 2008
4000 Iván Zamorano Real Valladolid – Real Madrid 0-5 22 Dec 1994
3000 Juanito UD Salamanca – Real Madrid 1-3 04 Apr 1981
2000 Francisco Gento Real Madrid – Pontevedra CF 3-1 09 Nov 1963
1000 Pahíño Atlético Club de Bilbao – Real Madrid 2-5 05 Nov 1950
1 Jaime Lazcano Real Madrid – CD Europa 5-0 10 Feb 1929

Del Piero goal defined Juventus 1 Zenit 0

Screen capture: La Gazzetta Dello Sport

Manchester United – Villarreal: Cristiano Ronaldo is back

The 23-year-old winger is well ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and will make an appearance of some sort – most likely as a substitute – when the Reds take on the Spaniards in Wednesday’s Champions League Group E opener at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Cristiano Ronaldo has no cause to win United’s fans over after a summer which saw the player heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid. The Reds boss instead has praised the player's maturity as he prepares to return from an ankle injury against Villarreal on Wednesday.

Real Madrid’s public pursuit of Ronaldo throughout the summer brought matters to a head when Sir Alex met with the Portuguese international during pre-season. The United boss insists that is where the matter ended, and now predicts a welcome return from the Old Trafford faithful.

“I don’t think [he has to win the fans over],” Sir Alex said on Tuesday. “I think our fans understand the situation. He’s a young man who was tempted by the lure of money, but since we gave him our decision he has accepted it.

“He said that he’d like to go to Real Madrid. When I had the meeting with him, that was it finished. He understood my position and the club’s position. He has accepted it and got on with it like a professional. There has not been a problem since.”

Ronaldo has thrown himself at his recovery from the surgery he underwent in July with the same dedication he has to developing his raw skill into world football's most sought-after talent during five years with the Reds.

“His training and rehabilitation has been fantastic,” said Sir Alex. “Every day, right through till five o’clock, he has shown a real determination to get back playing for us.

“He is such a massive player for us,” said Carlos Tevez. “He is a great person to have on your side. It’s almost like having an extra player when he is playing for you because he is such a danger to our opponents. It will be a big boost to have him back.”

Lyon – Fiorentina: Ghanaian Mensah is out

Black Stars defender, John Mensah, wasn´t part of Olympique Lyon's Champions League Group F opener against Fiorentina at home on Wednesday.

Radio station RMC reports that John Mensah was detained by police on Sunday evening after they stopped the Ghanaian defender’s car in Lyon. The radio station reports that the international defender, who signed for Olympique Lyon in the summer from Rennes, neither broke the speed limit nor rode a red light.

The 26-year-old had been diagnosed of gastroenteritis although he trained with the serial French Champions. Gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and the intestines, with vomiting and diarrhea, usually as a result of bacteria or viral infection is likely to sit him out of the tie.Mensah played his first game for Lyon on Saturday when lasted the entire duration of a 3-2 home win.

He missed the opening three matches in the French Ligue 1 after being ruled out due to calf injury. Mensah will be making his debut in the Champions League after eight years of playing abroad.

Juventus – Zenit: “This return is full of meaning”

Many among the Juventini have been anxiously waiting the moment of their return in the Champions League, including all the players who have gone through these incredible last two years. Two years of sacrifices, but also and foremost two years of victories. And now, with Wednesday's match against Zenit coming up, everyone will be able to taste the magic atmosphere of the most illustrious European Club competition again.

One of these is definitely Alessandro Del Piero. The Captain has carried the team through Serie B and then through the season of their return to Serie A, scoring more than anybody else (he was top scorer both seasons), and is even more eager to do well than before. That's why the first Champions League game in two years is an achievement in itself: “It makes us all feel good: me, the Club, everybody. In terms of what we did in the last two years, this return is full of meaning. That's why I'm over the moon”.

Wednesday night's match at the Olimpico (a novelty for the Turin stadium after all the years playing at the Delle Alpi) will almost feel like a new debut for the Captain, 13 years after his first appearance in the competition. There'll be no shortage of excitement: “Just as we weren't really like other newly promoted Clubs last year in Serie A, we can't really see ourselves as newbies in Europe either. We're curious because a lot of things have changed in the last two years, but no-one can afford to forget what this team has done in its 100 year-plus history. If they still consider us as a surprise, so much the better, we can exploit this. We will be playing very hard-fought games, but they're going to be tough for our opponents too”.

The first team to be faced is called Zenit, and it represents Russian football, an emerging phenomenon; a team that has become well-known in Europe by getting important wins. That's why it won't be an easy debut, but there's no risk of underestimating Juve's opponents: “I watched the UEFA Cup Final last year and the recent Super Cup one – Del Piero continued – but I also followed Russia's run at the European Championships. I noticed they've got great qualities, both in terms of individual players and as a team”.

Juventus squad list and numbers confirmed

It is a well-known fact that these squad lists cannot be modified. It is only possible to supplement them with the B List, the one that includes young players born after January 1987 who have been at the Club for at least two years, as long as UEFA are notified about the update within midnight on the day before the match.

1 Gianluigi Buffon
3 Giorgio Chiellini
4 Olof Mellberg
5 Jonathan Zebina
6 Cristiano Zanetti
7 Hasan Salihamidzic
8 Amauri Carvalho De Oliveira
9 Vincenzo Iaquinta
10 Alessandro Del Piero
11 Pavel Nedved
12 Antonio Chimenti
13 Alexander Manninger
15 Dario Knezevic
16 Mauro German Camoranesi
17 David Trezeguet
18 Christian Bager Poulsen
19 Claudio Marchisio
20 Sebastian Giovinco
21 Zdenek Grygera
22 Mohamed Lamine Sissoko
28 Cristian Molinaro
29 Paolo De Ceglie
30 Tiago Cardoso Mendes
32 Marco Marchionni
33 Nicola Legrottaglie

Coach Claudio Ranieri

List B

31 Timothy Nocchi
35 Simone Esposito
36 Luca Castiglia
37 Marco Duravia
38 Salvatore D'elia
39 Luca Marrone
40 Fausto Rossi
41 Lorenzo Ariaudo
42 Carlo Pinsoglio

Porto - Fenerbahçe: “I want a strong and eager to win F.C. Porto”

Looking forward to the 2008/09 debut on the UEFA Champions League, Jesualdo Ferreira is confident in a good result for the Dragons against Fenerbahçe. Victory is for now the only thing in the Portuguese champions’ mind.

“We need to win this match. Ever since I’ve became the coach of this team we’ve always done everything we could to win and that’s what we’re going to try once again. We’re obviously a different squad, with new players getting in and others going out of the team, but our ambition is the same as always. I want, above all, to see a strong F.C. Porto, competitive and eager to win, as it has done in other European campaigns”.

“To win the first match is important in any competition, but it isn’t decisive or determinant. Nevertheless, we’ll play to win the match. We’re ready for it”.

“For what I know, Fenerbahçe isn’t weaker. They’ve kept most of their key players and they’ve acquired the Spanish league top scorer. For me, Fenerbahçe is a great team, with a large number of players used to win in major competitions and they’re definitely a strong opponent”.

FC Dynamo Kyiv - Arsenal FC: Londoners goes for a draw

Arsène Wenger believes the “massive challenge” of Dynamo Kyiv will be so great on Wednesday night that he would even settle for a draw.

It is unusual for the Arsenal manager to talk in those terms ahead of such a crucial clash. But then Wenger has been to the Ukraine three times in the past decade – twice to Kiev, once to Donetsk – and has lost on every occasion.

Those defeats were played between October 21 and November 7 in their respective years. This game comes five weeks earlier and well before winter sets in. Wenger concedes that is an advantage but he argues that Dynamo Kyiv remain a huge obstacle.

“It is a tough place for us to go,” he said. “It is maybe a little bit better for us to play earlier but I am convinced it will still be a massive challenge. We’ll go there and try to win the game but even if we take a point then for me it will be a good start.

“Dynamo Kyiv knocked out Spartak Moscow 4-1, 4-1 [in each leg of their qualifying game]. When you know Spartak Moscow and how strong the Russian League is at the moment that means it is a tough draw. I saw the first game at Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv were really impressive.

“Our group has four teams who are all used to playing in the Champions League – Fenerbahce, Porto, Dynamo and us. Anyone can take points off anyone that’s why for me it’s very important we start well in this game.”

FC Dynamo Kyiv - Arsenal FC head to head, previous meetings

05-11-2003 Champions League Liverpool - Dynamo Kyiv 1-0
21-10-2003 Champions League Dynamo Kyiv - Liverpool 1-2
04-11-1998 Champions League Dynamo Kyiv - Liverpool 1-3
21-10-1998 Champions League Liverpool - Dynamo Kyiv 1-1

Arsenal FC squad and numbers confirmed

Samir Nasri and Mikael Silvestre are still out through injury. However Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy are fit and both flew with the team to the Ukraine on Tuesday.

There is only one change from the squad that travelled to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, with Carlos Vela coming in for Kieran Gibbs.

The Full Arsenal Squad:

1 Manuel Almunia
3 Bacary Sagna
4 Cesc Fabregas
5 Kolo Toure
10 William Gallas (C)
11 Robin Van Persie
12 Carlos Vela
14 Theo Walcott
15 Denilson
16 Aaron Ramsey
17 Alex Song
19 Jack Wilshere
20 Johan Djourou
21 Lukasz Fabianski
22 Gael Clichy
25 Emmanuel Adebayor
26 Nicklas Bendtner
27 Emmanuel Eboue

Celtic - Aalborg BK: the main chance to win

He may have started the season in fine form, scoring five in three starts, but as Georgios Samaras explained he is taking nothing for granted ahead of tomorrow night’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Aalborg.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference at Celtic Park, the 23-year-old said that he would not be disappointed or surprised if Gordon Strachan turned to last season’s proven partnership of Scott McDonald and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink for the opening group game.

Samaras instead explained that he will be ready and willing to his job ‘for the team’, regardless of whether or not he is handed a starting berth.

“It’s up to the Gaffer to decide whether or not I play,” he commented.” If I am in the first 11 or if I am a substitute, I am ready to help my team and my team-mates.

“I think what Scott and Jan did last year, scoring over 50 goals, is something unbelievable.

FC Steaua Bucarest - FC Bayern Munich: nice match in Romania

After fully 525 days away, and a year’s “demotion“ to the UEFA Cup, Bayern finally return to the Champions League fray away to Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday evening.

The German champions are keen to get their campaign off to a positive start in the Romanian capital and hand coach Jürgen Klinsmann a successful debut in Europe’s top club competition. “It’s starting at last, and that’s terrific. I think we’re in peak condition,” Klinsmann declared ahead of the meeting with the ‘Bayern of Romanian football’. Contesting the Champions League was very special, the coach continued. “This is the crème de la crème of European football, and we want to play our part,” the 44-year-old said.

Describing himself as “delighted“ at the club’s return to the elite, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has detected great eagerness among the players. “The team is really motivated after a year in the UEFA Cup, which was not to anyone’s taste. We’re back on the biggest stage there is, ready to show what Bayern are capable of”.

Real Madrid - BATE Borisov: it is time for Belarusian debut

On 27 August 2008 BATE Borisov made it through to the final round of the Champions League for the first time in club history, and the Belarusian club couldn't have asked for a tougher European debut than a visit to the Santiago Bernabeu to play nine-time winner, Real Madrid.

With 21 matches already played, BATE Borisov hold a two-point lead in the Belarusian league table with a record of 13 victories, eight draws, and no defeats. Their last match resulted in a 2-1 win over Naftan, with goals by Blizniuk and Mirchev.

On 7 September, the side qualified for the semifinals of the Belarusian Cup by eliminating Second League underdog Neman Mosty and is now just four wins away from their second Cup title.

Coach Viktor Goncharenko game plan calls for a 4-4-2 formation. Bliznyuk leads the team is scoring with 12 goals in 21 matches. With a seating capacity of just 5,500, Horodskiy Stadium, does not meet UEFA standards. The team will therefore have to host its home Champions League matches in Minsk.

The road to the final stage wasn't easy, but BATE was able to eliminate Valur (Iceland), Anderlecht (Belgium) and Levski Sofia (Bulgaria). They now debut on a more global stage against powerhouses of the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus, and Zenit.

FC BATE was founded in 1973 under the name Berezina Borisov, a three-time champion in the SSR Belarusian League champion. The club was re-established in 1996, at which point it took its current name, FC BATE Borisov.

The team made their Belarusian Premier League debut in 1998 and finished as runner-up. They won their first league title one year later and again in 2002, 2006, and 2007.

Notable players such as Alexander Hleb, Vitali Kutuzov, and Yuri Zhevnov began their careers at BATE and were the driving force behind the ousting of Dinamo Minsk as Belarusian League heavyweight.

Real Madrid Press

473 goals

Here we have the historical top scorers of the UEFA Champions League before season 2008-2009 starts.

1 Raul (SPA), 61
2 Van Nistelrooy (NED), 57
3 Shevchenko (UKR), 56
4 Di Stefano (ARG/ESP), 49
5 Eusebio (POR), 47
6 F. Iinzaghi (ITA), 46
7 Henry (FRA), 45
8 Del Piero (ITA), 41
9 Puskas (HUN/SPA), 36
10 G. Müller (GER), 35

AS Roma – CFR 1907: Romanian team starts a history in main European tournament

The CFR 1907 delegation arrived in the Italian capital, for the match against A.S. Roma, to be played on Tuesday, at "Olimpico", in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

After landing in Rome, on Sunday, CFR 1907 Cluj players held a training session on one of the secondary pitches belonging to A.S. Roma, which the hosts kindly provided.

The squad for this match: Stăncioiu, Nuno Claro, Cadu, De Sousa, Tony, Panin, Pereira, Alcantara, Gabriel Mureşan, Trică, Dani, Peralta, Prette, Culio, Minteuan, Deac, E. Kone, Y. Kone, Dubarbier, Didi, Ruiz. Head coach, Maurizio Trombetta, declared himself pleased with his boys' performance and with the relaxed atmosphere in the locker room.

On Monday morning, the cherry-colored delegation will visit some sights in the Vatican and, after the press conference; the players will be at the official training session on "Olimpico". A notable fact is that our players are feeling right at home in Rome, are relaxed and friendly before the match against the Italians, news that can only please us and rise our hopes for the match on Tuesday evening.

FC Basel - FC Shakhtar Donetsk: the occasion to win

Evaeyerson Brandao

The Donetsk team will start their UCL campaign with group stage match against the Swiss side FC Basel 1893. So, Shakhtar squad has departed at Switzerland earlier today.

Mircea Lucescu has taken 24 players: Goalkeepers: Andriy Pyatov, Rustam Khudzhamov, Bohdan Shust. Defenders: Tomas Hubschman, Razvan Rat, Oleksandr Kucher, Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Dmytro Chygrynskyy, Mykola Ishchenko, Artem Fedetskyy, Volodymyr Yezerskyy. Midfielders: Igor Duljaj, Fernandinho, Jadson, Ilsinho, Marius Lewandovski, Oleksiy Gai, Willian, Darijo Srna. Forwards: Yevhen Seleznov, Luis Adriano, Oleksandr Gladkyy, Brandao, Marcelo Moreno.

Barcelona – Sporting Lisbon: Fabio Rochemback comes back at Camp Nou

One of the many attractions about this Tuesday’s Barcelona vs. Sporting Clube clash is the presence of ex-Barça player Rochemback in the Portuguese side. The Brazilian returns to the Camp Nou five years after he left the Catalan club.

Fabio Rochemback is coming back to the Camp Nou. On Tuesday, Sporting Clube’s Brazilian midfielder will be lining up against the club where he played for two seasons (2001/02 and 2002/03) and was seen as one of Brazil’s most outstanding young talents when he first arrived. Described as the most European of Brazilian footballers and the heir to Dunga, Rochemback played in 45 League matches and 19 Champions League fixtures in his two seasons with the Catalan outfit.

Rochemback was just 20 when he signed for Barça from Internacional Porto Alegre. A physically powerful player with a lot of character and a strong shot, Rochemback was perhaps too young when he joined Barcelona where he never really adapted to European football and to Barça’s style of play. The Brazilian scored four goals in competitive matches, three in the League and one in the Champions League.

One of the most memorable moments in Rochemback’s time at Barça was at Anfield in the unforgettable Champions League clash with Liverpool in the 2001/02 season. Barça won the group stage fixture 1-3 with a breathtaking display of football under the then manager Carles Rexach. Rochemback made a major contribution to the win and scored his only European goal, a screamer from outside the box that made it 1-2 to Barça.

In the summer of 2003 Rochemback went on loan to Sporting Clube, where he played for two seasons and appeared in the UEFA Cup Final. He developed as a player in the Portuguese League and began to attract international attention. In the 2005/06 season he was signed by Middlesbrough, where he played for three seasons and once again made it to the UEFA Cup Final.

This summer he returned to Sporting Clube at the age of 26 and as a fully formed footballer. He has been in the starting XI for both of Sporting’s first two League fixtures and is a key part of manager Paulo Bento’s system.

FC Barcelona Press

Panathinaikos - Inter Milano: Athens receives Italian champion

At 'Spiros Louis' Olympic Stadium, Panathinaikos will face Inter Milano on Tuesday 21:45 local time. Spanish official Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez has been appointed to referee the match.

Let´s see if Inter can improve their performances in Champions League. In the history of the competition they won 64 of 127 matches played. Panathinaikos played more matches (129) but won 42 and have drawn 38 (they lost 49).

After Sunday morning's training session José Mourinho named his 20-player squad for Tuesday evening's UEFA Champions League Group B Matchday 1 match against Panathinaikos.



They are: Goalkeepers: 1 Francesco Toldo, 12 Julio Cesar, 22 Paolo Orlandoni. Defenders: 2 Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Maxwell, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 39 Davide Santon. Midfielders: 7 Luis Figo, 14 Patrick Vieira, 19 Esteban Cambiasso, 20 Muntari, 33 Amantino Mancini, 36 Francesco Bolzoni, 77 Ricardo Quaresma. Strikers: 8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 9 Julio Ricardo Cruz, 10 Adriano, 45 Mario Balotelli.

Olympique Marseille - Liverpool FC: only one team will continue the good streak

Olympique and Liverpool will be face to face on Tuesday night. Liverpool squad seems to be ok after the victory against Manchester United while the host team is in second position of the Ligue 1.

Liverpool Football Club have been informed by authorities in Marseille that travelling fans will face delays as they enter the Stade Velodrome.

The message from Marseille reads as follows: "Due to building and other works around the stadium, it is expected that there will be longer than normal delays to access to the Official Visitors Section. Ticket holders for this area are advised to arrive well in advance of the start of the match and no later than 45 minutes beforehand. Also, for security reasons, you should expect to be held back for up to 40 minutes after the end of the match, while the home supporters disperse."

PSV Eindhoven squad numbers confirmed

1 Andreas Isaksson SWE
2 Jan Kromkamp
3 Carlos Salcido MEX
4 Francisco Rodríguez MEX
5 Mike Zonneveld
6 Timmy Simons BEL
8 Édison Méndez ECU
9 Danko Lazović SRB
10 Danny Koevermans
11 Nordin Amrabat
13 Jérémie Brechet FRA
14 Erik Pieters
15 Jason Čulina AUS
16 Stefan Nijland
17 Reimond Manco PER
18 Eric Addo GHA
19 Jonathan Reis BRA
20 Ibrahim Afellay
21 Bas Roorda
22 Balázs Dzsudzsák HUN
23 Fagner BRA
24 Dirk Marcellis
28 Otman Bakkal
29 Stijn Wuytens BEL
31 Cássio BRA

PSV - Atlético Madrid will make the first appearance at Philips Stadium

PSV Eindhoven will kick off their twelfth Champions League Group D campaign at home against Atlético Madrid. The Spaniards will travel to the Philips Stadium on Tuesday, September 16. That fixture is followed by a trip to Anfield on Wednesday, October 1, where PSV meet Liverpool.

PSV will meet one Dutchmen because the international John Heitinga joined Atlético Madrid in summer.

Liverpool - Manchester United at Anfield: will Red Devils streak continue?

Manchester United travel to Liverpool on Saturday, 13 September, knowing they have a better record at Anfield than any other Premier League team in recent seasons.

Manchester United is unbeaten in their last six Premier League visits to Anfield, winning five times.

Since the start of the 2002/2003 season they have the best record at Liverpool of all Premier League teams and are the only team to remain unbeaten, according to Infostrada.

In total, Liverpool has played 115 home Premier League matches since the start of the 2002/2003 season, losing only 13 (five of which to Manchester United).

Top five Premier League records at Anfield since 2002/2003 season
Club P W D L Pts GF GA

1 Manchester United 6 5 1 0 16 7 2
2 Chelsea 6 3 1 2 10 8 6
3 Birmingham City 5 1 3 1 6 5 6
4 Charlton Athletic 5 1 2 2 5 4 6
5 Arsenal 6 1 2 3 5 7 11

La Masía: Barcelona academy is outstanding in Europe

FC Barcelona’s current first team squad has 10 players who learnt their football in the club’s academy: Xavi, Bojan, Puyol, Iniesta, Messi, Valdés, Jorquera, Piqué, Pedro and Victor Sánchez. That’s a pretty impressive figure in its own right and compares extremely favorably with recent winners of Europe’s top leagues.

Bayern Munich with Kraft, Lahm, Lell, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Kross and Rensing; Real Madrid with Casillas, Guti, Raul, Codina, Torres, Javi García and De la Red; and Olympique de Lyon with Hartock, Clerc, Kolodzieczak, Benzema, Mounier, Govou and Tafer, all have 7 academy players in their first team squads. Inter Milan only has three: Andrea Mei, Davide Santone and Francesco Bolzoni.

Manchester United are different as there are no limits on the number of players in first team squads in the EPL which means that reserves are constantly turning out for the first team. However, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side has seven players playing on a regular basis who have come up through the ranks: Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Danny Welbeck, Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea.

Thus Barça has a significant numerical superiority plus its 10 ex-academy players could virtually form a complete and very competitive line-up.

That’s because over recent years the Barça academy has produced top quality players in practically all positions, including great strikers such as Messi and Bojan, midfielders like Xavi, Iniesta and Victor Sánchez, and solid defenders such as Puyol and Piqué, ending with the security of Valdés and Jorquera between the sticks. How good they are is shown by the fact that 7 out of the 10 have been called up for the full Spain team (Xavi, Puyol, Iniesta and Bojan), Argentina, in the case of Leo Messi, and the under-21s, in the cases of Piqué and Pedro.

More info: www.fcbarcelona.com

Europe Qualifying for the World Cup South Africa 2010

Enjoy it in European Football Blog, that treat all about National Teams.

Dimitar Bervatov goals arrived to Manchester United squad: "the biggest club in the world"

Finally Bervatov arrived to MUFC and He will wear the t-shirt number 9 that left Saha. The transaction was about 37, 8 M Euros plus Fraizer Campbell joining Tottenham on loan as part of the deal.

Representing Tottenham he scored 46 goals in 102 matches! During press conference he said that MUFC is "the biggest club in the world". The Reds would like to enjoy his goals now.

Dailymail also enjoy him. They have shared very interesting information that we must know about Berbatov. Here we have his best goals.

Nacional was too late for the match: match suspended

Situation: On Sunday, Nacional Fútbol Club, one of the most important clubs in Uruguay and Intercontinental Cup winner three times, should play against Villa Española, during another matchday of Uruguayan Football Championship.

The referee told Nacional squad to hurry up because the time was up. Nacional entered to the Stadium one minute later and said “hello” to his people, but the judge… wasn’t there!!! Pay attention until 1:47 and also from 2:18 to 3:23.



The referee decided that Nacional lose the game so Nacional fans looked angry saying “we will kill the referee” and attacking some journalists.

To be continue in the Uruguayan Football Association offices…

Liverpool confirms Torres injury

Reds have today confirmed Fernando "Niño" Torres suffered a hamstring tear during the Reds' goalless draw at Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Liverpool striker limped off during the first half of the match and has been forced to withdraw from the Spanish squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Armenia.

"A scan this afternoon has confirmed a hamstring tear in Fernando's right leg. He is expected to be out for between two and three weeks," said a club spokesman.

By the way, it seems that he will play UCL first matchday, but it is not sure.

Chelsea squad numbers confirmed

We can today announce this season's Chelsea squad numbers, with Franco Di Santo taking the number 9 shirt.

The Argentine forward is one of three new faces in the first team squad, and replaces Steve Sidwell as number 9, following the midfielder's move to Aston Villa last month.

Elsewhere, José Bosingwa takes the number 17 jersey, and Scott Sinclair moves to number 16.

As previously reported Deco has taken the number 20 from Paulo Ferreira due to his academy using the number, and the defender changes to 19.

Those are the only changes from last season.

The full squad list is below.

1 Petr Cech
2 Branislav Ivanovic
3 Ashley Cole
5 Michael Essien
6 Ricardo Carvalho
7 Andriy Shevchenko
8 Frank Lampard
9 Franco Di Santo
10 Joe Cole
11 Didier Drogba
12 John Mikel Obi
13 Michael Ballack
14 Claudio Pizarro
15 Florent Malouda
16 Scott Sinclair
17 José Bosingwa
18 Wayne Bridge
19 Paulo Ferreira
20 Deco
21 Salomon Kalou
23 Carlo Cudicini
24 Shaun Wright-Phillips
26 John Terry
30 Rhys Taylor
33 Alex
35 Juliano Belletti
39 Nicolas Anelka
40 Hilario

Villarreal squad numbers confirmed

1.- Diego Sebastián Viera Galaín
2.- Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez
3.- Edmilson Gomes de Moraes
4.- Diego Roberto Godín Leal
5.- Joan Capdevila Méndez
6.- Sebastián Eguren Ledesma
7.- Robert Pires
8.- Santiago Cazorla González
9.- Guillermo Luis Franco Farcuasón
10.- Rubén Gracia Calmache “Cani”
11.- Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza
12.- Pascal Cygan
13.- Diego López Rodríguez
14.- Matías Ariel Fernández Fernández “Mati”
15.- Nihat Kahveci
16.- Joseba Llorente Etxarri
17.- Javier Rodríguez Venta
18.- Angel David López Ruano
19.- Marcos Antonio Senna da Silva
20.- Fabricio Fabio Fuentes
21.- Bruno Soriano Llido
22.- Giuseppe Scurto “Rossi”
24.- Josmer Volmy Altidore
25.- Juan Carlos Sánchez Martínez

Real Madrid squad numbers confirmed

1.- Iker Casillas Jiménez
2.- Miguel Angel Salgado Fernández
3.- Kleper Laveran Lima Ferreira
4.- Sergio Ramos García
5.- Fabio Cannavaro
6.- Mahamadou Diarrá
7.- Raúl González Blanco
8.- Fernando Gago
9.- Javier Pedro Saviola
10.- Robson Da Souza “Robinho”
11.- Arjen Robben
12.- Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior
13.- Jordi Codina Rodríguez
14.- José María Gutiérrez Hernández
15.- Royston Ricky Drenthe
16.- Gabriel Omar Heinze
17.- Rutgerus Johannes Martinus Van Nistelrooy
18.- Rubén De la Red Gutiérrez
19.- Rafael Van der Vaart
20.- Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín
21.- Christoph Metzelder
22.- Miguel Torres Gómez
23.- Wesley Sneijder
24.- Francisco Javier García Fernández
25.- Jerzy Dudek