Champions League Final

Champions Twenty20 League on Friday against Royal Challengers Bangalore final price

2011-10-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

New South Wales captain Simon Katich said a couple of dropped catches by the Champions Twenty20 League on Friday against Royal Challengers Bangalore final price.

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Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle Katich said his side to victory can not match.

Chasing an imposing 203 for two, Gayle struck a whirlwind 92, while Kohli on Friday night at six wicket win over NSW power RCB an unbeaten 84-run knock played.

"Virat was brilliant, Gayle was awesome. We tried different lengths, different paces, it was a big learning experience for the young bowlers, probably a couple of dropped catches cost us today. Earlier on the ball was holding up a bit," a disappointed Katich said after crashing out of the tournament.

His counterpart Daniel Vettori's batting friendly wicket after the 200 was a gettable target.

"It is tough for the bowlers but it must be amazing to watch. 200 is a par score here. It was tough to be belted over the park but we managed to get home tonight.

He also lauded Gayle and Kohli for their stupendous efforts.

"They (Gayle and Kohli) are confident enough to back their games but you have still to play exceptionally well. It is pure batsmanship and its enthralling to watch. Some of the bowlers will look forward to not playing here," Vettori said.

Man-of-the-match Kohli said he was content playing the waiting game as long as Gayle was at the crease and did not go for the big hits from the word go.

He said, "I said it happens once in a while, but we have done it again. I went in with a mindset to play myself in, I was not desperate to score but I got the right cricket shots".

He added, "Chris (Gayle) has the ability to give a 25-run over. I decided to play two dot balls".

Aurelio De Laurentiis wants to meet in the finals of the Champions League

2011-09-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Saturday night to face Inter in Serie A is getting ready but he wants to meet in the finals of the Champions League.

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Napoli to the rest of Europe has sent a message Tuesday night after their team won 2-0 Villarreal on to the next round increases the likelihood.

De Laurentiis told Il Corriere dello Sport, "It [all-Italian final against Inter] would be a triumph for Calcio and a message for [Uefa president] Michel Platini".

"In this competition [Champions League] I always support the Italian teams because our coaches and our football are being watched by the rest of the continent."

Speaking of Saturday's big match against Claudio Ranieri's men, the president said: "I hope Goran Pandev can get one over his old colleagues."

Pandev at Napoli on loan until after they have joined in the summer season.

Champions League final Carvalho iis dreaming of playing in next May

2011-09-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Champions League final to Real Madrid's veteran Portuguese centre-back Ricardo Carvalho already is dreaming of playing in next May.

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Nine-time European champions since the 2002 Champions League semi-finals are not reached despite being stacked with top talent but the 33-year-old says that Spanish companies are more motivated this season.

"We reached the semi-finals last season (they were beaten by bitter rivals Barcelona), which means we did well, but we want to do better this year," he said in an interview posted on the club's website.

"We'll need to be in the final if we want the trophy.

"After the present stage we'll play two games in each ensuing round, and you have to play very well in both.

"You can't afford to do well in one and then so-so or badly in the other. We'll have to give good performances in both and also have a little luck to go through.

"He works on every single detail and very well on a daily basis. He wants you to improve every day.

"It's only normal that you grow as a player, and also as a man, when you work with him.

"I'm very proud of working with him for such a long time. It?s special to be next to him."

The former Portuguese international, a sudden end to his stellar international career for the important Euro 2012 qualifier last month brought by walking out on the opportunity - joined Real in August 2010 from Chelsea on a two year contract.

Championship League final 2013 will be presented at Wembley

2011-07-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Championship League final 2013 will be presented at Wembley.

European football's governing body to return or previous Thursday in London and Barcelona between Manchester United 28 May cited the success of the game.

The first European Cup final in three years in a stadium that will be held twice. Wembley final in four years between 1968 and 1971 to host twice.

English Football Association finals in 2013 during the 150th birthday takes place.

UEFA Champions League Final 2013 in Wembley is still foreign teams

2011-06-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

UEFA Champions League Final 2013 in Wembley is still foreign teams is a problem that 2010 will be transferred to Spain to play for a renewed risk of a tax break to ask the British Government.

Wembley to ensure that the end of previous month for the hosting rights to the final of Britain's tax laws that granted an exemption rules for foreign teams to rest.

But it was a closed left and a broken government that asked for the UEFA decision to award the first ever English Football Association last week's 150th anniversary as a way of marking Wembley 2013 final.

The British government said in statement to The Associated Press, "The government has not been approached about tax breaks for the 2013 Champions League final. If such an approach is made, we will consider it."

UEFA confirmed that it had not made the tax exemption a prerequisite to giving Wembley the match a decision that took many by surprise since no venue has held the Champions League final in such quick succession.

UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino told the AP, "It was more important to first give the signal that we want to celebrate in an appropriate way the 150th anniversary of The Football Association. This is more important than the rest of the issues.

"We are confident that the same (tax) conditions will apply (in 2013)."

Chapions League Final, Opta's analysis of the final includes some great post-match facts

2011-05-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Champions League Final around 220 countries in the world last seen in Barcelona but won by a landslide in statistics as a victory Saturday night because it was on the pitch?

The Catalans' 3-1 Manchester United PEP Guardiola winning a manager and as a coach in his first three years earned his 10th trophy as second Champions League trophy.

Opta (this is their twitter feed) in which about 70 countries in 30 different sports should cover all tournament games Datablog complete data analysis has agreed to publish.

Opta's analysis of the final includes some great post-match facts:

• Barcelona have now won more league and European Cup doubles than any other team in history
• Since 2006-07, Manchester United have been restricted to just a single shot on target in only two Champions League games, both v Barcelona
• Five of the last six clubs to have lost a Champions League final have come from England
• Despite attempting a Champions League 2010/11 high of 148 passes (excluding crosses), Xavi managed the best success rate (95.3%) on the pitch
• Thanks to Barcelona's victory, Spain (13) have overtaken Italy (12) in terms of most Champions League/European Cup trophies
• Messi, Villa and Pedro have scored 98 goals for Barcelona this season, in all competitions
• More than half of Wayne Rooney's goals in the Champions League have come in the knockout stages (14/24, excluding qualifiers)

Inter's Wesley Sneijder to face Real Madrid in the Champions League final

2011-04-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder has admits his desire to face Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Wembley next month.

Nerazzurri to defend their European trophy are appointed, and 26-year-old former coach Jose Mourinho against them in the final will get a meeting.

Sneijder told UEFA.com, "That would be very nice. I hope we make it until the final and I hope they make it as well. But for sure, I hope we win then."

Inter Milan in the race for the Scudetto on the ground Saturday night in the 3-0 derby loss Dutchman scoreline feels his team's performance was not lost after meditating.

He told Il Corriere dello Sport, "The result tells a lie. Milan played well and they deserved it, but it would have been different had we struck at the right momen".

Uefa ruled out any change to tickets prices for the Champions League final at Wembley

2011-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Uefa ruled last May's Champions League at Wembley ticket is change, despite Michel Platini admitted they are very expensive.

Finals on May 28 for the cheapest tickets on public sale more than £ 150 a £ 26 reservation fee and Platini, Uefa president said that his family half price tickets will be on sale.

But Uefa's general secretary, Gianni Infantino, said at a news conference in Paris: "The ticket prices for Wembley will not change – the ticket sales have already started and the president expressed his opinion about that."

Platini attended more than a trick to enable families championed - the last a second time will be played Saturday.

Platini said in the French sports daily L'Equipe: "It's good that we have been alerted about it and we are going to look at it again in the future", adding that the pricing "isn't brilliant".

Chelsea F.C - Champions League Final 2011 - Wembley Stadium

2011-03-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

Gattuso banned for four matches

2011-02-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

For headbutting Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan,Gattuso Milan captaion has been banned for four matches.

The legal banned means he would not be available to team in Europe this season unless they make it to the Champions League final.

Former Rangers star Gattuso faces Jordan at the touchline following Milan's defeat by Spurs at the San Siro last week, grabbing the 59-year-old by the throat before aiming a headbutt at him.

On this act Gattuso later apologize but his agent, Claudio Pasqualin, claimed that Jordan, a former Milan player, had used provocative language towards the midfielder prior to their clash, calling him an "Italian b******".

ordan responded by saying: "To come up with something like that is pathetic. It is completely and utterly untrue and something so wildly inaccurate doesn't do him much credit."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has said he hoped the incident would not do too much harm to Gattuso.

Speaking before the punishment was announced, he said: "I dont know what happened.

"I've met him before and he was a great lad, I thought what a fantastic boy he was, but he just lost his head on the day."

Milan have confirmed they will be appealing the decision.

Tickets Prices Of Champions League Exposed

2011-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

For the lowest ticket on general sale for this season's Champions League final is £176 which fans have to pay,it will be played at Wembley on 28 May.

The "category three" tickets cost £150 plus an administration fee of £26.

It has been confirmed that the cheapest ticket will be priced at about £80.

Giorgio Marchetti, said the prices were in line with comparable events such as the World Cup final.

He said: "We don't think that the Champions League final is overpriced.
"We do not want to squeeze every single penny out of the market.

"We have to benchmark this event against other comparable events, like for example the final of the Euros and the World Cup.

"Last year there was already a significant increase compared to the previous editions but it's nothing to do with being in London and it is still priced below comparable events."

Around 11,000 tickets will be available on general sale announced by UEFA.

Prices, not including administration fees, start at £150 rising to £225 and £300, with wheelchair entry costing £80.

A number of £80 tickets will be available among the 25,000 allocated to each club in the final.

Drogba gone in the summer

2011-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Didier Drogba has been a mean, moody but splendid focal point of the Chelsea harass for the last seven years. His payment to their final emergence as a real European inspiration has been as great as any player at Stamford Bridge.

He may have cost £24million but stats of 141 goals in 239 starts mark him down as real VFM. Yes, he has always operated on a short moving fuse - never more than when he was sent off in the Champions League final in Moscow - but that's the price you pay for someone who is certainly the real deal.

But with his 33rd birthday looming in March, Drogba could well be the fall guy in the £50million Fernando Torres transfer. This will be heresy for lots of Blues fans but even a figure as talismanic as Drogba has his shelf life.

Milito facing injury lay-off

2011-02-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

Champions League last-16 clash against Bayern Munich on February 23 is set to be miss by Inter Milan striker Diego Milito because of an injury.

During Sunday's 5-3 triumph over Roma,Argentina international suffered a hamstring problem.and could be out of action for a month.

A statement from Inter read: "Milito underwent tests which have revealed a second-degree hamstring strain in his left leg."

Inter coach Leonardo said "Diego has to be calm and not think about what has happened," he said. "He does not need to prove anything to anyone and he knows he is an important player to Inter.

"He needs to relax and recover in the best possible way."

In 16 league appearances for Inter this season,Milito has scored five goals.

Redknapp Confidence For Tottenham

2011-02-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

In the nail-biting chase for a Champions League place next season,the Gunners and Manchester City as been targeted by Spurs boss as the weakest links.

And he will not budge from his prediction the Premier League crown is heading to Old Trafford for a 12th time with Chelsea breathing down Manchester United's neck.

Spurs can go one better than their fourth-placed finish in the last campaign.

Redknapp "Man City are a good side but it's not impossible to finish above them again.

"Arsenal are hot favourites for third but again it is not impossible - even though we are eight points behind.

"Tottenham are not going to finish above Man United. A 13-point lead? You can't give them that kind of lead.

"And if Rooney hits form United will win the league.

"I would never write off Chelsea. After the first 10 games of the season, you would have given them the title. But they hit a blip and questions were being asked about finishing in the top four - not now."

Spurs have been up there all season despite getting hit by a string of injuries but Redknapp added: "When we get Gareth Bale and Luka Modric back we've got a good team.

"We're good without them but we are better with them because they are our strongest players."

Redknapp regrets not splashing the cash on Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel, revealing: "Bommel was on a free. He'd have been a good signing.

"He gives you experience. He's been there, played in the Champions League final last year and the World Cup final. He's a proper player."

Old Trafford to stage play-offs

2011-01-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

The Football League have announced that the npower League One and League Two play-off finals this year will be host by Champions League Final Old Trafford.

At Wembley on May 30,the Championship play-off final,the traditional Bank Holiday Monday slot, two days after the Champions League final is played in the evening at the same venue.

At Manchester United's ground,one final will be played on May 28 and second on on May 29,and all three play-off matches are scheduled to kick-off at 3pm.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to play these exciting winner-takes-all occasions at one of the great stadiums in world football.

"We are equally pleased that we are able to take the npower Football League play-offs to the north west, an area that has been at the heart of professional football since its very origins."

Manchester United chief executive David Gill added: "We are delighted Old Trafford has been chosen to stage these two finals."

Emmanuel-Thomas joins Cardiff

2011-01-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas have been signed on loan from Arsenal by Cardiff until the end of the season.

Having made four first-team appearances for the Gunners this term.The attacking midfielder arrives in the Welsh capital.

In Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea in October,he was included as a late substitute, as well as coming off the bench in the final 10 minutes for the London club's Champions League.

Having spent the first half of last season on loan at Blackpool Emmanuel-Thomas has experience of the Championship where he scored once in 12 appearances, before moving on to Doncaster at the turn of the year and hitting the target five times in 14 games.

The Gunners starlet, who has also scored 10 times in just nine appearances for Arsenal's reserves this term, becomes Cardiff's second signing of the January window after Jon Parkin.

IS IT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE OR BUST FOR THIS SPURS TEAM?

2011-01-13T00:48:00.000-08:00

After the great win at Eastlands last season, and the quite remarkable run in the Champions League this season,as the 2010/11 season saunters into the final months Spurs can be forgiven for wanting to rest on their rather sensationally accrued laurels.

To bring Champions League football back to White Hart Lane this season,it may well be even more necessary, than it was to secure it in the first place last season.

Success always bring confidence and and this is why Spurs must be select into the Champions League for a second season and hope that this season’s European excursion into the continent’s biggest tournament hasn’t been a one-off.

Champions League place would add spice to FA Cup

2011-01-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

By offering the winner a Champions League place FA cup could be spice up said Arsenal Boss Arsene Wenger.

Wenger can see the attraction in that but he expects the status quo to hold sway.

“That would certainly spice it up, but it would meet a lot of resistance from the Premier League clubs,” he said.

“It is already difficult to be in the top four and you would imagine it [the Premier League placings] is a much [better way] to represent the country because the top four teams are certainly most of the time stronger.

“Not forgetting that also in the last ten years one of the four teams has been in the Final anyway!”

Lampard eyes on European glory

2011-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Frank Lampard accepts that Champions League has become the "Holy Grail" for himself and Chelsea.He further unveil that he is prepare to step in finally to land club football's biggest prize.

"I have won three leagues and quite a lot of the group have won one or more. But we have been so close to the Champions League, it does become a bit of a Holy Grail and I think the fans feel that," Lampard told Chelsea TV's Icons Christmas special.

"I would never ever go into a season without the first thing on my mind being the Premier League.

"To win domestically is the biggest thing for me but I don't want to finish my career with five Champions League semi-finals and a final but with no medal.

"It is huge but it is such a difficult competition to win. Every year, you play group games before Christmas and you start again in February and you might have injuries or you might be losing form.

"We played Inter Milan last year at a time when we were down, so there are so many little bits that have to come together for you to win it and that is what we are waiting for, that final little bit that we have missed."

Champions League's Most Promising Youngsters

2010-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

The UEFA Champions Leagues is a place for every one to witness some of the greatest young talents from all over Europe that fans usually don't able to see week in week out.Teams from all over the regions had participated and shown up their talents.

Those teams who had already secure their position for next round had given chance to young talent so they can demonstrate their talent in front of thousands people and can increase the fan popularity

Here are the name of some most promising youngsters from Champions League

*Marko Arnautovic (Werder Bremen) (Age 21) - Forward
*Gareth Bale (Tottenham) (Age 21) - Leftback, Winger
*Diego Contento (Bayern Munich) (Age 20) - Leftback
*Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) (Age 18) - Midfielder

Champions League Final: Inter Milan and Bayern Munich Renun

2010-12-18T03:09:00.000-08:00

Champions League Final, will face Inter Milan and Bayern Munich in a rerun after Friday’s first knockout round draw created several familiar pairings.

European club football’s top tournament, has often been criticized for its predictable entry list, but the scheduled of the rematches for the next round should interest neutral supporters.

Lyon, last year win in the Champions League and he also third in France’s top division this season, eliminated Madrid in the first knockout round last season.

In other pairings for the Champions League, the seven-time European champion A. C. Milan will play Tottenham, which won its group ahead of Inter in its first season.

AC Milan v Ajax preview

2010-12-08T06:05:00.000-08:00

Allegri will like to give rest possibly to those players that are already guaranteed qualification to the Champions League knock-out stages.

Last two sides played in September where they draw 1-1,but results in the group have now left Allegri in a position of luxury.

"It's an important game for us," said Allegri.

"It's the Champions League and it's in matches like this that the real worth of a team comes out; that'll help me take my decisions in the future. It is not a vital game, that's true, but we have to give our best because victories give you confidence and confidence helps you win again.

"We are on the right track but there's still a lot to do. A few other teams probably have a better chance than us, but you also need a bit of luck to win the Champions League, especially in the knock-out rounds. I think Milan can go all the way."

Despite missing training on Monday with an ankle injury Ronaldinho will play while Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gennaro Gattuso and Gianluca Zambrotta will all be rested.

Without manager Martin Jol,Ajax will look for their first away win in Europe this year.A win would guarantee third spot in the group with Auxerre lying just one point behind.

Fulham to host 2011 Women's Champions League final

2010-11-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

On 26 May, European football's governing body Uefa has announced The Women's Champions League final will be played at Fulham's Craven Cottage.

Both Everton and Arsenal through to the quarter-finals,The match could feature at least one English team.Arsenal face Swedish team Linköpings.Everton face 2009 champions Duisburg in the last eight.

Both teams will be at home in the first leg of their quarter-finals in March 2011 on dates to be confirmed.

London is also hosting this season's men's Uefa Champions League final, at Wembley Stadium on 28 May.

Zob Ahan loses in AFC Champions League final

2010-11-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

In AFC Champions League final Zob Ahan faces a worst defeat against South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the final match.

All over the season, Zob Ahan had a good run this event, he is the Iranian league leader but lost to Seongnam 3-1 and the dream of winning the title for the first time didn’t come true.

Though Zob Ahan had put lots of pressure on Seongnam but still fall short on scoreboard to win,Sasa Ognenovski put the Koreans into the lead in the 29th minute.

After Seongnam hitting second goal for his side,Zob didn't gave up and scored a first goal in 67th minutes when Mohammad-Reza Khalatbari opened the goal.

Kim Cheol Ho rubbed salt into Zob Ahan’s wound with seven minutes remaining to the match.

Pas is the last Iranian team which was crowned Asian champions in 1993, although fellow countrymen Sepahan did reach the 2007 Champions League final where they went down 3-1 over two legs to Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.

"Chelsea winning Champions League final at Wembley" Inspired by Carlo Ancelotti

2010-11-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

Carlo Ancelotti vowing to maintain the rhythm of Wembley to inspire his side to reach the final.Chelsea stormed into the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday night

The Blues swept aside Spartak Moscow 4-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and two from Branislav Ivanovic.

'We are working to play the last game at Wembley - in the final. It's an extra motivation for everyone. Not just the English players.' said Ancelotti

On the other hand AC Milan boss repeated Ivanovic's pre-match sentiment that the Blues must not get carried away in the hunt for a first, elusive Champions League title.

Ancelotti said that " There is a long route to get to the finals, first you have to set initial aim, achieved it, then move on to next stage and so on to the final"

"I don't know how much difficult it would going to be, but one thing i know is that we have motivation to do and i think we can achieve it"

"It's still important to finish up with the first spot in the group and its also important to give best out of your efforts"

"We're in the good moments and i think we are also away from the any kind of injury as February and March are the decisive time for the Champions League

"Before it no London team has make up this kind of progress ever, as we are the first and most important is that we are in London, so our motivation is at highest peak"

impact in the Champions League

2010-10-15T00:47:00.000-07:00

lho Gomes Tottenham feel can make a real impact in the Champions League

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes made a point of your club has to go far in the Champions League.

Spurs are to benefit from its debut season in the premier competition of elite European clubs, after beating the Swiss Young Boys 6-3 in a play-off back in August.

Since then, the north London outfit have won four points from their first two matches, drawing 2-2 with Werder Bremen away from home after 2-0 up, and then bid farewell to Dutch champions FC Twente 4 - 1 at White Hart Lane.

The Brazilian now feels Spurs can progress from the group stage and make a real impact in the tournament.

"I'm an optimist. When Spurs came in, I said my goal was to win the Premier League. People laugh, but that is how I am. If we make the knockout stages, anything can happen," said Gomes of the journal Champions.

Celtic out despite win over Braga, Champions League

2010-08-05T01:53:00.000-07:00

In Champions League Celtic will not play football for another season after a 2-1 win at home to Braga failed to overturn their third qualifying round first leg deficit, with the SPL side losing 4-2 on aggregate.
Celtic to get goals after losing the first leg 3-0, they fell behind to Paulo Cesar’s header on 20 minutes.
From new signings Gary Hooper and Efrain Juarez second half goals they gave them hope but, despite bombarding the Portuguese runners up late on, the Glasgow side were unable to score again and crashed out of Europe’s premier club competition for a second successive season after their 2009 play off defeat to Arsenal.
Despite starting well enough, they looked terribly unsure at the back: Charlie Mulgrew was particularly uncomfortable with a succession of misplaced passes and poor positional decisions, while South Korea right back Cha Du-Ri seemed more focused on his attacking duties than defending.
The tie was effectively over before the midway point of the first half, when the visitors took the lead against the run of play.
Mulgrew and Jos Hooiveld allowed Alan to drop a superb cross on to the head of Cesar, who evaded the slack attentions of Cha to flick a header into the bottom left corner.
The Portuguese runners up were glad to continue their policy of containing Celtic and looking for the break: a better side would have further punished the Hoops, who kept giving the ball away in dangerous positions while leaving gaping holes at the back.
Gasps and groans from the Parkhead faithful accompanied every misplaced pass or shot, but Neil Lennon’s side were reasonably ambitious in attack, lacking the quality or finishing instinct to match good build up play.
Giorgios Samaras had the best chance to level in the first half, poking an inventive effort just wide of the far post, but Braga looked more probably to add a second despite a relative lack of possession.
Mulgrew was hauled off at half time, with Marc Antoine Fortune thrown on as Celtic went 3-4-3.
The gamble paid off as Fortune gave Braga a torrid time with his pace and direct running.
They almost conceded a second, with Alan and Matheus somehow missing Cesar’s low ball across an unguarded goal on the break, but drew level soon afterwards when a superb run and cross from Fortune was knocked into an empty net by Hooper.
Celtic seemed more comfortable with a back three or rather without Mulgrew’s bungling and they were agonisingly close to a second when Juarez’s half volley was blocked by the unsuspecting Alberto Rodriguez, while Samaras curled a free kick inches wide of the far post.
A Juarez corner should have yielded a goal, as substitute Daryl Murphy and Wales midfielder Joe Ledley saw efforts blocked by diving bodies in the six yard box, while Samaras nodded just wide from a Juarez free kick won by Fortune as Celtic came closer and closer to a winner on the night.
They still had their moments at the back assistant manager Johan Mjallby hurled vociferous abuse at his defenders when a hospital back pass almost saw keeper Lukasz Zaluska knock it in off Lima.
Celtic finally got a deserved second as Samaras, now playing on the left after an injury to Shaun Maloney, played a superb cross that Juarez flicked home as Braga appealed for offside.
Celtic with 11 minutes left threw everything at their guests, who packed the defence and held firm despite the hosts’ valiant efforts.
Celtic must now succeed in a further play off if they are to play in this season's Europa League, while Braga will wait on a final qualifying round draw for the premier competition that could lump them with the likes of Tottenham, Ajax, Sevilla, Werder Bremen or Sampdoria.

Wembley to get a new pitch every four months at £125,000 each

2010-04-14T02:32:00.000-07:00

The Wembley pitch will be relaid every three months in future as the Football Association seeks to end criticism of the playing surface at the stadium that has become a regular source of embarrassment.

The pitch could be replaced as soon as next week after being heavily condemned following the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, during which the players found it difficult to keep their footing and the surface cut up despite the dry conditions.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp described the surface as "ridiculous". Striker Peter Crouch said it was worse than any he had encountered at the stadium playing for England and had contributed to Michael Dawson's slip that led to Portsmouth's first goal.

A decision on whether to relay the pitch, at a cost of around £125,000, will be made after Saracens play Harlequins at the weekend. The FA is keen to ensure that the pitch is reliable ahead of its busiest and highest-profile period of the season, which will see the FA Cup final, the Football League play-offs and England's pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico.
The failure to produce a surface worthy of a stadium trumpeted as the greatest in the world is symptomatic of the troubled Wembley project and an organisation under strain.
In its first year of operation an NFL match reduced the pitch to a mud-bath before England's fateful Euro 2008 qualifying match with Croatia, and groundsman Steve Welch was sacked last year but problems persist.
The latest issue comes with England attempting to host the 2018 World Cup with a bid that claims to have the world's best facilities, and with the looming deadline of the 2011 Champions League final which will expose any failing to a global audience.
The latest difficulties have prompted dismay among senior FA officials, who were hopeful that a recent change of turf supplier to a firm recommended by former Tottenham manager Martin Jol would provide a solution. Chairman Lord Triesman even made reference to the quality of the pitch in his speech to VIPs before the first semi-final on Saturday.
The current pitch was laid only at the start of last month after the surface used for the Carling Cup final and England's friendly with Egypt drew public criticism from Sir Alex Ferguson and James Milner, and private unease from Fabio Capello.
The FA made no public comment on its plans on Monday but The Daily Telegraph can disclose that the problems this weekend were caused by the pitch becoming too dry and too firm after the pitch consultants misjudged conditions.
This is in contrast to the Carling Cup final pitch, which Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, said contributed to Michael Owen's season-ending hamstring strain, which was the first to remain in place through the winter but proved too soft and wet after the severe winter and heavy rain in the build-up to the match.
The two cases emphasise the failure to find a consistent solution to the challenge of providing a top-quality playing surface in a stadium that hosts more than a dozen non-football events each year to help meet interest on £346 million of debt.
The FA has accepted that there is no alternative to regularly replacing the pitch and believes that each one can perform well for at least three months.
The quarterly relaying is likely to see the pitch replaced in January, then in April after the FA Cup semi-finals, in July before the new season and again in the autumn ahead of winter fixtures.
Wembley management have revised their event schedule to ensure that there are regular gaps in the year to allow the work to take place. A pitch takes four days to lay and up to two weeks to bed in.
The FA is also planning to purchase a pitch cover, and will not repeat the experiment of leaving a pitch in place through the winter.
The aim is to provide a consistent surface, with next year's Champions League final seen as a crucial event to prove that a solution has been found.
Last year groundsman Welch was sacked and replaced by a team from the Sports Turf Research Institute, who oversee the Wembley groundstaff.
STRI have been collecting data about the surface, including moisture levels and the rate of compaction – the firmness of the pitch – for a year in the hope that they can establish optimum conditions for each new pitch.
Using this data at the weekend STRI were hoping to reproduce the dry, firm conditions that saw the pitch play well last summer and autumn, when the FA Cup final, the Community Shield, England's qualifying matches and an NFL game were staged without complaint.
However, the dry conditions in the build-up to the game meant that they exceeded their targets and ended up with a surface that was too dry and firm. Once the problem was identified it could not be rectified by watering without making it too wet.
There will be no let-up in the number of events staged at the stadium. Wembley confirmed it would be hosting the Capital FM Summertime Ball on June 6, with Green Day playing two weeks later and Muse playing two concerts in September.
There will be up to six concerts a year as well as regular rugby matches – Saracens have a contract to stage up to four matches a season and the Challenge Cup final is played at Wembley – and other one-off events such as the Race of Champions.

Spurs fans: Fourth place or FA Cup?

2010-03-25T02:45:00.001-07:00

Wednesday was certainly a good day to be a Tottenham fan. Not only did Spurs put a poor first-half display behind them to come back and beat Fulham 3-1 in their FA Cup quarter-final replay, but their main rivals for securing the fourth and final Champions League spot all stumbled. Manchester City's 2-0 defeat to Everton - their first home defeat of the season - and Aston Villa's 1-1 draw with Sunderland leave Spurs two points clear of the pack with their fate in their own hands. For those who remember the climax of the 2005-06 season, that's a dangerous place for them to be.
On that occasion, Martin Jol had kept Spurs in fourth place as the business end of the season approached. However, after Arsenal had scraped a 1-1 draw with them, they leapt above Spurs on the final day thanks to a win over Wigan in the last ever match at Highbury, while their neighbours lost to West Ham.
Whether that capitulation was down to a genuine stomach bug sweeping through the squad, Arsene Wenger spiking the lasagne or just a good old-fashioned bottle job, the end of that season further augmented the inferiority complex among Spurs fans, who have become almost institutionalised by their second string status since the grip of the big four tightened.
Of all the hundreds of clubs to grace the Football League over the years, Spurs are undoubtedly one of the most successful ever. But, in these modern times, when we're led to believe that everything except the league or the European Cup is little more than a consolation prize, it's been a tough time for the White Hart Lane faithful.

The Champions League Final Is Bigger Than the Super Bowl

2010-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Super Bowl, that vainglorious championship game of American football, is less than a week away, and with this game will come grand estimates of just how many people around the world will be watching. American expatriates, European fans of the gridiron game and various curiosity seekers will tune in this Sunday to see the big quarterback duel between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Despite what the NFL would like you to believe, however, the Super Bowl will not be the most-watched club football event of the year. That honor now belongs to the UEFA Champions League Final.

According to a study by Initiative Futures Sports and Entertainment in London, the Champions League Final was the most watched annual sporting event of 2009, bringing in an average worldwide audience of 109 million viewers, compared to 106 million for Super Bowl XLIII. The “total audience” numbers, which represent the number of people who watched at least part of the event, were skewed even more in favor of the Champions League. 206 million watched at least part of Barcelona’s win over Manchester United, while only 162 million saw part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

So what has made the Champions League Final bigger than “The Big Game(tm)”? One word: Asia.

The study showed that the NFL has a huge domestic audience and has made a few inroads into European television markets, thanks in part to its annual game in Wembley Stadium, but UEFA and its member clubs are well ahead of the NFL in terms of marketing their brands to Asian nations. No doubt, this was helped by the presence of Manchester United, a club that has marketed itself heavily in Asia, in the last two Champions League Finals. Barcelona is also a well-known brand throughout the world, as are many of the clubs participating in the knockout stage this year.

Last year’s Champions League Final also featured Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, arguably the two best footballers on the planet. They probably had a bit more pull with international sports fans than Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner.

What’s more, the Super Bowl lacks a really catchy theme song. That never hurts.
Of course, since this is a World Cup year, neither of these games will be the most-watched football event of 2010. Still, the study suggests that both events are growing in stature worldwide, so it will be interesting to see how their audiences will compare as this decade progresses. It will also be interesting to see how well UEFA boss Michel Platini and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handle their games’ respective financial issues. Goodell has contentious collective bargaining negotiations ahead of him, and they threaten to wipe out the 2011 NFL season. Meanwhile, Platini has to figure out how to deal with the issue of clubs carrying massive debts without undermining the popularity of UEFA’s prize club competition. As huge as these two games have become, neither is too big to fail.

Arsenal paired in Champions League qualifiers

2009-08-07T04:58:00.000-07:00

NYON, Switzerland, Aug 7 (Reuters) - British pair Celtic and Arsenal will meet each other and deside that after being drawn together in the final qualifying for a place in the champions league group stage drawn on Friday.
Celtic, who edged Dinamo Moscow in the previous round, will host the first leg against the Premier League outfite, who are entering the fray at the final qualifying stage.
Atletico Madrid must face Panathinaikos while Fiorentina were drawn against Sporting Lisbon in other ties.
Rank outsiders Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova, who stunned Slavia Prague in the previous round, were drawn against group stage regulars Olympiakos.
The group stage will also feature a club from either Austria or Israel after Salzburg and Maccabi Haifa were drawn together.

Hristov double downs nine-man Sant Julià

2009-07-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Bulgarian champions PFC Levski Sofia took a major turn in next round after a comfortable victory against nine-man UE Sant Julià of Andorra.Levski entered the game on a run of 13 matches without a win in Europe dating back to August 2006 looks like that run was about to continue after a fruitless first half in which the visitors defended well and managed to keep Levski at bay. After the break, coach Emil Velev made one change and replaced the ineffective Nikolay Dimitrov with Zé Soares and the home side never looked back, with goals from Darko Tasevski, two from Georgi Hristov and another from Vladimir Gadjev.

Top Scorers in Champions League

2009-04-24T05:31:00.001-07:00

All-Time Top Scorers in the European Championship and the Champions League

Goals	Matches	Player	Club	Country	Europe Debut
53	90	Andriy Shevchenko	Dynamo Kiev, A.C. Milan (Chelsea FC from this season	Ukraine	1994
51	101	Raul	Real Madrid	Spain	1995
49	60	Spain Alfredo Di Stefano	Real Madrid	Spain	1956
46	64	Eusebio	Benfica	Portugal	1961
46	55	Ruud van Nistelrooy	PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United	Netherlands	1999
42	75	Thierry Henry	AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal	France	1998
36	79	Alessandro Del Piero	Juventus	Italy	1996
36	41	Ferenc Puskás	Honvéd Budapest, Real Madrid	Hungary	1957
35	35	Gerd Muller	Bayern Munich	Germany	1970
34	n/a	Filippo Inzaghi	Juventus, A.C. Milan	Italy	1998
34	n/a	David Trezeguet	AS Monaco, Juventus	France	1998

Champions League Semi Final Sehedule -2008-09

2009-04-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

Semi-finals Knockout Round 2008-2009 (Round of 4)

The match from the two-leg knockout round of the 2008-2009 UEFA Champions League.

	Agg.		First leg	Second leg
Barcelona	-	Chelsea	28-04-2009	06-05-2009
Man. United	-	Arsenal	29-04-2009	05-05-2009

Champions League Final 2009 - Rome, Italy

2009-04-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

Rome's Stadio Olimpico will stage the European Champion Clubs' Cup final for the fourth time as the UEFA Champions League reaches its climax in the Italian capital on Wednesday 27 May.

The venue is a happy one for Liverpool fans who saw them win back in 1977 against Borussia Mönchengladbach and repeat the trick seven years later against Roma. That match went to penalties, as did the 1996 UEFA Champions League decider in which Juventus defeated holders AFC Ajax.

Visit the Champions League Final 2009 if you want to attend an exciting football happening: the very best opportunities can be found over here! If you have never watched the Champions League Final competition live, then all you have to do is check out this website for Champions League Final tickets 2009! Watch how your country’s team is striving for the winner’s title in a new Champions League Final competition ultimately leading to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome in 2009! You can ‘help’ your team win by physically being there in the audience at the Champions League Final 2009, cheering at the top of your lungs to support your favourite football players

Champions League Final 2008 - Man Utd Fans Act

2009-04-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

anchester United fans around the world are celebrating after their team beat Chelsea in the Champions League final.
Around 40,000 English supporters were at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium to see United win 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out.
Thousands of fans have started the journey back to the UK after the match, which ended at about 0130 local time.
There were no reports of trouble either inside or outside the Luzhniki stadium although there had been a few minor scuffles in the city earlier.
In England 12 Chelsea fans were arrested on suspicion of public disorder offences after scuffles with police in west London.
A crowd of 200 had gathered near Fulham Broadway tube station after watching the match in various pubs close to the club's Stamford Bridge stadium.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Shortly after the match ended, some people became noisy and abusive and bottles and street furniture were thrown."

Champions league exciting videos

2009-04-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

Its really hard to get Champions League Final Tickets

2009-04-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of tickets agents in the market who sells champions league final tickets but not all of them are successful to provide tickets to their customer because all tickets have been sold out before the event take place. That'why only few famsous tickets agent are successful to provide 100% guaranteed champions league tickets to their customers. The list of those tickets agent are as under:

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Champions League Final Tickets are on sale now

2009-04-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will host the Champions League final for the 2008-09 season. The match will take place on 27th May 2009. The Champions League final is the most important match of the season in European club football. The stadium to host the final is selected by UEFA two years prior to the actual match. The winning club gains possession of the trophy at the awards ceremony, but must return it to the UEFA headquarters 2 months prior to the following year's final. UEFA gives the winners a scaled-down replica version of the trophy to keep permanently, and winning clubs are allowed to make replicas of the trophy as long as they are clearly marked as replicas and are no larger than 80% of the size of the actual trophy. However, the current competition rules also specify that the actual trophy will be permanently awarded to a team that wins three consecutive years or five times in all.

So, Don't miss the chance and buy Chammpions League final Tickets. Still Tickets are available on many websties like.

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Champions League Final 2009

2009-04-24T04:33:00.001-07:00

The UEFA Champions League 2008–09 is the 54th edition of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final will be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009. It is the eighth time the European Cup final has been held in Italy and the fourth time it has been held at the Stadio Olimpico. Manchester United are the defending champions.

The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final will be the 54th final of the UEFA Champions League football tournament and the 17th final under the current format. The final is going to take place at the 72,698-capacity Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the home of A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio, on 27 May 2009, for the fourth time following 1977, 1984 and 1996. This will be the fifth year in a row in which the final involves an English team. The current owners of the trophy are Manchester United of England's Premier League.

Champions League Team Winners - Statistics

2009-04-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

1955–56	Real Madrid	4–3	Stade Reims	Parc des Princes	France, Paris Paris, France
1956–57	Real Madrid	2–0	Fiorentina	Santiago Bernabéu	Spain, Madrid Madrid, Spain
1957–58	Real Madrid	†3–2 †	Milan	Heysel Stadium	Belgium, Brussels Brussels, Belgium
1958–59	Real Madrid	2–0	Stade Reims	Neckarstadion	Germany, Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany
1959–60	Real Madrid	7–3	Eintracht Frankfurt	Hampden Park	Scotland, Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland
1960–61	Benfica	3–2	Barcelona	Wankdorf Stadium	Switzerland, Berne Berne, Switzerland
1961–62	Benfica	5–3	Real Madrid	Olympisch Stadion	Netherlands, Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
1962–63	Milan	2–1	Benfica	Wembley Stadium	England, London London, England
1963–64	Internazionale	3–1	Real Madrid	Prater Stadium	Austria, Vienna Vienna, Austria
1964–65	Internazionale	1–0	Benfica	San Siro	Italy, Milan Milan, Italy
1965–66	Real Madrid	2–1	Partizan	Heysel Stadium	Belgium, Brussels Brussels, Belgium
1966–67	Celtic	2–1	Internazionale	Estádio Nacional	Portugal, Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
1967–68	Manchester United	†4–1 †	Benfica	Wembley Stadium	England, London London, England
1968–69	Milan	4–1	Ajax	Santiago Bernabéu	Spain, Madrid Madrid, Spain
1969–70	Feyenoord	†2–1 †	Celtic	San Siro	Italy, Milan Milan, Italy
1970–71	Ajax	2–0	Panathinaikos	Wembley Stadium	England, London London, England
1971–72	Ajax	2–0	Internazionale	De Kuip	Netherlands, Rotterdam Rotterdam, Netherlands
1972–73	Ajax	1–0	Juventus	Red Star Stadium	Yugoslavia, Belgrade Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1973–74	Bayern Munich	1–1	Atlético Madrid	Heysel Stadium	Brussels, Belgium Brussels, Belgium
1973–74 (R)	Bayern Munich	4–0	Atlético Madrid	Heysel Stadium	Brussels, Belgium Brussels, Belgium
1974–75	Bayern Munich	2–0	Leeds United	Parc des Princes	France, Paris Paris, France
1975–76	Bayern Munich	1–0	Saint-Étienne	Hampden Park	Scotland, Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland
1976–77	Liverpool	3–1	Borussia Mönchengladbach	Stadio Olimpico	Italy, Rome Rome, Italy
1977–78	Liverpool	1–0	Club Brugge	Wembley Stadium	England, London London, England
1978–79	Nottingham Forest	1–0	Malmö FF	Olympiastadion	Germany, Munich Munich, Germany
1979–80	Nottingham Forest	1–0	Hamburg	Santiago Bernabéu	Spain, Madrid Madrid, Spain
1980–81	Liverpool	1–0	Real Madrid	Parc des Princes	France, Paris Paris, France
1981–82	Aston Villa	1–0	Bayern Munich	De Kuip	Netherlands, Rotterdam Rotterdam, Netherlands
1982–83	Hamburg	1–0	Juventus	Olympic Stadium	Greece, Athens Athens, Greece
1983–84	Liverpool	1–1	Roma	Stadio Olimpico	Italy, Rome Rome, Italy
1984–85	Juventus	1–0	Liverpool	Heysel Stadium	Belgium, Brussels Brussels, Belgium
1985–86	Steaua Bucureşti	0–0	Barcelona	Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán	Spain, Seville Seville, Spain
1986–87	Porto	2–1	Bayern Munich	Prater Stadium	Austria, Vienna Vienna, Austria
1987–88	PSV Eindhoven	0–0	Benfica	Neckarstadion	Germany, Stuttgart Stuttgart, Germany
1988–89	Milan	4–0	Steaua Bucureşti	Camp Nou	Spain, Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
1989–90	Milan	1–0	Benfica	Prater Stadium	Austria, Vienna Vienna, Austria
1990–91	Red Star Belgrade	0–0	Marseille	Stadio San Nicola	Italy, Bari Bari, Italy
1991–92	Barcelona	†1–0 †	Sampdoria	Wembley Stadium	England, London London, England
1992–93	Marseille	1–0	Milan	Olympiastadion	Germany, Munich Munich, Germany
1993–94	Milan	4–0	Barcelona	Olympic Stadium	Greece, Athens Athens, Greece
1994–95	Ajax	1–0	Milan	Ernst-Happel-Stadion	Austria, Vienna Vienna, Austria
1995–96	Juventus	1–1	Ajax	Stadio Olimpico	Italy, Rome Rome, Italy
1996–97	Borussia Dortmund	3–1	Juventus	Olympiastadion	Germany, Munich Munich, Germany
1997–98	Real Madrid	1–0	Juventus	Amsterdam ArenA	Netherlands, Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
1998–99	Manchester United	2–1	Bayern Munich	Camp Nou	Spain, Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
1999–2000	Real Madrid	3–0	Valencia	Stade de France	France, Paris Paris, France
2000–01	Bayern Munich	1–1	Valencia	San Siro	Italy, Milan Milan, Italy
2001–02	Real Madrid	2–1	Bayer Leverkusen	Hampden Park	Scotland, Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland
2002–03	Milan	0–0	Juventus	Old Trafford	England, Manchester Manchester, England
2003–04	Porto	3–0	Monaco	Arena AufSchalke	Germany, Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen, Germany
2004–05	Liverpool	3–3	Milan	Atatürk Olympic Stadium	Turkey, Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey
2005–06	Barcelona	2–1	Arsenal	Stade de France	France, Paris Paris, France
2006–07	Milan	2–1	Liverpool	Olympic Stadium	Greece, Athens Athens, Greece
2007–08	Manchester United	1–1	Chelsea	Luzhniki Stadium	Russia, Moscow Moscow, Russia

Champions League Final Winner - Team Wise

2009-04-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Real Madrid	9	3	1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002	1962, 1964, 1981
Milan	7	4	1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007	1958, 1993, 1995, 2005
Liverpool	5	2	1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005	1985, 2007
Bayern Munich	4	3	1974, 1975, 1976, 2001	1982, 1987, 1999
Ajax	4	2	1971, 1972, 1973, 1995	1969, 1996
Manchester United	3	0	1968, 1999, 2008	–
Benfica	2	5	1961, 1962	1963, 1965, 1968, 1988, 1990
Juventus	2	5	1985, 1996	1973, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2003
Barcelona	2	3	1992, 2006	1961, 1986, 1994
Internazionale	2	2	1964, 1965	1967, 1972
Nottingham Forest	2	0	1979, 1980	–
Porto	2	0	1987, 2004	–
Celtic	1	1	1967	1970
Hamburg	1	1	1983	1980
Steaua Bucureşti	1	1	1986	1989
Marseille	1	1	1993	1991
Feyenoord	1	0	1970	–
Aston Villa	1	0	1982	–
PSV Eindhoven	1	0	1988	–
Red Star Belgrade	1	0	1991	–
Borussia Dortmund	1	0	1997	–
Stade Reims	0	2	–	1956, 1959
Valencia	0	2	–	2000, 2001
Fiorentina	0	1	–	1957
Eintracht Frankfurt	0	1	–	1960
Partizan	0	1	–	1966
Panathinaikos	0	1	–	1971
Atlético Madrid	0	1	–	1974
Leeds United	0	1	–	1975
Saint-Étienne	0	1	–	1976
Borussia Mönchengladbach	0	1	–	1977
Club Brugge	0	1	–	1978
Malmö FF	0	1	–	1979
Roma	0	1	–	1984
Sampdoria	0	1	–	1992
Bayer Leverkusen	0	1	–	2002
Monaco	0	1	–	2004
Arsenal	0	1	–	2006
Chelsea	0	1	–	2008

Champions League Final Winnser - Country Wise

2009-04-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

Nation	Winners	Runners Up	% Wins per Final
Italy	11	14	44%
Spain	11	9	55%
England	11	5	68%
Germany	6	7	46%
Netherlands	6	2	75%
Portugal	4	5	44%
France	1	5	16%
Scotland	1	1	50%
Romania	1	1	50%
Serbia	1	1	50%
Greece	0	1	0%
Belgium	0	1	0%
Sweden	0	1	0%

History of Champions League Final

2009-04-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

The UEFA Champions League is a seasonal association football competition recognized in 1956. The UEFA Champions League is unwrap to the league champions of all UEFA member associations (except Liechtenstein, which has no league competition), as well as to the clubs concluding from second to fourth position in the good leagues. Previously to the 1992–93 seasons, the competition was named the European Cup. initially, only the champions of their individual national league could participate in the tournament; however, this was changed in 1997 to allow the runners-up of the stronger leagues to fight as well. Real Madrid won the opening competition in the 1956 European Cup Final.

If a team wins the UEFA Champions League thrice in a row, or five times overall, they are certified to keep the European Champion Clubs' Cup and a new one is specially made. As of 2008, five teams have earned this privilege; Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Milan and Liverpool.

Real Madrid holds the record for the most conquest, winning the tournament nine times since its inception. They have also won the competition the most times in a row, winning it five times from 1956 to 1960. The current winners are Manchester United who beat Chelsea 6–5 in a penalty shootout after the 2008 Final finished 1–1 after extra time