May 2nd, 2008
When many European Football Leagues have not yet finished, specially in Eastern countries there are 10 clubs already qualified for the first phase of the competition and 21 clubs also qualified for the preliminary phase. The 10 clubs already qualified for the first phase of the competition are: Real Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Manchester United and Chelsea (England), Internazionale and Rome (Italy), Olympique Lyon and Girondins Bordeaux (France), Porto (Portugal) and PSV Eindhoven (Holland). Another 5 clubs will join the above 10 as soon as their national leagues finished: 1 club from the following countries: Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Russia.The 21 clubs already qualified for the preliminary phase of the competition are: Arsenal and Liverpool (England), Juventus (Italy), Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), CFR 1907 Cluj and Steaua Bucarest (Rumania), Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Standard Liege (Belgium), FC Santa Coloma (Andorra), Rapid Vienna (Austria), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), Lanelli AFC (Wales), Dinamo Tiblisi (Georgia), Linfield Belfast (North Ireland), F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg), Valetta FC (Malta) and Wisla Krakow (Poland). But still other 50 clubs will join the 21 above clubs when their domestic leagues completed.Spain, England and Italy (4 clubs each country), France, Germany, Portugal, Holland, Greece and Russia (3 clubs), Scotland, Turkey, Czech Republic, Rumania, Ukraine and Belgium (2 clubs) and other 39 countries (1 club each).In total it will be 81 clubs that will fight for the Champions League 2008/09. But let wait for the complete list and the preliminary qualification phase results to know the last 32 clubs which will go into the draw next September to conform the eight definitive groups.
May 1st, 2008
Top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal claimed his fourth straight title at the Conde de Godo Trophy in Barcelona defeating No. 2 seed and countryman David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. After converting three of five break points to secure the first set, Nadal was then faced with seven break points against him in the second set, two of which Ferrer converted to help level the match at one set all. Nadal regained command in the third set though, winning 13 points more than Ferrer and breaking serve twice to secure the title victory in 2hrs., 14mins.Nadal’s record in Barcelona now stands at 21-1. His only loss came against countryman Alex Coretja in the second round on his debut appearance in 2003. In the past three years, he has defeated Juan Carlos Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Guillermo Canas to win the title three times. He clinched his fourth title this week with the loss of just one set, winning in straight sets against Potito Starace, Feliciano Lopez, Juan Ignacio Chela and Denis Gremelmayr.Earlier in the season, Nadal finished runner-up in Chennai and at the Sony Ericsson Open, while also recording semi-final finishes at the Australian Open and ATP Masters Series Indian Wells. World No. 5 Ferrer was contesting his second final of this season. He claimed his first title of the season, and the sixth of his career, two weeks ago in Valencia.At this moment, the up to day ATP Ranking is: Roger Federer 6775 points, Rafael Nadal 5930, Novak Djokovic 4750, Nikolay Davydenko 3440, David Ferrer 2780, Andy Roddick 2260, David Nalbandian 2110, James Blake 1965, Richard Gasquet 1690 and Tomas Berdych 1615. And the ATP 2008 Race is: Rafael Nadal 409 points, Novak Djokovic 376, Roger Federer 265, Nikolay Davydenko 260, David Ferrer 188, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 177, Andy Roddick 168, Nicolas Almagro 156, James Blake 156, David Nalbandian 141. Another of the Rafael Nadal’s records on clay courts are his 103 wins and only 1 defeat.
April 30th, 2008
While this title seems a bit pointless because of this season Real Valladolid’s performance in the Spanish League (only 4 points above salvation with only 4 matches left), the Mendilibar’s team could play UEFA the next season due to their fair play.
UEFA rewards the Europe’s most sportsmanly three teams every season in order to promote fair play on the continental football. To achieve this, it selects one team for each country of Europe and then makes a darwing of three slots for the UEFA Cup. This year it will happen in May 13 at Manchester and Real Valladolid is the third most sportsmanly Spanish League’s team after FC Barcelona and Villarreal. However, these teams have an assured place to play European competitions the next season, so Real Valladolid is near to be selected as the Spanish representative. Of course, only if Deportivo who are at 2 points from Real Valladolid don’t surpass them before the raffle.
UEFA has in mind the behaviour of the supporters, the positive game, the respect to the referee and to the rival, and, of course, the number of yellow and red cards showed to the team’s players. Even though the priority for Real Valladolid is to survive one year more in the Spanish League, it is also true that they could play the UEFA Cup the next season.
April 29th, 2008
Manchesterd United and FC Barcelona are going to play the decisive second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. None of them surrendered on the first leg and FC Barcelona showed us that they have the potential to pass this round even with their problems on the Spanish League. In fact, their only goal is to win the Champions League. This would be the only way for Frank Rijkaard to save his head but, as we have seen with Koeman and Valencia, it could be not enough for him.
However, this is a strange second leg because of both teams’ situation. The first leg at Camp Nou ended with a draw without goals so FC Barcelona neither Manchester United could take some advantage. We have to add their recent defeats in the Premier League and the Spanish League, where Manchester United gave away the match with a penalty near the end of the game against Chelsea and FC Barcelona received two goals from Deportivo showing a pathetic image.
It seems that both teams has been keeping back their best players and energies exclusively for this semi-final, which makes this match a great show worthy of the Champions League semi-finals level. Which team will we see on the grand final?
April 29th, 2008
This season’s UEFA Champions League Final will see Chelsea - Manchester United go head to head in arguably the biggest match ever played between two English clubs. Of course it’s not being played on English soil, with both teams and their fans travelling to Moscow for the 21 May showdown at Luzhniki Stadium. This will be the third occasion where two teams from the same country – England – will play the final match of the Champions League joining two other countries – Spain and Italy – that have done the same. In year 2000 it was Real Madrid and Valencia who played the final match at Saint Denis Stadium in Paris (Real Madrid win 3-0) and in year 2003 Milan and Juventus have done the same at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester (Milan win 3-2 pen). Europe’s top club competition has never featured two English sides in the Final before. But Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers did contest the UEFA Cup Final over two legs in 1972. In the early years of the competition two English sides couldn’t meet, because only the League Champions were able to enter. Manchester United entered as holder in 1968, but avoided Manchester City in the First Round draw and City were surprisingly knocked out by Fenerbahce from Turkey. In 1977 Liverpool won the ‘European Cup’, as we called it in those days, but they were League Champions too.Manchester United and Chelsea FC will fight for this year European crown and the winner will receive the competition trophy number 53.
