Pressure on big-spending Real to end last 16 hoodoo
March 10, 2010
A staggering summer outlay of over 250 million euros and home advantage for the final has seen Real Madrid put themselves under immense pressure to win the Champions League this season.
However, the record nine-time European champions first have to come from behind to eliminate French side Lyon who arrive for Wednesday’s last 16 decider at the Santiago Bernabeu holding a 1-0 first leg lead.
Real have been unstoppable in the league at home winning all 13 games but in Europe their dominance has not been as overwhelming losing 3-2 to AC MIlan at home in this season’s group stage while Liverpool and Juventus both won in Madrid last season.
Lyon’s clean sheet in the first leg means a vital away goal would force Real to score three goals to progress as they go all out to reach the final at their Bernabeu stadium on May 22.
“We are up for coming from behind against Lyon,” said Guti, a three-time Champions League winner with Real.
“If they score it will complicate things but with the signings we have made we have to give everything to get through.
“It would be a failure not to get past the knockout stage against a rival like Lyon who are good but not one of the big European sides.”
Lyon, third in their domestic league, may not have the grandeur of Real but they are seasoned campaigners in the Champions League and have outperformed Real in the last five campaigns reaching the quarter-final stage in 2005 and 2006.
“We really believe in our chances, even if Real (Madrid) remain the favourites,” said Lyon’s Brazilian captain Cris. “It’s just a match with 11 against 11 and we are not worried about their stars.”
Real have been a disappointment in Europe in recent seasons failing to reach the quarter-finals since 2004 and coach Manuel Pellegrini is under pressure to put them back among Europe’s elite particularly after the massive summer spending.
Pellegrini, who guided Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2006, must do without midfielder Xabi Alonso through suspension leaving the door open for the likes of former Lyon old boy Mahamadou Diarra, Esteban Granero and Rafael van der Vaart to stake a claim for a first team place.
French striker Karim Benzema, a summer signing from Lyon, could miss the game against his old club due to a groin strain but Real have the firepower in Brazilian Kaka, in-form Argentine Gonzalo Higuain and Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo who is the Champions League top-scorer with six goals.
Real will also be on a high after their dramatic 3-2 win over Sevilla, coming from two goals down to move level on points with Barcelona at the top of the table and Ronaldo called on his team-mates to stamp their authority over Lyon.
“We need to show that, at the Bernabeu, we are the ones in charge,” said Ronaldo. “We already know Lyon are a strong team, but now we are playing at home and I am confident that we will progress.
“It would be a huge disappointment if we did not progress. We are going to go out with the mentality of winning and scoring goals.”
Real are top-scorers in the Spanish league and start as favourites but Lyon’s Argentine striker Cesar Delgado insists the French giants won’t come to sit back and defend.
“We are not coming with the idea of defending because we are not a team that likes to defend,” said Delgado. “There is no doubt that they have players that can change the game. We have a lot of respect but in football you can’t have fear.”
MADRID (AFP)
Tags: ac milan, bernabeu stadium, campaigners, decider, european champions, french side, grandeur, group stage, home advantage, immense pressure, knockout stage, league winner, manuel pellegrini, outlay, quarter finals, real madrid, santiago bernabeu, semi finals, time champions, xabi alonsoRelated posts
Atlante looks ahead to Barcelona, but not too far
November 26, 2009
Atlante is looking forward to a potential match against FC Barcelona – just not too much.
“It’s an attractive possibility but we have a team to play before and we have to respect that team as well as preparing ourselves to play well and win,” captain and goalkeeper Federico Vilar said Wednesday. “Then we can think about that possible game against Barcelona.”
At a news conference to celebrate Atlante’s participation in the Club World Cup December 9-19 and send it off to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Vilar expressed the mood of the CONCACAF Champions League winner, which will have to face the winner between UAE champion Al Ahli and Auckland City FC before it can think about a semifinal meeting against Barcelona.
“We have to be focused on our first game and not think about Barcelona because we have to win in order to play against them,” midfielder Santiago Solari said. “If the opportunity does arise, it will be great, and today in soccer everything is very even and anything can happen.”
The best any CONCACAF team has done at the Club World Cup was third place. Mexico’s Necaxa outlasted Real Madrid on penalties in 2000, and Saprissa beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad 3-2 for the No. 3 finish in 2005.
The past two years, Mexico’s Pachuca has represented CONCACAF, eliminated by Etoile Sportive du Sahel in its opener in 2007, and beating Egypt Al Ahly to open last year’s event before falling to Eucador’s Liga de Quito in the semifinals.
“I have prepared my whole life to play this tournament,” midfielder Gabriel Pereyra said. “This tournament is a showcase for every player and we are going to take advantage of it as much as we can. We have working hard, training twice each day and are very anxious to take part in the competition.”
MEXICO CITY
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Tags: abu dhabi, Al Ahli, Al-Ittihad, attractive possibility, auckland city, Barcelona, champion al, club world cup, concacaf champions league, Egypt, egypt al, etoile sportive du sahel, eucador, fc barcelona, federico vilar, gabriel pereyra, league winner, liga de quito, MADRID, Mexico, mexico city, Necaxa, Quito, real madrid, Santiago, santiago solari, saprissa, saudi arabia, UAE, united arab emiratesRelated posts
Beckham raring to play Champions League
November 7, 2009
England midfielder David Beckham is relishing the chance to play Champions League football again once he returns to AC Milan on his second loan spell in January.
Milan missed out on Champions League qualification last season but are on course to progress from the group stages this time around, allowing the 34-year-old to be eligible for the start of the knockout phase in February.
“I’ve not been involved for a few years now but I always enjoy Champions League games,” said Beckham, who first joined the Serie A side from the Los Angeles Galaxy at the start of 2009.
A Champions League winner in 1999 with Manchester United, Beckham’s last appearance in the competition came for Real Madrid in 2007, prior to joining the Galaxy that July.
“They’re different from playing the majority of league games,” he said.
“They’re always special nights and there’s always a different atmosphere, especially at big clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Milan.”
Beckham has been keeping an eye on Milan’s early season form in Serie A under new head coach Leonardo.
“Unless I’ve been playing or training I’ve watched every game,” he said.
“I watch every Milan game, every Manchester United game and every Madrid game being an ex-player and a fan of all three teams. It’s great to watch teams like that and learn from players and teams.
“It was a tough start (for Milan) but that was going to happen but Milan are a great team and it was never going to be a problem.”
Beckham must firstly try to help the Galaxy reach the MLS Cup final, which determines the American league champions and he is committed to the cause, even it means missing out on a 116th England cap later this month.
Should the Galaxy defeat Los Angeles rivals Chivas USA in their Western Conference semi-final second leg on Sunday night, the next round of the play-offs will clash with England’s friendly against Brazil in Doha on November 14.
“Of course I’d a lot rather the Galaxy progressed in the play-offs more than anything,” Beckham said.
“We’ve got to this stage and done well so far this season but everybody knows how proud I am about playing for my country.
“Ideally it would be great if they were separate but they’re not so it will be good if we progress.”
Beckham said he and his team-mates would have to step up their game from last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Chivas.
“We know we can play better than we did in the first game and we have to if we want to progress. We have to play a lot better,” he said.
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: ac milan, american league champions, brazil, champions league football, chivas usa, David Beckham, Doha, england cap, group stages, head coach, knockout, league games, league winner, leonardo, london, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, midfielder david beckham, Milan, mls cup, november 14, play offs, real madrid, USA, Western ConferenceRelated posts
Barca on the hunt for revenge
November 3, 2009
Barcelona travels to Russia to face Rubin Kazan on Wednesday. The reigning Champions League winner will aim for revenge for their shock defeat at home a fortnight ago. Director of football Txiki Begiristain is convinced Barça can put on a good show despite the cold in Kazan.
Barcelona is aware of the tricky situation in their group, with three clubs with the same amount of points. Barca know they have to give their best considering their difficult schedule, with still two away games in eastern Europe to come: they meet Russia’s Rubin on Wednesday and then Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev in their final outing in December.
Still, Begiristain remains confident that Pep Guardiola’s side will get their title defence back on track. ““If the pitch is OK then I’m not worried. I believe we are the better team and the main thing is that the players warm up thoroughly.
“Kazan work hard and have a good group of players. We mustn’t forget that they are champions of their country and they’ve got money to spend”.
Begiristain isn’t surprised by the good performances of their east European opponents. “I remember perfectly how I assessed the draw. I especially emphasized the difficulty of the away matches.
“In all senses it’s a very balanced group. Inter and Barça were the favourites and now we have to fight to qualify in two away matches”
Paul Haring
Tags: Barcelona, champions league, difficult schedule, director of football, dynamo kiev, East European, eastern Europe, favourites, fortnight, Kiev, league winner, opponents, Paul Haring, pep guardiola, pitch, revenge, rubin kazan, russia, senses, shock defeat, title defence, tricky situation, txikiRelated posts
Kaka calls for real calm
September 30, 2009
Recent Champions League winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka have sought to temper the growing anticipation that this is going to be Real Madrid’s year in Europe as their side prepare to host Marseille.
Madrid have failed to get beyond the first knockout stage of the Champions League in any of the last five seasons, but few believe it will be a similar story this time around following a record-breaking summer spending spree and a flying start to the new campaign.
Buoyed by the arrival of superstars such as Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso, Madrid have won all six of their competitive games so far, scoring 21 goals and conceding just four in the process.
That has increased expectations that Madrid can seriously challenge last season’s treble winners Barcelona this term, and it is the Champions League that is attracting most interest.
Madrid have long been hunting for a record 10th European Cup crown, and with this year’s final being held at their Bernabeu home, that quest has taken on extra significance.
However, speaking ahead of the new-look Madrid’s first European home match of the season, Kaka has attempted to inject some realism into the situation, saying: “It’s not easy to win the European Cup, everyone is talking about it a lot and it seems as though Real Madrid are already in the final – the team still has to grow and improve on many things.
“We are thinking about winning and making history with Real Madrid, but we have to have a little calm,” added the Brazilian, who won the competition with AC Milan in 2007.
Ronaldo, who also has a Champions League winner’s medal after helping Manchester United to glory in 2008, echoed those thoughts, adding on his club’s website: “The fans are understandably excited about this new project, but as Kaka has said well we have to take it step by step, thinking about things game by game.
“The Champions League is a very difficult competition. We want to win it, but success doesn’t happen overnight.”
Madrid, who yesterday announced the renewal of their sponsorship deal with bwin, which has been extended until 2013, will be looking to make it two wins out of two in Group C having beaten FC Zurich 5-2 away in their opening match.
France midfielder Lassana Diarra, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Christoph Metzelder and Alvaro Arbeloa all miss out for Manuel Pellegrini’s side due to injuries.
The Spanish giants could come up against a couple of familiar faces in the Marseille squad, with Fernando Morientes and Gabriel Heinze both now at the French club and included in Didier Deschamps’ 20-man travelling squad.
Spaniard Morientes won three Champions League medals in eight years at Madrid, while Argentinian Heinze spent two years at the Bernabeu before moving to Marseille this summer.
Morientes told www.om.net: “This will be a special moment, very special. I’m going to play against Real Madrid, a club where I spent nine years, but I prepared like any other match.
“To get motivated against teams like Real or Milan is easy.”
Marseille lost their opening Group C match 2-1 at home to AC Milan but Morientes believes a win at the Bernabeu is possible if they can hit Madrid on the break.
He said: “I think their weakness is, especially at home, when they attack, because they attack with four or five players and it is precisely then that the opposing team can find the space to score.
“I think we can hurt them like that.
“This will be terribly difficult, but I have complete confidence in what we can do.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: ac milan, Alonso, anticipation, Barcelona, champions league, christoph metzelder, Europe, five seasons, France, gabriel heinze, home match, kaka, Karim Benzema, knockout stage, league winner, league winners, MADRID, manchester united, Marseille, Milan, Morientes, real madrid, realism, ronaldo, spending spree, superstars, temper, thinking about things, treble winners, xabi alonsoRelated posts
Morientes moves close to a Marseille switch
July 26, 2009
Former Liverpool and Valencia striker Fernando Morientes is moving towards a surprising Ligue 1 return as he is set to link up with former coach Didier Deschamps at Marseille.
The Spanish striker who made his Ligue 1 debut with As Monaco, on loan from Real Madrid in 2003, proved to be an impact player as he led the club to a Champions League final against Porto FC.
With four Champions League finals and three winner’s medal with Real Madrid, Morientes will now look to link up with Deschamps, who was instrumental in bringing the Spaniard to the principality.
“We’ll see if he signs, but for the moment, nothing is finalized,” said Deschamps.
“I know him well, and that’s important for me. He could bring us the things that he’s been doing for years and his goalscoring quality.”
After leaving Monaco, Morientes had unsuccesful stints with Real, Liverpool and Valencia, where the experienced striker’s contract expired this summer.
But Deschamps is convinced the triple Champions League winner still has much to offer and is hoping that the well-travelled striker can have a similar impact at the Stade Vélodrome.
“I know that people will say that he’s 33, but when you score goals, you score goals,” said the French 1998 World Cup-winning captain.
“Pippo Inzaghi is still scoring at 36 and Del Piero is 35. He’s 33 today, but the same quality and four years younger is inaccessible for us, and that has to be taken into account too.”
With Greek giants Olympiakos and Turkish heavyweights Fenerbahçe also in the lookout for the 33-year-old, Morientes’ agent has revealed that Marseille are a top priority for the player.
“He’ll not look at any other solution as long as there’s a chance of going to Marseille,” said Carvajal, who admitted that Deschamps’ presence at OM is a major factor.
“Deschamps is like a sporting father-figure for him. There is mutual respect and trust between the pair of them. Fernando has always told me that if another opportunity arose to work with Deschamps, he would take it, no matter where.”
He added: “Of course we’ll discuss the financial aspect. But if there is common interest, it’s logical that we’ll come to an agreement quickly.
By: Abhimanyu Rajput
Tags: carvajal, Del Piero, father figure, heavyweights, league winner, Ligue 1, mutual respect, Olympiakos, pippo inzaghi, principality, real madrid, Spaniard, stade velodrome, stints, striker, top priorityRelated posts
Champions League winner Maniche joins Cologne
July 20, 2009
Veteran Portuguese international midfielder Maniche joined German side Cologne on a free transfer, the club’s website said on Monday.
The 31-year-old – a Champions League winner with Porto in 2004 – was released from his previous contract with Spanish side Atletico Madrid in May.
“Maniche is one of the great names in European football and we are proud to have signed him,” Cologne chairman Wolfgang Overath said.
Maniche – capped 52 times – enjoyed a golden spell under Jose Mourinho at Porto also collecting the 2003 UEFA Cup before an unhappy 16million pounds move to Russian side Dynamo Moscow.
The Russian side loaned him to Chelsea where Mourinho was manager but he failed to shine and moved to Atletico, who in turn loaned him to Inter Milan in 2008.
Maniche – who was part of the Portugal side beaten by Greece in the Euro 2004 final – joins a team attempting to consolidate on its 12th place finish in the Bundesliga last season.
Another addition to the squad has been the return of German international striker Lukas Podolski, back after a three year spell with Bayern Munich.
BERLIN (AFP)
Tags: Bayern, bayern munich, berlin, champions league, CHELSEA, cologne, Cup, dynamo moscow, euro 2004, greece, Jose, jose mourinho, league winner, Lukas Podolski, MADRID, maniche, midfielder, Milan, Moscow, PORTO, portuguese, russian side, spanish side, striker, uefa, UEFA Cup, veteran, wolfgang overathRelated posts
Drogba and Etoo display charitable sides
June 23, 2009
KIGALI (AFP) – African footballing icons Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o were among a raft of footballing stars from their continent taking part in a charity match on Monday here for children orphaned by the 1994 genocide.
The match was organised as part of the “One Dollar Campaign” which was launched in April this year on the 15th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi minority that left at least 800,000 people dead.
Arsenal’s Kolo Toure, Barcelona’s Champions League winner Yaya Toure and Galatasaray’s Cameroon veteran Rigobert Song were also among the star-studded line-up at the slightly delayed kick-off late on Monday, an AFP correspondent reported.
The money collected during the game and charity dinner to be hosted by President Paul Kagame is slated for housing projects to improve the lives of the tens of thousands of children who lost their families in 1994.
Tags: 15th anniversary, afp correspondent, arsenal, Barcelona, cameroon, charity dinner, didier drogba, dollar, dollar campaign, etoo, galatasaray, genocide, housing projects, kigali, kolo toure, league winner, paul kagame, President Paul Kagame, raft, rigobert song, samuel eto, samuel eto o, star studded, toure barcelona, Tutsi, WC Qualifying South-Africa, yaya toureRelated posts
No Chelsea move for Seedorf despite Ancelotti´s plea
June 11, 2009
THE HAGUE (AFP) – AC Milan’s veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf pledged his future to the Serie A side on Wednesday and said he would not be joining-up with former club coach Carlo Ancelotti as FA Cup winners Chelsea.
The 33-year-old – a four time Champions League winner and the only player to win the Champions League with three different clubs – had received an offer to join the Premier League club but had opted to stay with AC Milan, whom Ancelotti left at the end of the season to take over at Chelsea.
“I am flattered,” admitted Seedorf, capped 87 times by the Dutch.
“It is fantastic to know that Ancelotti wanted me, but next season I will be at AC Milan.
“I still have a contract at Milan (for two more seasons), I am a Milan player and I feel good here.
“I hope to still be playing here for another at least three or four years,” added Seedorf, who won the Champions League twice with AC Milan and once with Ajax and Real Madrid.
Tags: ac milan, Ajax, carlo ancelotti, champions league, CHELSEA, clarence seedorf, club coach, fa cup winners, hague, LA Liga, league winner, MADRID, midfielder, Milan, plea, premier league, real madrid, Serie A, time champions, veteranRelated posts
Blazer appointed chairman of FIFA Club World Cup Organizing Committee
June 10, 2009
NEW YORK — CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer will take over as chairman of the FIFA Club World Cup Organizing Committee, replacing Viacheslav Koloskov for the championship set to be played in the United Arab Emirates in December.
Blazer, who has served as the head of the organizing committees for the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup and Women’s Under-17 World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003 and 2005, assumes responsibility for a tournament in its sixth year and moving out of Japan for the first time since the inaugural event in Brazil in 2000.
“Having chaired five FIFA world championships, taking on this event with the best clubs in the world is a new and great opportunity,” Blazer said. “With the recent launch of our Champions League, the importance of the FIFA Club World Cup has taken on greater meaning within our region.”
The Club World Cup grew out of the Toyota Cup and its predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup – which was played as a one-game championship between the winners of the European and South American club tournaments. The Club World Cup now includes the champions of all six continental confederations, including the CONCACAF Champions League winner.
As a member of the FIFA Executive Committee since 1996, Blazer ascends to the chairmanship for Koloskov, an Executive Committee from Russia for three decades whose term expired earlier this year.
Besides having served on numerous FIFA committees, including as the current vice-chair of the players status committee, and as a board member of the FIFA Marketing and TV, Blazer chaired the two most recent Women’s U-20 World Cup tournaments in Russia in 2006 and Chile in 2008 as well as last year’s Women’s U-17 World Cup in New Zealand.
As a driving force along with then Asian confederation General Secretary Petter Velappan, Blazer was a driving force in 1992 behind the creation of the King Fahd Cup, which evolved into the Confederations Cup that Blazer chaired twice.
“This will be an exciting challenge,” Blazer said. “And helping this competition become even better will be a great reward.”
Go to Source
Tags: asian confederation, best clubs, brazil, Chile, Chuck Blazer, club world cup, concacaf champions league, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, fifa club world cup, fifa confederations cup, fifa executive committee, fifa women, fifa world, game championship, inaugural event, intercontinental cup, Japan, king fahd, launch, league winner, New York, New Zealand, russia, Secretary Petter, South American, status committee, three decades, toyota cup, u 20 world cup, united arab emiratesRelated posts
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