European Champions League News Previews Reports History

This page is dedicated to the UEFA european champions league and includes news reports previews fixtures results of the leading football competition in europe. Page includes information for the 2011 -2012 season – draw dates for each round & dates for each round

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Arsenal face Italian champions AC Milan which is the hardest draw they could   have expected. The first leg is in the San Siro and the second at the Emirates   which may give the Gunners an advantage. I envisage a tight contest over two   legs and the return of midfield dynamo Jack Wilshere could be key for Arsenal.   Milan are the 7 times winners and Arsenal have yet to win it once, only   appearing in one final. The Rossoneri’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have the final   say in this two legged encounter but Milan’s aging defence must be wary of Dutch   striker Robin Van Persie. I predict Milan to squeeze through narrowly as this   isn’t the same Arsenal side who beat them in the San Siro back in 2008. Howemost   Prediction is AC Milan

Chelsea face Napoli the side that knocked out   English giants Manchester City. Chelsea have been in great form of recent and   seem to have rediscovered their defensive solidity. Napoli showed against Man   City that they have a quick hard working football team with a cutting edge in   top scorer Edison Cavani. The second leg being in London will give Chelsea an   advantage and I expect them to draw in Napoli but win at the Bridge to take them   through to the last 8. Howemost Prediction is Chelsea.

Basle take on  German giants Bayern Munich. Munich have an illustrious history in the   competition having won it on 4 separate occasions. Basle impressed as they   eliminated Manchester United especially young winger Shakiri. Munich have so   much talent in their ranks though and if it’s not top scorer Mario Gomez who   will hurt you then its Frank Ribery of flying Dutchman Arjen Robben. I think   Munich will progress to the quarter finals with ease. Howemost prediction is   Bayern Munich

Marseille face 2010 winners Inter Milan. The French side   upset the odds with a magnificent comeback on Match day 6 to reach the last 16.   Inter squeezed through an easy group as winners but are no force to be reckoned   with in this tournament. I anticipate a tight affair over two legs but i believe   the exuberant youth of Marseille will overcome a tired Inter side. Howemost   Prediction is Marseille

Reigning champions Barcelona face Germans Bayer   Leverkusen. Barca breezed through their qualifying group and any doubt that they   are still Europe’s best side was quashed with their 3-1 win at Real Madrid.   Leverkusen are a solid outfit and could cause Barca problems in Germany but are   unlikely to cope in the Nou Camp against the genius of Lionel Messi. Howemost   prediction is Barcelona

Nine time winners Real Madrid face Russian side   CSKA Moscow. Los Blancos were fantastic in qualifying as they scored goals for   fun and maintained a 100 per cent record. Moscow squeaked through on Match day 6   and have a couple of dangerous forwards but nowhere near the quality of Real. I   expect Real with the second leg at The Bernabeau to progress to the last 8 with   relative ease. Howemost Prediction is Real Madrid

French side Lyon meet   surprise Cypriot outfit APOEL Nicosia. The Cypriot champions have shocked   everyone by winning their group and becoming the first Cypriot side to make the   draw for the last 16. Lyon qualified in unprecedented circumstances with a 7-1   win at Zagreb in the final match taking them through on goal difference. Lyon   have the experience at this stage of the tournament and although I believe   Nicosia could make history by reaching the quarter finals it is rather unlikely.   Howemost Prediction is Lyon

Benfica take on Russians Zenit St   Petersburg. Benfica have impressed in this seasons competition with their   skilful and attacking style of play. St Petersburg qualified without any real   fireworks but they know they can make life difficult for The Portuguese side in   the first leg in Russia. Zenit have a chance but if Benfica play to their   ability then I expect them to overcome Zenit and throw their name in the hat for   the last 8. Howemost Prediction is Benfica.

Champions League Results 7th December

2011 finalists and English champions Manchester United crashed out at the group   stage for the first time since 2005. United’s 2-1 loss in Basle meant they   finished third and suffer the embarrassment of playing Europa League football in   the new year. The Swiss side’s win means they qualify as runners up. Benfica top   the group after their 1-0 home defeat of Romanian Minnows Otleul   Galati

    Spanish giants Real Madrid topped finished with a 100 percent record   courtesy of an impressive 3-0 win in the Dutch capital against Ajax. Boss,   Jose Mourinho put out a second string team and a brace from Roman Callejon   showed the strength in depth that Real have. Ajax were knocked out after Lyon   achieved the unthinkable by overturning a huge goal difference. Perennial   knockout stage team Lyon thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 7-1 on their own patch. Bafetibs   Gomis notched 4 goals and scored the fastest ever Champions League hat trick in    just 7 minutes..

    Group winners Inter Milan lost 2-1 at home to   Russians CSKA Moscow. A late winner from Berezutsky confirmed Moscow as runners   up and they will be in the hat for next Friday’s draw. Lille played out a drab    0-0 draw at home to Turkish side Trabzonspor and the French champions will be   sorely disappointed to exit the tournament in this fashion

    The richest club   in the world, Manchester City joined rivals United in the Europa league despite   winning 2-0 at home to Bayern Munich. Goals from star players Yaya Toure and   David Silva were not enough to seal qualification as Italians Napoli won 2-0 in   Villarreal to finish second behind Bayern Munich.

Champions League Results 6th December

Chelsea progressed to the last 16 as group winners with a 3-0 win over Valencia.   Didier Drogba was back to his best with a double and Brazilian Ramires took   advantage of some diabolical defending to score the other. Bayer Leverkusen   finished as runners up in Chelsea’s group after a 1-1 draw

in Belgium with   Belgian champions Genk. Swiss Striker Eren Derdiyok got the Leverkusen leveller   after the German side went behind. Group winners Arsenal made nine changes from   the weekend and lost 3-1 at Olympiakos.

The Greek champions were all set to   qualify as runners up until dramatic circumstances occurred in Dortmund.   Borussia Dortmund were 2-0 up against Marseille and the French side were exiting   the competition until a late rally. Loic Remy drew a goal back before half time   and then a header from Ghanaian Andre Ayew made the scored level. French   international Mathieu Valbuena came off the bench to hit a stunning goal in the   dying seconds. Marseille, against all the odds shattered Greek dreams and   progress as runners up behind Arsenal.

    Group winners and holders Barcelona   beat Bate Borisov 4-0 at the Nou Camp. Pep Guardiola made ten changes to his   side but with the incredible talent they have at youth and reserve level they   managed to coast to victory. Pedro marked his return to the first team with a   brace for the Catalans.

Plezn drew 2-2 at home with second place AC Milan to   ensure they snatch a Europa League place. The Rossoneri went 2-0 ahead through   Brazilian duo Alexandre Pato and Robinho who got his first Champions League goal   for Milan. The Czech side showed great spirit though to score in the 89th and in   the 90th minute substitute Michael Duris made it 2-2 on the night.

    Apoel   Nicosia lost 2-0 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk but still managed to progress as   group winners with just nine points. Russians Zenit St Petersburg followed the   Cypriots in to the last 16 with a 0-0 draw at Portuguese Champions Porto.

Wembley To Host 2013 Champions League Final

UEFA has chosen Wembley Stadium  to  host the 2013 Champions League final. UEFA president Michel Platini said that the choice of Wembley for the second time in three years  was  in recognition of the Football Association’s 150th anniversary. which he said ” was an important anniversary in our game to  respect.”

The choice of Wembley for the final is underpinned by facilities available at the stadium which in 2011 made preparation for the final easy to organise as it did not need to supplement them with temporary marquees to host media coverage or corporate hospitality.

Following criticism of the 2011  ticket prices the UEFA President  apologised  for their high cost al   and said it might be possible to  introduce  a cheaper family category  in the   future. The cheapest tickets in the 2011 final were  £150   plus a £26 administration fee whilst the cheapest  package for for one adult and a   child was £338.

Champions League Dates Of Future Draws 2011 -2012

   16   March 2012 Quarter-Final/Semi-Final

Champions League Match Fixtures 2011 -2012

The current format for the Champions League is 32 teams  who   are drawn in to 8 groups of four teams each. The two top sides from each group   progress to the last 16 and if you finish second then u must meet a winner from   another group. Sides from the same country are prevented from meeting each other   until the quarter final stage.

     14/21 2012 February 2nd Round 1st Leg     6/13   2012 March 2nd Round 2nd Leg     27 March 2012 Quarter-Final 1st Leg     3 April   2012 Quarter-Final 2nd Leg     17 April 2012 Semi-Final 1st Leg     24 April 2012   Semi-Final 2nd Leg

19 May 2012 Final Allianz Arena (Munich)

The History Of Champions League 1955 – 2011

The Champions League started life as the European Cup in 1955. The idea was   conceived by French journalist Gabriel Hanot. Hanot was reportedly angered by   the claims of the English press that Wolverhampton Wanderers were the ‘Champions   of the world’ after a string of victories against top European sides in friendly   games. Hanot suggested a tournament should be created to decide who the best   team  really is and so the European champions club cup was initiated with the   first season being the 1955/56 campaign.

The most successful club in the   tournament’s history is Real Madrid who were the first winners of the inaugural   competition. Los Blancos won the first  5  European cups and have 9 titles to   their illustrious name, they banished any myth that  Wolverhampton Wanderers   were the best team in the world. A large part of Madrid’s success was their   prolific striking duo of Alfredo Di Stefano and Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas.   During Real’s dominant era they were met twice in the final by the   now relatively unknown French outfit Stade De Reims.  De Reims now play in   France’s Ligue 2 but reached the very first final in 1956 where they lost to   Madrid and again in 1959 where once again they were defeated by the Spaniards.

Portuguese side Benfica briefly took control of the tournament in the early   1960′s with successes in 61 and 62.  Striker Jose Aguas and playmaker Mario   Coluna were instrumental in Benfica’s stronghold and both scored in their first   ever triumph over Barcelona in Bern, Switzerland. AC Milan are the second most   successful club in the history of the tournament with 7 titles the first of   which was won in 1963. AC’s city rivals Inter Milan prized the trophy away from   the Rossoneri with  a win in the 1964 final  and then retained the trophy in a   1-0 win over Benfica at the San Siro. Benfica were arguably the best side in   european football during a lot of the 1960′s but after winning the cup in 1961   and 1962 they could only manage to finish as runners up three times in the rest   of the decade.

Benfica were  by the Mozambique born superstar striker Eusebio   who finished as the competitions leading goal scorer on three occasions between   1965 and 1968. Manchester United won their first of three Champions league   titles with a victory over  Benfica at Wembley in 1968. A 21 year-old George   Best was the man of the match and managed to get on the score sheet in a 4-1   triumph for the red devils.

A new force emerged in the early 1970′s in the   form of Dutch club Ajax of Amsterdam. That teams superstar was  Dutch legend   Johan Cruyff but there were other reasons why they were the best side in Europe   with players such as striker Sjaak Swart and the infamous defender Johan   Neeskens. Ajax won the trophy three years in a row between 1971 and 1973 with   wins over  Greek side Panathanaikos and Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan.   It was during this golden era that the world first got to see’ Total football’   which was arguably the most entertaining and attacking style of football that   the world had  seen at that point.

The Bayern Munich era followed Ajax’s   stranglehold on the competition and Munich just like their Dutch counterparts   went on to win three European finals in succession. Munich were the best team of   the mid 1970′s and were lead by legendary Captain Franz Beckenbauer and   Munich’s  leading goal scorer of all time Gerd Muller. Bayern beat English sides   Leeds United in Leeds’ only final appearance in 1975 courtesy of strikes from   Muller and creative midfielder Franz Roth. It was during this period that   Bayern’s star players were influential in West Germanys International   achievements as they lifted the World Cup in 1974.  There was a shift in the   balance of power though in 1977 and England became the dominant force in   European football.

Liverpool won their first European cup in 1977 with a   3-1 win over German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome. The reds had become   the kings of English football and how they were beginning to rule the European   stage as well. In 1978 Liverpool retained their European crown with a 1-0 win   over Belgian side Brugge. Liverpool heroine Kenny Dalglish announced himself to   the world with a winning 65th minute goal in front of their home country at   Wembley.

In 1979 reigning English champions Nottingham Forest achieved what   seemed like the impossible under the charismatic Brian Clough. Forest defeated   Swedish champions Malmo 1-0 thanks to a goal from Britain’s first million pound   footballer Trevor Francis. The unthinkable happened a year later in 1980 when   Forest defied the odds by retaining the European cup with a John Robertson goal   which  earned them a 1-0 win over Hamburg. Liverpool kept the trophy in England   with their third European title in just 4 years. Paris was the setting for   Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat of the mighty Real Madrid. Bob Paisley had become the   most decorated manager in European cup history with his third trophy and he   remains the most successful manager in the tournament to this very day.

Another   English team sprung from nowhere to maintain England’s control of the European   cup, this time it was Aston Villa. Villa’s talismanic striker Peter Withe scored   the solitary goal in their 1-0 win over 3 times champions Bayern Munich. It was   a remarkable achievement for the Midlands club and remains the  finest hour in   the clubs illustrious history. Liverpool won their last European cup for 21   years in 1984 with  a nail biting penalty shoot out against Roma in the Italian   capital. Roma couldn’t make home advantage count and succumbed to the might of   Merseyside. Liverpool’s victory mean that an English team had won the European   cup every year between 1977 and 1984 which is a feat which has never been  replicated by another country.

In 1985 Liverpool reached their fifth   final in 8 years  and lost to Juventus but their defeat was overshadowed by the   tragic events which have come to be known as the Heysel disaster. Thirty nine   fans which were largely Juventus supporters were killed after being charged by   Liverpool fans. The incident saw English sides banned from the competition for 6   years. It was Juventus’s first of two European cup glories and the game  was won   by a Michel Platini spot kick.

In 1986 Romanian  champions Steau Bucharest   shocked the world by becoming the first eastern European side to claim the   coveted trophy. Bucharest got the better of Spanish giants Barcelona in their   won backyard and their goalkeeper Helmuth Dackdum was hailed as the ‘Hero Of   Seville’ after his heroic saves won them their first and only European cup.

At the end of the 1980′s AC Milan finally regained their moniker as kings of   Europe. The Rossoneri thrashed two time finalists Bucharest 4-0 in from of   97,000 people in Barcelona’s Nou Camp. Dutch duo Marco Van Basten and Ruud   Gullit were Milan’s match winners with both of them netting doubles that night.   AC ensured back to back victories in 1990 as they beat former European champions   Benfica 1-0 in Vienna, Austria. Milan are the last side to defend the trophy   successfully   as of 2011.

The 1991 final saw two sides debut in the final, Red   Star Belgrade and Marseille played out a rather boring goalless draw in Bari,   Italy. The Belgrade team had players who would go on to become successes in   mainland Europe such as Dejan Saviecivic and Robert Prosinecki. The final was   settled by the lottery of penalties and prolific Belgrade striker Darko Pancev   scored the winning goal. A remarkable accomplishment for Red Star who became the   second Eastern European side in only 5 years to become European champions. 1992   saw Spaniards Barcelona win their first ever European cup. Despite   their galactic reputation the Catalans had never managed to win European   footballs biggest prize. Wembley was the scene of Barca’s initiation into   Europe’s elite and the mesmerizing side managed by Barca idol Johan Cruyff  beat   Italians Sampdoria with a stunning free-kick from set piece expert Ronald   Koeman. Wembley holds a special place in the hearts of the football club so much   so that Barcelona bought a place of the old stadium to keep in their trophy  laden museum.

In August 1992 the European cup underwent a huge   transformation and was renamed the UEFA Champions League. The competition was at   its commercial peak and a Champions League theme song an adaptation of George   Friedrich Handel’s ”Zadok the priest” was   composed by Englishman Tony   Britten. Marseille were the first winners in the Champions League era  as they   beat favourites AC Milan 1-0 in Munich courtesy of a 43rd minute goal from   Basile Boli. Marseille are surprisingly the only French side to win the trophy   in the history of the competition. Milan bounced back the following year though   to thrash Spanish champions Barcelona 4-0 . Frenchman Marcel Desailly became the   first player to win the tournament in consecutive years with two different clubs   as he was part of the Marseille team that had defeated Milan a year earlier.

Dutch giants Ajax claimed their fourth and last European cup with a 1-0 win over   reigning champions Milan in 1995. An 18 year old Patrick Kluivert scored the   late winner for the Dutchmen it what was a drab affair. Italy’s most successful   side Juventus were becoming a major force again in the mid 1990′s and they would   meet current holders Ajax  with home field advantage in Rome. It was terribly   hard to pick a winner in this game and the final went the distance and was   settled with penalty kicks. Vladimir Jugovic scored the winning penalty in one   of the most thrilling finals in years. The old lady of Turin lifted their second   Champions League trophy and hoped that this victory would propel them on to   many more but those dreams have failed to materialise.

German club  Borussia Dortmund had come from nowhere to announce themselves on the European   stage. European footballer of the year, defender Matthias Sammer was the driving   force behind their success in the 1990′s. Juventus were the champions and the   majority of pundits made them favourites to recapture their European crown in   the 1997 final. Borussia defied the odds though awith a convincing 3-1 victory   in Munich. Karl Heinze-Riedle was the star of that final as his brace saw Die   Borussen celebrate their first and only Champions League triumph.

The venue for   the 1999 Final was the beautiful city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The   players of Manchester United and Bayern Munich entered the atmospheric Nou   Camp to the sound of Freddie Mercury and opera diva Monsterrat Cabelle’s epic   masterpiece ”Barcelona”. United hadn’t won Europe’s elite competition for 31   years and it looked as if it was going to end in heartbreak until two goals at   the death from substitutes Teddy Sherringham and then Ole Gunnar Solkjsjaer gave   the red devils the most dramatic of wins.  In 2001 Bayern managed to exercise   some of those demons by winning their 4th piece of Champions League Silverware.   Munich defeated Spanish outfit Valenica who lost their second final in   consecutive years after losing in the all  Spanish Millenium final to Real   Madrid.

Los Blancos went in to the 2002 final at Hampden Park in Glasgow,   Scotland having won two of the last four finals. Madrid’s opponents were the   surprise package of Bayer Leverkusen who had a future German captain Michael   Ballack in their ranks. The Germans had defeated 1999 winners Manchester United   in the semi-final but just couldn’t handle the Galacticos in Glasgow. The final   was famous for a piece of genial magic from the incomparable Zinedine Zidane.   Zidane’s volley  will always be remembered as one of the magical moments in the   history of this illustrious cup.  That Real side included Striker Raul   Gonzales who holds the record as the competitions leading scorer of all time   with 71 goals.

2004 was a strange year for the Champions League which saw  a   certain contoversial figure announce himself to the football world. Portuguese   manager Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Porto team which broke the monopoly   of football’s elite such as AC Milan  and Real Madrid who had dominated in the   previous decade. Mourinho’s Porto upset the odds by knocking out English   champions Manchester United which saw Mourinho’s infamous run down the Old   Trafford touchline. Porto met another surprise finalist in Monaco who had beaten   Londoners Chelsea in the semi final. Spanish striker Fernando Morientes, a young   Patrice Evra and Ludovic Giuly were the backbone of that Monaco side. Porto   would go on to secure a comfortable 3-0 win in the final with future superstar   Deco on the score sheet that night in Gelsenkirchen. Mourinho’s managerial   achievements would see him land the job at billion pound club Chelsea in the   summer of 2004.

2005 and Istanbul was the sight of   Liverpool’s 5th and perhaps their most famous Champions League success. A reds   side which had a poor domestic campaign finishing 5th in the English Premier   League had been lead by Spanish tactician Rafael Benitez to the final to face 6   time champions AC Milan. Milan went 3-0 up by half time and their Argetine   striker Hernan Crespo tore Liverpool’s defence to shreds with his brace. At 3-0   it seemed as if the game was done and dusted and the second half was pointless.   The reds emerged from the tunnel at half time and against all the odds they   scored three times in the second half to take the game to extra time. Captain   marvel Steven Gerrard drove his boyhood team on and Milan failed to recover from   the shock of Liverpool’s unprecedented come back. Liverpool won the penalty   shoot out and became European champions for the fifth time in their history.

English side Arsenal had been in the Champions League for 8 years running   without making a mark on the competition. The Gunners were struggling   domestically but something special happened to their young team when they were   competing in the Champions League. Arsenal’s defence and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann   broke the record of consecutive clean sheets by securing 10 in a row. On their   way to the final in Paris Arsenal recorded a famous 1-0 win at the Bernabeau   against Real Madrid thanks to their all time top goal scorer and club   legend Thierry Henry.

Arsenal met Spanish champions Barcelona in the final who   were managed by ex Barca player Frank Riijkard and had world player of the year   and Brazilian magician Ronaldinho in their ranks. Ironically it was their German   keeper Jens Lehmann who cost Arsenal  their first ever title by fouling Samuel   Eto’o in the opening minutes which saw Arsenal reduced to ten men for the rest   of the match. Despite going a man down the Londoners went 1-0 ahead through a   Sol Campbell header but the team tired as the contest wore on and conceded goals   to Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Beletti which broke English hearts but gave Barca   their second European cup. Cameroon striker Eto’o won his first of 3 Champions   League medals in just 4 years and would go on to repeat Marcel Desailly’s   incredible achievement of winning the trophy two years in a row with separate   clubs. Eto’o scored and was part of the Barcelona side who won the 2009 final   and then at his new club, Inter Milan he won the 2010 final against Bayern Munich.

In 2007 AC Milan would exact their revenge over Liverpool in the   Greek capital of Athens.  Rafa Benitez’s side had restored their European   reputation and despite their inability to win the English Premier League they   were thriving in Europe. The Rossoneri defeated English opponents Man United in   the Semi-finals with an emphatic victory at the San Siro. Milan’s superstar at   that time was Brazilian playmaker Kaka and he was the one man that Liverpool   felt they had to stop more than any other but they were unable to and Kaka played a huge role in assisting the wily veteran Pippo Inzaghi whose double gave   AC a 2-1 triumph. Milan’s win saw club captain Paolo Maldini claim a staggering    5th Champions League winners medal and the Italian is arguably the   competition’s greatest ever defender.

Manchester United would win their third   Champions League title with a memorable penalty shoot out victory in an all   English final with Chelsea. Blues skipper John Terry stepped up to score what   would be the winning penalty but he slipped in the Moscow rain and hit the post.   Nicolas Anelka’s casual spot kick was easily saved by Edwin Van Der Sar and  United won their second Champions League title under the incomparable Scotsman   Sir Alex Ferguson.

In 2010 we witnessed captivating manager Jose Mourinho win   his second Champions League winners medal with his second different club.   Mourinho was in charge of Italian champions Inter Milan and his side were full   of defensive rezilience and character. Inter defeated reiging champions and hot   favourites Barcelona on the semi-finals after playing with ten men for much of   the second leg at the Nou Camp. The Portuguese who had enjoyed some verbal   jousting with his former employees in Catalonia celebrated the success in the   most bold fashion by running on to the Nou Camp pitch waving his finger in the   air. Inter won the final against German giants Bayern Munich relatively easily.   Aging striker Diego Milito had been plucked from obscurity by Jose Mourinho and   he went on to score both goals in the final and was named as player of the   tournament by UEFA.

In 2011 we witnessed a rematch from the 2009 final   between English champions Manchester United and Spainish champions Barcelona.   the venue was Wembley and although its United’s home country it is viewed as   holy ground by Barcelona as it was the sight of their very first Champions   League win back in 1992. Barca had beaten bitter adversaries Real Madrid in a   controversial semi-final encounter. The red devils had disposed of English   counterparts Chelsea in the quarter finals and thrashed Surprise Semi-finalists   Schalke in the last four. Barca under young coach Pep Guardiola have been hailed   the greatest side in Europe ever since they defeated United 2-0 in Rome in 2009.  Barca were everyones favourites but Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United were   convinced they could shock the world and steal the monkier of Europe’s best   team.

Once again Barcelona’s incredibly attractive brand of attacking football   was too much for a Manchester United side who certainly aren’t the greatest that   Alex Feguson has ever had with him at Old Trafford. World player of the year and   arguably the greatest player to ever take to the pitch, Lionel Messi scored   along with David Villa and Pedro Rodrigues to give the Spaniards   another comprehensive victory. Messi has been the competitions top scorer two   years running and its hard to see how anyone will dethrone both himself and this amazing Barcelona team in the years to come.