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.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Fulham to host 2011 Women's Champions League final
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.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Zob Ahan loses in AFC Champions League final
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.
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.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
"Chelsea winning Champions League final at Wembley" Inspired by Carlo Ancelotti
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"
Friday, 15 October 2010
impact in the Champions League
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.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Celtic out despite win over Braga, Champions League
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.
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.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Wembley to get a new pitch every four months at £125,000 each
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.
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.
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